31 Best Sights in Fiji

Taveuni got the nickname "Garden Island of Fiji" for this multifaceted park covering almost 259 square km (100 square miles), or nearly a third of the island. The park's four villages offer guided walks, waterfall visits, snorkeling off traditional rafts, a hike, and bird-watching through the virgin rain forest and along the pristine coast. The Lavena Coastal Walk is a scenic walk past rain forest and traditional gardens of cassava, papaya, kava, and other crops, over a river to pristine waterfalls and a swimming hole. The trail begins at Lavena village, 6 km (3.7 miles) south of the park entrance, and passes great swimming and snorkeling spots as it traces the coast. It's a four-hour walk round-trip, but makes an enjoyable half-day or longer. Groups of four or more can also take a three-hour boat tour to seven waterfalls inaccessible on foot and walk back along the coast, if they so choose.

The highlight of the park experience comes early on, when visitors have the opportunity to handle lizards and even a young boa constrictor, if one is on hand (bring your camera). But even the skittish will enjoy the walk-through bird sanctuary and informative descriptions of the many native and non-native bird species and the fruit bats (or "flying foxes") on display. The boardwalk loop concludes with an elevated walk through untouched rain forest and an indigenous people's tool display. The park is directly across the street from Outrigger on the Lagoon.

Fiji's largest-scale cultural attraction includes performances, restaurants, and a shopping center. You can take a guided boat tour aboard a traditional drua (double-hulled canoe), a temple tour, or walking tour of a "magical island," each of which introduces you to aspects of traditional Fijian life including craft-making, cuisine, and these experiences include some theatrics of their own. You can also just settle into the outdoor grandstand for a performance. The firewalking show (Wednesday–Saturday 2:30–3:30) is excellent and includes a meke (traditional song and dance), a mock war reenactment, and the famous Beqa Firewalkers traversing hot coals. There are more than 50 shops, including a handicraft marketplace where crafts are made on-site, and more than 10 restaurants. One-hour Island Boat Tours and Island Temple Tours leave every half-hour 10:30–3:30.

At the very southern tip of the island, this dramatic natural feature is created by water rushing in between black volcanic rocks on the edge of coral-rich Vuna Reef, fantastic for snorkeling. It's also in the vicinity of quiet beaches ideal for a picnic lunch. At low tide, you can climb over rocks to get closer to the blow-hole, but it's not recommended.

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.

Nearly 1,219 meters (4,000 feet) up, this peak offers Taveuni's best views over Vanua Levu and the Somosomo Strait. The trip requires a 30- to 40-minute 4WD ride and then a 20-minute walk and is best done earlier in the day before clouds begin crowding in at the top. You can organize the trip through your hotel.

This modest branch of the Suva-based museum contains old photos of Levuka, which confirm that little of the townscape has changed since it served as Fiji's capital nearly 150 years ago. Also on display are cannibal forks and war clubs.

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.

Founded by the late American actor Raymund Burr in 1977 to house his own orchids, the garden now displays more than 2,000 kinds of orchids across its 50 acres. Guides are available at no additional cost. The garden is a half-hour's drive north of Nadi, in the foothills of the Sabeto Mountains.

The world's fourth-largest barrier reef traces the northern tip of the island group. Many resorts dive the site frequented by manta rays with wingspans of up to 5 meters. Those resorts nearest the Great Astrolabe explore more of its intricate coral-ways, while other resorts have uncovered excellent sites on the island's fringing reefs. Sea life across the group includes pipefish, sea horses, triggerfish, a variety of eels and wrasse, barracuda, reef sharks, occasional hammerheads, grouper, stone fish, octopuses, turtles, and spinner dolphins among many other species, all set amid a vast network of soft and hard coral formations including swim-throughs and mazes to impress the most experienced divers.

This peak visible in the hills behind Beach Street bears the scars of cannonballs fired by the HMS Havannah in 1849. The gesture was meant to intimidate King Ratu Cakobau into treating Fiji's resident Europeans more favorably. The rock was again fired upon by a naval captain in 1874 in order to entertain a group of chiefs. You may climb the rock (it offers great harbor views) but you should first ask the Tui Levuka (local chief) or a member of his family for permission as a sign of respect. Inquire in town about the family's whereabouts.

The stretch of rough road from Savusavu east and then up the eastern coast of the Natewa Peninsula passes through pristine rain forests, presenting magnificent views from mountain ridges. Because bus service along this road is infrequent and rains and occasional flooding can make driving the mostly unpaved road difficult, the best way to see it is to negotiate with a taxi for a tour.

Savusavu-born Justin Hunter, whose father was American, studied marine biology and worked in the United States before returning to start this pearl farm in 2000. Oysters are carefully implanted with mussel tissue that forms the core of the future pearl. They are then attached to ropes dangling down into Savusavu Bay where they grow and, twice a year, are harvested. A tour of the farm begins with a presentation on the history of cultured pearls at the J. Hunter Pearls office. You can take a glass-bottom boat out to see the undersea farm and possibly go for a snorkel. During harvesting months, you can see the pearl implanting and harvesting process. The tour concludes in the company's large showroom, where gold, black, and a variety of pastel-hued pearls are for sale.

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.

Guns and bunkers were set up here during World War II to protect Nadi from a potential attack by the Japanese. One of the bunkers has been turned into a museum with photographs documenting its history. The site offers spectacular views over Momi Bay and the Mamanuca Islands.

