Suva is the bustling capital city of the Fiji Islands.  Located on the southeastern coast of the main island of Viti Levu, Suva is the administrative and political centre of the country.   It is one of the South Pacific's largest and most sophisticated cities home to the largest campus of USP, the Fiji Museum, interesting colonial buildings and a major port. 

Suva is a very multicultural city which is reflected by the different mosques, churches, temples and cultural centres.  There are many restaurants, bars, coffee shops, nightclubs and even a large cinema complex where all the latest movies from Hollywood and Bollywood are shown.  There is a wide variety of shopping available from the Flea and Handicraft Market where you can find beautiful local crafts and wares to stores like Jacks Handicrafts and Tappoos which sell internationally recognised brands.

Rental Market in Suva

One, two, three and four plus bedrooms in houses/flats/apartments are available for rent around the city of Suva.  They can be both furnished and unfurnished, but the availability fluctuates throughout the year.  Two and three bedrooms seem to be the most common.  The cost of rent varies depending on size, location and quality.

• Furnished housing usually comes with:
• A bed in each bedroom with closet
• A 3 piece settee and a coffee table
• Dining table and chairs
• Stove and refrigerator
• Screens and Curtains

Health/Medical

All non-regional citizens are required to have sufficient health coverage for the duration of their stay. USP charges a Health Services Fee which entitles students to medical coverage by the University medical staff.

Family members will not be entitled to the free medical coverage.  You may want to look into private health coverge for your family.  There is one government hospital and one private hospital in Suva.  There are also other  medical clinics which have both local and overseas doctors.

Schools

There are many preschool,  primary and secondary schools in Suva and the surrounding areas.  Currently, there are five different types of schools:

• Government funded
• Community based
• Church based - i.e. Methodist, Catholic, Muslim, Anglican etc
• Private - i.e.: Suva International School and Suva Christian School.  Private schools do not follow the government curriculum; they follow an overseas curriculum.
• Pre-schools/childcare - USP has a preschool/kindy program that is located right on campus.  There are several other programs in the area as well for children of a pre-school age.

You can receive a list of schools and receive more information by contacting the Ministry of Education at http://www.education.gov.fj/ or by contacting the specific school.

Lifestyle/Entertainment

Besides eating at one of the many international restaurants or coffee shops, there are many other things to do in Suva.  You may want to join the gym or start some new hobbies to meet new people.  Some examples of things you can do are:

• Continuing education courses
• Fitness centre on campus has a gym, 2 tennis courts, a squash court
• Gyms - there are several other gyms in and around the city
• Aerobics classes - Weekday mornings at USP gym
• Swimming - USP has a 25m pool on campus and there are several others pools including at the national stadium and in town including the National Aquatic Centre.
• Tennis - several clubs around the city; also a USP tennis club
• Rugby leagues
• Yoga - offered at different locales i.e. Girl Guides, Indian cultural centre and Hyundai Centre has yogalates.  It's a combination of both.
• Paddling clubs - Suva Yacht Club, Suva Point
• Language courses - Alliance Francaise offers French, Fijian, Hindi and Japanese at all levels
• Martial arts classes
• Latin Dance classes
• Velocity biking club - organised bike trips around Suva, Nausori and Pacific Harbour
• International Women's Group - they usually have an event every month
• Rucksak Club - A group of expats who plan weekend and day trips around Fiji.  The group meets the first Wednesday of each month at St. Andrews Church on Goodenough Street.

A good source of information on upcoming events and activities is the Kulcha Vulcha newsletter, updated every week and available here: http://www.kulchavulcha.com/