Rain is part of Suva's character. It nourishes the hills in deep green, makes downtown sidewalks glisten and gives the Fijian capital its atmosphere, at once tropical and studious. Ships dock at Kings Wharf, right in the heart of the city: a ten-minute walk is enough to reach the main shopping streets. There's no sanitized beach resort here, but a real South Pacific capital, with its government ministries, its university, its markets and its busy daily life.

The municipal market, the city's belly

Five minutes from the wharf, the municipal market overflows with taro roots, pineapples, chilies, lagoon fish and mountains of kava, the peppery root from which Fijians make their ceremonial drink. Stalls follow one another over two levels amid a cheerful din of bargaining and laughter. The women vendors are happy to offer a slice of pineapple to taste, and it would be hard to say no. It's the best place to feel the city's pulse and encounter Fiji's diversity: Melanesians, Indo-Fijians, Chinese and islanders from across the Pacific have mingled here for generations.

Fiji Museum and Thurston Gardens

About fifteen minutes on foot lead to Thurston Gardens, a green haven that is home to the Fiji Museum. Its collections cover 3,700 years of island history: great double-hulled canoes capable of crossing entire seas, war clubs, Lapita pottery and moving reminders of the era of the first missionaries. Allow a good hour to see it all without rushing. The building is modest, but its contents are well worth the stop: few collections in the region are as rich. The surrounding gardens, planted with palms and flame trees, then invite a shady break.

A capital with colonial charm

Suva has preserved from the British period a collection of administrative buildings and homes with verandas. Facing Albert Park, where Fijians play rugby from late afternoon on, the government buildings line up their solemn façades. The Grand Pacific Hotel, a restored century-old institution, recalls the era of the steamships. The waterfront promenade runs along the bay to the residential neighbourhoods, offering open views of the mountains of Viti Levu. Colourful bus stops and coconut stalls dot the route, to the rhythm of showers and sunny spells.

Port call highlights

The Fijian smile

You come to Fiji for the lagoons; you grow attached to Suva for its people. The famous "Bula!" called out to everyone is no folklore for tourists: it accompanies every exchange, from the mango seller to the bus driver. Craft shops downtown offer carved wooden tanoa, decorated tapa and shell necklaces. Take time for a conversation: Fijians are among the most welcoming people in the Pacific, and they love to talk about their island.

When the ship casts off

On departure, the city slowly recedes behind a curtain of rain or in a break of sunshine, depending on the sky's mood. The hills close their green amphitheatre over the tin roofs and steeples. Suva will have shown no brochure beach or coconut grove, and that is precisely its value: it offers travellers an encounter with the real Pacific, the one that works, studies and sings on Sundays. The lagoons can wait for the next island; here, it's the people you take with you.