Suva can lay certain claim to being the largest and perhaps the most liveable city in the South Pacific outside New Zealand or Australia. The capital of Fiji since 1883, it is set on 15 sq km of peninsula adjacent to one of the finest naturally protected harbours in the South Seas. It is home for about 90,000 people, with another 40,000 living in the fast-developing corridor along the 25-km stretch from the city limits to the airport at Nausori. Perhaps the biggest drawback to the town is its weather, which is wet and often muggy. The nicest way to describe Suva is as a changeable town that gleams in the sunlight and turns metallic grey in the rain. And rain is not an uncommon occurrence in the capital of Fiji. Bring your umbrella.

Suva is a steamy cauldron of Fijians, Indians, Chinese, Tongans, Samoans, Rotumans, Solomon Islanders, Micronesians, Europeans and `fruit salad' as they are locally called -- those of mixed race. In and around Suva there are a variety of Christian churches, Hindu and Sikh temples, Muslim mosques and even an abandoned Jewish cemetery. Fiji's capital, which can justifiably be called the hub of the South Pacific, has a modern array of communications facilities and has attracted a host of international bureaus and regional institutions such as USP, the University of the South Pacific. It's also the headquarters for the FVB (Fiji Visitors Bureau) whose office is a manditory stop for guests.

How to Communicate
New in town are four different Internet Cafe type settings. One of the nicest is the Republic of Cappuccino just off Victoria Parade across the street from the Shell Service Station. You can also check out Alpha Computers near Cumming Street at Honson Arcade and Kahawa Cafe on Ellery Street across from the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Finally, the Government run Fiji Telecom also has a bank of Internet ready computers at its offices near the Fiji Visitors Bureau.

Where to eat?
The Republic of Cappuccino features scones, muffins and of course good java. It's hip and fun place to hang. You can find it just off of Victoria Parade.

For a really inexpensive place to find bread and other baked goods check out the Hot Bread Kitchen. (There are many scattered around Suva).

The Old Mill Cottage Cafe Restaurant on Carnarvon St. is a stone's throw from the US Embassy. It has very fine food, clean surroundings and is among the best of the lunch-time eateries. The converted home with bench seating is very popular with government office workers because of its proximity to the Fijian government buildings. Innovative cookery includes Chinese dishes, curries and Fijian delicacies like taro and palusami (baked taro leaves with corned beef) cooked in lolo (coconut milk), and kuita (young octopus) in miti (light coconut milk dressing). The prices range from F$8 to F$12.

Hare Krishna Restaurant on Pratt St is run by adherents of the Hare Krishna sect and offers the best vegetarian food in town. The cafe has a pleasant air-con dining area upstairs that fills up for lunch, so get there early. Prices range from about F$10 to F$12 for a terrific all-you-can-eat meal. The restaurant also has the best ice cream in town. with flavors selection (including fig, almond, ginger and nutmeg, as well as the regulars). There is another branch on Cumming St, in case you need an ice cream, roti or Indian sweet while you're on that side of town.

The Great Wok, in Flagstaff, is arguably the best (and one of the more expensive) Chinese restaurants in Fiji. It is equal to any good Chinese Restaurant in San Francisco and that's saying a lot. It has all the touches - white tablecloths, good waiting staff and a great wine list - and is the place to go for a farewell dinner or a place to treat yourself in a moment of indulgence. Try the seafood. Prices are F$20 to F$40 for main meal Cardo's Chargrill & Bar on Regal Lane in downtown Suva is run by the capital city's favorite raconteur and rascal--Cardo. Primarily known for its steak, Cardo's is also a favorite watering hole for Suva's cognoscenti. It's a great place to meet locals and catch up on the latest gossip.

Shopping: Behind the post office, facing the sea on Stinson Parade, is the Government Handicraft Centre. It's expensive but the quality is much better than the municipal market. Wolf's Boutique on Thomson St. also carries good quality fare. Typical souvenirs include cannibal forks, tanoa (yaqona bowls), carvings, masi (Tongan-style bark cloth), seashell sand necklaces.

Sogos, or Tiki Togs, both on Victoria Parade have good quality clothing for men and women.

