www.FAXTS.com - Travel & Lifestyle

Fiji sits far enough from the equator to enjoy a relatively mild summer but close enough to have warm, balmy evenings. The dry season is May to October while the wet season is November to April. However, the weather can vary because of the local geography, with many areas being protected from prevailing trade winds.

The mild climate allows visitors to enjoy Fiji all year round, although it is especially popular with visitors who are leaving their own cool winter months. May to October is the best time to travel to Fiji, as this time has cooler temperatures, less rainfall and humidity and less risk of tropical cyclones.

Events being held this year in Fiji include; the Art Exhibition in Suva in June; the Bula Festival in Nadi in July; the Indian Firewalking Festival, the Methodist Choir Competition and the Island Zone Rugby Competition held in Suva in August; the Sugar Festival in Lautoka in September; the Coral Coast Bilibili Race in Sigatoka in October and the Suva Carnival in Suva in December.

Travel Tips

Drink the water? Certainly, in Nadi, Suva, Lautoka and other major towns the water has been treated and is safe to drink from the tap.

Things To See & Do

Jean-Michel Cousteau once said, 'the unparalleled range of quality dive sites and sheer diversity of life of Fijian reefs is overwhelming.' High praise indeed but well warranted as Fiji boasts breathtaking hard and soft coral reefs and an underwater playground for marine life of all descriptions.

Experienced divers can dive deep into azure blue crystal clear water where they can explore caves and steep walls, while the less experienced snorkellers can drift through the coral reefs or inspect the old shipwrecks that are situated just off shore.

The magnificent hidden bays and beaches, with their salt coloured sand and delightfully clean water, are great attractions for both bushwalkers and sun lovers. The bushwalkers can extend their energy levels by taking in beautiful rainforest walks in forests that contain no harmful animals or insects. No leeches, no crocodiles - only complete quiet in the jungle that harbours tiny wild parrots and an abundance of colourful bird life as well as streams, waterfalls and rocky basins.

Visitors can motor around the islands or take ferries and boat cruises to other islands. There are half day and full day island cruises available from Nadi and tourists can choose their own vessel - catamaran, schooner, motor sailor or ketch!

There are daytime river cruises from Sigatoka jetty where visitors can call in on traditional Fijian villages. Here you may take in a kava welcoming ceremony and pottery making demonstration. Then head down river to Sigatoka sand dunes and see an historic village of original Fijian ancestors, a lovo feast and plenty of shopping for typical Fijian handcrafts.

Other places to visit include the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, Fiji's largest Hindu Temple located in Nadi; the Fiji Museum at Thurston Gardens, Suva; take a Suva City Tour where visitors see gardens, museums, parks, Government House, mosques, temples and shops.

Others may wish to go 'flight seeing' in island hopping helicopters or seaplanes over mountains, valleys, and rainforests. Exploring the sacred caves deep in Sigatoka Valley is a wonderful experience and meeting the local Fijian people and taking lunch with them is an unforgettable experience.

Visitors should try and visit the Mamanuca group of tiny islands just off the west coast of Viti Levu, where diving and snorkelling is magic among the colourful reefs and fish life. Other activities for the visitor include golfing on a number of quality courses, cycling, trekking, bird watching, surfing, sailing and swimming.

Some things a visitor must try and do while in Fiji:

Picnic on a private beach - most resorts are situated in idyllic, beachside havens so you can take a picnic in absolute privacy. Your resort will prepare a picnic hamper for you.
Scuba dive in virgin reefs - you're among the most beautiful diving spots in the world, including heritage-listed reefs, so go for it!
Take part in a Kava Ceremony - made from ground, powdered roots, Kava is Fiji's national drink. It's an acquired taste, strained through a muslin cloth and presented in a wooden kava bowl.
Eat a Lovo Feast - delicious food cooked in underground ovens of heated rocks.
Watch or participate in a Meke - locals, who are dressed in national costumes of flower leis, grass skirts and tapa cloth, dance and the women sing lovely songs while the men often perform warrior dances. Afterwards they may try and entice you into having a dance!
Visit a local village - the best way to really see the people and their culture is to visit a Fijian village - this can be organised through staff at your resort or hotel.
Sail a sunset cruise - the Fijian sunset is incredibly romantic so sailing in these unpolluted waters with the sun setting is magic.
Go for a midnight snorkel - when the bright full Fijian moon is shining on a cloudless night is one of the best times to go for a refreshing after dinner dip or snorkel. A great experience.

Travel Tips

What shots are required? Some vaccinations will be necessary, please consult a qualified travel doctor before you depart.

