About a buck a beer. Fantasy Island 's Ricardo Montalban, smiling with outstretched palms. Puerto Escondido T-shirts. The archipelago, which erupted from the South Pacific floor 150 million years ago, covers an area the size of Texas and comprises a broad sector of Melanesia. Here you'll find East Indians, Polynesians, Micronesians, Chinese, Europeans, Aussies, Kiwis and barfuls of American expats, all communicating in mixed grades of English.
Some ramblers head straight off the main island in search of greener jungles.
Instead, head inland to Viti Levu's spectacular mountain interior, by bus, taxi or battered pickup. If you're lucky, you'll see village life firsthand. Though an invitation from the chief is required to enter some native Fijian villages, it's generally obtainable. Flanked by a river and surrounded by misty mountains, it's communal peace defined. And like most Fiji Island locales, there's not a hint of litter.