Quick Facts

Area: 7,056 sq. mi.
Population: 772,891
Capital: Suva (1986 est.): 70,000
Religions: Christian 52%, Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%
Language: English is the predominant language in Fiji, although the Fijians and Indians speak their own languages as well.
Climate: Tropical
Currency: Fijian Dollar (FJD)

Flora and Fauna

Fiji has an unspoiled,unique environment of extreme beauty and tranquility. Fiji is a nature lovers delight. It awaits your discovery.The Fiji Islands in the South Pacific are an archipelago of over 330 islands packed with attractions that can be found no where else and offers a unique experiential opportunity for the visitor.

Fiji is still very much untouched by the outside world and in places, life has changed very little for centuries. The range of memorable experiences available is so diverse that it is possible to discover virgin grasslands and tropical rainforests unscarred by logging or mining as well as marvel at the exotic customs of the Fijian, Indian, Chinese, Rotuman and other cultures that have made Fiji their home. You can explore the ruins of a fascinating pre-European war hill fortification, or wander through a colonial town that has changed little in over 150 years and soak up the history that surrounds you. There is much to do and see for those who want to come and experience the real Fiji, it's beauty, culture and people.

Kula Eco Park - Kula is located on Queens Road, opposite the Outrigger Reef Resort east of Sigatoka town. Being Fiji's only wildlife park, Kula is the breeding center for Fiji's endangered species. The park provides free Environmental Hands-on Education to Fiji's children. Visitors can spend hours observing parrots, lories, falcons, hawks, fruit bats, snakes, iguana and marine life plus learn of Fiji's flora and fauna in near natural settings. Wander the rain forest or explore the bush walk.

Orchid Island Fijian Cultural Centre
Welcome to Fiji and wherever you are, just head straight for the experience of your lifetime at the Old World on Orchid Island. A human-scale historical adventure awaits you .... a fascinating showcase of flora, fauna, crafts, customs and ancient rituals kept alive for those who thirst for knowledge, or come in search of an experience entirely different in its uniqueness. Orchid Island, a natural river formation, has been cultivated into a realistic microcosm of Fiji. To greet you as you enter the island there is the "Bure Kalou", the 50ft high pagan temple staring down in mute silence with its majestic shell decorated posts rising to an impressive peak. This remarkable reproduction emulates those ancient places where Fijians dedicated human sacrifices, often enemies, to their ancestral spirits.

Stacking Your Postcards

Fiji Museum
Set in the heart of Suva's historical Thurston Gardens, the Fiji Museum is unrivalled in the islands for the extent of its collection of anthropological and historical material, having been founded much earlier than other Pacific Island Museums. It holds a remarkable collection which includes archaeological material dating back over 3,500 years and cultural objects representing indigenous, Indo-Fijian and other communities that have settled in the island group over the past 200 years.

The Church of Saint Francis Xavier
High on the hill overlooking the dusty Kings Road on the north-western side of Fiji's main island of Viti Levu is a theologian's enigma.

Astride a village green and unable to be seen from the road is a stone church of distinctly European design that looks a little worse from wear from the outside but houses one of Fiji's most surprising modern treasures.

The Church of Saint Francis Xavier at Navuibutu was officially dedicated in 1917 after a decision was made to shift from the original mission site in 1895. This followed the arrival of the Marist missionaries to the area in 1889, and the establishment of a Catholic presence in the Ra province in 1870.
While the church looks traditionally European from the outside, the use of mats instead of pews for parishioners gives it a Fijian village flavor.
What makes the Navuibutu church so unusual is the murals, a series of frescos originally commissioned by one time chaplain to Austria's famous Von Trapp family, Monsignor Fanz Wasner.

The murals, done in true fresco style by painting on top of wet plaster, were created by Frenchman Jean Chalot, assisted by his wife Zohman and son Martin, between October 1962 and January 1963.

Destination Guides

Suva
Suva is the capital of Fiji and is a beautiful harbour city built on a peninsula reaching out into the sea. Its tall modern buildings are beautifully balanced by 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.

An exciting multi-racial, Suva began as a late Victorian village with frame houses and stores along the beachfront. Much of of its past still survives, for there are many 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.

Labasa
Reminiscing about the Labasa town, its beginnings and development since 1922, brings fresh memories of those days and makes it possible to compare it with today.

Nasea town was a village at the time, with an earth road having deep side drains. During the spring tide you could fish in the middle of the commercial sites which were surrounded by cane, rice, coconut and cattle farms.

At the present site of the Civic Center were four bure houses occupied by the James McCober family and the site was covered with Tiri patches and at high tide the area could be classed as lowland swamp.

There was no water supply, electricity or telephone services. People used well and tank water, kerosene hurricane lamps, and horses were the means of transportation.
There were few stores scattered in the area, all of whom were facing the CSR tramline which was the main highway in those days.

Vanaua Levu
Surprisingly, Fiji's second largest island is seldom visited by travellers. However Vanua Levu has a lot to offer, particularly if you want to discover the 'real' Fiji, away from the tourist resorts of Viti Levu and the Mamanuca and Yasawa island groups.

Vanua Levu is largely a cane growing area with around 20% of Fiji's population. The island has quite good transport services which make it a fairly easy island to visit. The main towns on Vanua Levu are Labasa on the north coast and Savusavu in the south. Although Labasa is the larger of the two, Savusavu is more popular with travellers as it is a popular transit point for ferries and flights to other islands.

Nadi
Nadi is the gateway to Fiji and sits on the western side of Viti Levu. It has a population of more than 10,000 and because of its proximity to the International Airport, it essentially caters for tourists. Facilities include accommodation of all kinds, restaurants, nightlife, duty free shopping, sightseeing tours and inter-island cruises.