Have a house there now - Don Mitchell. Date of travel: Jan 2005
We vacationed several times at Tokoriki Island Resort, where we made friends with a lot of the native Fijians. Got to know a couple (Ema and Philip) quite well. We agreed to help them come to Canada for a visit, then 9/11 happened. His Dad begged them not to go, urged us to build them a home on Yanuya, which we quickly agreed to. In return, we would be able to stay whenever we wanted. For the price of a 2-car garage in N. America, we had a home built on Yanuya (plus $400 for the carpenter and two pigs for the ceremony). We have added on a little over the years, it is about 50% larger now, two bedrooms, outdoor shower, mbamba on the beach. Village life is a little primitive for westerners, but we enjoy it immensely. We have made several friends among the villagers, and have become an intermittent part of their lives. In the meantime, we have a beachfront home that we can visit whenever we desire (we usually go about once every two years for 2-3 months). We are the only white people on the island, which is unusual for us, but we are made to feel very welcome anywhere we go. We make regular donations to the school on Yanuya, which I would urge anyone visiting Yanuya to do, as it is a very worthwhile cause, and they desperately need the help. For ayone visiting the island for a day-trip, I would suggest to bring pencils, paper, and anything else they can think of to help the schoolchildren. It will certainly be appreciated. They also appreciate any clothing articles you can come up with, new or used, all age groups.