Geography
Suva is the economic and political center of Fiji, and the largest city in southern Oceania outside Australia and New Zealand. The main seaport of the country.
Suva is located on the southeastern coast of Viti Levu on a small peninsula. In the past, a significant part of the city was occupied by swamps.
History
In 1868, part of the territory modern city Suva was transferred by the Fijian chieftain Seru Epenis Kakobau to offset the debts of an Australian company that intended to develop cotton plantations on the land. However, all attempts to cultivate cotton have failed due to the unsuitable climate. In 1877, after the annexation of the Fiji Islands by the British Empire, it was decided to move the capital of Fiji to Suva. The early main colonial settlement of the islands was the city of Levuka on the island of Ovalau. The entire administration of the colony was transferred from Levuk to Suva in 1882.
In 1910 the settlement received the status of a municipality. Initially, Suva's area did not exceed 1 square mile, but in 1952 the districts of Muanikau and Samabula were added to it. As a result, the territory expanded to 13 km². Subsequently, the territory of the settlement expanded several times. In October 1952, Suva was declared the first city in Fiji.
In 2003, the city hosted the South Pacific Games, the third in Suva's history.
Population
Suva is a multicultural city. The majority of the population is made up of indigenous Fijians and Fiji Indians, the two main ethnic groups in Fiji. However, Asians also live in Suva, including the Chinese.
The most spoken language is English, although locals also speak the language of Fiji, Hindustani.
Administration
Suva has a municipal status. The city is led by the Lord Mayor. The city council of 20 deputies operates.
Infrastructure
Suva is administrative and port city and has no beaches. The city houses the country's government buildings, the Fijian School of Medicine and one of the campuses of the University of the South Pacific (occupies the territory of the former New Zealand military base).
sights
Suva has the most high building Fiji - the building of the Reserve Bank. One of the attractions of the city is the city library, built in 1909.
Suva is the official residence of the President of Fiji, built in 1882 and rebuilt in 1928. The city also houses the Fiji Museum, which displays rich collections of archaeological and ethnographic exhibits from the Pacific Islands (founded in 1904).
A large number of parks (78 in total).
Transport
Not far from the city is located international Airport Nausori, from where domestic flights and flights to the territory of Tuvalu are carried out. International flights are served by Nadi International Airport.
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Suva is located on the southeastern shores of Viti Levu, on the territory, being the capital of the country, as well as its political, economic and cultural center. This city has rich history, beautiful landscapes and developed infrastructure. For a short period of time, it has grown significantly in its development and is now considered one of the most comfortable cities in the republic.
Features:
Among the main industrial sectors of Suva, the food industry and factories for the production of building materials stand out, on which the city's economy largely depends. Sugar factories operate in the vicinity of the capital, gold mining and agriculture are established. Tourism takes a special place in the life of Suva. Despite the fact that nice beaches within the city limits are practically absent, tourists arriving at popular resorts Fiji invariably visit the capital of the republic during the cultural program, and also come here for the purpose of shopping, the benefit of this is the status of a duty-free zone. The availability of comfortable hotels allows guests not to experience serious difficulties with accommodation, and the abundance of restaurants and entertainment venues, combined with numerous excursions, make their stay in the city as diverse and rich as possible. The ethnic composition of the population is quite diverse. The inhabitants of the capital, in addition to the indigenous Fijians, are Fiji-Indians, as well as people from the Asian, American and European continents. The townspeople communicate in English, Fiji and Hindustani languages.
general information
The area of \u200b\u200bSuva is not so significant for the capital, and the population is less than 100 thousand people. Local time is 9 hours ahead of Moscow time in winter and 10 hours summer time... The time zone is UTC + 12 and UTC + 13 during the summer. The official website is www.suvacity.org.
