I have been to Suva three times in total so far.

The first time I went there was in November 2015, while working on the M/S Volendam. I walked around a little and ended up at the Grand Pacific Hotel, where I bumped into my dear friend Hina, a Hula dancer from Hawaii. We had been in touch with each other trying to arrange to meet up, as she was on another ship in the same area at the same time. We thought we’d miss each other by a day, but then very happily – and luckily – bumped into each other at the hotel. She was outside by the pool near the water, while I was sitting in the restaurant area with a coffee and using the Wi-Fi when she heard my laugh. We both ran to each other and a huge hug of greeting and loud excited chatter ensued. We had a very nice lunch of local fish together in the hotel, then walked around the city together. Hina, being a Polynesia Ambassador, who has friends in every port in this are of the world, showed me the best local things to buy. We both bought some noni fruit scented coconut oil, and after some trying on bought matching ‘Bula’ dresses. I came back on the ship for work, and then ventured out again when there was a little more time as we had a late sail, with my good friend Yeonae Yam, my loyal, lovely and eccentric friend and Band Leader. Yeonae wanted to grab some local food from a food stall, so we did that, purchasing some tasty looking fried fish, with rice, and cassava, from a popular cart on the corner very close to the ship. We brought it back on the ship and ate it together in the Officer’s Mess with some sodas from the bar. I then found out it was Yeonae’s birthday and her birthday dinner was street food with me. It was simple, but tasty, and with wonderful company, and we both enjoyed it a lot.

My second trip here was in October 2017. This day consisted of a still around town, remembering where the places I’d found last time were, having a little window shop in some stores, and finding internet. I needed to get some Wi-Fi done, and heading out after a safety drill, my destination was the Grand Pacific for some much-needed connection to the rest of the world. First we strolled around town, and looked in the ‘bula dress shop’, had a very tasty freshly made mango smoothie to drink and walk with, then wandered along to find the hotel. Here I used the Internet, and enjoyed a happy hour (4pm-6pm) cocktail for $12 Fijian dollars (which is about $6 USD, usually $18, about $9 USD). To our delight, there was a Fijian dance show on at sunset. It was a late sail again at 10pm, so we had time to see the stunning red orange sunset over the sea. The dancers came right into the terrace by the swimming pool of the hotel, where my friends and I were sitting on the garden chairs. The dancers chanted, used fire – which you could smell – and wore traditional costumes of woven palm frond skirts, and headdresses, with black war like face paints. You can see this in my Karen’s Quick Guide to Suva, link below.