What to see:
Go to the Beach: There is a beach in town but it doesn't amount to much. Your best bet for a decent beach is to head down to Pacific Harbour, which is about 20 minutes by car or bus out of town. Walking Tour: Suva is a walker's town; most of it can be seen in one day if you have a sturdy pair of shoes and a healthy constitution. You need not be an Olympic athlete to take a walking tour, but the heat - especially for those not used to it - can make a stroll around Suva seem arduous. Some of the things to see include: Victoria Parade, extending roughly from the post office to Thurston Gardens, is the `main drag' and the heart of Suva. On it or nearby are most of the finest shops, the airline ticket offices, banks, travel agencies, the best hotel in town (Travelodge), the library, town hall, telegraph office, two of the most popular nightclubs and the classic Grand Pacific Hotel which is undergoing extensive renovation. At the Municipal Market the Polynesian, Chinese, Indian and Fijian vendors hawk fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, coconut oil and nearly everything else that a Fijian household might need. Some sections (upstairs) deal entirely with kava root (both whole and ground). Other merchants sell Indian spices exclusively, display freshly caught shellfish, sell tomatoes or offer bundles of dalo (taro root). A section of new kiosks toward the bus station is the place to try `Indian sweets', many of which are not sweet at all, but rather are highly spiced and tasty snacks. There is also a `yaqona saloon' outdoors at the wharf end of the market dedicated solely to yaqona tipplers. As you walk by, someone may call over, urging you to have a bowl. Should you take them up on it, for a few cents buy a round for the house, which is the customary reciprocal thing to do.

Cumming St. is known for its fine restaurants and duty-free shops.It is crowded and narrow, reminiscent of a Paris or London backstreet.

On Victoria Parade, the Old Town Hall, constructed just after the turn of the century, is one of the finest examples of Victorian architecture. Not only did it serve the duties of government, it was also a centre for the performing arts and a host to concerts, vaudeville acts and amateurshows.

Just down the street, Albert Park was part of the original land grant given by the Polynesia Company to the government as an inducement to move the capital to Suva. Named after the royal consort to Queen Victoria, it is and always has been a general recreational park with a cricket ground and tennis courts. Across from the park, the shoreline adjacent to the Grand Pacific Hotel (or GPH as it is called by locals) was once a landing spot for commoners from the nearby village. It was called Vu-ni-Vesi after a group of vesi trees that grew there. The first hotel built on this spot, the Hotel Suva, was little more than a shack but the GPH, which opened in 1914, was to set the standard for the entire Pacific. It was being being rennovated but that activity has ceased and no one really knows when if ever, it will restart.

Thurston Gardens on Victoria Parade contain a large collection of flora from throughout the South Pacific. Named after the amateur botanist and founder, Sir John Bates Thurston, the present site was opened in 1913. The gardens are well kept and almost always uncrowded. They are also an entrance to the Fiji Museum which has the finest collection of Fijian relics in the world. Among the exhibits are collections of war clubs, ivory necklaces, cannibal forks, spears, bowls, pottery, tools, cooking utensils, combs and a replica of a huge drua - an ancient, double-hulled canoe. One of the war clubs, which was actually used in battle, has several notches chiselled in it, each representing an enemy slain. You can also find actual relics from the famous Bounty.

Nightlife: Suva has plenty of nightlife for the interested. Clubs range from seedy dives to posh discos. Nightclubbing is a popular recreation for urban, single Fijians and is socially quite acceptable - many charitable and social organizations use the clubs as places to hold fund-raising dances. Of these hallowed halls, Lucky Eddie's aka Urban Jungle is a nocturnal institution in Fiji. It is modern, tacky, loud, generally safe from violent behavior and very popular with tourists. Entertainment alternates between live bands and disco, depending on the night. Admission is charged. The club is on Victoria Parade, opposite the old town hall. Golden Dragon is also one of the most popular nightclubs in Suva, more so with locals than the tourists. There is no shortage of singles seeking companions. It's on Victoria Parade, opposite the Fiji Development Bank.Admission is charged.

Birdland is a hip, subterranean lair on Carnavon Street in downtown Suva. Operated by a jazz fanatic and adorned with posters of Miles and Bird, they have live music on the weekends but mostly rock. The only jazz you'll hear will be played on tapes and CDs. Nonetheless, this smoke-filled dive is the next best thing to the Village for miles around. Admission on weekends.

If there is one place that can be classified as the scene in town it's Trapps on Victoria Parade. Noisey, smokey and more crowded than the Tokyo subway, it's the bar to be seen in Suva. Great place for singles seeking companionship