Fiji Outer Islands

Fiji encompasses around 800 islands if you count every volcanic tip that pokes out of the Pacific within the country's boundaries. The islands worth counting number about 300; the ones that are inhabited number about 100.

Out of the 100, two (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu) are the most inhabited and they also make up about 85 percent of Fiji's land mass. Taveuni, Kadavu and Koro, might be called by name, as well as Treasure Island and Castaway, however, most of the remaining 15 percent are part of groups such as the Yasawa, the Lau and the Mamanucas. These islands are referred to as the Outer Islands.

On my visits to Fiji, we had the opportunity to explore the Outer Islands. The soft breezes from the Pacific, the moonlight shimmering on the sea, the white sand beaches, the starlit skies, the Bures with their thatched roofs, ... all the visions that the brochures promised were there.