My third visit to Suva was definitely the best as far as really seeing the best of the area is concerned. I went on a local tour to the rainforest. I booked it with Moana Tours www.moanatours.com.fj who wear the blue Bula dresses and shirts, out on the pier. I managed to arrange a two hour tour to the rainforest for myself and three friends, for $60 USD total (only $15 USD each) with the company owner Ayisha, who gave us the special crew discount as I have used their company before and was also booking with them for a tour the following day in Lautoka for a large group. Our driver Micha took us the 30-35 minute drive out of the town, up into the hills, to the rainforest. We parked in the top car park for access to the Upper Pools. I would definitely recommend starting at the upper car park, as you will walk downhill this way to the other three pools after and it is a much easier walk downhill than up. The whole area is in a loop and you can get to all the pools from any of the car parks, but you will want to see all four if possible, so make it easy on yourself and start at the top and work your way down. From here, it is around a ten-minute walk to the first pool, the upper pools. This is the smallest of the four, and is still impressive. On your walk to it from the car park, you start walking through real rainforest, and you’ll hear the call of many species of tropical birds, and hear the buzzing of insects. The further you walk, the more into the forest growth you get, and the more interesting it is. You can swim in any of the pools, but if you’re on a roughly two hour time limit, like we were, I’d wait until pool number two. This one is about five minutes walk further downhill from the top pool. It is larger, with a taller, more impressive waterfall gracing it. It is a delight to swim in the cool, freshwater pool here and stick your head under the rushing water of the waterfall and enjoy being in this natural paradise. Keep walking down the hill down the path and in around another ten minutes or so later, you’ll find yourself in the third pool. This one has again a waterfall feeding into it, it is smaller and cool and pretty. Stop to swim if time allows, but if you’re on a short time span, wait for the fourth and final pool for your next dip. This is where if you’re not with your driver or a local or guide, you start to wonder if you’ve taken the right path or are lost in the rainforest. Do not fret, just follow the most main, worn looking path and don’t veer off it, and keep heading downwards. The path sometimes has you cross a river, which you have to wade through or jump over if you’re feeling very froggy. Bear with it and you’ll get there. The paths are quite slippery in many places, with moss, leaves on the stones, or just muddy, so make sure to wear your most comfortable, durable, good grip, water resistant “Dora the Explorer” type shoes you own. When you reach the final pool you’ll know it was worth the trek, as it is quite a sight. The largest of the pools, with a thinner waterfall feeding it, this pool comes with large rocks around the sides to climb in on, jump off of, and replete with a mammoth rope swing hanging off a gargantuan very strong branched banyan tree. On our trek down from the second pool, we made friends with some local teens and kids who’d been showing off their fearlessness by jumping off rocks and falls for our applause at the second pool. They were all heading here, to swing on the rope swing, and show how far out they could jump, and hone their diving, circling and acrobatic skills from the rope into the cool, deep water below. After watching them in awe for a fashion, thoroughly impressed at the height they were jumping from, as well as their dives and turns on the way into the water, my husband Nick decided to join the club and took a swing. He landed safely in the centre of the pool, with his efforts recorded by me on the Go-Pro. He then went for round two and three, filming himself on the way down. After watching all this impressed for about 20 minutes or so, I finally plucked up enough courage up to try it myself. I gingerly stepped up to the area where the kids were in line waiting for their turn (at the lower level to jump from, not being quite fearless enough to try the highest spot). The longer the wait (which wasn’t long at all, barely four minutes, but it felt a lot longer), the more I was wondering what on earth I was doing there and why would I want to swing out on a rope swing that I probably wouldn’t be able to hold on to properly, or that id smash my legs (or head) on the rocks from. When a boy of about ten handed me the rope and proclaimed, “You can do it! You brave!” I knew there was no turning back. I held the rope tight, took one more foolish look at the rocks beneath me, reminded myself that if a ten year old (and some younger) could do it, then so could I, then swung for it. I felt my heart racing, and the blood pumping through my veins at a very fast rate as I swung out, and remembering Nick’s advice (As soon as you feel the rope slowing to almost a halt, let go as it’s about to swing back!), I felt the rope slow and let go, and milliseconds later I was in the bracing cold water, breathing rapidly, heart going mile a minute, and nose and sinuses completely full of fresh pool water. I had barely heard the wonderful, cheering shouts coming from the sweet Australian family from the ship. Once I resurfaced full of pool water and adrenaline, with the fear still in full swing as it hadn’t properly registered in the three seconds the whole adventure had taken since the swing began, I heard their supportive whooping and hollering and cheers of encouragement with cries of “You did it!” “That was so scary!”, “I’d never do that!” etc. Although half the family were kids, it was still very kind of them and it cheered me on and up immensely, especially knowing my swing was the least impressive and graceful out of any there that day. The local kids joined in the cheering and I was quite happy that I indeed “did it” and hadn’t chickened out, like I was seconds away from doing. We walked from here back up the hill from the bottom pool to the car, where our driver met us, as he’d walked back to collect the car from pool number two, then drove it to the bottom to meet us there. I would recommend doing the same.

We got stuck in traffic for a while on the way back to town as it was now after 1.30pm, when many businesses close in December early, so the 30-35 minute drive took nearer 50 minutes, so be aware of potential traffic if you are coming back near all aboard or your work time. After dropping our wet things off on the ship and collecting our laptops, Nick and I went in search of Wi-Fi. We had not much more than two port hours left so instead of heading to the Grnd Pacific, we opted for tFK at the Connect Suva Café, in Ganulau House on the main street. Details in the internet section above, but in summation, the Wi-Fi wasn’t great, and overall I’d still recommend the Grand Pacific, but this one is close to the ship, and better strength and signal that the fast food joints’ Wi-FI.