FIJI FACTS

Bula! Learn more about the Fiji islands and Fiji culture. Imagine yourself relaxing at luxury Fiji resorts or on one of Fiji's sandy beaches. Ready to go? Read on to learn all about Fiji vacations!

Fiji's 333 islands and atolls are the epitome of a South Pacific paradise, with sunshine, palm-lined beaches and sparkling lagoons fringed with coral reefs. Situated 2100km north of Auckland, New Zealand, Fiji has become a major crossroads for both shipping and air travel across the Pacific, and boasts one of the region’s best visitor infrastructures.  Fiji's islands are mainly volcanic, with some smaller coral or limestone atolls.

MAIN ISLANDS – VITI LEVU AND VANUA LEVU
Visitors to the larger islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu will experience the beauty of Fiji's rugged interior with its rivers, rainforests, waterfalls and wildlife. The country's capital, Suva is located at the south-eastern end of Viti Levu, and is the nation's major port and largest city.

The Coral Coast (Viti Levu)
The Queen's Road runs from Lautoka to Suva along the southern coast of Viti Levu. From the time it encounters the sea near the Shangri-La's Fijian Resort, to near Pacific Harbour, this stretch is known as the Coral Coast, and is well known for its resorts and sandy beaches. Sigatoka, on the edge of the Sigatoka River at the western end of the highway, is the main town. Some of Fiji's oldest historic sites are accessible along the Coral Coast.

Coral Coast has a wealth of activities and attractions to enjoy. In addition to excellent swimming, diving and surfing, visitors to the Coral Coast can see the ruins of an old fort at Tavunui Hill and the rock formations of the Naihehe Caves. There are rainforest treks, river trips on the Sigatoka River and the Coral Coast Scenic Railway, which travels along the coast to the white sands of Natadola Beach. Some of Fiji's oldest historic sites are also accessible along the Coral Coast, including the Sigatoka Sand Dunes.

Suva (Viti Levu)
Suva, the Capital of Fiji, was developed in the late 1800's and retains much of the character of the colonial period. Its many attractions include shopping, restaurants, nightclubs, markets, a museum and sightseeing tours. 

Suva is the main centre of Viti Levu and capital of Fiji. The city has a population of about 160,000 making it the largest in Fiji. It is also considered the hub of the South Pacific Islands with the University of the South Pacific, Fiji government buildings, foreign embassies and regional headquarters. Suva is built upon a peninsula surrounded by mountainous rainforest, and has an excellent harbor and yacht club. The centre of Suva is a mixture of old colonial buildings and modern architecture. Here you will find good restaurants, lively bars and over 20 night-clubs offering everything from local reggae to blues. There is also a colorful local market and some fine shops.

Nadi (Viti Levu)
The majority of visitors to Fiji arrive at Nadi (pronounced 'nan-di') International Airport. From here, it is a 20 minute drive south to bustling Nadi Town.

Nadi Town is growing quickly and provides the majority of tourist shopping and service facilities for the region. The Garden of the Sleeping Giant overlooks the airport, while just to the north, Vuda Point is where the first Fijian people are believed to have landed. Canefields still dominate the countryside and the small cane trains crisscross the roads, taking sugar cane north to the mill at Lautoka.

Denarau Island (Viti Levu)
With its upmarket marina, restaurants and resorts, Denarau Island is enjoying rapid growth. Just 6km west of Nadi, the island’s port is the gateway to the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands, renowned for their scenic beauty and stunning white sand beaches.

The island has several luxury world-class resorts and spas, all set in landscaped tropical gardens with access to private beach areas. There are full business services available including conference rooms, plus tour desks and a range of pools, restaurants and bars for guests to choose from.

Lautoka (Viti Levu)
Lautoka is sited in the western side of Viti Levu, the largest island in Fiji. It is only 25km away (towards north) from Nadi International Airport.  The city is surrounded with the blue Pacific Ocean on the western side and green gold sugar cane together with pine trees on the other sides.

Lautoka is a very clean city and environmentally concerned.  It has a wonderful botanical garden and children's park.  The main street of the city, Vitogo Parade, has been decorated with the planting of royal palm trees on one side and this is quite a unique feature. The city has a very wide range of shops ranging from retail to wholesale.  The retail outlets have basically all items such as food, clothing, duty free items, sporting equipment, medicines, tailoring, drapery, video rental, liquor outlets and many more. There are all types of restaurants catering for a variety of dishes such as Chinese, Indian, Italian, Fijian, European, Korean, vegetarian, snack etc.

