THE GUIDE - Rough Guide to Fiji - page 200

Orchid Island Cultural Centre
Queens Rd (mountain side), 10km west of city centre • Mon-Sat 8am-4.30pm • Donation to villagers • 336
1128
Just west of Lami Town is the Orchid Island Cultural Centre , a rather dated exhibition on
Fijian culture set amongst landscaped gardens. You can enter a realistic bure kalou or temple
or handle one of a dozen live pythons. A couple of giant leatherback turtles and several war
clubs and other curios make up the other exhibits.
< Back to Suva and around
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: SUVA
The most pleasant way to arrive in Suva is by boat , cruising into the deep-water harbour sur-
rounded by majestic mountains - Walu Bay is the local shipping port for all outer island pas-
senger ferries and cargo boats. The majority of visitors, though, arrive at and depart from the
grimy bus stand in central Suva; from here, public buses travel from and to Lautoka, either
along the north coast (Kings Rd) or south coast (Queens Rd), stopping at all towns en route.
Nausori Airport is the departure point for all flights to Lomaiviti, Lau and Rotuma, and also
serves Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Kadavu.
BY PLANE
Nausori Airport 20km north of Suva, Nausori Airport is often referred to as “Nausori Suva”
(airline code SUV). There are few facilities and no lockers, although the Air Café (daily
5am-6.30pm) sells decent coffee.
Airlines Fiji Airways, Suva Travel Centre, BSP Life Building, Central St, Victoria Parade
(Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-noon; 672 0888); Air Nauru, Ratu Sukuna House, MacAr-
thur St (Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm; 331 731); Air New Zealand, Queensland Insurance Centre,
Victoria Parade (Mon-Fri 8.45am-4.45pm; 331 3100); and Qantas Travel Centre, BSP
Building, Victoria Parade (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-1pm; 331 3888).
Getting into town The taxi journey from Nausori Airport to Suva usually takes 30min and
costs F$30. There's also a nine-seater public minibus operated by Nausori Taxis that runs
to Holiday Inn Suva opposite the Old Parliament on Victoria Parade at 8.30am, 9.30am,
10.30am, 11.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm and 6.30pm (F$10 per person). To travel by local bus, you
need to first head into Nausori town (every 30min 6am-6pm; F$1) and then catch a Suva-
bound bus from there (every 15min 6am-6pm; F$1.80). Note that traffic can be bad along the
Suva-Nausori road and the journey may take an hour at peak times.
Destinations Cicia (weekly; 1hr); Kadavu (daily; 30min); Labasa (2 daily; 40min); Lakeba
(weekly; 1hr); Matei (2 daily; 45min); Nadi Airport (12 daily; 30min); Savusavu (2 daily;
45min); Taveuni (2 daily; 1hr); Vanua Balavu (weekly; 1hr).