We arrived in Suva with a sense of purpose. Tahiti and Fiji were two of the main reasons we chose this voyage, and Suva felt like one of those anchor points — a place I’d long imagined, a place I was eager to finally step into. And when we arrived, Suva greeted us with that unmistakable Fijian warmth: bright colors, easy smiles, and a sense of daily life unfolding all around us. It was everything I hoped it would be.

But then came Druvani

Druvani wasn’t just another port — it was the Fiji of my imagination. After a gentle tender ride to the beach, we slipped straight into the water, warm and calm and impossibly clear — the kind of water that makes you forget time entirely. Once we’d cooled off, we wandered for a bit before hiking up the tallest hill on the island, climbing steadily until the whole world opened into those impossible shades of blue and green. Standing at the top, with the breeze carrying the scent of the sea and the village below looking like a storybook, I felt that deep, quiet recognition: this was the Fiji I had dreamed of. The Fiji that felt untouched, unhurried, and utterly sincere.

Druvani didn’t just impress me — it stole my heart. It was the Fiji I had imagined, and somehow, even better.

And then, as if the day needed one more perfect note, there was Jay’s sulu. He’d bought it back in Suva — because of course the sulu goes with Suva — a spontaneous, delighted purchase! And that very night, he wore it to dinner with such relaxed confidence that he looked like he’d been part of the local welcome committee all along. It was the sweetest, most playful ending to a day already overflowing with beauty.

As we sail away, we have one quiet sea day to let Fiji settle into our hearts before we make our way toward Vanuatu and New Caledonia — a gentle pause between the places that welcomed us and the ones waiting just over the horizon.