Savusavu (Vanua Levu)
Fiji’s best kept secret, Savusavu is a natural, lush and beautiful paradise on Vanua Levu – Fiji’s other big island. A big, calm bay teeming with fish, fringed by untouched mountains and old copra plantations. Nestled next to all this is the town of Savusavu – the centre of a wonderfully diverse range of accommodation, activities and adventures.

Tourism is fast developing in Savusavu. There are boutique resorts, hotels, guest cottages and home rentals available to suit every budget. Several independent operators offer scuba diving, sailing trips, sport fishing, cultural tours, snorkeling & kayaking. Two roll-on/roll-off ferries operate between Suva, Savusavu and Taveuni on a regular schedule. The Savusavu airport has service from both domestic airlines to Nadi, Suva and other airports in Fiji. The bay provides a calm landing area for seaplanes and buses, taxis and carrier trucks are available for exploring other parts of Vanua Levu by land.

THE MAMANUCA ISLANDS
Set among deep blue waters with fringing coral reefs of turquoise and pastel green, the Mamanuca Islands (pronounced Mamanutha) offer you some of Fiji's most outstanding island beauty. Home to more than a dozen resorts, their proximity to Nadi International Airport allows quick and easy access by boat, aeroplane (including Seaplane) and helicopter.

The group consists of a dozen or so small volcanic islands and many more tiny coral islands just large enough to support a small resort. The sea surrounding the islands is sublime: its colours are gorgeous and it's beautifully warm, excellent for snorkelling and diving, and full of sea life. Most Mamanuca resorts have excellent facilities for the water enthusiast, including PADI dive masters, sea kayaks, deep sea fishing and parasailing. This is the place to go to be pampered - a vacation to unwind.

THE YASAWA ISLANDS
Stretching for some 90km, this chain of volcanic islands has a well-earned reputation for its beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise lagoons and rugged landscape. North of the Mamanucas, and about 40km north-west of Viti Levu, the islands are home to the famous Blue Lagoon cave and beach, immortalised in the movie Blue Lagoon.

The Yasawas are dry and sunny, and their many beaches, cliffs, bays and reefs have remained unspoiled. There are roughly 20 islands in the group, including Waya Island, with its steep hills and lovely lagoons; the tiny low-lying Tavewa Island (3km long); Turtle Island (Nanuya Levu), where parts of Blue Lagoon were filmed; Nanuya Lailai, home to the famous Blue Lagoon Beach; and Sawa-i-Lau Island, with its huge domed limestone cave. Naviti Island is one the largest (33sq km) and known for its snorkelling with manta rays, while Yasawa is the northern-most island of the group.

The crystal clear waters and spectacular reefs offer great diving, with drop-offs, caves and brilliant corals to explore. The islands are also excellent for trekking – especially Waya and Wayasewa (Little Waya). Other options for adventure include kayaking safaris, snorkelling, sailing, cruises, village visits and a lovo (food steamed in an underground oven).

These remote islands are sparsely populated and have little in the way of services or shops, although shell markets are held at the villages during cruise ship arrivals. Backpacker and budget guesthouses are the main style of accommodation, but there are exclusive resorts at Turtle and Yasawa Islands. The Yasawas are accessed daily from Port Denarau and Lautoka by fast catamaran, or seaplane from Nadi.

TAVEUNI
Taveuni (pronounced Tah-vee-ew-nee), the garden island of Fiji, is rugged, wet, verdant and pristine.  It is one of the hidden gems in Fiji's South Pacific crown jewels with beautiful scenery, unspoilt beaches, and some of the best diving spots in Fiji.  Taveuni also has magnificient reefs, mountains, rainforest, volcanic formations, mangroves, abundant wildlife and flora, as well as one of the friendliest people on earth.

With its natural wonders, "raw", wilderness and beauty, Taveuni is Fiji's premier ecotourism destination, yet not over crowded with tourists, like some other parts of Fiji. You can still maintain your sense of adventure and privacy, which all adds to the mystery of the island.

With easy access to the island (via airplane and ferry), excellent range of accommodation, (ranging from five star to budget beachside camping), and one of the world's top diving spots, combined with good infrastructure, sophistication, traditional charm, and friendly locals, all make it a "must see" destination if you want to experience real island life, at the relaxing pace of "Fijian Time".

