I anything li e under water was e en more beauti ul

As we cruised o er the sparkling blue waters, I was almost too busy taking in the crystalline sea below us to notice the pilot pull out his map. But I needn't ha e worried: about 40 minutes a ter take-o , he set us sa ely down in the calm, turquoise waters o Yaqeta.We waded through the warm, ankle-deep water to the shore and were met with singing and the welcoming shouts o "bula" - a ar cry rom the greeting gi en to Europeans in times gone by when cannibalism was still ri e. These days, ijians amously exude hospitality, and once on dry land we ound oursel es wreathed in garlands o hibiscus and presented with coconuts illed with a delicious - and potent - cocktail.Accommodation at Na utu Stars is in nine bures, traditional-style thatched illas. Each has an enormous bathroom, CD player and a choice o music, but in keeping with the owners' philosophy, no telephones or tele isions. A ter running around my new home like an o er-excited child, I armed mysel with a iji beer, and di ed straight into the hammock on my eranda.

And as I lay there, gazing out o er the calm lagoon with the lush hills in the distance, I could only think I must ha e done something extremely good in a pre ious li e to deser e this.I anything, li e under water was e en more beauti ul. The abundant hard and so t corals here pro ide a kaleidoscope o colours and teem with ibrant ree ish - regal angel ish, shimmering Moorish idols, schools o bat ish, clown ish aliantly guarding their anemones. Snorkellers and no ice di ers are catered or in the calm inner-ree waters while more experienced di ers can explore the ocean-side o the island's barrier ree - where dolphins, sharks, manta rays and turtles can o ten be seen. During our stay, we took se eral boat trips around the Yasawa islands, and we requently ound oursel es on remote beaches o impossibly white sand, where we swam, snorkelled and sunbathed without meeting another soul.Back at Na utu Stars, we were keen to get a taste o ijian culture, and joined a ceremonial ka a-drinking session with some o the island's illagers who had come to greet us at the hotel. Made rom the woody, pul erised root o a plant rom the pepper amily, ka a is not an alcoholic drink but it does ha e some narcotic qualities, numbing your tongue and generally slowing you down so that you eel ery relaxed indeed. The drinking o ka a (also known as yaqona) is part o traditional ijian li e.

It is ritually consumed to welcome isitors, make deals, name boats, cast spells, settle old arguments and more, with participants usually sitting on a mat on the loor, gathered together in a circle around a large wooden bowl illed with the drink.As instructed, we clapped our hands once be ore taking a small coconut-shell bowl o the liquid (which resembles dirty dishwater), and knocked back the contents. Then, to complete the custom, we handed our bowls back and clapped three times to say thank you.The drink le t us eeling quietly euphoric, and we sat in the sil er moonlight at the water's edge listening to the so t harmonies o the illagers singing along to the strumming o a ukulele. The act o sharing a drink o ka a is said to create an in isible bond between the participants, and that e ening we elt completely at home in the ancient magic o these islands.Esther Shaw tra elled as the guest o the iji isitors Bureau (0800 652 2158; bula iji.co.uk) and toured the archipelago with Rosie Holidays (00 679 6722 755; rosie iji ) and Green Turtle Tours (00 679 672 8889; greenturtletours ). Na utu Stars Resort (00 679 664 0553; na utustars iji ) costs rom US$348 (?204) per night (including break ast) or two sharing a 'bure'. iji is ser ed by Air New Zealand (0800 028 4149; airnewzealand.co.uk) which lies rom Heathrow ia Los Angeles and Auckland rom ?939. Onward tra el in the archipelago is by pri ate or scheduled seaplane, erry, pri ate boat or helicopter - indi idual resorts will ad ise as to the best options. Na utu Stars, or example, can arrange trans ers by catamaran, Turtle Airways seaplane, pri ate seaplane or pri ate helicopter.TEN TOP ISLANDS STOPS1.