It
is recommended that you book well in advance (at least a month or two) ahead
of time. The total amount due will be based on the number of days you wish
to stay with your accommodation being paid in cash on arrival at the village.
It is important to note that there is a limit of six visitors to Galoa at
any time so we cannot guarantee that there will be places available if you
are already in Fiji. There is a deposit payable to secure your booking.
Image right: Sunrise on Galoa Island
The initial communication leading up to a firm booking will be made via email on this web site (galoa@fijibure.com)or by completing the on-line enquiry form. Once your confirmation has been received by fijibure.com we will fax or email you a confirmation booking slip which will provide details of taxi pick-ups and confirm the dates of your stay. You can also request a short "welcoming" phone call from Judith at the village of Galoa by reverse charge before you leave.
The
costs of accommodation, inclusive of meals, at Galoa are well below budget
costs at recognised hotels - namely F$80 per adult per day and F$40 per day
for children under 13 years of age. (eg a family of four with two adults
is just F$240 per day inclusive of all meals, washing and (where applicable)
baby sitting). There is a non-refundable, upfront booking fee.
Image right: Scott, Simon and Sala enjoy breakfast of pancakes
Please note F$1 is worth about 55 cents (US) an international currency converter is available at this link
Basic - thongs, shorts, t-shirts, open necked shirts, traditional Fijian
dress, sarong, be modest while in the village
area. Bring your bikinis but keep them for swimming away from
the village - Fijians are modest and religious (there is a Roman Catholic
and Methodist Church in the village and an excellent choir) and will be offended
if scanty clothing is worn in public in their village. The villagers
would welcome any second hand clothes that you bring for distribution among
the less-advantaged there.
Do
NOT wear hats in the village.
Image right: Disele's 78 year old grandfather in front of the bure he built this year.
If you are on medicine ensure that you have enough supplies to cover the entire length of your stay at Galoa. The nearest pharmacy is at Savu Savu - at least 3 hours from Galoa. Fijians usually practice traditional medicine for dealing with their own ailments.
There are also no poisonous snakes on Galoa Island, however, it is recommended that you take some insect deterrent with you to Galoa.
The pure air and water at Galoa Village is cleaner and fresher than anywhere in the western world. Water is collected from the rooves of houses and kept in tanks - there are no rivers or bore holes on the island.
Please read this important advice on health related issues in Fiji
All
food is included in your package. Meals are prepared by Disele and her family
and is normally served in traditional Fijian style on a small cloth on the
floor, although they have a small table and chairs in the main house. Food
is eaten with knives and forks after saying grace. The food served includes
traditional foods like taro (a type of potato), dromo dromo (a large asparagus
type vegetable), pineapple, guava, rice, meats, fish etc. Vegetarian meals
can be catered for by prior arrangement with Judith.
The main guest house at Galoa has an outside dunny and guests shower the Fijian method - ie with a bucket of water. With the sea nearby I suggest a swim to freshen up and then the bucket to get the salt off.
There is generator driven electricity - 240v - which runs from 6pm to 10pm
daily.
|
 |
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The gas stove in the guest house |
The lounge area |
The bedrooms |
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The guest house |
The traditional outside kitchen |
Entertainment:
The village entertainment centres around ceremonial Kava drinking sessions.
Image right: the chemical dunny outside the guest house
The village offers a range of activities - more at this link.
The villagers:
You will find that most of the villagers are inter-related in some way so be very careful not to inadvertently offend someone by speaking negatively about another villager who might be related to that person.
Galoa
is located in a natural, unspoilt island and has many areas to explore -
such as long beaches - you will need shoes for walking on coral.
Image right: The village of Galoa at sunrise
The fishing at Galoa is quite amazing! For just a few dollars a day (not the thousands you pay through tour operators) you can be guided by a Fijian who has fished these waters all his life. For the really adventurous you can participate in feeding the sharks - no one in the village has ever been taken by a shark.
There is no shortage of unique adventures for you to plan and enjoy. Remember to take your digital camera and lots of memory or film - even if it is just to capture the villagers at play, the rising sun in the morning and sunset at night over the water, the incredibly bright night sky or full moon above or the sunsets... consider bringing a notebook computer so that you can keep downloading pictures. Some visitors have taken over 500 digital images on a three day stay!
The
adventures that you will experience and the hospitality that you receive
from the villagers will remain with you forever.
Image right: The primary school at Galoa
Practical gifts are always welcomed by the villagers and their children but are entirely optional and not expected. Simple things like a bag of balloons will bring large smiles to the faces of the village kids, a small bag of second hand clothes for the children and adults are a winner. There is absolutely no need to feel that you have to bring gifts - you are not expected to - but they would be appreciated.
Don't forget to bring 1kg of powdered Kava with you as a ceremonial gift to be given to the villagers on your arrival.
Children:
The experience of previous visitors to Galoa is that your kids will have the best holiday of their lives. From the moment you arrive the natural friendliness and curiosity of the youngsters in the village will entertain and play with your children. It is highly likely you won't see them most of the time you are at Galoa (or outside school hours).
Image right: The school children at Galoa pose for FijiBure.com
Theft is practically unheard of at Galoa. Tourists visiting the village have had no problems despite leaving money and valuables openly visible to villagers. It is recommended that you do not flaunt your comparative wealth and keep money and valuables in your luggage in your house at Galoa.
Complete an on-line enquiry form
