Taking the Boemeltrein to Fiji
A slow, unpredictable journey through the heart of the South Pacific.
August 17, 2026
Fiji Bound: Slow Escape Train to Real Island Palms
You know how men are when they get sick. They become the biggest children on earth and seem to be almost dying from the smallest cold.
My husband, no exception, only had to sneeze, and I would already say:
“That’s it. I’m off to Fiji. I’ll take the boemeltrein.”
A little side note: although I now live in wonderful Mexico, I’m originally from Belgium. A boemeltrein is a slow train that stops everywhere—and Belgian trains are not exactly famous for arriving on time.
When taking the train in Belgium, I usually knew when I would leave. When I would arrive? That was another question.
And that is exactly why I always said I would take the boemeltrein to Fiji. It was the perfect escape plan: extremely slow, completely unpredictable and, since there is no actual train to Fiji, very unlikely that I would ever arrive.
But this year, I turned 50.
And my husband said he wanted to organise the trip to Fiji himself.
You can probably hear me shouting: “Finally—hallelujah!”
Yes, my husband—the ultimate travel princess—was suddenly going to become the travel coordinator.
What could possibly go wrong?
To be completely honest, it has not always been easy for me to stay out of the planning. After all, I am the ultimate control freak. I normally organise everything, check everything and then check everything again—just in case.
But it has also felt really nice to see my husband take the lead and organise this very special trip for us. I’m slowly discovering that letting someone else handle everything can actually be quite enjoyable.