A brief excursion into history
The first settlements appeared on the Fiji Islands about 1000 years before the onset of our era, and the Dutch were the first Europeans to try to develop these lands. In 1874, the archipelago went to Great Britain, who wanted to get at its disposal the seaport of Suva. It acquired its capital status in 1882, when the main representatives of the British colonial headquarters moved here from the city of Levuka, located on the island of Ovalau. Initially, the territory of the settlement was estimated at a little more than 2 square meters. km, and a significant part of the surrounding area was occupied by swamps. Subsequently, after the annexation of the Muanikau and Samabula districts, the area increased noticeably, and in 1952 Suva was officially recognized as a city. Then, it grew even more, and the emergence of new plants and factories contributed to its economic recovery. Over the past decades, the South Pacific Games have been held here several times, which has added international credibility to the city.
Climate
Suva has a humid tropical climate with a lot of rainfall, which is the main disadvantage of the region. It rains here regularly throughout the year and is often accompanied by hurricane winds. The only month when the rainfall is less than usual is July. The average air temperature is stable and fluctuates within the range of +24 - +30 degrees. Going to Suva, it is recommended to check the weather forecast for the coming days in advance.
How to get there
The closest international airports to Suva are Nausori and Nandi. From them, buses and taxis go to the city. From the city port, there are transportations by sea vessels to the rest of the islands of the archipelago.
Transport
Within the city, buses and taxis are the most common means of transportation.
Attractions and entertainment
Of the most visited places in the capital, regularly enjoying tourist attention, the Fiji Museum stands out, located in the heart of the historic Turston Gardens, near the Government House and the old Parliament building. The museum halls display unique exhibitions, including an impressive collection of anthropology and archipelago history. Equally interesting are the frescoes at St. Francis Hsavier Hai, Centenary Methodist Church and the Catholic Cathedral. Just 10 km from Suva, in the town of Veisari, there is cultural Center countries - Orchid Island, with a whole scattering of exotic vegetation. The Polynesian Cultural Center Orchid Island, the magnificent Albert Park and the Bure Kalou Temple are also located here.
For lovers nightlife it is worth going to Victoria Parade Street, where the largest number of discos, hotels and restaurants is concentrated. In addition, the city Municipal Market is located here. Those wishing to swim in the waters of the Pacific Ocean are advised to take a walk to the shores of Pacific Harbor, 20 km from the city, where there are excellent sandy beaches, a modern golf club and diving center. Kandavu Island, 100 km from Viti Levu, is an excellent spot for diving and surfing. Coral Coast is also considered a popular area, where the resorts of Shangri-La, Naviti, Natadola and Tubakula are located.
Kitchen
The city's culinary establishments offer their visitors a varied selection of dishes, including seafood, exotic fruits and vegetables, meat and fish delicacies, as well as delicious drinks and desserts.
Shopping
The shops and stalls display an impressive range of goods and souvenirs for all tastes at very affordable prices.
Suva is one of the most picturesque cities in the archipelago. The abundance of lush green vegetation against the backdrop of the blue surface of the Pacific Ocean, pretty buildings in the classic British spirit of the colonial era and a special island surroundings, in combination with the benevolent atmosphere prevailing on the local shores, perfectly match the image and allow you to fully experience all the advantages of relaxation in this exotic land.
Spread out on a hilly peninsula between Laukala Bay and Suva Harbor, in the southeastern corner. It is the political and administrative center of the country, as well as its main port and oldest city.
Suva and the surrounding villages are home to almost half of the urban population, so many consider it one of the busiest cities in the central part of the Pacific Ocean.
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Suva became the capital of Fiji in 1882 when it became clear that the old capital, Levuka, had nowhere else to expand. Suva was originally a small settlement with a few Victorian stone houses buried in dust in summer and mud in winter. However, her transformation into the most big City in Fiji it happened quite quickly by 1922, it became the largest port and is rapidly gaining weight and influence in the region.
It is now a very cosmopolitan city, home to Fijians, Indians, Chinese, immigrants from Europe, from Tonga, Samoa and Rotum, as well as many other peoples. Accordingly, the city's monuments belong to different cultures, which gives its mosques, temples, churches and cultural centers color and originality. Suva's main attraction is the charming Fiji Museum (www.fijimuseum.org.fj), nestled in the heart of the historic Turston Gardens, next to the Government House and the old parliament building.
