Question Fiji October 2024 Questions

[MattPNW]

My wife, 1yr old son, and I are in the early stages of planning a trip to Fiji for 80% Diving and 20% Exploration and we’re looking for advice…the trip duration will likely be 11 days.

1. What is the diving experience for land-based dive operations? Due to having a 1yr old, liveaboards are off the table. It seems like there are regions all over Fiji for diving, but we’re looking for something spectacular, yet affordable. My wife loves the macro and I go for more of the reefs and pelagics. We’re both dive masters and are mostly in Cozumel, but have dove other places with more challenging conditions. Which regions of Fiji would you recommend and why? Are there any dive resorts that you’ve had good/bad experiences with?

2. What are the topside options? We’re both pretty fit and avid hikers and would love to see some of the topside beauty that Fiji has got to offer. Is the best choice to rent a car on the main island after flying into Nadi?

3. We will likely bring a family member with us for the babysitting while we dive. How is the safety around the various resorts/towns?

4. Any tips to keep prices down? LAX to Fiji seems to be around $1000 for the flight PP, but we’re not sure what to expect with the diving costs. Cozumel generally runs $100 for a two-tank boat trip. Is Fiji the type of place with a good mix of shore and boat dives or is it really all focused around boat diving for the good things?

Looking forward to dialog and advice! Thanks in advance.

-Matt

 

[Living4Experiences]

There are some trip reports on SB about Fiji. I was on two islands in March and April 2024, and here are my trip reports.

Trip Report - Paradise Taveuni-March/April 2024

Hi, All, A Little Background. I have been very disappointed with the condition of the Caribbean reefs, so I no longer dive there. I’m exploring my boundaries to Asia and the South Pacific, and this trip I wanted to maximize my time in that part of the world, so I started my adventures at...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - Volivoli Resort, Fiji-April 2-11, 2024

Hi, All A Little Background. With Caribbean reefs in rapid decline, I’m switching up my dive travel destinations. Living on the West Coast of the USA in Portland, Oregon, it takes less travel time to get to Fiji than it does to get to the Caribbean islands, including Mexico. This year, I’m...

scubaboard.com

To answer your questions:

1. Fiji is a unique dive destination and may not be suitable with a baby in tow. Currents can be mild to moderate. Fiji is not known for pelagics, though the occasional shark and turtles can be seen. The soft and hard corals are what you get in Fiji and plenty of critters too. I thought the diving was spectacular! I highly recommend Volivoli (VV) and I would definitely NOT recommend Paradise Taveuni (PT). (You'll see why in my trip report.) The owners are getting divorced and the resort is for sale.

2. There are activities such as hiking, waterfalls, ATVs, village visits for topside activities. I did not rent a car because I went straight to the resort to dive and took advantage of the transfer service and never left the resort. The roads can be rough at times, as maintenance seems to be a low priority.

3. Fiji is a safe country for visitors. You'll be isolated at the resort, so the babysitter won't really have anyplace to go. Just curious, if you have a family member for babysitting, why not leave the baby home with the babysitter?

4. The resorts do their pricing based on packages, which will generally include the round-trip transfers, all meals, lodging and diving. Because you're in a remote location, there are no towns or restaurants to drive to for shopping or meals, which is why you get the meals in the package. Fiji is best dived by boat, not so much for shore diving. The pricing is all based on your accommodation type and how many dives you want. At VV, the cheapest rooms are at the top of the hill and the best and most expensive units are down at the ocean front.

The big/main island of Viti Levu is a direct flight from the U.S. on Fiji Airways to Nadi (10 or so hours). From there, it's 2 1/2 hours by car to VV. I haven't stayed anywhere else. VV is a remote location, and if you need supplies, food, snacks, baby stuff, you'll have to go to Nadi. So, it's best to stock up before leaving Nadi. There are small villages and roadside stands along the way, but I wouldn't count on finding a specific item you're looking for.

Taveuni is a beautiful island but a bit of a logistical challenge to get to. Once you land in Nadi, you have to take a puddle jumper flight to the island, then get transferred by van to your resort. For me, PT was a long ride on an even worse road than in Nadi. Think of off-roading in a passenger van and arriving with whiplash.

There are many islands in Fiji for diving, but I think these are the two main ones for divers. Other islands attract nondivers who are looking for white sand beaches and romantic settings. All the other islands are only reachable by plane, as far as I know.

 

[MattPNW]

There are some trip reports on SB about Fiji. I was on two islands in March and April 2024, and here are my trip reports.

Trip Report - Paradise Taveuni-March/April 2024

Hi, All, A Little Background. I have been very disappointed with the condition of the Caribbean reefs, so I no longer dive there. I’m exploring my boundaries to Asia and the South Pacific, and this trip I wanted to maximize my time in that part of the world, so I started my adventures at...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - Volivoli Resort, Fiji-April 2-11, 2024

Hi, All A Little Background. With Caribbean reefs in rapid decline, I’m switching up my dive travel destinations. Living on the West Coast of the USA in Portland, Oregon, it takes less travel time to get to Fiji than it does to get to the Caribbean islands, including Mexico. This year, I’m...

scubaboard.com

To answer your questions:

1. Fiji is a unique dive destination and may not be suitable with a baby in tow. Currents can be mild to moderate. Fiji is not known for pelagics, though the occasional shark and turtles can be seen. The soft and hard corals are what you get in Fiji and plenty of critters too. I thought the diving was spectacular! I highly recommend Volivoli (VV) and I would definitely NOT recommend Paradise Taveuni (PT). (You'll see why in my trip report.) The owners are getting divorced and the resort is for sale.

