Flying visit to Fiji

Someone said, at the end of our visit, that everything here works which makes Fiji livable. And that is absolutely true. Our trip from Nadi to Suva went well, small breakdown aside. We arrived on time. The seeming chaos isn't once the visitor has worked out where everything is and how it all works. The other observation is that visitors should try and see what Fiji is like beyond the manicured resorts. What they will find is a place and people worth getting to know.

The market, next to the bus station and near the cruise ship terminal, is a great place to visit. Downstairs, fruit and vegetables are on sale. The abundance is mindboggling! Upstairs the visitor will find Kava in its various forms and herbs and spices, testament to the islands' eccelectic cuisine. If self catering, this is the place to buy fresh, if not it is still worth walking through, just to see what people eat and grow.

In Suva, we visited pretty much very thing possible in a 4 day visit. Catching up with Michael was our priority, and so we fitted in everything else around that. The museum and surrounding gardens were interesting and worth the visit. In the gardens we saw bats, a goshawk and various other little bits of wildlife. The museum was well laid out, informative and interesting, documenting the history of the islands and its peoples. Our walk around the sea front walkway , both from the museum and from the University side, was enjoyable. The walkway is even and about midway there is a cafe come restaurant - which is being developed into a bigger venue, which is a welcome stop. The walk allows the visitor to enjoy views out to the reef boundary, vistas of the mountains and islands. Another place worth a peek is the Art Gallery - a place in the throws of development and hoping to become more than it is as a fledgling project.

One activity we were able to fit into our tight schedule was river tubing. This is something anyone can do regardless of age. And it is fun! You get to see inland bush, a village, enjoy a picnic lunch, bathe at the foot of a waterfall and go whitewater rafting, in a rubber tube!! The guides are great and attentive, they have your back regardless of your abilities, or lack of! Well worth doing!

So, Fiji was a great place to visit and we really enjoyed our stay.