The Fiji Museum is considered the richest collection on the anthropology and history of the archipelago, while being the first of its kind among others. pacific islands... Also of interest are the building of the University of the South Pacific, beautiful frescoes in the Church of St. Francis Hsavier High on the hill through which the "Kings' Road" passes, the Methodist Church of Centenary Methodist Church on Stewart Street and the Catholic Cathedral (1902). of the city's most prominent landmarks. Suva is literally buried in greenery, lush palm trees frame any patch of land, and in the city itself there are about 80 parks of all sizes and types.
Almost all of Suva's business life is concentrated on the central Victoria Parade Street, which houses several colorful colonial-era buildings, banks, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and much more. Nearby is the Municipal Market, the city's main trading point, and not far from it is an abandoned Jewish cemetery. Just 10 km from the city limits, in Veisari, is Fiji's oldest cultural center, Orchid Island. Here is the Polynesian Cultural Center Orchid Island, which contains a huge number of samples of local flora and fauna, the famous Albert Park, where in 1928 the Australian pilot Charles Kingsford-Smith landed, the first to fly the USA to Australia, as well as the traditional Bure Kalow temple ("Mbu-rei ka-low" "house of the spirit") with a fifteen-meter tower and a small Cultural Village with traditional handicrafts and an ethnographic theater. The city has its own beach, but everyone prefers to swim and sunbathe in Pacific Harbor, which is located just 20 minutes from the capital. The bay is sometimes called the "Capital of Adventures". The bay's numerous resorts were specially built according to a single plan, with the expectation of foreign tourists.
There are many luxury hotels, dozens of first-class beaches and even has its own golf club with 18 courses. The nearby island of Beka (Bena-ga) is home to the unique tradition of the Savau tribe of walking on hot coals (Vilavilairyevo). There are also several dozen fishing and diving clubs along the entire coast of the bay, which is not surprising, the local waters are really beautiful, and the marine life is widely known for its species diversity. Several nearby islands serve as a constant tourist attraction. Kandavu (100 km south of VitiLewu) is a medium-sized pastoral island with many villages and a real "Mecca" for divers (the nearby Astrolabe Reef, 50 km long, is one of the best in the region) and surfers. Yanuca (Yanutha) is famous for its inexpensive beach camps and excellent surfing conditions.
May 1We came to Suva and got up on a quarantine raid for registration yesterday at noon. The place is very beautiful, the roadstead is protected by an outer coral reef, on which, apparently for the sake of ostracism, scattered fragments of losers who could not find the entrance to the lagoon. Mountains, palm trees, beautiful city with multi-storey buildings, in the northern corner you can see the masts of yachts moored in the royal yacht club. The authorities were ordered in the morning. We are still standing. Something unplanned is happening here. The whole day the port control tried to help us somehow, but by the evening he got in touch and said that he could not collect the necessary set of authorities, and the registration was postponed until tomorrow.
Quiet evening in the roadstead, big ships are rattling around with diesel engines, there is a "Big Green Wessel" nearby, near which we were shown anchorage. There are four Russians on it, with whom we have already talked, shouting into space, the captain is a kiwi. On the other side, four Chinese fishermen are standing side by side. They have everything as expected - in the evening rice and Chinese music for the whole raid, though only for an hour, in the morning there is political information. The noise of a long meeting is heard from the shore. I was struck by the expression and passionarity of the speaker. Immediately I somehow recalled the old chronicles, with the speeches of Hitler, Ribbentrop ... In general, he kindled specifically. (Then it turned out that this is a preacher!)
There is a solid port with a large number of ships, a large floating dock and repair shops. After our arrival, the Fijian armed forces, I think in full force, all six boats, took off in the sea and performed something there for an hour.
LATITUDE: 18-07.34S
LONGITUDE: 178-25.59E
COMMENT: Ancorage near Royal yacht club.
