Suva: Itineraries

A Top Day in Suva

Any day in Suva proceeds at the mandatory pace of 'Fiji Time' which occupies a vague position between sometime and whenever. Even the bugs dally here, so slipping into holiday tempo is effortless. I'd begin my lethargic escapade in Raiwai, with a stiff caffeine fix and healthy fruit salad at Café Tivoli...chased almost immediately by one of their sweet, sticky slices (woman cannot live on yoghurt alone). If the day in question was a Saturday I might be lucky enough to catch a rugby match at the National Stadium, just down the road. Sure the games are thrilling but the real spectator sport is the sport of the spectators - feasting, dancing, cheering...it's like Santa's 50th anniversary Bar Mitzvah on Christmas day. In the absence of a match, I'd head to the second-best people-watching venue in Suva and amble through the botanic grounds of the University of the South Pacific. After burying myself in the bookshop here, I'd jump on a bus into town and indulge my culture junkie for an hour or two at the Fiji Museum. But spending a whole day indoors is a crime in Fiji, so it's off for a stroll along Victoria Parade and onto Suva's harbourside esplanade, with its hazy mountain backdrop. Then, I'd cut across the city and bury myself in the sari and souvenir shops of Cumming St, Suva's Little India, and dig into a traditional thali for lunch. If I had the energy I'd spend the afternoon trekking with a guide through the dense rainforest of Colo-i-Suva Forest Park. But I'd be just as likely to indulge in a bout of sun dozing at the Suva Olympic Pool before ending up at the Dog's Bar for a well-earned Fiji Bitter.

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