Fiji Islands
The Fiji islands are located to the east of Vanuatu and close to Tonga and Samoa. This region of the South Pacific islands is home to many fantastic holiday destinations. Because Fiji has always been a major stopover for trans pacific flights from Australia and the United States, many tourist have broken the long flight with a few days in a Fijian resort and over the years, this has led to the construction of resorts on many of the Fijian Islands. Australian tourists have a love affair with Fiji and it is probably the most visited of all the pacific island nations by Australian tourists. Over the last two decades there has been some political instability, but this has not affected the flow of tourists to the country. The problems have arisen as native Fijians have become outnumbered by immigrants, especially those from India, and the immigrants superior business acumen and work ethic has seen them come to dominate the islands economy. This has led to several coups where the Fijian military has seized power to return power to the native Fijian people.
There are many islands in the Fijian archipelago. The largest is Viti Levu which is also the place where the capital of Suva is located and the international airport is at Nadi. There are a number of places around Viti Levu where you will find great resorts. Obviously, there are some around Suva itself. As you proceed around the south coast you come to the town of Sigatoka and the Coral Coast and here almost every sandy bay is home to a beautiful resort.Up the west coast around Nadi is the Denarau region where most of the charter boats operate from into the local offshore islands. Denarau is a popular place to stay and there are plenty of options. Just offshore are the Yasawa and Mamanuka Islands and among them are some of Fiji's finest resorts. These islands are quite spectacular and have magnificent white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and beautiful coral reefs.
Fiji's second largest island is Vuana levu and it, to a lesser extent, has lots of great places to stay. The area around Savu Savu and the islands off the coast like Tavanui are also popular resort islands. The Fijian people are extremly friendly and laid back and you will find that you will be welcomed anywhere you go. Activities that you should try while in Fiji include taking part in a native feast, diving around the islands and the reefs and enjoying the many restaurants and shopping for native crafts and souvenirs. Most Australians return to Fiji time and again after their first experience.
