1st time to Fiji, lots of questions

[bkpix]

Hi All,

I have been reading a lot of the posts here on SB about diving Fiji, and having never even been to that part of the world, much of it does not sink in.

All of our diving has been in the Caribbean. We both have about 300 dives total, and I am an avid photographer.

I have received a DVD from Beqa Resort; is was basically my first inquiry as I do not really know where to start. The resort looks quite nice, if a bit on the "touristy" side. Their package prices seem good since they include airfare from the US. We like that they include unlimited shore diving in their package. We also like the fact that they seem to have a lot of sites for their boat dives.

If we are going to travel that far, we would want to stay for at least two weeks. Staying at one all-inclusive resort has it's good points, but since it will be our first time to Fiji, it would probably be nice to split the trip into two different places. Price is something we need to consider too. Live-aboards are out of the budget. We want the great Fiji experience, but not at a price that will bust the bankroll.

So, my questions are: Is there a "best" time of year to go to Fiji? What is the comparison rate between Fijian dollars and US dollars. Who have you had the best overall experience with?

We like seeing it all; big animals and macro, great corals are a must!

All information is greatly appreciated.

BK

 

[ColoDale]

It depends on what you mean by best time of the year. December through April is the wet season (summer) but generally has warmer waters which can mean less visibility due to plankton blooms which can mean larger pelagics. This does not mean you can’t see larger fish any other time of year. This time of year it is hotter and more humid generally. This is cyclone season with higher cyclone numbers in January and February. Since you have dived in the Caribbean you know how the averages go for the hurricane season. Maybe they come- maybe not.
May to November is the dry season but it will still rain just not as much but the visibility should be better.

I stayed in the Taveuni area, though not on Taveuni itself, during the month of April so while we did get some rain, it did not last long and we did get many days with prolonged sun. It doesn't always rain but if it does, it usually passes.

Some general Fiji weather links:

CLIMATE
Taveuni Island Information- Booking Service for holiday rentals, accommodation, adventure tours and dive booking service for Taveuni Island,Fiji

Rainfall does vary quite a bit per the chart in the last link i.e. 4x as much rain in January as in July on average. It also varies by elevation as noted in other links

See these for general weather info:
Fiji Weather and Climate Charts
:: Sea Fiji Travel ::

From what I understand and have seen, the Taveuni area is known for corals (soft) with some larger stuff. We did see sharks but not many with a couple of turtles. No mantas but were told to keep an eye out for them. Bega Lagoon is said to be better for at least sharks. I thoroughly enjoyed the wall diving around the Taveuni area.

There are others that have posted on other sites in Fiji and they have their favorites.

I did not have a need to convert USD to Fijian dollars except for a small aount so I was not greatly concerned with a few pennies difference. It looks like currently 1 USD=1.85 FJD approx.

We stayed on Matangi but if liveaboards are outside the budget then I would not recommend this place. There are others on Taveuni which are on par with Bega Lagoon but check for AI or not and associated dive shop. Some may have packages associated with them (diving, air, etc).

I took hundreds of underwater photos while there - some of which turned out good. There is plenty to photograph - tons of smaller fish, giant clams, huge jellyfish (not dangerous that I know of), soft corals of many colors, blue ribbon eels, octopus, lionfish, and though I didn’t do much macro, I think there were plenty of opportunities. I have a few pics in the SB gallery - those labeled with Fiji, Taveuni or Matangi. All others are other locations.

 

[OnTheSpot]

I would stay a week at either Taveuni or Kadavu. Then a week at Beqa.

I love the Matava Resort on Kadavu for a relaxing stay without TV, phones and shopping malls, scrumptious and plentiful food, friendly hosts and its eco-friendliness.

Beqa Lagoon Resort is also a great choice - 5 star meals with spacious, air-conditioned bures, Beachfront bures with private plunge pool. Don't miss shark encounter dives - meet tigers and bulls and their friends. This resort also organizes daily activities after you have done your boat dives.

Although you can dive in Taveuni all the year round, the main diving season is April to October. November to January tend to see the most rainfall with the rainy season officially extending into March. Prime visibility is during Fiji's winter months of July to September when the surface can be a little choppy and potentially as cool as 22°C. During the November to April summer months, water temperature can reach a pleasant, bathtub 30°C.

 

[Bobby Berenson]

My wife and I just did our first trip to Fiji in late July early August. We were basically diving the Rainbow Reef. We stayed at the Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat. This place was very basic. This is a small resort and the only thing to do is dive. We were there for 10 days and did 8 days of 2 tank boat dives and had 5 shore dives. We did the shore dives but one was considered extra because it was at night with a guide. All the dives are a 5 min. boat ride except for White Wall which was about a 15 min ride. The boat takes 6 divers and depending on the number of diver, you either do your surface interval out on the boat or back at Dolphin Bay Retreat. This is due to weight restrictions of the boat. I don't know about other places but if you are going to be there for 2 weeks then consider them for at least part of your stay. By the way I am an avid photographer and videographer so I brought both systems. There are lots varieties of fish and the soft coral is beautiful.

 

[bbarada]

If you are going to stay on the big island, Wananavu is better than Beqa. We have stayed at both, and the diving at Wananavu is better (the Bligh Waters) and the resort is cheaper than Beqa. The food was very good and the accommodations very nice.

The best diving is a liveaboard in Fiji, but you say that may be outside your budget.

If you have only travelled to the Caribbean, you will love the South Pacific. The diving is much better than anyplace in the Caribbean.

 

[Luko]

Bligh Waters and Vatu-I-Ra spots are really outstanding, like said above you can stay north of Viti Levu (Wananavu resort, fine but expensive) but also on cheaper Nananu I ra island.

I am quite perplex with Kadavu, a pain in the neck to go, good hard corals on Naiqoro passage but it didn't blow my mind, I found it lacked fish. Wouldn't go back.

Buddies I was diving with on Bligh Waters told me everything like corals, fish and viz were on par if not better on Taveuni. Anyway, everyone's raving about Taveuni, should be worth going.
I have heard many good things with Naigani too, it's an opportunity to dive Lomaiviti.
On my next Fiji trip I would surely go to those two places, Taveuni and Naigani.