Fiji is located in the tropics of the southern hemisphere. It lies on the 180 Meridian where, officially, the new day begins for the whole world. Fiji has over 300 islands in its archipelago, each bordered with coral reefs and lapped by warm blue waters. With over 600,000 tourists in 2005, and a highly developed tourist infrastructure, Fiji is the hub of travel and trade and the ideal stop-over for visitors.

There is something here for everyone - gorgeous palm-fringed beaches, coral islands and crystal clear lagoons, stupendous coral reefs, luxuriant tropical rainforest with high mountains and a traditional village-orientated culture. Fiji, then, is an all round destination for beach vacations, active holidays, exploring and backpacking.

Fiji is best known as a romantic destination where you can relax on the beach by day and later enjoy cocktailsﾠover a stunning tropical sunset.ﾠThe dive sights are amongst the best in the world with soft, living corals, unbelievable sea life, walls, drifts and shipwrecks to explore. Climbing mountains for panoramic views, cascading waterfalls, nature reserves for bird watching and walking, rafting trips down rivers and village visits to experience the traditional Fijian society.

Map of Fiji

Viti, as Fiji is called in the local language, boasts some of the finest scuba diving and surfing waves in the world. There are lively markets filled with animated vendors and local produce to visit, Fijian ceremonies to lose yourself in and colourful Hindu festivals to soak in. The Fijian people are extremely welcoming and hospitable making it a great family destination to explore one of the most serene areas of the world, Fiji is an all-round excellent destination for a vacation.

Viti Levu is the bustling heart of the country with the tourist town of Nadi in the Burning West and the capital city of Suva in the eastern corner. Over half the 950,000 population live this island which can be circum-navigated in a day and driven around in eight hours. Characterized by high tropical mountains, dry on the western side (Nadi) and wet on the east side (Suva), Viti Levu is the focus of life and living in Fiji.

For the visitor, the outer islands offer their own magic. The offshore coral atolls of the Mamanuca Group are the crowning glory of Fiji's tourism. The Group boasts up-market beach resorts, water activities and day cruises in a sea of splendour and balmy night under a star-lit sky, punctuated by fiery sunsets and blazing sunrise. Backpackers head further north to isolation of the Yasawa Group where secluded beaches, locally run beach resorts and great snorkelling offer the ultimate chill out destination. The islands offer a true get-away-from-it-all holiday unlike anything elsewhere.

Fiji has everything a traveller dreams of ... and more. Fiji is the land of broad smiles, flashing white teeth, gentle relaxation and absolutely no stress.

Facts

Full country name: Republic of Fiji
Area: 18,300 sq km
Population: 840,000
Capital City: Suva
People: Indigenous Fijian 50%, Indo-Fijian 45%
Language: Fijian, Hindi, English
Religion: 53% Christian, 38% Hindus, 8% Muslims, and 1% Sikhs
Government: democracy
Head of State: President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
Head of Government: Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +12
Dialling Code: 679
Electricity: 240V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Climate in Fiji

There is the wet-side, and the dry-side, held together by the warmth of a tropical sun. The islands are gently fanned by the south-east trade winds, moisture-laden and cloud-generating. The two large islands -Viti Levu and Vanua Levu -ﾠhave clear wet and dry sections, the smaller island more ambiguous in their division. The smaller islands and coral atolls on the other hand, receive little rain and lots of sunshine.

Theﾠrainy season is from December to April. Expect to have heavy rain on the larger islands almost every day.This rainy season is a good time to come to experience the flourishing liveliness of the rainforest as the rivers are full, waterfalls gushing and the hills of the larger islands become succulently green.
Once the rains ease off around the end of April, most regions experience a more moderate climate. Temperatures become pleasantly cool at night.

Getting Around
Fiji has some good transport connections making internal travelling easy and inexpensive. The most expensive way to travel between islands is by plane. If you plenty time or want to save money you're probably be looking at ferries and small local boats.

Ferries are reliable and very seaworthy. You can also meet our local friendly people while enjoying the cruise from island to island and experiencing the pleasant and interesting part of the Fiji Islands. Ferry routes connect most major coastal areas of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu with all the major islands. You can charter boats as well, or catch one of the smaller unscheduled local boats between islands.

The larger islands have good bus networks, and outside the towns you can often just hail down a bus wherever you see one. Express buses travel between major centres and local buses seem to stop at every village they pass, but by either means bus travel in Fiji is a pleasant way to meet local people and an effective way to get around.

Pictures courtesy of the Fiji Visitors Bureau