TAB5 TAB4 FIJI TAB2 TAB1 Fiji 136 © LonelyPlanetPublications couples, families, retirees, adventurers, beach bums and everyone inbetween. beachbumsandeveryone adventurers, couples, families,retirees, tobackpackers, populationadoptsyouonarrivaland,bestofall, theplacecaters The andtheLomaivitiIsles. Taveuni ofthe shorelines harmonytobefoundontheremote there’s the romanticsandrecluses where you can tax the credit card with souvenirs, saris, cardwithsouvenirs, youcantaxthecredit where colourful sites, mountain villages,archaeological andanurbanmélange, Hindu temples, aculturalfeast: island,offers thelargest Levu, Viti Levu. or SomosomoStraitbeneathVanua ReefoffKadavu Astrolabe simply wallow.World-classdivingcanbefoundinthemagical andMamanucasobligewithendlessopportunities toswim,surf, snorkel, kayakYasawas or importantly, whennotto. visitorsand,more precisely or twoabouthowtolookafter learnedathing have decades,Fijians destination. Havingbeeninthetouristgameforseveral they do. the mostharriedoftourists,andlocalsmanagetoimbueasensegraceintoeverything of Fiji themany landscapes oflushislandssurroundedbykaleidoscopicA sprawlingbrew reefs, warmth is tireless. The cheerofasingle The warmth istireless. people, whoseunaffected theFijian expectations, it’sonlyhalfthebeauty.Equallyvibrantare Butwhilethefaçademeetsbrochure with vivid coralandawealthofmarinelife. teems HIGHLIGHTS In a (coco)nut shell, Fiji is arguably the easiest place in the South Pacific to travel around. totravel theeasiestplaceinSouthPacific isarguably In a(coco)nutshell,Fiji Most people head here for a dose of that somniferous sun.Comfortable foradoseofthatsomniferous resorts inthe Most peopleheadhere holiday archipelagoisthequintessential Encompassing some332islands,theFijian and Kadavu’s Taveuni’s explore atankto Don amask,finsand maybeeven the Yasawas perfect Succumb tothesunandseaonpostcard- summit inthe ormountainbike yourwaytoa Trek Levuka buildingsof among theoldwestern Make like thegood,bad ortheugly in the Fling yourselfatthemercyofaparty resort interrupt the skyline with volcanic banks of green. Beneaththecobaltsea,ocean the skylinewithvolcanicbanksofgreen. interrupt Mamanuca Group Mamanuca ( p190) Oarsman’s BayBeach Great Astrolabe Reef Astrolabe Great Viti Levu Highlands Levu Viti Somosomo Strait ( p178) ( p188) in ( p177) ( p207) ( p202) Bula! (‘Hi! Cheers! Welcome!’ all at once) can relax (‘Hi! Cheers!Welcome!’allatonce)canrelax Mamanuca Group Oarsman's Bay Beach Highlands Viti Levu sulus Reef Astrolabe Great and superlative cuisine. For cuisine. andsuperlative Levuka Somosomo Strait www.lonelyplanet.com Fiji 0 100 km FIJI 0 60 miles 177ºE To Rotuma Group 180º Cikobia 178ºW (450km, see Inset) ROTUMA GROUP 16ºS Uea Vetauua Hatana Rotuma Island Backpakers Hofliua See Vanua Levu Drua Quelevu Rotuma Map (pp196–7) Kia Drua Same Scale as Main Map Nukusemanu Macuata- Mali Nukubasage i-Wai Nukubalati Labasa Rabi Cobia Nadogo See Yasawa Group Yanuca Map (p185) Vanua Levu Kioa Yalewa Buca Bay Nanuku Yawini Lailai YASAWA Kalou Matei GROUP Yasawa Savusavu Nanuku Wailagi Lala Somosomo Levu Yadua Nacula Matacawa Levu Taveuni Nanuku Nabouwalu Naitaba Yaqeta Passage Bligh Water E6 Vanua Viwa Naviti Malima Balavu Lomaloma Resort; Avea Moana's Guesthouse; Kaidu Kanacea Nawanawa Estate Waya Yacata Cikobia-i-Lau Wayasewa Koro Nukutolu Ellington Wharf Kaibu Island Namalata Susui Rakiraki Resort Munia Ba Makogai Vatu Vara Vomo Mago Karafaga Ovalau Wakaya Vekai Lautoka MAMANUCA Levuka LOMAIVITI Natovi Landing Tuvuca GROUP GROUP Yarous Nadi Viti Levu Motoriki Batiki Nairai Cicia LAU GROUP Nayau Bau Landing Gau K O R O S E A Pacific SUVA Harbour Lakeba Sigatoka Aiwa Yanuca Beqa Vanua Vatu See Viti Levu Vatulele Oneata Map (pp148–9) Frigate's Passage Moala Olorau Moce Komo See Kadavu Group KADAVU Tavua Na Sici Map (p208) GROUP Dravuni Buliya Same Scale as Namuka-i-Lau Main Map MOALA Vuaqava Ono Totoya FIJI GROUP Kabara Navutu-i-Ra 19ºS S O U T H P A C I F I C O C E A N Yagasa Vunisea Ono-i-Lau Same Scale as Marabo Navutu-i-Loma Kadavu Main Map To Vatoa 137 Matuku (140km, To Ono-i-Lau Vatoa Fulaga (290km, see Inset) see Inset) Ogea Levu TAB5 FIJI TAB4 TAB1 TAB2 138 FIJI •• Climate & When to Go www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com FIJI •• History 139 CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO HISTORY Cakobau proposed that Britain should foot Fiji’s first postindependence election was TAB1 TAB2 Fiji has a mild, tropical maritime climate, Vitians the bill to cover his debts, in exchange for won by the indigenous Fijian Alliance Party TAB1 with average temperatures of around 25°C ‘ Fiji’ is actually the Tongan name for these cession of Fiji. The British consul declined, (FAP), and Fijians were at first optimistic throughout the year. Hot summer days can