Pleasant Fiji
Fiji is an archipelagic country, in the heart of the South Pacific. It is a holiday paradise, blessed with 333 tropical islands. A majority of Fiji’s islands were formed through volcanic activity. Endless stretches of dazzling sands, intensely coloured reefs, perfect palm trees, and glistening blue waters, make it the perfect holiday destination. The fascinating underwater life invites many divers and snorkellers to plunge into this other world. The capital and the largest metropolitan city, Suva is located on the southeast coast of the main island of Viti Levu. It is a harbour city built on a peninsula reaching out into the sea with an eclectic mix of modern buildings and traditional colonial architecture. It is often referred to as the ‘New York of the Pacific’. Suva boasts of approximately 78 parks, which are popular for viewing sunrise and sunset. A main attraction is Thurston Gardens which has flora from throughout the South Pacific. The city also has an effervescent nightlife scene.
It is not all beaches and sands in Fiji, the country also offers ample terra firma activities like hiking and birdwatching. The island of Taveuni, known as ‘The Garden Island’ is entirely the product of volcanic activity. There are two sanctuaries on the island, the Ravilevu Nature Reserve on the east coast, and the Taveuni Forest Reserve in the middle of the island. It attracts nature lovers and birdwatchers with a prolific bird life, bushwalks and forest walks. There are 22 regional endemic bird species found on Taveuni, with a close to 100 types of bird species found on the island. The best time to visit is from late October to early November. During this period, the weather is dry and comfortably warm. The currency is the Fijian Dollar (FJD or FJ$) which equals INR 32-35(fluctuates).