Fiji Help

[champ]

My wife and I are going on the Fiji Aggressor this January. We would like to spend about a week on the island before hopping on the boat. I'm looking for advice from people who have been to the island.

Is the Beqa Lagoon shark dive a must?
Where is the best place to stay in Pacific Harbor / Beqa Island?
Is it worth spending time in Suva?
How is the white water rafting trip?
Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Champ

 

[OnTheSpot]

Hi Champ

I am going on the Aggressor II in November and really looking forward to it.

2 things I would recommend if a week either side of a liveaboard trip like this.

- The shark feed dives in Pacific Harbour is a very popular thing to do and is on my schedule.

- If I had more time I would nip over to Kadavu to check out its rugged reefs and the natural scenery of the island - one of the lesser visited islands of Fiji and one that provides some awesome diving.

Will let you know how I get on.

Cheers

 

[matts1w]

1. Do the shark dive with Beqa Adventure Divers. Andrew and his crew are awesome and the dive is so worth it. Imagine 20 different monster bull sharks on one dive rocketing through the water. It is pretty much mind-blowing.

2. The fanciest place to stay in Pacific Harbor is probably The Pearl. It is right down the river from BAD so they will pick you up at the hotel on their way out to Shark Reef. We stayed at The Uprising and were very happy. It is quite a bit cheaper than the Pearl.

3. We never went to Suva. On the main island I think the only places to spend time are Pacific harbor and Rakiraki.

4. I know some people who did the white water rafting trip and they had a blast.

5. I think the best parts of Fiji are on the small, remote islands like Kandavu and away from Suva and Nadi. The people of Fiji are so kind and friendly, and they love to share their culture. Be a traveler, not a tourist, and you will have a great experience.

My wife and I are going on the Fiji Aggressor this January. We would like to spend about a week on the island before hopping on the boat. I'm looking for advice from people who have been to the island.

Is the Beqa Lagoon shark dive a must?
Where is the best place to stay in Pacific Harbor / Beqa Island?
Is it worth spending time in Suva?
How is the white water rafting trip?
Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Champ

 

[mjh]

Not much to do in Suva. People on our trip did the Bega dive and raved about it. We did one driving "cultural tour" and enjoyed it. There is a trip report, gallery and slide show at our site. Have fun...

 

[dashark]

I have to agree on Kadavu. Very remote and beautiful. The diving is fantastic, depending on where you go.
Suva is not a must.

 

[RockyHeap]

Get out of Nadi ASAP and stay out of Suva.

Done fiji 3 times in 5 years.

Upper Navua river gorge is a great rafting trip, not for the rapids, but the canyon marvels and raw jungle, its an all day trip.

Beqa is a great dive location, not just for the shark dive. But yes that is a must do. The pearl is pretty pricey, many other smaller resorts near by, or stay on Beqa island for a night or too. I really liked the feel of only 7 bures at Kulu Bay resort, much more intimate feel than Beqa Lagoon resort.

BULA, enjoy.

 

[kennedy]

We just did the Aggressor III - it was a lot of fun - We had done Fiji a few years ago and stayed at a dive resort in Kandavu - the diving we just did was a lot different. Not many walls - MANY pinnacles and a fair amount of current compared to Kandavu area - You will LOVE the crew - best of luck!

 

[Diver Dave1]

We have visited Kadavu and Taveuni, loved both for different reasons. Kadavu has essentially no roads and staying by a village with no roads allows really getting to know Fiji life and its people a bit. The diving on the windward side is great and saw Manta's performing. The leeward side diving is nice but not as noteworthy where we were.

Loved Taveuni, the diving in Somosomo strait is fantastic. Our dive guides knew the currents and tides so we had great dives each time. The great white wall is unique and I highly recommend it. Did it 2 days and was happy to do it. You can visit large water falls and drive to other locations on Taveuni. Harder to get into village life and know locals on Taveuni however. If I only had one to visit of the 2, I would pick Taveuni.

We stayed in the Matai point region which is a great place to stay. Several places to eat within walking distance. If you feel uncomfortable walking dark roads at night (no safety problems, its just really dark!) the cabs are about $1.50. Visited all the places to stay in that area and all are nice, some a bit nicer than others and the price reflects the differences. I would be happy to stay at any of them.

Visited Savu for a day and would not recommend it. Its just a large city and nothing special compared to other cities.

 

[Scuba Char]

Hi there Champ!
I got back from the Fiji Aggressor II in early October and it was AWESOME! Like all who go to Fiji, I say get out of Nadi...unless your into the more "city-ish" kind of environment. The Hindu temple is cool though.

After the Aggressor, I stayed on and did the shark dives with Beqa Adventure Divers and stayed at the Lagoon. It was empty, so kind of wierd, but nice. The dive is awesome and in Jan. you should have MANY bulls around. Andrew who manages the shop and Nani (assistant) are both wonderful. I had friends stay at the Pearl who enjoyed it, and for a more "backpacker" type experience the new "Uprising" got good reviews as well.

I heard the rafting trip on the Upper Navua was tons of fun, but there is also another really fun activity. A new Zip Line operation just opened a few minutes out of Pacific Harbor at the "Spice Farm." It is affordable with 8 different lines and is really great. The guys who owns the place is from the US and his name is Dan...super nice. It's 85FJ and you can stay for as long as you want, is totally safe and anyone can do it. Just another activity, and one that was still fun if it's raining.

Hope you enjoy it!
Charity

 

[oldsalt]

I just got back from Beqa Lagoon Resort, and included the shark dive. I am not the most traveled diver (Phillippines, Hawaii, Guam, Belize, Florida), but have accumulated about 2500 dives, mostly cold water (Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Maine). I highly recommend both the resort and the shark dive. People in my group who have hit all of the top desitnations were also pleased. The biggest negative, it is a long way away. The people at the resort made great effort to provide service.
oldsalt