The Nausori Highlands in Western Fiji is an abundantly beautiful region. Add sunrise and the opportunity to be elevated to bird level and observe it from a hot air balloon, and it is a truly remarkable and awe inspiring experience. This magnificent and picturesque interior part of Fiji offers an immense diversity of rich landscape covering mountain ranges, tropical rainforest, rolling green hills, farm land and village life and beyond the plains a vista out to the coastline of Fiji. The interior is a road less traveled, a relatively untouched, private paradise.
The potential of the area for hot air ballooning, was seen by Adrenalin Fiji, already well established in adventure sports and activities in Fiji, who in instigating this activity, observed careful respect to the villages in the area, and their custom. After a briefing at their base in Port Denarau, it’s an organized operation as we travel through the Nadi hills into the highlands. The view is stunning even by road, and stopping briefly for wind checks, fuels a sense of excitement of how this land will soon appear from above. Still well before sunrise, we arrive at the launch site by the peaceful village of Yavuna, where the crew expertly set the balloon up, which is a fascinating operation in itself. The sun will soon be ours; this is the first hot air balloon flight in the world every morning. In no time we are gently rising above the children in the village below, who with beaming faces continue calling out “Bula”- "Hello" in Fijian, and looking as amazed by the sight of the balloon, as we are by the view we now have of their expanding village and the river gliding around it from an incredible perspective.
Being elevated by a hot air balloon feels effortless, with a sensation of actually floating in the sky, the quietness offering a world of private reflection of the immense beauty below. There's a lot of it, the panorama unfolding is colorful, and breathtaking. Gliding over treetops and ridges and the rolling hills of the highland, our pilot Kevin gives a fascinating commentary of our location and the details on the ground, intermittently calling out “Yadra”- “morning” in Fijian to the excited children on the land. We are in good hands, our pilot has 27 years in his job, and he gets my vote for any best office view competition. Originating from America, he clearly feels a strong resonance with Fiji and its people and is passionate about this beautiful location being utilized, and made possible to see from above.
The day unfolds on the land, and so does life in the many and contrasting villages we can view. People, animals and beautiful temples.The emerging morning light on the terrain creates shadows and the contrast it creates is staggering.The picture perfect day is framed by the majestic mountain range of the sleeping giant, and the Nausori Hills now softly highlighted underneath giving way to a tapestry of land. Over farmland Kevin points out the oxen being used to plough the ground, and the richness of the land becomes clearer with vast sugar cane fields, banana and cassava plantations. The Nadi River is ever present weaving its course gracefully through the land.
Closer to the coastline over the manicured plains of the Nadi region, the ocean view expands and we get a clearer view of the aqua blue shimmering sea out to the Yasawa Islands. Having been in the sky for well over an hour, we begin descent for our landing location, coordinating with the crew below. With incredible precision Kevin brings us down gently into a field next to a school, in the village of Korovuto. The Adrenalin Fiji ground crew expertly secures us, with the locals and school pupils looking on with amazement. Their day and ours has begun with delight. The sky travelers who have descended are left to digest and reflect on our platter of visual experiences, an incredible and memorable journey over land that will be forever treasured.
Booking information for this flight
- Adrenalin Fiji offers this flight seven days a week with a range of experienced international pilots.
- Further information and bookings available online at : Adrenalin Fiji
Michele Sainsbury - From New Zealand, I'm influenced by fantastic landscapes and creative people.Travel writing encompasses many of my passions and ...
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