We arrived in Suva yesterday at noon, but only took shape this morning. I ask - why ?, smile and shrug. They came to register - a sanitary doctor, an inspector for animals and plants, a customs officer, an immigration officer. Brought their "Launch" - a crew boat painted orange with a crew of two cheerful Fijians. Approached neatly, without touching the side. He also took them away in half an hour, coming up again. All papers, as well as the formidable pre-notification order, diligently copy the set of New Zealand ones.
Only the sanitary doctor has to pay - 33-75 FD (Fiji dollars, two-thirds of the American), and the cheerful guys from the launch - 106 fijidollars for work. Since there is no fijieneg with you, the launch then comes the next day for money, and the sanitary bill had to be paid by going to the city - another 2-10 for a taxi.
We changed anchorage, getting in a cable line from the local Royal Yacht Club. For the provided facilities - shower, laundry, bar, restaurant, water, fuel, dinghy dock, yacht club charges 8 fd per day. If you want to get to the coastal pontoon, the price is different - 19-40 per meter of full length per week. Despite the fact that we arrived at the very beginning of the season, there are no pontoons, it seemed to me that there are hardly enough of them for the locals.
Taxis are quite cheap, taxi drivers are Indians. The city makes a strong impression. There are many, many buses, all without glass, so that it is not so hot, taxis, which, even passing on the other side of the street, will honk you, suddenly you need it, but you did not notice.
The city jail next to the Royal Yacht Club, painted with popular prints from the Bible, is ingenious and strong, I think, by the prisoners themselves.
Dirty streets, fumes from worn-out diesels, bright clothes, Indian music, bazaars, bazaars, bazaars ... This is not Pacifica, this is the East. Driving style on the roads, by the way - left-hand, is also recklessly oriental. Although there is a pronounced "euro" part in the city, the main style was formed under the influence of Indians. They are slender, many with very thin facial features, usually in trousers, the older generation even in jackets. Polished high boots like the one we wore in school.
There are many shoe shiners on the streets. In the cleaners, as a rule, there are mighty Melanesians of the age, in general there are many Melanesians too - cheerful, black, curly, in shorts, T-shirts, and sandals.
Melanesians in boots come across too, but, like on Chuk, mostly in "pontovoy" tourist or mountain ones. People love good things ... Barefoot on the streets can be found
only beggars. Apparently, according to local concepts, this is the last limit. Here, for the first time during the expedition, I felt the presence and influence of Muslims. The city is interesting, I want to spend more time here.
We stay in Fiji until Monday. During this time, you need to find good products and buy, add water and fuel. And there is a hope that there will be no problems with all this here, in contrast to the previous ports of call. Today we went to a couple of shops and a bazaar. There is everything, even cucumbers and tomatoes. We have a rather long transition in calm weather to the Marshalls or Kiribas - more than 1600 miles, and then another 2700 miles home. So the issue with fresh vegetables is quite serious, we will decide.
Since we are standing in the roadstead not far from the local prison, we go to bed and get up under the prison siren. Very impressive. Again, I was very lucky with the crew. I hope that over the next month and a half, the remnants of narcissism will be completely healed. We have 32 water here, and the air is also somewhere like that. Every day starts with clear sunny weather, in the evening clouds descend from the mountains and rain begins, sometimes heavy. It goes when all evening, and when all night. We have already prepared rainwater for drinking wherever possible. Today I went to a fishing tackle store, I would not have found it myself, asked the locals where they showed it. I bought one more fish - wobblers for dorad and tun. All the previous ones were either gnawed or bitten by the fish. I bought another disc with Fijian traditional music today. Very sad - Russian folk songs look even more cheerful ... So interesting in the city, there is a lot of orientalism. A lot of mixed people, very beautiful come across. Typography at every step, I have never seen anything like this. On Monday we leave to the north, the road is long, only about 5 thousand miles to the house. So we'll be there soon.