2. There are activities such as hiking, waterfalls, ATVs, village visits for topside activities. I did not rent a car because I went straight to the resort to dive and took advantage of the transfer service and never left the resort. The roads can be rough at times, as maintenance seems to be a low priority.

3. Fiji is a safe country for visitors. You'll be isolated at the resort, so the babysitter won't really have anyplace to go. Just curious, if you have a family member for babysitting, why not leave the baby home with the babysitter?

4. The resorts do their pricing based on packages, which will generally include the round-trip transfers, all meals, lodging and diving. Because you're in a remote location, there are no towns or restaurants to drive to for shopping or meals, which is why you get the meals in the package. Fiji is best dived by boat, not so much for shore diving. The pricing is all based on your accommodation type and how many dives you want. At VV, the cheapest rooms are at the top of the hill and the best and most expensive units are down at the ocean front.

The big/main island of Viti Levu is a direct flight from the U.S. on Fiji Airways to Nadi (10 or so hours). From there, it's 2 1/2 hours by car to VV. I haven't stayed anywhere else. VV is a remote location, and if you need supplies, food, snacks, baby stuff, you'll have to go to Nadi. So, it's best to stock up before leaving Nadi. There are small villages and roadside stands along the way, but I wouldn't count on finding a specific item you're looking for.

Taveuni is a beautiful island but a bit of a logistical challenge to get to. Once you land in Nadi, you have to take a puddle jumper flight to the island, then get transferred by van to your resort. For me, PT was a long ride on an even worse road than in Nadi. Think of off-roading in a passenger van and arriving with whiplash.

There are many islands in Fiji for diving, but I think these are the two main ones for divers. Other islands attract nondivers who are looking for white sand beaches and romantic settings. All the other islands are only reachable by plane, as far as I know.

Thanks for the reply! I read both of your trip reports and thank you for sharing that level of detail. VV is definitely what we're leaning towards. We're bring the baby as mom is not quite ready to leave him at home.

You mention that VV is remote. What sort of top side options are there around the area if we were to take advantage of the shuttle as you did, and not have a rental car? I've not done many tropical volcanic islands, but Kauai comes to mind with my questions here. Part of the island has loads of waterfalls, some has huge ridges, another has great canyons, and then some of the island is home to nothing but lush rainforests. Is Fiji's main island broken up like that or would we have plenty of options within an hour of VV resort? Waterfalls, ATVing, Hikes, other villages, etc.

How was the shore diving at VV? You mention that PT had better shore diving and that VV wasn't great, but is it something that would be worth doing at all or is it just sand?

 

[Living4Experiences]

VV has a comprehensive website, and here's a link to their activities & tours without renting a car. Soni's Inland Tours | Volivoli Beach Resort
Soni is their onsite tour guide, a really nice gentleman, as are all Fijians.

The shore diving is not worth the trouble. It's just a sandy area and there's really nothing to see. I didn't personally do it, but when I asked other divers that did it, they said not to bother.

If you're going for 11 days, remember it takes two calendar days to get there due to crossing the international dateline. VV tends to book out months in advance, so keep that in mind if you're looking to book now. Audrey is their reservations agent, res@volivoli.com, and she can put a package together for you.

 

[runsongas]

Fiji doesn't have the same level of macro as Indo/PI or even Palau, but it has a enough to keep dives interesting if the right sites are chosen. Bligh water from Voli voli should keep you pretty happy for pelagics and reef coverage but its weather dependent.

packages generally are cheaper if you want to do 8+ dives per week, but you can always opt paying daily for a 2 tank boat trip too. expect prices to be around 80 dollars per dive with gear rental with a surcharge for longer range sites.

topside, the main island has a bit more to do with hikes/atv riding/etc. and fiji overall is quite safe, outside of maybe the bar district in nadi where a few drunken fights might break out.

I would avoid BLR, it is popular for organized dive shop trips, but is not a good resort choice for Fiji

 

[Alison in Fiji]

Fiji does have macro but yes - its nowhere near the same amount as Indonesia or the Philippines. Plus - the wide angles are so immense and beautiful that I don't think that many divers spend time looking for macro life.
In terms of the most wow factor in Fiji - I'm an underwater photographer who lives in Fiji - I would say Bligh Water and Namena have the most wow. The White Wall and Jerry's Jelly on Rainbow Reef are also very pretty. For Bligh that means diving at Volivoli Beach Resort at the moment - although Wananavu is being rebuilt after it was sold during Covid. Namena Eco Resort should also come back on stream soon too. Beqa Lagoon diving is mainly about the sharks - the reefs are not as spectacular as the other areas.

Attached is a Fiji dive guide which might help divers on here with queries about where to dive.

https://www.waterlustfiji.com/guide-to-fiji-diving