After a month of living in Suva, I’m starting to form a clearer picture of what life in Fiji’s capital is really like, the parts I enjoy and the things I find more challenging. This is obviously an entirely subjective and personal perspective, based on my experience, situation and preferences, but it may be of interest to others thinking of living here.
Best things about Suva
From the central city on the west side of the peninsula round to Nasese Beach on the east side, almost without interruption, is 6km of waterfront walkway. With wide, clean pavements, this is the ideal place to walk and run, enjoying views of the everchanging Suva Harbour. Some days it is as flat and reflective as glass, at high tide you see fish darting, and at low tide, hundreds of crabs emerge.
In the distance on the west side are the atmospheric inland peaks of Viti Levu, including the distinctive Joske’s Thumb, featured on the Fijian $10 note.
On the eastern side is the lovely My Suva Park, offering some rare shade and shelter from at times strong coastal winds.
I’m not a fan of dogs, but the city dogs in Suva, particularly around the waterfront, are unusually relaxed. They’re probably the first street dogs I’ve come across that are safe to run or cycle by without triggering a reaction. Thankfully they tend to be more focused on protecting their patch from other dogs, than chasing humans.
Cash is commonly used, particularly in taxis and markets, but the mobile money apps M-PAiSA (Vodafone) and MyCash (Digicel) are commonly accepted in shops. They make it easy to pay for things, transfer money to other people, and top up mobile phone and public transport accounts.
Supermarkets including New World, Extra and Fresh Choice have some of the widest product ranges in the Pacific, so you’re likely to be able to buy similar foods to what you eat at home.
For a more memorable experience, and cheaper prices, Suva Municipal Market is the place to visit. Prices are clearly marked and there is great produce, though it took me a while to find potatoes, they’re upstairs in the spice market!
Almost everyone speaks English, which makes day to day interactions much easier, though locals speak Fijian (Bauan dialect) or Fiji Hindi with each other.
Taxis are plentiful and cheap, starting at FJD$2 per trip, and rarely cost more than $10 to anywhere in town. Buying a car is expensive and paperwork heavy, so this is a good option for getting around, used by locals and visitors alike.
Rainforest hiking is only 20 minutes from central Suva. Mt Korobaba involves a steep and slippery climb up to incredible views on a clear day, while Colo-I-Suva offers easier hiking, and refreshing natural swimming pools.
It is a multi-cultural city, with churches of all denominations, mosques, and Hindu, Sikh and Hare Krishna temples. There appears to be a high level of religious and cultural tolerance, though I suspect there are undercurrents of division that are not readily obvious.
Things that are a mixed experience
I’ve only experienced the climate for a month at the end of the dry season, but found it far more temperate and comfortable than expected. I’ve not used the air conditioning, though expect to as it heads into the wet season and the temperature and humidity climbs. Suva is notoriously wet, which I’ve only briefly experienced, but suspect that the six month long wet season is going to be a bit of a slog, with little sunshine, heat, humidity, and tropical downpours that challenge the city’s infrastructure.
Local buses are cheap ($1-$2), relatively frequent, and reasonably comfortable, but there is no route map (or wasn’t until I made one…), no timetable, and the music is consistently and unnecessarily loud.
Internet speeds in Suva are among the fastest in the Pacific, though they understandably lag behind richer countries. It’s fine for day-to-day use, but struggles with larger files, and the speed can fluctuate significantly.
There aren’t a huge number of cars in Suva, but they’re all on the road during the morning and afternoon rush hours, when near gridlock is common. Drivers tend to not slow down for pedestrians so care is required crossing the road. The main streets have pavements, but many (particularly through the otherwise upmarket Domain area) don’t, and care is needed as drivers speed around corners.
Challenges living in Suva
The internet says Fiji is best known for “pristine white-sand beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and vibrant coral reefs”. There are none of these in Suva!
The closest spot that vaguely matches this description is Pacific Harbour, 45 minute drive west of Suva with your own transport, over an hour by bus. From there it is another 45 minutes by boat, which costs around FJD$85, to somewhere to snorkel. The places that really live up to Fiji’s reputation to visitors are even more time consuming and expensive to reach, making them a challenge to visit in a weekend. Although there are some community based tourism initiatives, the majority of Fiji’s tourism seems to be focused around relatively expensive resorts. I really miss the community based tourism opportunities I had in Samoa and Timor-Leste, which were far easier and much cheaper to access.
For someone who loves hiking, Suva isn’t a great base, in terms of variety, accessibility and safety. The Rucksack Club, running since 1963, is a great way to do hikes that would be difficult to attempt solo, but they only run about one trip a month, with around ten semi-regular routes. By comparison, in Dili, Timor-Leste, I had more than 30 hikes within an hour of the city with the Dili Saturday Walkers group, that met weekly. At home in Wellington, New Zealand, there are hiking tracks everywhere. By comparison Suva has Mt Korobaba, Colo-I-Suva, and a long walk up the FEA Tower road as day hike options.
Safety is also a concern here, more so than other places I’ve lived. I’ve not personally had any issues to date, but it doesn’t take long looking online to find stories for Mt Korobaba, and particularly Colo-I-Suva, of people being robbed and assaulted, to the extent that the US Embassy issued a security alert two years ago. Thankfully security has been introduced to Colo-I-Suva since then, but only at the main gate and car park, and it would be relatively easy to get around them. I tend to hike early in the morning, when the risk feels lower, but it does make me uneasy hiking alone or even in a small group.
More generally, crime has risen significantly in recent years in Suva, driven in part by drug use. The biggest increases have been in assault, burglary, robbery, and criminal intimidation. Walking around Suva during the day feels fine, with plenty of people and traffic, but I certainly wouldn’t do so at night. The high levels of household security – gates, bars, and locks – also speak volumes.
Finally, while not a major issue, it’s worth noting the distance to the international airport. Nadi is on the west coast of Viti Levu, while Suva sits on the southeast, meaning a four-hour drive. Suva has a domestic airport about 45 minutes north of the city, with Fiji Airways flights taking 30 minutes to cross the island. Either way, you need to leave Suva 4–6 hours before an international flight (allowing for check-in at Nadi), which is a bit of a mission.