First Time to Fiji: Day 4

This morning I had a nice chat with David, one of the Bedarra owners. He understandably takes great pride in the hotel, which he and his partner built up from a four room bar and inn over the past fifteen years. Bedarra is now a 24 room hotel, which seems to be particularly popular with Aussie couples who enjoy the quiet, low key atmosphere.

We met Alice for lunch and a visit to Joan of Ark Elementary, the local school where she volunteers. She is working hard to get a proper library for the children. At the school we meet enthusiastic teachers and students practicing for an upcoming play.

Photos of Joan of Ark Elementary in Sigatoka

We eat at a local curry restaurant called Praneel's owned by a lovely women who used to work for Alice. The spicy okra was superb.

After lunch we head to the Eco Park. The park is a network of walkways crisscrossing over rivers and small gulches. They have numerous colorful indigenous lizards and birds on display. I was hoping to do a good hike in Sigatoka, but the Eco Park gives us a good cross section of local plants and animals concentrated in a small area. Its definitely a good “hike light” for families with kids or couples looking to enjoy the local flora and fauna without having to prep for a long hike.

Photos of Eco Park

We are off for Suva. Along the way we get some great shots of street side vendors. My favorite sign is "24 hour tire repair and kava!" Love it.

Photos of Queens Road Sigatoka~Suva

We make a stop at Mango Bay, which everyone raves about as an upscale backpackers destination. Unfortunately there is torrential rain so we can't get any good shots.

We make a brief stop at Taunovo Bay. A housekeeper was kind enough to show us one of the units, which was beautiful. It had hard wood floors and was tastefully furnished. The unit was right on the beach and had its own pool and jacuzzi.

Photos of Taunovo Bay Resort and Spa

Our last stop on the way to Suva is Pacific Harbour. We wonder around the latticework market, which has a lot of fun little clothing and souvenir shops. Along the side is a pool covered in flowering lotus. On the opposite side a troupe is practicing for a meke. It's a fun area.

Photos of Pacific Harbour

We arrive at the Holiday Inn in Suva just after five. The staff is great, giving us the kind of service you would expect at a five star hotel. We head out to explore the town. Victoria Parade is abuzz with city life. We pass hip twenty-somethings in the latest fashions, workers hurrying home from work and police officers, who could easily look intimidating, but quickly great you with "Bula!" if you look in their direction.

Photos of the Suva Holiday Inn

We eat at Daikoku where we were shocked to find an early bird sashimi special, all locally caught fish, for FJ$16 (about US$8!) Back in Honolulu this would cost four times that amount. We loved this restaurant. The owner, Mr. Hayashi, explained that his father in law worked for the UN, and frequently needed to meet with business leaders from Fiji and abroad. He couldn’t find a restaurant with the appropriate atmosphere for these meetings, so he started Daikoku. They now have locations all over the South Pacific.

We hit Patrick’s Pub just down the street off Victoria Parade. The crowd was a mix of locals and tourists. The bar tenders were good fun (see the photo.) Mika’s contribution from over my shoulder, “They were all hot!” A great time was had by all.

Photos of Suva