Taki Mai Kava Drink
Kava is completely natural and comes from the local Yaqona plant, the root is taken and dried in the Fijian sunshine, pounded into a powder, and mixed with water, discovered thousands of years ago by our ancestors, the drink is known locally as ‘muddy water’, a beverage that soothes and calms the body completely destressing oneself from everyday stresses.
The roots of every kava plant contain an active ingredient called kavalactones, the concentrations of these provide the relaxing sensation that will make you feel the world is a wonderful place. The drink comes in four irresistible tropical flavours, Coconut, Pineapple, Guava, and Chocolate and Banana
Crack open a bottle of Taki Mai. Any flavor will do. When you drink, your lips and tongue will feel a slight numbing effect. All to be expected. Then comes the calm. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
Fijian Water
When you look around the shelves in your supermarkets, you probably see many different types of water, let alone brands. This can be confusing at times: what are artesian, spring, mineral, pure, natural waters for example?
The three main water brands in Fiji, are Fiji Water, Via Wai, and Island Chill, each is well-established internationally and is ‘natural artesian water’, meaning that the water comes from a well that taps Aquifera confined aquifer; a trapped water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand in which the water will rise under its own hydrostatic pressure above its natural level. Being underground the water remains pure and untouched, avoiding any contaminates. You cannot go wrong with either of these, they will refresh you instantly during your day. VaiWai is a combination of two words from the Pacific… “Vai” is a Polynesian word meaning water while “Wai” is the Fijian word for water too.
The cost of the different brands varies quite substantially, and you are paying for the brand name in some cases, at a local supermarket you can purchase a 1.5ltr bottle of Island Chill for around 1.80 FJD, and the same-sized bottle of Fiji Water will put you back 3.20 FJD. My suggestion is to grab a few Island Chills when out on your adventures and when you relaxing at your hotel or bar, grab a Fiji Water or Vai Wai bottle as there are some subtle differences in the taste.
Juice Fiji
Juice Fiji offers a distinctive, aromatic, and invigorating fusion mix that sets it apart from any other product you’ve experienced. Its original flavour is truly one-of-a-kind. What sets Juice Fiji apart is the harmonious blend of fruits, vegetables, and Fijian herbal roots, including the unique Warusi. The journey to create this high-quality juice starts in the field, but the commitment to excellence extends beyond that. Growers, harvesters, and processors meticulously follow essential steps to guarantee that the ultimate Juice Fiji product is carefully harvested, transported, packaged, and stored.
This is definitely worth a purchase, simply take a shot of the juice in the morning, to give your immune system a boost of energy. The cost is around 14 FJD for a 1 ltr Bottle, this will see you comfortably through your 10-day holiday.
Fiji Coffee
Fiji has two large well-established coffee brands Bula Coffee (Est. 2011), and Fiji Coffee (Est. 1988), with two smaller artisan brands SPCC (2018) and Fiji Wild (Est.2020). Apart from the Fiji Wild brand, they are all freely available across the islands, with the coffee industry as a whole providing work opportunities and a regular income for many remote villages. Be sure to ask when you are having coffee at a cafeteria if they are using one of the local brands, so you can taste the finest natural coffee available whilst supporting the smaller villages in Fiji.