FIJI
Suva
Suva is the capital of Fiji
and is a beautiful harbour
city built on a peninsula
reaching out into the sea.
small, quaint wooden bungalows in the
old section which sit in juxtaposition to
the modern offices and shopping plazas.
Suva is the only place in Fiji where you'll
see buildings taller than palm trees.
Suva's tall modern buildings are
balanced by the rich traditional colonial
architecture. The city is perched on a
hilly peninsula between Laucala Bay and
Suva Harbour in the southeast corner
of Viti Levu. The mountains north and
west catch the southeast trade winds,
producing moist conditions year round.
On Sundays it's well worth attending
church to hear the choral singing which
is magnificent. Most churches have
services in English, but none compare
with the 1000 strong Fijian service at
Centenary Methodist Church on Stewart
Street. A vital centre, Suva offers a
great selection of restaurants including
Chinese, Indian, traditional Fijian and
European cuisine.
An exciting multi-racial city, Suva began as
a late Victorian village with frame houses
and stores along the beachfront. Much of
its past still survives, for there are many
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There are tours to landmarks such
as the Thurston Gardens next to
Government House, the official residence
of the president of the Republic of Fiji.
The museum is recognised as one of the
best of its type in the South Pacific. Not
to be missed is the sprawling complex
of municipal markets near the waterfront
which comes to life on Fridays and
Saturdays. Here you'll find an assortment
of artefacts and handicrafts for sale, made
by Fijians throughout the Island group.
There is Fiji's oldest cultural centre located
at Orchid Island near Suva, where visitors
can see Fiji's unique fauna and flora.
For those who like history, there's Albert
Park where Charles Kingsford-Smith
landed his plane Southern Cross on his
trans-Pacific flight in 1928.
