Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hotel
, which at the time of writing was being revamped to its former glory after a period of
dereliction.
The Fiji Museum
Thurston Gardens, accessible from Ratu Cakobau Rd • Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9.30am-4pm • F$7 •
331
5944,
fijimuseum.org.fj
Suva's most rewarding attraction, the
Fiji Museum
, is set within
Thurston Gardens
, Suva's
spacious and elegant botanical gardens. If you have even a slight interest in Fiji's history or
want to see some of those wicked war clubs and
cannibal forks
, then it's worth the trip to
Suva. The museum is neatly laid out with a grand hall displaying a double-hulled
war canoe
,
some impressive 12m-long oars and lots of intriguing daily items such as tattooing tools and
wigs. The adjoining gallery maps out the arrival of the first Europeans and includes part of
HMS
Bounty
's rudder, a piece of eight from the
Eliza
shipwreck, and a small exhibition on
the Reverend Thomas Baker, eaten by cannibals in 1864: don't miss the gnawed remnants
of his shoes. Upstairs, the
Indo-Fijian Gallery
recounts the history of Indian indentured la-
bourers brought to Fiji between 1879 and 1916. The gift shop on the ground floor has a good
selection of topics on Fijian history and culture.
