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Fiji |
Capital: Suva
Official Language: English
Currency: Fijian Dollar
Charismatic, pristine and vibrantly colorfulFiji is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. Jam-packed coral, fish and critter communities has made Fiji an idyllic and relaxing tropical paradise. The name Fiji is the old Tongan word for the islands, which has got its name from the Fijian name Viti. Fiji remained a British Colony until it gained independence as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth on Oct. 10, 1970. Fiji is a land of ancient rituals, such as the yaqona ceremony, which is still enacted as it has been for centuries. Every destination in Fiji is marked with a signature scene. Fiji offers posh resorts and hotels, good food and accommodations, nightlife, historic sites, hiking, kayaking, camping, surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. However, with its numerous islands surrounded by reefs and tropical underwater terrain, Fiji is truly the color of our dreams - our wildest, most vivid and surrealistic dreams.
Major Cities
Major Cities of Fiji are Nadi, Suva, Lautoka, Lami, and Ba. Fiji's capital, Suva is on the south eastern coast of the big island Viti Levu. Suva is a fantastic place possessing a perfect urban milieu. Some of the finest cinema halls, monuments, museums, nightlife, restaurants, and shopping malls are found here. Suva Municipal Market is the largest market in the South Pacific and offers a vast array of tropical produce to its shoppers. Fiji's mainland, Viti Levu, is the "real" Fiji, with majority of the Fijian people living here. Viti Levu consists of a series of impressive cities and towns with shopping malls, cafes, clubs, monuments, and other modern accomplishments. Nadi is on Viti Levu's west coast and an ideal place to visit the Mamanuca tribes or to organise a travel around Viti Levu. Local sights include a temple, market, some local beaches and a variety of activities. Lautoka is Fiji's second largest city and remarkable for Fiji's sugar cane and timber industries. Worth seeing here are a local mosque, Sikh temple and Hari Krishna temple.
Tourist Attractions
Sri Siva-Subramaniya Temple in Nadi is one of the most visited tourist destination of Fiji. This is the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere. The temple is a three-part building worshipping Lord Murugan in the main temple. The intricate work and the architectural diversity of the temple overwhelm the tourists with its awestricken beauty.
Fiji Museum in Suva is a fascinating storehouse of rarefied artifacts. The Prehistory Gallery depicting various aspects of traditional Vitian Culture like the rudder of the HMS Bounty and the Masi Gallery portraying traditional cloth of the early Fijians are the chief attractions here. A ride in a traditional Vitian drua or a double-hulled canoe makes the tour to the museum more exciting. Orchid Island in Suva is the cultural hub of Fiji and a place of irresistible tourist's attraction. Bure Kalou, a fifty-foot high pagan temple is the gateway to the island. It is said that the early Fijians used to make human sacrifices to this temple. The island, which is a natural river formation, is a mystical beauty with its varied array of flora, fauna, crafts, customs and ancient rituals. The island boasts of a rich wild life with some exclusive wild animals like crested Iguana, monkeys, parrots and mongooses. Ovalau and the timeworn old capital Levuka are favorite spots to those interested in history. Across the Koro Sea from Ovalau is Vanua Levu, Fiji's second island, heart of the "friendly north." Savusavu is Fiji's most picturesque town with beautiful cane trees. Fiji is a haven for great adventure sports like swimming, snorkeling, coral viewing, scuba diving, water skiing, wind surfing, kayaking, fishing and sailing. Some of the bigger resorts also provide para-gliding and boat excursions to nearby islands. Taveuni in the east coast of Vanua Levu and the Pacific Harbor offers such exciting activities. The Coral Coast in the south is the country's well-sought resort area, with a series of large hotels nicely spaced between Nadi and Pacific Harbor.
Accommodation
Nadi is Fiji's greatest international airport, with long-haul services to points all around the Pacific Rim. Eleven international airlines fly into Nadi. Fiji's domestic air service operates from Suva .Air Fiji is based at Suva's Nausori Airport while Sun from Nadi.
Fiji has four ports of entry in Lautoka, Levuka, Savusavu and Suva for cruising yachts. Most local shipping operates out of Suva. Consort Shipping and Beachcomber Cruises serve Savusavu and Taveuni. Awesome Adventures' high speed catamaran Yasawa Flyer operates daily between Nadi and the Yasawa Group. Scheduled bus service is available all over Fiji, and fares are low. Shared "running" taxis and minibuses also shuttle back and forth between Suva, Nadi, and Lautoka. Above all, Fiji is a visitor-friendly country with affordable accommodation and lodges available everywhere.
For further details and information on Fiji and its tourist destinations flip through the pages of allwonderscountries
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