Yesterday all evening I tried to do laundry in the yacht club laundry. I did everything according to the instructions, stuffed it into the car, poured the powder ... Doesn't wash. I went to the office - they say you have to pay to a restaurant that opens at six in the evening. In the evening I came, paid, they turned on the car, though different. I had to drag everything to another machine along with the powder. It rained again all night. It's morning, soon the sun will be turned on, I will dry it by hanging it on the boat.
Today Sasha had to leave by bus for Lautoka. I didn't want to take the car. Sasha can't steer. I tried it in Samoa - it turns out that you are driving all day, except for the road you see nothing. I am here, walking around Suva, I still need to tighten the steering, see the rigging ... a lot of small work on the boat. Bought a bunch of DVD movies at english language, it is difficult to choose here, they cost a penny, I picked up anything, I will learn English. The boat is in the roadstead at two anchors, in the company of a New Zealander, an American, and a German. They don't seem to steal here. We will buy food tomorrow by taxi and bring it from the supermarket. Here, of course, you need to spend at least a couple of weeks, go to the islands along the way, stop in Lautoka, but neither I nor Alexander have time, so go ahead and ahead.
We are cheerful, cheerful ... really cheerful and cheerful!
Sasha has just returned, spent the night in Nadia, the linen was dry yesterday for dinner, but I can't play enough with a fotik now, somehow everything began to work out, only now! Today an American came - a catamaran, who stood with us in Samoa and went to Toputapu. Instead of Nuitoputapu, they went to Vava'u, this is also Tonga, but to the south. They did not enter the toputapu, as I understood that they were afraid to go into the inner lagoon because of the strong surf. He complained that at first it was stormy, and then there was no wind for a couple of days. He circumnavigated these places 27 years ago. Then I was walking in a trimaran, without an engine and electricity, without a GPS,
with a sextant. Really cool guy. Now he is on a nostalgic journey into the past - with his wife, friend, a young couple (as I understand it, with a daughter) and a little girl, probably a granddaughter. I talked with his wife, they then go to Vanuatu, gave advice on who to contact in the parking lot, where to go for beauty.
She says - we let's go where Quen says - he's a navigator, I'm just a cook. (Cook, in English ...). The American was really happy to see me in Fiji. Well, already old acquaintances. I drank beer with them in the bar, and the German joined, who stands nearby here, in the roadstead, it seems, walks the world alone. As always, when meeting with the older generation, we talked about where this planet is heading, it was possible, however, to talk about more vital topics.
Fiji is increasingly reminiscent of the Russian outback, perhaps in the recent past. First of all, by the severity of the laws, which are not at all necessary to comply with. For example, the law prohibits children from visiting a bar and gambling establishments, being in a bar in shorts, with a covered head, in glasses, about women's clothes in general, horror-horror-horror, God forbid, if bare knees appear. The people do not pay attention to these laws, although strict announcements hang everywhere, even in our "royal" yacht club.
It's funny, children mostly play this billiards, and sliders climb under the feet of their parents sitting in the bar. And what to do with them? In the city, many women dress in European style, to the extent that they go in shorts and mini, which is strictly prohibited by Fiji laws. Machine civilization is rapidly rolling out the religious foundations imposed a little over a hundred years ago under the asphalt. But, they say, they continue to live in the villages traditionally. When you visit the village, you need to give a gift to the leader - a bag of dried kava (at least half a kilogram, that's about 500 rubles), on the territory of the village it is impossible (um, this is already in Polish, from Jan to Samoa) to be in a hat, any glasses. You cannot put on a backpack, carry a camera, or carry a bag over your shoulder - only in your hand. Knees and shoulders are closed. In general - a page of all such strict warnings and recommendations ...
Second - thimblers and other breeders, who, for example, get acquainted under the pretext of deep knowledge russian language, (they say "good afternoon" in Russian), and then they try to foist on roughly planed handicrafts of "local" art, and at the same time frantically quickly pick out your name on this handicraft, like, you will then be ashamed to refuse. But I refused on the first day, and this morning too, easily. It is worth looking at life through the eyes of a "ruthless samurai", as Sasha christened me, and all these tricks look very primitive.