KORO
Koro is an island of Fiji that forms part of the Lomaiviti archipelago. The Koro Sea is named after this volcanic island, which has a chain of basaltic cinder cones extending from north to south along its crest. With a land area of 108.9 square kilometers, it is the sixth largest island of Fiji.  There has never been any commercial or tourist development on Koro. As a result it’s 3,200 Fijian inhabitants live in self sufficient harmony with nature and little influence from the outside world.

The island has an airport, situated on its eastern coast. On its northwestern tip is situated the Dere Bay Resort. Forestry and timber logging are the major economic activities.

BEQA
Famous for its firewalkers, rugged Beqa (pronounced Mbengga) lies off the south coast of Fiji's main island of Viti Levu, about 7.5km south of Pacific Harbour. The island's nine villages are located along the coast, and transport is largely by boat. There are no roads, although a narrow footpath winds around parts of the island. An ancient volcano spanning 36km2, Beqa’s steep interior is covered with lush rainforest, with high ridges (250m) dropping down to the coast.

Beqa's fringing coral reef is known for its superb dive sites, and there are many colourful corals and fish to be seen, as well as dolphins and turtles. Beautiful Beqa Lagoon provides valuable fishing grounds, and is a great spot for snorkelling. Within the lagoon, the small island of Yanuca, 9km west of Beqa, has lovely beaches and is popular with day-trippers, divers and surfers. There are several well-known dive sites including Side Streets (soft corals and gorgonian fans), Caesar's Rocks (coral heads and swim-throughs) and Frigate Pass (a 48km wall with pelagic fish, including white-tip reef sharks).

Frigate's Passage – with its powerful and consistent hollow left – is a short boat ride away, and regarded as one of the country's best surfing spots. Other activities include snorkelling, canoeing, village visits and trekking. The island has a postal service and radio-telephone and a small number of retail shops. Some resorts offer internet access. Beqa can be reached by boat from Pacific Harbour or resort charters by vessels and seaplanes for guests.

VATULELE
South of Viti Levu and west of Beqa Lagoon lies the idyllic low-lying island of Vatulele. Vatulele is only 13km long, and covered with rainforest. A barrier reef forms a lagoon on the eastern and northern ends, and there is good fishing and diving. There are four villages subsist largely on farming and fishing, and the island is a major producer of traditional masi, or tapa cloth. Vatulele is famous for its archaelogical sites, which include ancient rock paintings of faces and stencilled hands, and for its limestone caves and pools, which are home to the bright red prawns held sacred by the islanders.

Vatulele's sole accommodation is an exclusive resort – one of Fiji's best. Activities on the island include fishing, diving, snorkelling, cave visits, bushwalks and kayaking. The resort charters a seaplane from Nadi for guests.

KADAVU
Cascading waterfalls and lush tropical forest have earned Kadavu (pronounced Kand-a-vu) a reputation as one of Fiji's most beautiful islands.

South of Viti Levu, Kadavu also enjoys some of the world's best diving with the Great Astrolabe Reef stretching its mighty coral formations along the entire eastern side of the island. The reef's outer drop-off is a spectacular 1800m. Massive waves crashing against the barrier reef make an impressive sight for visitors as they journey to nearby dive sites. Beneath the surface, the island’s pristine waters offer excellent visibility, with gardens of hard and soft corals, vertical walls, caves and brilliant tropical fish of every species. Good dive sites can be found around Soso and Naiqoro Passages.

The island's surf resorts offer world-class and beginner breaks. Surfing is good around Cape Washington, at the southern-most end of Kadavu, and at Vesi Passage, off Matava. Sea kayaking over the island's clear waters is another option for exploring. On land, the lush rainforest, mountain ranges, bush trails and waterfalls are a delight for hikers, and local guides can show you the rare birdlife unique to the island, including the Kadavu parrot.

Kadavu's resorts offer a variety of quality accommodation from backpacker and family budget resorts to eco resorts and more lavishly appointed resorts – all offering their own style of Fijian hospitality. Fresh island foods are available. The main town of Vunisea, overlooking Namalata Bay, has facilities including a post office, hospital and airstrip. There are daily flights to Vunisea from Nadi with Sunair, or from Suva with Air Fiji, as well as seaplanes and a ferry service from Suva.