Fiji

Fiji's 332 islands are scattered over a vast area of the Pacific Ocean, some 1,283,000 square kilometres in extent. Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji, is about 10,400 square kilometres in area, with high rainfall in the east and much lower rainfall in the west. The country’s first and third biggest cities — Suva and Nadi respectively — are located at opposite ends of Viti Levu, like sentinels guarding against enemy invasion. These days, the “invaders” are friendly, coming as tourists rather than cannibal-warriors. Because of the consistently bad weather conditions, Fiji's main international airport was moved to Nadi in 1982. As a result, most of Fiji’s tourist development and facilities are concentrated around Nadi and the southern “Coral Coast” of Viti Levu. Nadi is also a great base for exploring the Mamanuca and Yasawa island groups, the southern island of Kadavu, and the “garden island” of Taveuni, with easy access also to the laid-back port of Savusavu on Vanua Levu Island.