Suva, Fiji

When you think of Fiji you might imagine the crystal clear light-blue water and white-sand beaches that proliferate on the internet. Well, that’s not all of Fiji. We docked in the port of Suva, the capital and largest city in Fiji which is a more built-up and industrial area than most you’ll find.

First up on my excision was a ride to the Fiji Museum located near the southern coast of town near the Presidential Palace. It houses a collection it Fijian artifact as well as a botanical garden and clock tower. There are some really amazing flowers on this Pacific island and I really enjoyed taking macro photographs of them. We also saw a local Rugby field and the lawn bowling club as we passed through this part of town.

Next our tour took us around the parkway that edges the peninsula and off to the north of the city for an afternoon at Colo-i-Suva Park Forest Reserve. This is a natural area not too far from Suva served by a few eco lodge amenities. The park itself is a destination for hiking trails, birdwatching and most notably the creeks, falls, and pools which make for unique experiences.

We were treated to a nice lunch at the rainforest lake and some time to enjoy a boat ride before our return to downtown. I poked around by the shoreline for a bit and the next morning I was out for a tour of the Fijian Parliament building and grounds.

Later that day a friend and I hopped in a cab and asked the driver to take us out of town a bit to whatever beach he recommended. The day was a little overcast so the waters didn’t gleam, but the waves and solitude were very nice. We enjoyed exploring a little bit of beach and the wildlife it contained. I think we were near the town of Deuba, but it must have been near some tourist resort because we saw a dive boat with SASers returning from their excursion. We partook of the local practice of Kava drinking which we’d learned about during our port briefing. It was a bit like drinking muddy water, but was very relaxing mostly because of the peaceful surroundings and mindset of all those passing the bowl. We enjoyed a nice dinner and hustled back to Suva by dock time in since the Universe Explorer was scheduled to take again to the sea!