Viti Levu Travel Guide

It`s possible to get by on a low budget in Fiji. The hotel meals are almost on par with western prices, but in the cities and towns you can definitely eat on the cheap.

Many towns in Viti Levu have large populations of people of Indian origin or Indo-Fijians, as they are known officially. One culinary result (read: enormous benefit) of this is the huge range of eating options if you are looking for curry.

You generally get take-away curry dishes wrapped up in newspaper - this seems to have been borrowed from England.

Favorite Dish: You can find any traditional Indian dishes here, but with a Fijian flavour - coconuts, guava and other tropical fruits feature prominently.

Definitely worth a try!

Fijian vendors are overwhelmingly friendly and will do anything to secure a sale. They`ll follow you around the store, asking questions and offering free drinks and food so that you almost feel obligated to buy something.

It sometimes gets to be a bit much. One shop on the coral coast goes by the slogan `Browse in Peace`. They were much cheaper than elsewhere too, so I decided to buy most of my souvenirs there.

What to buy: Any kind of souvenir, especially carvings and wood products. Very affordable and generally cheaper than elsewhere.

If you find yourself in Fiji between March and September, try to get along to a rugby game. Most games are played on Saturdays. I was lucky enough to be there for the national `tens` tournament. It cost FJD$2 for general admission while I was there, but the staff gave us complimentary private box seats for being out-of-towners. Very hospitable!

Favorite thing: Two highways, known as the King`s Highway and the Queen`s Highway, encircle the island of Viti Levu. It would take a full day of driving to circle the entire island.

Dotted along the road, and usually by village approaches and either side of major towns, are highway vendors, usually selling fresh produce or home-made drinks.

I must admit, I`m not particularly crazy about fruit (although I should be) but these are an exception - and the cordials and fruit juices they sold were very refreshing on a hot day, too!

You might pay 20 cents for a drink and the same for a few guavas. Next to nothing!-)