Fiji Museum

The Fiji Museum sits in Thurston Gardens in central Suva and holds the national collection: three and a half thousand years of archaeology from Lapita pottery onwards, masi barkcloth, weapons, war clubs and the maritime material that is its strongest suit. The centrepiece is a drua, the double-hulled ocean-going canoe that Fijian builders made better than anyone in the Pacific, and among the smaller objects is the rudder of HMS Bounty, recovered from Pitcairn.

What you actually see

• The drua - a great double-hulled sailing canoe, the finest craft of the Pacific.
• The Lapita pottery - some of the earliest ceramics in the region, from the first settlement.
• The Bounty rudder - recovered from Pitcairn and held here.
• The masi and weapons - barkcloth, clubs and ceremonial objects from across the group.

When to go

Year round, since it is indoors. Suva rains a great deal in any month, which makes the museum a reliable option. It closes on Sundays and public holidays.

Honest expectations

The building is small and two hours covers it. Some displays are dated and lighting is poor in places. Photography rules vary by gallery and are enforced.

Nearby

Thurston Gardens are around it, and central Suva is a short walk north.