Restaurants & Bars

There are a wide variety of restaurants and eating houses in Fiji - from the five star international resorts to 24-hour air-conditioned coffee shops. Most hotels also offer specific culinary themed nights such as magiti (Fijian feasts), beach or poolside barbecues as well as Fiji's best known outdoor cooking experience - the lovo - where an underground oven of heated rock cooks a variety of foods wrapped in banana leaves. Covered with earth and coming out after several hours cooking with a faint smoky flavour, the lovos produce succulent, tender meats such as chicken, seafood and, given the proper occasions, whole suckling pig!

Great steaks and seafood can be purchased at any number of restaurants but most visitors enjoy the unique Fijian dishes that include Kokoda, which are portions of fresh fish marinated in lime juice and served in half a coconut in lolo (the sweet cream of the coconut). Other dishes include the palusami-mewat wrapped in taro leaves and cooked in lolo.

Some restaurants include the Bounty, Cardo's, Chefs and Chinatown, Copra Shed-Marina and JJ's on the Park as well as Paak Kum Loong and Tata's. Gourmet diners will not be disappointed.

Travel Tips

Tipping is not required, nor encouraged in Fiji and it is left to the individual to determine whether to make a gratuity

Getting Around

Rental cars

These are easily found and can be driven by motorists in possession of a valid home country driving licence for the same class of vehicle. The maximum speed limit in built-up areas is 50km/h while on highways it is 80km/h. Rental cars are available from the airports and major resorts and are easily arranged from all motels and hotels.

Ferry

There are regular ferry services between major islands so if you have time and a taste for adventure you will find voyaging scenic and exciting.

Bus

There are numerous modern, air-conditioned coaches servicing resorts and major towns although many visitors like to use the open-windowed buses so they can take in the sites and sounds of the passing scenery. Every town and village has a bus stop as this is the most common modes of transport around the islands. Buses can be hailed from the road.

Carrier

Carriers are usually multi-passenger vans and small trucks which serve remote villages and less travelled areas and they are cheaper than taxis.

Taxi

Most people in Fiji do not own a car so taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap to hire. Two Fijian dollars will take a patron just about anywhere in the average town or city and urban taxis have meters. In smaller towns there are often fixed prices and drivers will often reduce the price of a fare if allowed to pick up another passenger going the same way. Some taxis can be hired by the half-day or day.

Airports

Fiji has two international airports - Nadi, the principal gateway, on the western side and Nausori near Suva on the east coast.

Both provide connections to all of the world's major cities with direct flights to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Japan and Korea.

Nadi airport is located 9 km from Nadi city centre while Nausori is 23 km from Suva.

Money

The Fijian dollar (FJD) is the basic unit of currency, available in denominations of $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50. Coins are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and $1.There is no limit to the amount of money brought in and visitors are allowed to take out currency up to the amount imported.

Major credit cards are welcomed by most hotels, restaurants, shops, rental car agencies, tours, cruises and travel agents. American Express and Visa can replace lost credit cards and travellers' cheques.

Fiji Hotel Chain Provides an Alternative to Packaged Tourism
by David Stanley

The owners of Fiji's largest budget accommodation chain have decided to counter the burgeoning bus and package tour trade by refocusing on the independent traveler.

With more and more visitors being booked onto pre-arranged itineraries straight off the plane in Nadi, Cathay Hotels (Fiji) Limited has made a conscious choice to do things a lot differently. They're betting on the market niche of those who prefer to make their own decisions about where to go and what to do.

Guests at their flagship property, Tubakula Beach Bungalows on the Coral Coast, an hour south of the international airport, have cooking facilities built into their units, relieving them of the need to purchase pricy resort meals. In keeping with the laid-back atmosphere, there are no TVs, telephones, or mini-bars in the rooms, although these are readily available in the main building, where there's also an inexpensive restaurant serving tasty local-style food.

The lagoon in front of Tubakula has been identified as a suitable nursery site for corals, and re-planting has begun. According to Cathay Hotels (Fiji) general manager Elain Barrett-Power, "Tubakula Beach Bungalows has long had a policy of minimal interference with the natural marine and coastal environment and does not offer tourist-oriented watersports in the lagoon; this means that the corals will be able to re-generate undisturbed."

At the Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel, north of Nadi Airport, the 12 one-bedroom apartments have been fully renovated with new beds and modern kitchens. This quiet property will appeal to mature travelers or couples and families in search of a peaceful retreat. As at Tubakula, starting prices are in the US$50 range, and there's a 10 percent discount on stays of a week or more.

