5 Best Sights in Viti Levu, Fiji

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.

It's hard to imagine Fiji's warrior past given the warmth and hospitality of its people but visit the national museum and you'll begin to understand. The centerpiece of the first room is a drua or double-hulled canoe used for seafaring and transporting warriors. It's so large that it required five men using oars each up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) long and hewn from a single tree simply to keep it on course. A grueling variety of war clubs, details of a sometimes fatal method of target practice, various artifacts, and an informative model of a Fijian home are also on display. Detailed exhibits trace the history of Euro-Fijian relations, including the mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty and cannibalism. You can see a cannibal fork and the boiled sole of an eaten missionary's shoe. Upstairs, Indo-Fijian exhibits of exquisite dresses, agricultural innovations, and Hindi displays provide insight into the experience of the other half of Fiji's population. The gift shop sells books, handicrafts, spa products, and artwork. The museum is just outside of the city center in the picturesque Thurston Gardens.

Excellent coffee imported from Melbourne and refreshing smoothies make the centrally located spot a great place to recharge. There's free Wi-Fi (but no power outlets), a serene atmosphere, and a wide food selection that includes sandwiches, a salad bar, and homemade pastries and sweets.

For such a small nation, Fiji's politics have been, and continue to be, exceedingly complex. The Constitutional Amendment of 2013 changed Parliament from a two-house structure (representatives and senate) to a unicameral (or single chamber) legislature with 50 members elected by proportional representation. Parliament resides in the grandiose government buildings on Victoria Parade (opposite the Holiday Inn). It is possible to see Parliament in action by visiting during sitting days, which occur one week every month; check the website for details.

The largest municipal market in the South Pacific is a fantastic place to take in the local atmosphere. Row after row of stalls are laden with produce, clothes, shoes, and handicrafts. Brightly colored bins of spices dot many tables and, outside, women sit on blankets under tarps to stay cool amid their goods. The roots and weighing scales upstairs comprise the widest selection of kava in all of Fiji. As with most municipal markets in the country, it's beside the bus station and the majority of goods come, along with their owners, fresh from the countryside daily. Throughout the market, the Fijian and Indo-Fijian sellers are generally patient and happy to chat.