How to Spend a Day in Suva, Fiji

What do you think of when you think of Fiji? If it was me, I would think of palm trees, clear turquoise waters, white sand beaches and idyllic afternoons. Unfortunately on our first visit to Suva, the capital of Fiji, it wasn't like anything I had imagined.

Suva was one of the cruise stops on our World Segment cruise on the Island Princess in February 2024. After cruising for 2,100 nautical miles from Kona, Hoawaii, it was time to lose those sea legs for land.  

We joined a group of friends on a Suva port cruise excursion. This wasn't a shore excursion trip organized by Princess nor was it outrageously priced. It was a tour organized by a fellow passenger who used to be a tour guide and knew how to organize tours. Like in most cruise stops, there are always tour operators hanging around the port offering day trips from Suva, Fiji and cab drivers offering rides and guided tours.

One thing I'm noticing and others have voiced their opinion as well, is how much shore excursions offered by the cruise line cost. The cost has surely escalated and more people are doing their own tours by forming their own groups and hiring vans for a guided tour. Others are using tour operators such as Viator to provide the transport and tour.

It was a pretty big group that we were on. There were over 3 tour buses that accommodated us. 

The bus was driven by a licensed driver and the tour was led by a friendly Fijian born islander. Along the way out of town, he told us many stories about how the young kids in Suva were dying because of the drug situation. Fentanyl was the biggest killer among the kids. Primary and secondary schools are free for kids aged 6 to 16. Primary school is compulsory for 8 years. The government tries to provide access to education, but it is a challenge in rural areas. Parents are the biggest culprits, saying schools are too far for the kids or they are better helping around their farms instead of going to schools. 

One thing the tour guide said that seem to resonate with me was that "as long as a Fijian has a roof over his head, he is happy". I did see a lot of shacks and tin roofs on both sides of the highway.

The bus was winding its way out of town. As we reached the outskirts of Suva, it was rural. We drove past a bridge that was underwater a year ago due to torrential rain. The tour guide was saying that flooding is an annual event in Fiji, especially in Suva. The drain sewers can't keep up with all the rain.

After driving for some time, we reached a large municipal marketplace. It resembled the market across the street that we boarded the tour bus at. The tour guide said he was from this area and wanted to show us his market instead of the one in Suva which happens to be the largest market in Fiji.

He showed us some very interesting things at the market. For example, he showed us a Fijian broom called a 'sasa'. It is made of coconut leaf spires and they are still used today to keep homes dust-free.

Red Pontiac Potato

Sea grapes or 'nama' in Fiji. Commonly eaten raw or with lemon juice, chili and fermented coconut.

Taro root or 'dalo' in Fiji.

Lets start again when our cruise entered the harbor. There are four reef systems surrounding Suva which makes snorkeling an incredible experience because of the varieties of fish. Too bad the nicest beach was 30 km away from the shipping port. Navigating the reef systems underwater and avoiding shallow areas on the harbor is no small feat for a cruise ship Captain. When we drifted into the harbor, we could see boats lying on its side, sitting aground on sand bars.

After about an hour drifting in from the big ocean, the port of Suva was visible. From here, the cruise ship would park itself.

Suva has a population of 110,000. As Fiji's capital, it is a sprawling metropolitan city with companies headquartered in Suva. Tourism is a significant part of the economy here but its also a government and financial centers. Driving is left-hand traffic (LHT), opposite of North America where I'm used to driving right-hand traffic. An international driving license is required by car rental agencies in Fiji. (You can get one online in under 6 hours when you click here).

We decided to walk through Suva's marketplace to compare with the one that the tour guide took us to. It was basically the same but the one in Suva had more fresh fruits like watermelon, oranges, bananas, pineapples and coconuts.

We are always interested in the local markets to visit in Suva and seeing the abundance of crops available for local people to eat. The largest market had a lot of produce but there were no meat or fish. 

After the market, we went to a village to watch the local tribe dance. This was considered to be an "off the beaten path" kind of Suva attraction, something not offered by a cab driver. It was very entertaining and they finished it off with a 'Meke' which involved the audience participating and having fun. This was organized by the tour group and the local village. Aside from the show, we were also treated to "Fijian food" to try in Suva.  

Below is a picture of local men preparing the 'kava' drink. The 'kava' drink was only presented to royalty once upon a time. It was prepared and served to the Chief who would drink it in one slurp. The 'kava' drink was said to produce hallucinations but it would calm the nerves and allow you to have a restful sleep. Someone from our group volunteered and was served a cup of 'kava'. It looked like mud. He drank it and clapped his hands.

After drinking it, he looked more relaxed. He did say it tasted like mud.

After the 'kava' was presented, we were treated to a tribal dance followed by a fire dance. It was spectacular. Then they invited guests to dance with them. It was a grand old party then it was time to eat. They served fish and some salads.

After leaving the village, we returned to town for a city tour. We drove by the Parliament where armed gunmen stormed the capital led by George Speight in 2000. We went by a golf course played by Vijay Singh and we stopped at the Grand Pacific Hotel which was across the street from Albert Park and the Fiji museum.

Our friends Jim and Francis are posing here in front of the hotel. 

The Grand Pacific Hotel is pretty grand. We walked through the lobby and to the back of the hotel where there is an inviting pool.

We decided to walk back to the pier from the Grand Pacific Hotel after a brief rest. 

Closer to the pier, we walked by some stands where the local fishermen were selling their catch of the day. There were a lot of different fishes including ones that we see and love when we snorkel in the Caribbean. This includes the parrot fish and stingrays.

I love the inventory of fishes here but don't like to see the colorful reef fishes for dinner. 

The day came to an end when Suva bid farewell to us with a marching band performing various hits for us. It was very touching as we waved and said our goodbyes.

Sailing out of the harbor, we noticed the hills that reminded me of Hawaii. Then it was sunset and a spectacular one too.

Have you been to Fiji or have dreamt of palm trees and turquoise waters? Suva is worth a visit and I'm glad we visited it. Hopefully with this blog post, you have learned how to spend a day in Suva, Fiji.

Please drop us a comment if you have been to Suva.