Fiji
Viti Levu
Suva, Fiji's colourful capital of about 85,000 is spread out so widely over the hills above a large bay that you don't notice any big-city atmosphere. Lush, flowered greenery and bright flamboyant trees form a background for the mixture of colonial and modern architecture.
Starting at the waterfront, you'll soon sense Suva's laid-back atmosphere, noting its run-down colonial buildings and a popular Municipal Market redolent with fresh fish and seafood, spices, exotic vegetables and fruit.
Victoria Parade is the "main street", beginning with a fountain and small park. Along the flower-edged boulevard, you'll see hotels down one side, and grey government buildings distinguished by a clock tower on the other. The Edwardian-style Grand Pacific Hotel, opened in 1914, lends a touch of class.
You can watch the Fijians playing rugby, football and cricket in Albert Park. On the other side of the park, south of Cakobau Road, lies Suva's most attractive area. The Thurston Botanical Gardens, opened in 1913 are well worth a visit if just to wander around beneath the shade of the great trees. But you can also admire the splendid tropical plants and flowers.
Spend a while in the excellent Fiji Museum in order to gain a comprehensive view of Fijian history. The star exhibit is a double-hulled canoe, made on the eastward Lau Islands in 1913-a truly exquisite craft. There are displays of ancient Fijian lore and a replica of a Fijian village. You can also see kali headrests; models of huge, fancy hairdos; intricately fashioned clubs for bashing enemies and tabua, ceremonial whales' teeth, which the islanders used to exchange as tokens of esteem or during special celebrations such as weddings.
Government House, formerly the seat of the British Governor, is today the residence of the Fijian President and not open for visits. Try to see the Changing of the Guard; the guardsmen sport a fetching red uniform and wraparound skirt.
Catch a bus or take a taxi to the campus of the University of the South Pacific, overlooking Lauthala Bay. Two thousand students from all over the Pacific follow courses here.
Inland, 11 km (7 miles) from Suva, Tholo-i-Suva Forest Park is an unspoiled mahogany wonderland with waterfalls, natural pools, picnic tables beside thatch-roofed pavilions, and trails through the forest.
On the south coast, less than 50 km (30 miles) west of Suva, Pacific Harbor is a sprawling condominium-type resort with a golf course and the Cultural Centre and Marketplace of Fiji. At this open-air museum you can watch demonstrations of island crafts, fire-walking, dancing, and so forth. You tour the village by canoe, escorted by a warrior sporting grass skirt, spear and all.
Queen's Road leads to the palm-strewn Coral Coast and along the west coast to Nadi and the airport. Nadi is a touristy town surrounded by fields of sugar cane. There is a good market, and a colourful Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple built in the early 1990s by craftsmen from India. Further up the coast, Lautoka is Fiji's second city, the centre of timber and sugar trade. Fiji's ecumenical diversity is reflected in the numerous religious buildings: a mosque, Sikh and Krishna temples, and several churches.
Other islands
Off Vanua Levu, Taveuni is a splendidly unspoilt island that rises up to a rugged mountain ridge. Its wilderness shelters the rare tagimoucia, the most striking of Fiji's wild flowers, which can be found nowhere else on earth.
The Mamanuca Islands off the northwest coast of Viti Levu boast a series of resorts dedicated to the art of south-sea relaxation. To get even further away from it all, you can reach the Yasawa group, some 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Viti Levu. Here the simple life is really simple. A crystal-clear view of the coral and tropical fish can be had through a face mask or, with less effort, through the glass hull of a boat.
South of Viti Levu lies a string of volcanic outcrops along the Astrolabe Reef, dominated by Kadavu, a landmark among Fijian islands. This is an ideal spot for observing underwater life.
