University of the South Pacific

Suva


While not necessarily a must-see from a tourist’s perspective, this is the foremost provider of tertiary education to the island nations of the Pacific region. The USP’s main Laucala Campus offers some fascinating people-watching and picturesque strolling through a small botanical garden where you can see temporary exhibits of paintings and carvings at the Oceania Centre for Arts & Culture. The USP Bookshop nearby is particularly well-stocked.

The governments of 12 Pacific countries jointly own the university and mingling among the Fijian students you’re likely to see young academics from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu and Western Samoa. As this is a fee-paying institution, many of the 11,000 or so students rely on scholarships, and the competition for them is fierce.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Suva attractions

1. Oceania Centre for Arts & Culture

0.01 MILES

Arts centre at the University of the South Pacific, which hosts regular live music, dance and theatre, art shows, talks and other cultural events.

2. Parliament of Fiji

0.94 MILES

Opened in June 1992, the parliament complex must be one of the world’s most striking political hubs. It was designed in the post-1987 atmosphere. The aim…

3. Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple

1.06 MILES

Just east of downtown, this bright orange and blue temple generally has a caretaker around to let you in for a look.

4. Fiji Museum

1.19 MILES

This museum offers a great journey into Fiji’s historical and cultural and evolution. To enjoy the exhibits in chronological order, start with the…

5. Thurston Gardens

1.25 MILES

After visiting the museum, ponder on your new found knowledge with a wander through these compact but beautiful gardens ( M032A). The dense conglomeration…

6. Albert Park

1.25 MILES

Charles Kingsford Smith was the first aviator to cross the Pacific, flying in his little Fokker trimotor, The Southern Cross, from California to Australia…

7. Holy Trinity Cathedral

1.33 MILES

This cathedral, with its unique boat-shaped interior, interesting Fijian tapestries and wood-beamed ceiling, is a peaceful retreat. The gigantic tree in…

8. Roman Catholic Cathedral

1.33 MILES

This 1902 cathedral is built from sandstone imported from Sydney and is one of Suva’s most prominent landmarks.

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