Bula is the famous Fijian greeting and it is the warmest and most genuine of welcomes. You will hear it everywhere from arrival at Customs to all around your resort from the staff. You will also find yourself replying “Bula” without a second thought in no time. The literal meaning of ‘bula’ is life but it takes on a variety of meanings from hello, welcome, good health, cheers and even ‘bless you’ if somebody sneezes.
The more formal greeting is “ni sa bula”, which is sort of the difference between “hello” and “g’day” although the actual original meaning would be something like, ‘wishing you good health and happiness.
On one holiday the kids and I made up a game – to get from our bure to the buffet breakfast without hearing “bula” – we darted about hiding in bushes but it was impossible – we decided the only way to do that would be to dig a tunnel there and, even then, chances would be you’d meet some flashing white teeth smiling in the dark with a heartfelt “Bula!”