islands, which was adopted by the Euro- but the rumours caused a large influx of about their future. However, under lying reach 31°C, but during the coolest months peans. The inhabitants formerly called their settlers to Levuka. Cakobau’s huge debt was racial tensions grew as the economy wors- (July and August) the temperature can drop home Viti. not cleared until 1868, when the Austra lian ened. Most shops and transport services to between 18°C and 20°C. Humidity aver- Vitian culture was shaped by Polynesian, Polynesia Company agreed to pay it in ex- were (and still are) run by Indo-Fijian ages 70% to 80% in Suva year-round and Melanesian and Micronesian peoples over change for land. families, and a racial stereotype developed 60% to 70% in Lautoka. The wet season 35 centuries of settlement. The Lapita people In 1871 Cakobau formed a Fiji-wide portraying Indo-Fijians as being obsessed (‘summer’) is November to April and the arrived from Vanuatu and the eastern Solo- government but, unable to maintain peace, with making money. In reality, just like in- dry season (‘winter’) lasts from May to Oc- mon Islands in about 1500 BC (see p39 ), it quickly crumbled. Two years later Brit- digenous Fijians, the vast majority of Indo- tober, though rainfall occurs throughout and for about 1000 years they lived along ain agreed to annex Fiji, citing blackbird- Fijians belonged to poorer working classes the year. For general climate information the coasts and fished to their hearts’ (and ing as its principal justification. Fiji was and – unlike indigenous Fijians – they and Suva’s climate chart, see p827 . stomachs’) content. Around 500 BC they pronounced a British crown colony on 10 would never be able to have secure land The cyclone season coincides with the became keen on agriculture and as a result October 1874. tenure on their farming leases. summer wet season, November to April. the population shot up, tribal feuding got Fiji has been hit by an average of 10 to nasty and cannibalism became common. Colonial Period & Independence The Era of the Coups 12 cyclones per decade, with two or three Fiji’s economy became depressed follow- Greater unity among workers led to the of them being very severe. In early 2003 European Arrival & Settlement ing the slump in the cotton market that formation of the Fiji Labour Party (FLP), Cyclone Ami hit northwestern Fiji, leaving In the early 19th century Fiji was known to occurred at the end of the US Civil War. and in April 1987 an FLP government was Labasa under 1.2m of water and wiping out European whalers, sandalwood and bêche- Unrest and epidemics ensued, with mea- elected in coalition with the National Fed- much of the sugar-cane industry. de-mer traders. By the 1830s a small whal- sles wiping out a third of the indigenous eration Party (NFP). Despite having a Fijian May to October is the best period to visit ing and beachcomber settlement had been population. Fearing a racial war, the colo- prime minister and majority indigenous- Fiji, as temperatures are cooler in the dry established at Levuka on Ovalau. It became nial government sought the support of the Fijian cabinet, the new government was season and humidity sits a comfortable dis- one of the main ports of call in the South chiefs in order to control the masses. The labelled ‘Indian dominated’ and racial ten- tance below stifling. November, February Pacific, and was the centre of the notorious existing Fijian hierarchy was incorporated sions rose. On 14 May 1987, only a month FIJI TAB4 FIJIand March are also good TAB2 as there are fewer blackbirding trade (see p46 ). Blackbirding into the colonial administration and, in after the elections, Lieutenant Colonel Siti- tourists and you’re more likely to find bar- originally encouraged the emigration of la- order to curb quibbling, the sale of land to veni Rabuka took over the elected govern- gain accommodation. Diwali is held in late bourers from throughout the South Pacific foreigners was forbidden. ment in a bloodless coup and formed a civil October or early November and can be a (mainly the Solomons and Vanuatu) to work In 1882 the administrative capital was interim government supported by the Great fun, if manic, time to be in Fiji (see p211 ). on Fijian plantations, but eventually the moved to Suva, as Levuka’s geography hin- Council of Chiefs. If you’re travelling to Fiji during the wet trade involved the kidnapping of islanders dered expansion. Under increasing pressure In September 1987 Rabuka again inter- season, it’s best to head to drier regions to work as labourers. to make the Fijian economy self-sufficient, vened with military force. The 1970 con- such as the Mamanuca and Yasawa Groups. The introduction of firearms by the Euro- the colonial government turned to planta- stitution was invalidated,