Fodor's Expert Review Fiji Museum in Thurston Gardens
It's hard to imagine Fiji's warrior past given the warmth and hospitality of its people but visit the national museum and you'll begin to understand. The centerpiece of the first room is a drua or double-hulled canoe used for seafaring and transporting warriors. It's so large that it required five men using oars each up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) long and hewn from a single tree simply to keep it on course. A grueling variety of war clubs, details of a sometimes fatal method of target practice, various artifacts, and an informative model of a Fijian home are also on display. Detailed exhibits trace the history of Euro-Fijian relations, including the mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty and cannibalism. You can see a cannibal fork and the boiled sole of an eaten missionary's shoe. Upstairs, Indo-Fijian exhibits of exquisite dresses, agricultural innovations, and Hindi displays provide insight into the experience of the other half of Fiji's population. The gift shop sells books, handicrafts,... READ MORE
It's hard to imagine Fiji's warrior past given the warmth and hospitality of its people but visit the national museum and you'll begin to understand. The centerpiece of the first room is a drua or double-hulled canoe used for seafaring and transporting warriors. It's so large that it required five men using oars each up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) long and hewn from a single tree simply to keep it on course. A grueling variety of war clubs, details of a sometimes fatal method of target practice, various artifacts, and an informative model of a Fijian home are also on display. Detailed exhibits trace the history of Euro-Fijian relations, including the mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty and cannibalism. You can see a cannibal fork and the boiled sole of an eaten missionary's shoe. Upstairs, Indo-Fijian exhibits of exquisite dresses, agricultural innovations, and Hindi displays provide insight into the experience of the other half of Fiji's population. The gift shop sells books, handicrafts, spa products, and artwork. The museum is just outside of the city center in the picturesque Thurston Gardens.
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