Close to Saweni, the Cathay Hotel in Fiji's second city Lautoka is a good alternative to the tourist ghettos of nearby Nadi. Lautoka's bustling market is wonderfully picturesque, and there are countless eating and drinking options around town. Rugby players from all over Fiji come to compete at Churchill Park behind the hotel, and to prepare themselves for careers in international sports. Hotel guests can watch the action from the hotel's lounge bar, and maybe meet a few of the future superstars, many of whom will be staying at the hotel. Rooms at the Cathay are budget priced.

In Fiji's capital, Suva, Cathay Hotels (Fiji) operates the venerable South Seas Private Hotel near Albert Park. The floors of this backpacker institution have recently been sanded and polished to reveal the original Oregon pine timber flooring imported in the 1930s. Colorful canvas awnings are being fitted across the front of the building to provide additional shade and add ambience of this historic property. According to Barrett-Power, "South Seas has long catered to independent travellers looking for the 'real' South Pacific, and we continue to resist the trend towards the package and coach tour circuit." As usual, South Seas guests have access to full cooking facilities, and the gamut of accommodations ranges from low budget dorms to simple but spotless rooms with fan.

About Cathay Hotels (Fiji) Limited Cathay Hotels (Fiji) is a locally-owned company which operates the Cathay Hotel, Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel, Tubakula Beach Bungalows, Travel Inn, and South Seas Private Hotel. Their rates are non-commissionable and sold direct to the travelling public. They offer you clean, comfortable, and unpretentious accommodation, friendly staff, terrific locations, and excellent value-for-money rates. Visitors preferring more upmarket or full-service hotels will not find their properties suitable. Detailed information on all properties, including discounts and special offers, is available on their website http://www.fiji4less.com and in Moon Handbooks Fiji http://www.southpacific.org/fiji.html

David Stanley authored the first two editions of Lonely Planet Cuba. His initial visit was in 1975 when he accompanied one of the first Canadian tour groups to visit Cuba after the revolution. Until 1979 he worked at resorts on Isla de la Juventud, in Havana, and at Varadero, then he left for the South Pacific islands to write a series of travel guidebooks. Moon Handbooks South Pacific, now in its 8th edition, has become the classic guide to Oceania. In the early 1990s Stanley's three editions of Eastern Europe on a Shoestring led Lonely Planet into Europe, and he has since written about Canada for the same company. Photos from his Pacific travel guides can be seen at http://www.pacific-pictures.com

David Stanley may be contacted at http://www.pacific-pictures.com

Fiji has over 300 islands in its archipelago,each fringed with coral reefs and lapped by warm azure waters-the diving and snorkelling are superb. Amid its wealth of natural beauty, Fiji's true magic lies in its people and the fascinating blend of their diverse culture.

Suva is one of the tourist destination found in Fiji. It is located on the South eastern coast of the big island of Viti Levu.Manmanuca Group is a bunch of tiny islands just off the western coast of Viti Levu. Nadi is Fiji's third-biggest town is set against a mountainous backdrop on the west coast of Viti Levu. Nausori Highlands is in the interior of the Viti Levu island and Sigatoka is a small town on the southern coast of Viti Levu.

Fiji Islands occupies an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu.

History

The first inhabitants of Fiji arrived from South East Asia long before the islands were discovered by European explorers in the 17th century. It was not until the 19th century, however, that Europeans came to the islands to settle there permanently. The islands came under British control as a colony in 1874. It was granted independence in 1970. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indo-Fijian (Indian) community.

A 1990 constitution guaranteed ethnic Fijian control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian. A year later, this was deposed in a coup led by George Speight, a hardline Fijian nationalist. Democracy was restored towards the end of 2000, and Laisenia Qarase, who had led an interim government in the meantime, was elected Prime Minister.

For a country of its size, Fiji has exceptionally capable armed forces, and has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world.

Politics

Fiji's Head of State is the President, who is elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term. Although his role is largely an honorary one, modelled after that of the British monarchy, the President has certain "reserve powers" that may be used only in the event of a national crisis. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The president formally appoints the Prime Minister, who must be able to rely on the support of a majority in the House of Representatives. In practice, that means that the leader of the largest political party or coalition normally becomes Prime Minister, rendering the President's role in the appointment little more than a formality. Sometimes, however, Parliament may become deadlocked, as a result of electoral fragmentation or party splits. In such cases, the President takes on the role of arbitrator, and after consulting with all the political factions, must appoint as Prime Minister the person he judges to be the most acceptable to the majority in the House of Representatives. On the Prime Minister's nomination, the President formally appoints a Cabinet of around ten to twenty five ministers, who exercise executive authority. According to the constitution, the Cabinet is supposed to reflect the political composition of the House of Representatives, with every party holding more than 8 seats in the House entitled to proportionate representation in the Cabinet. In practice, this rule has never been strictly implemented.

