Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Almost all of Fiji's 600,000 annual visitors get their first glimpse of the country des-
cending towards Nadi International Airport. Tiny tropical islands glint in the ocean
off Nadi Bay while Viti Levu's spectacular mountains loom inland. Given this intro-
duction, Nadi (pronounced
Nan-dee)
itself can come as an anticlimax. Despite boasting
Fiji's third largest population, it's not really a city, more a loose collection of villages
surrounded by sugarcane fields, and you may be forgiven for thinking you've arrived
at a quaint, tropical suburbia. Where Nadi is useful, though, is in its choice of accom-
modation, with everything from five-star resorts to beachside backpackers dotted along
the nearby coastline. You'll also find all the facilities you need to plan the rest of your
trip including banks, travel agents and a good range of shops, as well as a few excellent
restaurants.
Nadi Airport
, 10km north of the Downtown area, features a small cluster of hotels but oth-
erwise it provides a low key and verdant arrival point, surrounded by farmland. Heading
south along the congested Queens Road from here you come to
Namaka
, a frenetic shopping
parade, while further south in the suburb of
Martintar
there are several ethnic and inter-
national restaurants, Nadi's best nightlife and a couple of affordable hotels. South again,
scruffily active
Downtown Nadi
is the terminal for buses, and home to the municipal market,
internet cafés, boutique shops and cheap Chinese restaurants but virtually no accommoda-
tion. The southern point of town, where sugarcane fields take over, is guarded by Nadi's sole
iconic attraction, the riotously colourful
Sri Siva Subrahmanya Swami Temple
, or more
simply “Nadi Temple”. A few kilometres west off the Queens Road lie the beaches of
Nadi
Bay
, home to the budget hotspot of
Wailoaloa Beach
as well as
Denarau Island
, an exclus-
ive luxury enclave.
Inland, there are tropical waterfalls, traditional villages and some breathtaking walking trails
in the serene mountains of the
Nausori Highlands
and
Koroyanitu National Park
- the lat-
ter accessed via the utilitarian port of
Lautoka
, twenty minutes' drive north of Nadi Airport.
