If you are a keen walker or nature lover, the Koroyanitu National Heritage Park is definitely worth a visit. There are six villages within the park that cooperate as part of an ecotourism project. They maintain the landscape and tracks, and subsequently earn tourist dollars through village stays and manning the office.

Those who make the climb to the summit of Castle Rock, from Nase Lodge, will be rewarded with panoramic views of the Mamanucas and Yasawas. A marked track leads its way up; it takes about four hours (one way). There is also a two-hour hike that takes in a waterfall, the terraced gardens at Tunutunu and the Navuratu village site. A full-day hike to Mt Koroyanitu visits the remains of a fortified village.

This national park protects over 80% of Taveuni's total area, covering about 150 sq km (57 sq mi) of rainforest and coastal forest. The park has the three Tavoro Waterfalls near the falls' visitor centre, each with natural swimming pools. The first waterfall is about 24m (78ft) high and only 10 minutes' walk along a flat cultivated path.

The second waterfall, 30 or 40 minutes along, is a bit smaller but also has a good swimming pool. The track is quite steep in places but has steps, handrails and lookout spots to rest. If you are a keen walker, try the Vidawa Rainforest Trail.

This lush rainforest park is a 2.5-sq-km oasis teeming with vivid and melodic birdlife and tropical flora. The 6.5km (4mi) of walking trails navigate clear natural pools and gorgeous vistas, with just a touch of Indiana Jones in the rope swings over water and stone steps across streams. It's a cool and peaceful respite from Suva's urban hubbub.

This pocket-sized paradise is a must on any northern Viti Levu itinerary. Beautifully hilly, the 3.5-sq-km island is surrounded by scalloped bays, white-sand beaches and mangroves. A history of cattle grazing has cleared much of the dense vegetation and today rolling hills of grass dominate the interior.

It's only 3km north of Ellington Wharf, but the atypical landscape and small enclave of upmarket holiday homes exaggerates the distance. Nananu-i-Ra is an excellent option for those who want an offshore-island experience but minimal boating and associated cost. It's also renowned for windsurfing and diving. The island has no roads and no village - most of the residents are of European descent so there's not much contact with traditional culture here.

The Mamanucas are movie stars, Fiji's glittering jet set, forever photographed, and valued more for their natural beauty than any contribution they make to the national culture. Many of the 20-or-so islands take day-trippers from the mainland, who gorge themselves on buffets washed down with chilled Fiji Bitter, and sunbake on white sand beneath coconut palms.

The ocean around the islands has some excellent dive sites and Fiji's gnarliest surf spots. The snorkelling here is generally fantastic with the clear waters offering fascinating windows into the undersea world. Judging from the activities nights in most of the resorts, the Mamanucas are the crab-racing capital of the Pacific.