Viti Levu is the largest island in Fiji. The highest mountain in Fiji, Tomanivi, is located on the east coast, a remote place covered by mangroves and surrounded by small villages.

Cities

---

Suva - the capital of Fiji

Ba - a town on the northwestern coast

Lautoka - second largest city in Fiji

Nadi - on the western coast

Nausori - on the northeastern coast

Navoti on the southeastern coast

Rakiraki - on the northern coast

Sigatoka - on the southwest coast

Other destinations

---

Coral Coast

See

---

Itineraries

Sleep

---

A very popular hostel on the Coral Coast, The Beachouse Backpackers Resort is about halfway between Nadi and Suva. Set on the beautiful sand of the southern coast, this Fiji hostel offers access to Fiji's exciting activities like amazing snorkeling and jungle hikes.

The Tanoa International Hotel provides a unique setting for leisure and corporate travelers. A premiere airport and convention Nadi hotel, this hotel is conveniently located just three minutes away from Nadi International Airport.

The Tanoa Plaza Hotel is considered Suva’s premiere airport and convention hotel and is conveniently located just three minutes away from Suva International Airport.

This business hotel was designed to be a true corporate hotel, meeting the needs of business travelers.

Viti Levu (IPA: ßi ti le ßu) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.

Geography and economy

---

Viti Levu covers an area of 10,388 km² and is about 146 km from north to south and 106 km east to west. It is the fifth-largest island in Oceania, after Tasmania, the two major islands of New Zealand, Hawaii Island, and New Caledonia.

Geologists believe that Viti Levu has been submerged a number of times, and has been covered by lava and other volcanic materials. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions account for the somewhat rugged terrain of the island, which is divided into roughly equal halves by a north-south mountain range. The eastern side of the island experiences heavy rainfall, while the western side is noticeably drier. Accordingly, sugar cane production thrives in the west, while a dairy industry is being built in the east. Fiji's biggest cattle ranch, with 7000 head of cattle in its 70 square kilometres, is at Yaqara, halfway between Tavua and Rakiraki.

The centre of the island is forested and includes the nation's highest peak Tomanivi (otherwise Mt. Victoria) rising to 1,324 meters.

The island is the only known home of one of the world's largest insects, the Giant Fijian Long-Horned Beetle.

Localities

---

Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population of the Republic (about 580,000). Other important towns, all around the coast, include Ba, Lautoka, Nadi, Nausori, Rakiraki, and Sigatoka. One major road has been built around the perimeter of Viti Levu.

Well-known localities include Natadola Beach, Pacific Harbour (a resort center about 50 kilometers from Suva).

Politics

---

Eight of Fiji's fourteen Provinces are in Viti Levu. The Provinces of Ba, Nadroga-Navosa, and Ra comprise the Western Division, while Naitasiri, Namosi, Rewa, Serua, and Tailevu form the Central Division. In part because of its high concentration of Indo-Fijians, whose ancestors came mostly as indentured workers from India between 1879 and 1916, the political dynamics of western Viti Levu are somewhat different from those of eastern Viti Levu, where, apart from the multi-racial urban areas, indigenous Fijians are more heavily concentrated.

History

---

Viti Levu is believed to have been inhabited longer than the northern island of Vanua Levu. According to oral traditions, the first Melanesian settlers landed at Vuda Point and established Viseisei, believed to be Fiji's oldest settlement, nearby.

External links

---

Viti Levu Travel Information