Fiji's Parliament is bicameral. The House of Representatives has 71 members. 25 of these are elected by universal suffrage. The remaining 46 are reserved for Fiji's ethnic communities and are elected from communal electoral rolls: 23 Fijians, 19 Indo-Fijians, 1 Rotuman, and 3 "General electors" (Europeans, Chinese, and other minorities). The upper chamber of the parliament, the Senate, has 32 members, formally appointed by the President on the nomination of the Great Council of Chiefs (14), the Prime Minister (9), the Leader of the Opposition (8), and the Rotuman Islands Council (1). Less powerful than the House of Representatives, the Senate may not initiate legislation, but it may reject or amend it.

Divisions

Fiji is divided into three parts, called divisions:

* Central/Eastern Division
* Northern Division
* Western Division.

The island of Rotuma, north of the main archipelago, has the status of a dependency, with a small degree of internal autonomy.

Geography

Fiji consists of 322 islands, of which about one third is inhabited. The two most important islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1200 m, and covered with tropical forests. Other important towns include Labasa, Lautoka, Nadi, and Savusavu.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Fiji

Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry—with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually—are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity. Long-term problems include low investment and uncertain property rights. The political turmoil in Fiji has had a severe impact on the economy, which shrank by 2.8% in 2000 and grew by only 1% in 2001. The tourism sector recovered quickly, however, with visitor arrivals reaching pre-coup levels again during 2002, which has since resulted in a modest economic recovery. The government's ability to manage its budget—which ran a net deficit of 6% in 2002—is dependent on a return of political stability and investor confidence.

The only major skyscraper in all of Fiji is the 14-story Reserve Bank of Fiji Building in Suva.

Demographics

Ethnic Groups

The population of Fiji is divided almost equally between native Fijians, a people of mixed Polynesian and Melanesian ancestory (51%), and Indo-Fijians (43.7%), descendent of Indian contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century. About 1.2 percent are Rotuman—natives of Rotuma Island, whose culture has more in common with countries such as Tonga or Samoa than with the rest of Fiji. There are also small, but economically significant, groups of Europeans, Chinese, and other minorities. Relationships between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians have often been strained, and the tension between the two communities has dominated politics in the islands for the past generation.

Language

Three official languages are prescribed by the constitution: English, which was introduced by the former British colonial rulers, Bau Fijian, spoken by ethnic Fijians, and Hindustani, the main language spoken by Indo-Fijians. Citizens of Fiji have the constitutional right to communicate with any government agency in any of the official languages, with an interpreter to be supplied on request.

The use of English is one of the most enduring legacies of almost a century of British rule. Widely spoken by both ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians, English is the main medium of communication between the two communities, as well as with the outside world. It is the language in which the government conducts most of its business, and is the main language of education, commerce, and the courts.

Fijian belongs to the Austronesian family of languages. Although it has been influenced by prolonged contact with speakers of Polynesian languages such as Tongan, it is related more closely to the Melanesian branch of the Austronesian family, which includes languages of western Pacific nations such as Vanuatu and New Caledonia. There are many dialects, but the official standard is the speech of Bau, the most politically and militarily powerful of the many indigenous kingdoms of the 19th Century.

"Hindustani" is considered an umbrella term for Hindi (preferred by Hindus) and the closely related Urdu (preferred by Muslims). Many Indo-Fijians consider that Fijian Hindustani has developed some unique features that differentiate it from the Hindi and Urdu spoken on the Indian subcontinent, although not to the extent of hindering mutual understanding.

In addition to the three official languages, many other languages are spoken. Some Fijian dialects, especially in the west of the country, differ markedly from the official Bau standard, and would probably be considered separate languages if they had a codified grammar or a literary tradition. In addition to Hindustani, many Indo-Fijians speak Tamil, with smaller communities speaking Bihari, Bengali, and other languages. On the island of Rotuma, Rotuman, a Polynesian language, is used.

Religion

Most ethnic Fijians are Christians. The Methodist church is the largest denomination; with about a quarter of the total population (including about 48 percent of ethnic Fijians), it has a higher percentage of the population in Fiji than in any other country. Other significant denominations among ethnic Fijians include Roman Catholics (19 percent), the Assemblies of God (11 percent), and the Seventh Day Adventists (6 percent). About thirty smaller denominations are also represented, including Lutherans and Anglicans. Most of these churches also have Indo-Fijian members, but their numbers are quite small. A small number of ethnic Fijians have converted to Islam; one of the most prominent if these is the well-known politician Apisai Tora.

Most Indo-Fijians are Hindu (75 percent) or Muslim (16 percent). About 6 percent are Christians (mostly Methodists and Assemblies of God), and 1 percent are Sikhs. About two percent profess no religion.

(c)