Fiji is made up of 333 mountainous islands, each bordered by pink coral reefs and the warm startling aqua-colored waters of the South Pacific. In Fiji you will find white sand beaches ringed with swaying Palm trees, stunning coral islands where no one lives or stays, lagoons, high mountains, tropical rain forests, a culture focused on the traditional, pleasant weather and exciting dining and night life. But it is the people of Fiji, who are friendly and welcoming, who have given this country its reputation as a paradise. A Fiji Holiday is filled with fascinating attractions for tourists.
The Fiji Museum is located just outside of Suva City in the Thurston botanical gardens. Its collection includes archaeological remains of the nation’s indigenous people from some 3,700 years ago. The museum’s main wings are the Masi Gallery, which features traditional cloth, the Pre-Historic Gallery which specializes in ancient Vitian culture, and a history gallery which includes the rudder from the HMS Bounty mutiny, war clubs, cannibal forks, shell jewelry and tanoa bowls. An air-conditioned upstairs gallery is packed with Indo-Fijian exhibits of the clothing worn, agricultural practices, and displays related to the Hindi experience. The museum also has a gift shop.
The Suva Municipal Market, the largest and busiest market in all of the South Pacific, offers a wide variety of very fresh tropical fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and much, much more. Its rows of stalls are stacked with produce, clothes, shoes, and handicrafts. Many of the tables sport a few brightly colored spice bins for sale. Women can be seen sitting on blankets and under tarps to stay cool. There is a huge display with all types of weighing scales for kava, a prized Fijian herb. All of the produce is extremely fresh, since it is brought in by trucks and buses from the countryside each day – perfect for a Fiji holiday!.
The Arts Village-Pacific Harbour is a beautiful Fijian village built on the banks of a lake. Within it is the tallest traditional temple in Fiji and the head chief’s bungalow is decorated with a thatched roof. There is much to see and do in in this village. The Bega Firewalkers put on a show that has something for everyone; singing, dancing, acrobatics, storytelling and mock fighting. There are boat trips around the village, or tours into the village for personal visits with Fijians working at different crafts including wood carving, weaving and boat building.
Sigatoka River Safari is an extremely popular eco/cultural tour in Fiji. Part of the reason could be that the operation is very well run. Air-conditioned buses pick up travelers and take them to the custom-built safari jet boats. These boats anchor at a different village within the community each day, so as not to disturb the people living there. The tour is brought to life by the driver/guide who shares with participants facts about the area’s history, customs of the Fijian people, and legends that exist about the area. So, you might see villagers bathing themselves in the river, children at play and women doing their laundry. You also might get to participate in a Kava ceremony, get to taste real Fijian foods, and only if you want to, take a swim in the crystal-clear Sigatoka River.
Navala Fijian Village, known as the most picturesque place in Fiji, is situated in the Navala Valley, Lautoka, Viti Levu. This is where you will see a living example of Fiji’s indigenous culture, where residents exist as their ancestors did. There are 200 traditional thatched-roof bure huts within the village. They were built not with concrete or sheet metal, but only bamboo and wood. Visitors are asked to present a sevusevu, which is literally a presentation or a ceremonial gift, traditionally a bunch of the herb kava, to the village chief. Once that is offered, they may be given the opportunity to participate in a traditional kava-drinking ceremony before being taken on a village tour.