Fiji

Fiji is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. With its unique, rich culture and beautiful landscape, it is an idyllic place for holidays. Fiji’s unique history, dominated by British colonization, influences the lifestyle of locals and visitors alike. In addition, it offers a wide variety of activities, ranging from snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, hiking, boating, and fishing, as well as the opportunity to participate in adventure sports like kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, paragliding, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

Fiji, an island in the South Pacific, is a paragon of lush tropical landscapes, palm-fringed beaches, and exquisite coral reefs with clear blue lagoons. Its large islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu contain most of its population. Viti Levu is the home of the international capital, Suva, which is also home to a fine collection of antiques. The Fiji Museum, in the Victorian era-style Thurston Gardens, contains artifacts from Fiji’s colonial past.

Whether you’re visiting Fiji during the summer, the weather in Fiji is almost perfect, although Fiji’s southern half is considered to be the rainy season. Fiji is most popular for its sparkling white beaches, but other beaches around the island offer a range of different colors and cultures. Most tourists come to Fiji to swim in the sevuseu, which is the largest saltwater lagoon in Fiji and is well worth seeing. Fiji has a mild climate, with hot summers and mild winters. Wind and rain are absent, which is perhaps why the climate of the sevuseu is so enjoyable!

CultureFiji is a place where the two cultures come together – the Fijian people are known for their hospitality and the traditional Fijian cuisine is known the world over. The traditional dress of the Fijian people is unique and includes the use of leggings, skirts and dresses, which are called sevuseu. These outfits are worn for special occasions and social functions such as weddings and parties. The sevuseu are made from a mix of materials including grass, coconut and banana leaves. It is the men who wear these outfits, which are also referred to as sevuseu kawakai. At parties and banquets, the women wear Fijian dresses called guayaro.

SpiritualityThe Fijian culture is deeply spiritual beliefs guide everyday life. Fijians are very closed minded and do not believe in organised religion. A kava ceremony is considered a big taboo in Fiji, but the spirit of the people can still be explored through their dances and music. It is believed that music and dance are the ways of expressing the spirit of the people and the gods. Folk festivals and activities are organised to keep the spirit of the fiji people connected with each other and the wider world. For instance, on the second Tuesday of every month, the entire population of Fiji holds a sevuseu party, where they sing, dance and share stories.

CuisineThere are many delicious traditional foods of Fiji. Amongst them are nutty roasted coconut that is cooked in banana leaves, fish curry that is made with tofu and steamed vegetables (sweet potatoes, yams, carrots and cabbage) and the traditional food of Tonga, which is made using coconut meat and egg white. Some other delicacies include saltfish steamed with vegetables at the table, coco peke and soft drinks served with ice cubes. Fruit such as mango and pineapple are very popular in Fiji too.

Vegetarianism – It is one of the fastest-growing religions in Fiji. There are several religions involving eating animal meat, including the Christian Church, which has more than 15 schools of worship, the Fiji Waterless Cooks Association, the Raw Taro Leaf Nursery and Raw Taro Leaf Tea Gardeners Association. Amongst these the most popular are the Vegan Fiji program which started in 2021. This program educates tourists about animal rights and vegetarianism. Volunteers work around the country distributing raw taro leaves and learning how to cook them. Taro is rich in manganese, magnesium, calcium, and iron.

Tourism & Hospitality Tourism is the mainstay of the Fijian economy and this has made Fijian hospitality very welcoming to tourists from all over the world. There are plenty of hotels, resorts, guest houses, and tourist centers that provide accommodation to tourists. Fiji is a safe place to visit and offers good facilities for medical treatment, food preparation, and recreational activities.