Fodor's Expert Review Colo-I-Suva Forest Park

Just 15 minutes north of the bustling city center is this oasis of flora and birdlife, crisscrossed by streams and rivers. You can walk a quarter-mile (half-kilometer) nature trail or hike the longer trails totaling more than 6.5 km (over 4 miles). There are three swimming pools including a main pool with a rope swing and nearby picnic tables, and two upper pools preserved in their natural states. Both areas have toilet facilities. Be on the lookout for the Ant-Plant (Hydnophytum species), recognizable by its swollen trunk base and nourished by the food brought by its resident insects.

In the early morning bird-watchers might spot the Fiji Goshawk and Blue-Crested Broadbill, which are found only in Fiji. The park is also home to Sulphur-Breasted Musk Parrots, barking Pigeons, Golden Whistler, Slaty Flycatchers, Golden Doves, and Spotted Fantails among other species. One minute up the road from the entrance is the Raintree Lodge restaurant, a nice setting for a postexploration meal. You can take the Sawani bus from the city. The visitor center is in the modest group of buildings just after a big bend on the left.

The park is 20 minutes from Suva and the trails are well marked, but it's not advisable to wander the jungle by yourself.