What you need to know

Dear Participants,

We warmly welcome you to Suva, Fiji for the 2nd Clean Pacific Roundtable!

Please find below logistical information for the event.

Registration
Registration for the event will take place at the venue from 8.00am on Monday, 20th August 2018 before the opening of the Roundtable. 

Travel
The closest airport to Suva is the Nausori Airport which is 19.5 km or about 30 minute–drive to Suva Central. You need to make your own arrangements for transfers. Normal taxi fare to reach Suva Central is between FJD 30 to 35. 

Travel and Health Insurance: It is recommended that all delegates arrange their own travel and health insurance. Please note that SPREP will not cover travel/medical insurance. 

Visa: Please ensure you have sufficient visas for transit to and from Fiji and a passport with at least 6 months before expiry date. Most PIC network do not require a visa but if you do so, it is always best to make those enquiries from your travel agent or contact the Fiji Immigration Department through email: [email protected] or tel: +679 3312672 or visit the website: http://www.immigration.gov.fj/. Processing of visas and passport will be at your own cost.

Venue
The event will be at:

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS)
Ratu Sukuna Road, Suva, Fiji
(679) 331 2600
[email protected]
Website: https://www.forumsec.org/ 

Please refer to the map below showing directions from Suva Central to the venue:

Daily transport to and from the venue: You need to make your own transport arrangements.

Meals: Only morning tea and afternoon tea will be provided during the event. Some donors have indicated interest to sponsor side events during lunch breaks and cocktails after dinner. 

Language: The workshop will be conducted in English throughout. Unfortunately, limited funds will not allow French language translation service. 

Accommodation: The following hotels, located relatively close to PIFS Headquarters are recommended with indicative room rates inclusive of service charge and value added tax. Participants are responsible for their own accommodation booking and are requested to contact the hotel directly soon to reserve your accommodation. You can also explore Air BNBs around the area https://www.airbnb.com/. 

Please note that it is peak season in Suva. Any cancellations, postponements or other changes are subject to hotel policies. The prices are indicative only and may change during booking.

Greening the Event: We are aiming to reduce the negative environmental impacts of the meeting. Please support us in taking the following initiatives:

Going paperless: We will only print a few copies of selected materials. USBs will be distributed with most of the information loaded. Should you prefer hard copies, please let the Secretariat know at the venue. 
Resource persons are requested to submit presentations to the Secretariat (c/o Ma Bella Guinto ([email protected]) and Tavita Su'a ([email protected]) cc [email protected] in advance no later than 15 August 2018 so we can get these loaded to the webpage.

No plastics: We are discouraging use of single use plastics. 

• Please bring your own water bottle and we will provide drinking water dispensers around the venue. 
• We will also distribute eco-bags for your shopping needs and to put event materials in. 

General Information about Suva:

Official language: There are three official languages used in Fiji, i.e. Fijian, Hindi and English

Weather:  August temperatures in Suva range between a minimum of 20°C and a maximum of 28°C The latest information on weather can be found at: https://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Suva/forecasts/latest. 

Time Zone: The time zone offset is Standard time zone: GMT + 12 hours. 

Electricity: Electricity in Fiji is 240 volts AC Hz/50 cycle. Fiji uses power plugs as per diagram below.  

Currency: The Fijian dollar comes in $1,$2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 dollar denominations. Main centers have banking and money exchange facilities provided by ANZ, Westpac, Western Union, Moneygram, Bank of the South Pacific, Bank of Baroda, Bred Bank and many other foreign exchange outlets. Banks normally opens from 9:30am to 3:00pm Monday to Thursday and until 4:00 pm on Friday. There are also numerous ATM machines in the city/town centres, airport and some hotels. Credit cards (American Express, Diners Club, Visa, JCB International and Mastercard) are widely accepted. The current exchange rate is 1 US dollar for approximately 2.11 FJD.

Phone and Internet: Digicel and Vodafone are the two major phone and internet providers in Fiji. You can buy a sim card at the Nadi airport (if you are transiting) or their retail shops around Fiji. The retailers will be able to advise you on the best gadget and package for your requirement. Most usual gadgets are available in Fiji.

_______________________

Please direct all enquiries to:

Main Contact Person:

Ma Bella Guinto
Solid Waste Management Adviser, SPREP
P: +685 21929 ext 221
M: +679 752 1700 (Fiji number)
[email protected]

Other contacts:

Anthony Talouli
Pollution Adviser, SPREP
P : +685 21929 ext 243
M : +679 750 2841 (Fiji number)
[email protected]

Leinatioletuitoga Eteuati 
Division Assistant, SPREP
P: 685 21929 ext 278
M : +679 752 1699 (Fiji number)
[email protected]