We spent one day in Suva during our week long visit to Fiji. The Fijian capital is only small, with a population of just 101,000. Suva may not be the most exciting of capital cities, but it has an fascinating museum and some other places of interest. In my opinion, the journey to the capital along Queen’s Road, which hugs the South Pacific coast, makes it worth a visit for the drive alone.
How to get to Suva
Suva is in the south east corner of Fiji’s biggest island, Viti Levu. It is on the opposite side of the island to the airport, which is in Nadi. The distance between the two is 120 miles, along Queen’s Road. As our accommodation was in a remote location, we opted to hire a car. If you’re feeling more adventurous, there are plenty of buses operating along Queen’s Road.
Getting around Suva
Suva is small and easily walkable, although it is likely to be hot. And if you are visiting in the rainy season (November to April), you are highly likely to get wet at some point. To walk my planned route in its entirety is just over 2 miles. However, we opted to park at the museum for the first part of the itinerary, and then on Stinson’s Parade for the second part, thus walking two smaller loops. This way, we weren’t too far from our car when the inevitable deluge hit.
Where to stay in Suva
Suva isn’t very touristy. We stayed on the Coral Coast on the southern side of Viti Levu, 50 miles from the capital. Our hotel, Wellesley Resort Fiji was very pleasant, offering apartments with private pools in beautifully landscaped gardens overlooking the South Pacific. A great hotel, but somewhat remote – the driveway alone measured 3 miles! If you want peace and quiet, it’s the perfect location. If you prefer some infrastructure, a hotel in more built-up Nadi would probably be better.
Suva in 1 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | Drive to Suva Thurston Gardens Fiji Museum Albert Park Holy Trinity Cathedral Sacred Heart Cathedral The Ivi Triangle Stinson Parade Municipal Handicraft Centre Ratu Sukuna Park |
Drive to Suva
From our hotel, it’s a 50 mile drive along Queen’s Road, the main road which circumnavigates the island. Not that far, but the road condition plus speed bumps in the villages mean that it’s a two hour drive each way.
The road hugs the ocean for much of the drive. Scenic to start with, but the closer we get to Suva, the more polluted it becomes with bottles, tyres and all sorts of junk floating along the shore line.
Thurston Gardens
We head first for the Fiji Museum, park up and have a picnic brunch under a tree in Thurston Gardens; botanical gardens in which the museum is located. The Victorian gardens are built on the site of the original town of Suva, which was burned down in 1843, when many of its inhabitants were killed and eaten by the people of neighbouring Rewa.
The gardens are home to a century old Clock Tower and adjoining Bandstand, built in 1918 to commemorate the inauguration of the first Mayor of Suva.
If you don’t fancy a picnic, the museum also has a nice cafe overlooking the Gardens – Ginger Kitchen.
Fiji Museum
Fiji Museum has some interesting exhibits; the rudder from The Bounty (the ship made infamous for the mutiny led by Mel Gibson, aka Fletcher Christian) and the sole of the shoe of a Methodist missionary – the only bit of him the islanders didn’t eat!
My personal favourite that essential fashion accessory – the puffer fish hat.
The museum is open daily from 9 am until 4.30 pm. Entry for foreigners costs FJ$20 (around £6.70).
Albert Park
Across the road from Thurston Gardens is Albert Park; a park with various sports pitches, lined with hotels (including the Grand Pacific Hotel) and government buildings (including Fiji’s Parliament). Albert Park is home to the national cricket teams. Claim to fame: Aviator Charles Kingsford Smith made an emergency landing here during the first trans Pacific flight the from the USA to Australia in 1928.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
We start the second half of our tour with a visit the Anglican Holy Trinity Cathedral. It’s a hive of activity – the big boss is in town (not God – the Archbishop of Canterbury). Designed by a government architect on a tight budget in the 1950s, it’s not the prettiest of buildings, but is surrounded by a garden of native plants.
According to my guide book, the cathedral has a unique boat-shaped interior. To be honest, it just looks like the inside of a church.
Sacred Heart Cathedral
Next, the Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral. This more ornate building took a century to build; construction began in 1894 and was not completed until 1994. It is made of sandstone shipped from Australia and is one of Suva’s oldest and most prominent buildings.
The interior is ornately decorated with some very impressive stained glass. It has started to rain (again), so entering the cathedral entails running a gauntlet of umbrellas.
Growing in the cathedral grounds is the Tree of Knowledge. How this differs from any other tree, I don’t know. Maybe the Tree of Knowledge could tell me?
The Ivi Triangle
The intersection at the symbolic heart of Suva is called the Ivi Triangle, named after the ancient ivi tree that grows here. Beneath the tree, you will find a marker showing some of Fiji’s notable dates, such as the arrival of the first missionaries and the establishment of the capital.
Stinson Parade
We round off our day in Suva with a stroll along Stinson Parade, which runs for around a kilometre along the sea wall, from the market to the Olympic Pool.
Municipal Handicraft Centre
Running along the northern end of Stinson Parade is the Municipal Handicraft Centre, where you can purchase souvenirs.
Ratu Sukuna Park
Towards the southern end of Stinson Parade, overlooking the harbour, is Ratu Sukuna Park. There are some trees, flower beds and more souvenir vendors.
- Trip Taken: March 2018
- Updated: May 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
Jane's Midlife Journey 
Leave a comment