How to recognise Fiji in a street photo

Dropzone #2 · 28 October 2026

Central

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How to tell

1. Coconut palms and rain trees: Lush coconut palms and big umbrella-shaped rain trees point to a wet tropical Pacific island.
2. Red-ringed 25 sign: A British-style round speed sign on a white pole fits Fiji's Commonwealth road signage.
3. Car on the left: The car ahead keeps left, so this is a left-driving country.

The first thing to notice is the plant life: coconut palms, frangipani and a huge spreading rain tree under a bright, humid sky, which places you firmly in the tropics. The car ahead is keeping left, which cuts out most of the tropical Americas, French Polynesia and New Caledonia. The round red-ringed speed sign on a plain white pole has a British feel, matching a former colony. The pale green timber building on stilts, with its railings, looks like a colonial-era government or school compound. Fiji's wetter eastern side, around Suva, is greener than the drier west near Nadi. A useful habit for other Pacific photos is to check the driving side first, then look for Commonwealth-style signage.

Easily confused with

• Samoa: Samoa also drives left; Fiji has more Commonwealth-style signs and Indian influence.
• French Polynesia: French Polynesia drives on the right with French-style signs.

Remember: Left driving plus coconut palms and round British signs: think Fiji first.