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Suva, Pacific Harbour & The Coconut Coast
Fiji Islands
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Pacific Harbour is the tourism centre in the Suva area. It lies about half an hour drive west of Suva City towards the Coral Coast. Here there are several hotels including The Pearl South Pacific set alongside a lovely beach and a number of fine independent restaurants as well as a cultural centre, a fantastic golf course, deep sea fishing and diving specialists to the amazing coral reefs off Beqa and for the shark diving offshore. Discover Fiji Tours offer exciting river trips up the Navua River into the stunning rainforested interior and to waterfalls or even Grade 4 white water river rafting on the Lua River (from November to April only). Budget travellers or those wishing to sample traditional Fijian life and river trips can stay at the delightful Navua River Resort in Koromakawa Village on the banks of the Navua River.
Suva City is the capital of Fiji with a population of around 150,000 spread out along the 20km Nausori corridor where the second international airport is located. Downtown Suva is set alongside a picturesque harbour on a small peninsula backed by tropical rain forest and high mountains on the wet south east coast of Viti Levu. The city has plenty of hotels aimed mostly at business travellers and include Tanoa Plaza in the heart of downtown, Holiday Inn opposite the picturesque Old Parliament and facing the harbour with spectacular coastal views, and Tradewinds Suva, also on the waterfront a few miles from downtown in the quaint seaside suburb of Lami Town
Although lacking beaches, sunshine and tourist resorts, Suva City is the best place to take in a bit of Fijian urban culture and stroll amongst old colonial style buildings. There are plenty of nightclubs and bars, an excellent museum, lots of shops, a huge market and plenty of good restaurants. And poverty, prostitution, gambling shops, pawn shops, crime and drunkenness. This is the modern world with a rather unusual mix of hardened city life and placid South Pacific living. Suva is also considered the hub of the South Pacific Islands with the University of the South Pacific and modern high rise buildings of Fiji's government departments, foreign embassies and regional headquarters.
More on Downtown Suva Sights
Colo-i-Suva, less than 6km inland from Suva, offers trails through rainforest. The area offers waterfalls, indigenous flora, bird life, scenic lookouts and accommodation at Raintree Lodge. The road beyond Colo-i-Suva heads into the heart of Naitasiri and Namosi, both constantly veiled in clouds and often its roads under water. Fijian villages are found throughout this interior, many of which are far from roads and electricity. Here lies the most remote and conservative village environments, and the most hospitable of Fijians. The region is steeped in history and tradition, has some breathtaking mountain scenes, river gorges, caves and waterfalls and are known only by the locals themselves. The area is excellent to explore but there is nowhere to stay, buses are infrequent and no tour companies offer these off the beaten track itineraries.
Suva spreads in a suburban sprawl along the eastern coast towards Nausori, 20km to the north, a small town with an even smaller International Airport. The intertwining mangrove forests around Nausori are vast and rich in wildlife. The best way to explore this region is by staying on the offshore islands at the upmarket Toberua Island Resort. Both resorts are located on tiny coral islands with exceptional snorkelling and both offer boat tours through the mangrove forests and to Mabualau Island, a bird sanctuary where you can get up close to see nesting Boobies and other sea birds. From Caqalai it is possible to take a 30-minute boat ride over to Ovalau Island and the old historic capital of Levuka.
At the market town of Korovou, 20-minutes north of Nausori Town, the road splits in two - the slow winding coastal road heads along the scenic Coconut Coast whilst the Kings Highway cuts inland along flat forests all the way to Rakiraki on the north coast.
Along the scenic Coconut Coast, the tar sealed road ends at Natovi Landing where passenger ferries leave for Ovalau Island from Natovi Island. A few miles south of Natovi is the chiefly island of Bau which is steeped in history, although visiting is impossible without invite.
Heading along the Coconut Coast, a 30-minute drive takes you to the main attraction of this region, the traditional village of Natalei Ra. The village has set up the Natalei Village Eco Resort with the assistance of the Tourism Department and offers eight traditional thatch bures and a beachside restaurant. This is a great place to learn and interact with the Fijian people and their culture. There's also great horse riding, beach walks and waterfall treks to keep you busy.
Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:
Cook Islands Travel Guide
Samoa Travel Guide
Tonga Travel Guide
Tahiti Travel Guide
Hawaii Travel Guide
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