Coral Coast, Fiji

[therat]

Hi y'all,
My wife and I are spending 6 days in Fiji At a place called The Hideaway Resort near Sigatoka.
We'll be be fresh off of doing our open water cert on the GBR out of Cairns and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for some relaxed dives on the Coral Coast?
We want to kinda kick back while we're in Fiji after a pretty busy month in Oz but I would really like to put a decent day trip together while we're there.
I have a little experience but my wife is a real rookie so something nice and easy is in line I think.
Any suggestions?

Thanx


theRat

 

[annw24]

I spent a week at the Hideaway on my first trip to Fiji about a year and a half ago. The resort is OK but the dive operation on premises (SPAD) definitely was not. I wasted the first five days going out with them to very uninteresting sites close by. They kept promising to go to Beqa Lagoon but each day there was a new excuse. I finally figured out that I did not have to dive with that outfit just because they were at the resort and got Rosie's tours (they have a booth in the resort) to make arrangements for a couple of other operators from Pacific Harbor (Dive Connections and Beqa Divers if my memory is correct) who came and picked my up and took me to Pacific Harbor at no extra charge.
The difference diving was night and day. Beqa Lagoon is fantastic and both the operators were much better than the rather lacksadaisical SPAD guys.
On my next trip, I stayed right in Pacific Harbor and went out with AquaTrek which was even better.
It is about an hour's drive getting to Pacific Harbor from the Hideaway but well worth it. It would be a shame to go all the way to Fiji and experience only the reef in front of the Hideway - and with a dive operator who really didn't seem to care whether or not you saw much.
also - watch out for the prices quoted for meals at the Hideway. The food was good but when we came to check out the price was more than we had been told when we signed up for the meal plan.
Enjoy your stay. I love Fiji and hope to get back next April.