"Fiji 2003" a Fiji Travel Page by geanster

http://www.geocities.com/fijitrips
I finally made it to Fiji at the end of March. I'd wanted to go for years as one of my college roommates was from there and her family always told me I had a home in Fiji. Another good friend of mine lives there as well and if I wanted to stick around, I'd have a job and home waiting for me. However, it's SO hot and humid! 98% humidity while I was there.
I had a good taste of the local life in Suva and then a nice bit of the touristy side with awesome island resorts, snorkeling etc. Amazing country with great people!

Let's see...tips
Suva is on the East of the island and a 3 hour drive (national speed limit is 80 km and for the most part, it's only 2 lanes and many potholes) from Nadi which is on the West coast and where the main airport is. It gets quite a few sudden rain showers but noone wears raincoats, just the random umbrella. It's more lush and busier then the tourist area of Nadi. And also more humid. The beaches aren't the picturesque ones you see on Fiji postcards, those are in Nadi and on the islands.

If at all possible, get Local prices. I was lucky enough to have friends there who made the reservations and who were with me, I was still able to pay with my credit card. A local price can make the difference of paying like 60$USD a night versus like 250$USD a night for the same great resorts.

Roughly half the residents of Fiji are descended from Indian laborers, brought by the British during the colonial period. Most of them are Hindu, and so there are quite a few Hindu temples in Fiji.

I didn't try out the backpackers, but apparently Fiji does cater to the backpacker lifestyle. I believe there is even a certain island that is for backpackers only.
The restaurant service there can be unbelievably slow. We waited about 1 1/2 hours for food at least three times.
For internet access, I preferred Connect as they didn't have a minimum price as another one I tried did.
One place I regret not having the opportunity to check out is Teveuni, if you're thinking of going, I'd look into it.