Rising at the southwestern end of Kadavu, as if a terrestrial balance to the submerged Astrolabe Reef in the northeast, is the 805-meter-high (2,641-foot-high) inactive volcano, Nabukelevu. From pottery pieces discovered within avalanche debris, scientists conclude that the last eruption occurred within the last 3,000 years. At the volcano's base are good diving and a pretty white-sand beach.

Natadola Beach remains arguably the mainland's best beach. You can ride horses provided by the locals (if they're not there, this can be arranged through the Natadola Beach Resort or the Intercontinental Fiji), swim without fear of stepping on coral, soak up the sun and eat at the beachfront resorts. Since there are no true amenities at the beach, the close proximity to the Natadola Beach Resort (adults only!) and Intercontinental is a blessing. The beach is at the end of Maro Road, which appears just past the police post on Queens Road, near Km 45. Turn right before you get to the Intercontinental and go round the back of Natadola Beach Resort. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude and swimming.

Set amid mountains and on a river, this charming, more than 200-year-old village includes about 100 thatched bure aligned in the shape of a cross around a rara, or village green. Beside the village is a rural school and a Catholic church. Visitors are required to present a sevusevu (literally "presentation," a ceremonial gift), traditionally a bundle of yaqona or kava, to the village chief. They might then have the chance to take part in a traditional kava ceremony before being led on a village tour. The village is in the Navala Valley roughly 26 km (16 miles) inland from the town of Ba, a winding hour's drive away (buses run daily). Fiji Eco Tours run trips daily including transfers from Nadi, Denarau, and Lautoka hotels.

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.

For a naturalistic bathing experience north of town, you can take a dip in these underdeveloped thermal bathing and mud pools in the lush Sabeto River Valley; those looking for a Canyon Ranch substitute will be disappointed. The pools are best enjoyed as the air cools later in the day, and there are basic changing and shower facilities on-site. Many resort tour desks can arrange a half-day tour. The admission fee is actually a contribution to the village that owns the pools.

Archaeologists continue to uncover shards of pottery and human remains up to 2,000 years old at these dunes, a tentatively listed UNESCO World Heritage site. The dunes are more than 60 feet (20 meters) high on average, with some climbing to more than 150 feet (50 meters). The views here, in Fiji's first national park, are impressive. Look for the visitor center on the roadside just west Sigatoka. One- and two-hour self-guided tours begin at the visitor center; guides are available for hire. The site is included as one of the stops on half- and full-day tours offered by the many tour companies. Inquire at your resort's tour desk.

The largest village on Taveuni, it's the seat of government and home of Taveuni's high chief. The Great Council of Chiefs meeting house, a stately thatched bure, is visible from the road, and there's also a graveyard here. Tours can be organized through your accommodation.

This large distillery uses molasses from the local sugar mill to produce the country's ubiquitous Bounty Rum. It also makes whiskey, vodka, and gin and offers free plant tours.

This pastel-color Hindu temple cuts an impressive figure at the southern end of the main strip. Its many vivid ceiling murals and intricate patterns are the work of a single artist, C. Gopalakrishnan of Madras, India, who, at the time of writing, was repainting the entire 13-year-old structure. The open-air temple includes a number of shrines with ornate statues and doors imported from India, and is the site of weddings virtually every weekend. Its more than 1,000 devotees come to pray bearing fruit and other offerings throughout the day. Admission includes a casual tour—you may have to prod your guide with questions if you want more detail. Remove your shoes once inside the gates.

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.

The first of the Tavoro Waterfalls, or Bouma Falls, is a 15-minute stroll through manicured gardens along the Tavoro River from its visitor center. It's one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Fiji and was featured in the movie Return to the Blue Lagoon. The second and third waterfalls are successively farther away and are accessible via well-maintained paths. They have smaller swimming pools, but the views on the way are well worth the walk.

Bird-watchers and those looking for a more strenuous experience will enjoy the Vidawa Rainforest Hike. This half-day guided tour takes you through rain forest and ancient village sites and up to excellent views over the island and reefs. Birds you may see include Lady Monarchs, Blue-Crowned Broad Bills, Silktails, and the storied Orange Dove, of which no known photographs exist. The tour includes lunch and refreshments. The trail begins across the road and slightly north of the Tavoro Waterfalls visitor center.

The Catholic Church here was built in 1907 in honor of a French missionary who successfully advised Taveuni's warriors in how to defeat invading Tongans in a major battle. It's an imposing stone structure in the Roman style with stained-glass windows and the only seating are floor mats. Fijians are known for their beautiful a cappella singing and Sunday services here are a fantastic way to experience this. Local children are often eager to show visitors around their village afterward. The international dateline or 180th meridian, which in theory splits the island but was shifted around the Fiji island group, is denoted by a sign not far from here.

One of Fiji's most diverse rain forests, this 300-acre reserve is rich in spectacular mountaintop vistas, bird species, and exquisite trees, flowers, and plants, including those used in traditional medicines. Waisali contains a population of the endangered Fiji ground frog (Platymantis vitianus), which was once thought to have become extinct thanks to sugarcane development during the colonial period. Happily, scientists have found them in Waisali along with other populations considered important. Most of the forest in the reserve is intact and undisturbed, although a short walking trail from the entrance culminates in a pretty waterfall.

Swim and snorkel over a fringing reef that has been a marine-protected area (MPA) since 1998, when the Waitabu people and other villages agreed to stop overfishing. There are guided snorkeling tours using bilibili or traditional bamboo rafts followed by tea and music on the beach. A cheaper option does not include rafts or tea. The campground offers 12 tent sites near the water's edge, and communal cooking and bathroom facilities. It's slightly north of Vidawa village on the coast.