Nadi The third largest town in Fij. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population 30,791 at the last census, in 1996. Nadi is a multiracial town; many of its inhabitants are Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign tourists. Along with sugar cane production, tourism is a mainstay of the local economy. The Nadi region has a higher concentration of hotels and motels than any other part of Fiji.
Suva
Suva is the capital city of Fiji. It is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Central Division, of which it is the administrative centre. In 1877, it was decided to make Suva the capital of Fiji when the geography of former main European settlement at Levuka on the island of Ovalau proved too restrictive. The administration of the colony was moved from Levuka to Suva in 1882. At the 1996 census, the last to date, the city of Suva had a population of 77,366. Also the home to the University of the South Pacific. Yasawa Islands Fijians have 15 words for Heaven, the first is Yasawa. This 90 km. long chain of 20 ancient volcanic islands, famous for lovely white-sand beaches, crystal-blue lagoons and rugged volcanic landscapes, is understandably a magnet for travellers. The 1980's film "The Blue Lagoon" was partially filmed in the Yasawa Group.
Mamanuca Group
The Mamanucas are movie stars. Fiji's glittering jet set, forever photographed, and valued more for their natural beauty than any contribution they make to the national culture. Many of the 20-or-so islands take day-trippers from the mainland, who gorge themselves on buffets washed down with chilled Fiji Bitter, and sunbake on white sand beneath coconut palms.
The ocean around the islands has some excellent dive sites and Fiji's gnarliest surf spots. The snorkelling here is generally fantastic with the clear waters offering fascinating windows into the undersea world. Judging from the activities nights in most of the resorts, the Mamanucas are the crab-racing capital of the Pacific.
Source: www.lonelyplanet.com and Lonely Planet, Fiji, 2003. |