The third is the dirt on the streets and the quality of the roads, street kiosks, the windows of which are covered with a large steel mesh, do you remember how it was with us, a few years ago ...
Today I leave the supermarket, went to prepare for the purchase of groceries - catching up with a panting security guard and trying to hand over a fat wallet. I say, this is not mine! Well, of course, he says, it's left after you at the checkout, it's yours !!! With difficulty he fought back, it turns out for him all white on the same face. This, of course, does not in any way resemble Russia, there are two big differences.
Now in the morning for the authorities, get clearance from customs officers and stamp in passports from immigration. Then we go to the supermarket for groceries, load everything in a taxi, then we go to the market for pineapples, take a boat - and leave. (Pineapples, by the way, were never bought, it didn't work out.)
Fiji's Parliamentary Complex was built in 1992. According to the architect's idea, this complex was to personify the traditional family home of the Fiji tribes - "vale". The main parliament building is called vale ne bose lawa.
The architectural features of the building are open corridors, a lot of air and a light breeze that brings coolness. Inside, on the walls of the halls, you can see colorful tapestries with national ornaments. The front entrance to the Parliament building faces Ratu Sukuna Rd.
Thurston Botanical Garden
The Thurston Garden Botanical Garden is located in the capital of Fiji - Suva. Previously, this garden was called "Suva Botanical Garden", but then the name was changed in honor of the Governor of Fiji - Sir John Bates Thurston.
In 1879, Sir Thurston asked John Horne, director of botanical gardens on the island of Mauritius, to visit Fiji and give advice on the creation of a botanical garden. The botanical garden was laid out on the site of the old city of Suva, which was burned down in 1843 during bloody battles.
Thurston Gardens is home to Suva's main attraction, the Fiji Museum. The museum was opened in 1955 by the then Governor of Fiji, Sir Ronald Garvey. It contains historical and archaeological exhibits from many of the islands of the archipelago.
In 1913, the gardens were reorganized, drainage works were carried out, alleys of 101 royal palms and 39 tree ferns were planted. Today, the entire territory of the park is buried in greenery of palm trees, and water lilies are fragrant in the reservoirs. The colorful vegetation delights visitors to the park, and for those who want to get to know the flora of the island in more detail, each plant is supplied with a plate with its description.
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Fiji Museum
The main attraction of the city of Suva is the Fiji Museum, which is located in the Thurston Botanical Garden. The museum was opened in 1955 by the Governor of Fiji, Sir Ronald Garvey. It contains historical and archaeological exhibits from many of the islands of the archipelago. Some of the items in the archaeological collection are over 3000 years old.
The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a Fiji Museum, reflecting the fascinating history of the area and the culture of the tribes inhabiting the Pacific region, was first mentioned in 1904. Sir William Allardyce presented his collection of artifacts to the Suva Town Hall Council. After 4 years, a special committee was elected, whose tasks were to study the culture, everyday life and history of the country. And in 1910, state funding for the museum caretaker was determined, and in 1929 the museum was officially opened. The Council organized the purchase from the population of exhibits and artifacts that were of interest to the museum. There were also many voluntary donations.
Nausori International Airport is located in the eastern part of Viti Levu Island, 23 kilometers from the busiest city - the capital of Suva. There is a domestic shuttle service to Vanua Levu Island. To services of tourists - weekly international flights to the paradises of the Pacific Ocean - Nuku'alofa and Funafuti.
The airport is modern complex, which includes a chain of bars and restaurants, a medical center, Internet cafes, parking for 263 cars, shops where you can buy unique goods local production and luxury class.
Air New Zealand, Jetstar Airways, Air Niugini, Pacific Blue cooperate with the airport. The largest airline Air Pacific operates flights to Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Honolulu, Los Angeles.
The general reconstruction plan, calculated for 20 years, provides for the construction of the most modern terminals and a complete renovation of the airport complex.
The most popular attractions in Suva with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places for visiting famous places Suva on our website.
