Help with Fiji

[nclspin]

Hello, i would like to ask for help in our trip to Fiji.
We will spend 14 days in July, the idea is to go first 4 days to Nananuira Island but we don't know what to do next. We tried to get information from Ovalau but apparently there is not dive operator over there anymore.
We want to avoid shark feeding dives (moral issue) and the option what we were thinking is to go to Taveuni. Is a good idea to be based in Savu Savu and to go diving around?, doing somedays from there and going anothers to Taveuni to spend the day (is that possible?)
Somebody knows the schedule for the boats to Vanua Levu from Natovi Landing, Suva y Raki Raki?, and to come back?
Somebody can reccomend us a good place for small creatures?

Regards and thank you very much

 

[farsidefan1]

I like the Taveuni but for more than a day. Taveuni has some of the best diving in Fiji. Especially in the somosomo strait. You already know about the soft coral but plenty of nudis and other macro stuff as well. Paradise has a very nice house reef on Taveuni so you can poke around it to your hearts content.

 

[JMorben]

I highly recommend Nakia on Taveuni. Taveuni Ocean Sports is the best dive operator you will find anywhere. Plus they are located just minutes from the best dive sites. Email me if you have any questions. We spent 10 days at Nakia over Christmas 2010 and 2011.

 

[fiji_diver]

Hi
Lots of questions....
Taveuni diving especially in the Somosomo strait is fabulous. Loads of accommodation options 5* and down. Garden Island resorts is popular with divers 4* type and Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat is great for the more budget minded. If you stay in Savusavu, it is hard to dive Taveuni on a regular basis. The 2 operators that have decent boats, Cousteau and Koro Sun only occasionally go there, but you do have a good chance of diving the Namena Marine reserve, which is also a highlight of Fiji dives.

I suggest this.

Go from Rakiraki to Natovi and get the ferry to Savusavu with Bligh Water Shipping. Now their schedule is not set in stone and it varies so you will need to check with them directly. If you let me know the dates, I can pop into their office and check.

Stay in Savusavu for 3 days and dive with one of the operators there, check they are planning on diving Namena, then continue on to Taveuni - take the scenic route on the Grace bus / ferry - which is cool. You would need to book this when you are in Savusavu as they are not easy to contact, but a reliable service nonetheless. Or there are a couple of large ferries that stop at Savusavu en-route to Taveuni - usually very early in the morning.

Stay on Taveuni for the rest of your stay and fly back to Nadi, or ferry to Suva and get a bus / taxi to Nadi (3 1/2 hour trip)

I hope that helps a bit.

Let me know if you would like anymore detailed info.

Cheers
Greg

p.s. The shark feeding is not so terrible, and has a positive effect on shark numbers, reef ecology and local communities. Of course there are other views but these dives are not the caged, adrenaline rush seen on TV but a far more gentle experience.

 

[nclspin]

Thank you very much to everybody for your replies. I guess we will go to Dolphin Bay Divers to spend the rest of our days over there. We were intending to spend 2 or 3 days in Savu Savu but is really hard to get a reply from the dive operators over there, i dont know if is because is low season or is just problems with internet. The information that we got from those dive operators is not really good and i guess we will stay all the time with Dolphin. Somebody can tell us something about that place? About the shark dives i went into that conversation a lot of times, about the good things and the bad things,From my view point i saw the impact in the behavior of Turtles, Tropical Rays and Sharks and i cannot cooperate with that, even if i know that as human beings we are taking care of the things if we see money involve. i can understand the good aspects but for me are weighting more the bads, is all about where each one is drawing the line. Thank you again for everybody

 

[beaverdivers]

Bula,

Have FUN in Fiji. Sounds like you have a plan!

Where are you located in the Solomons?

 

[nclspin]

Thank you Beaver Diver, we will try it.

Im in Gizo Island

Regards

 

[nclspin]

Hello again, im not really sure finally about the dive operator. Somebody knows something about Taveuni Dive? is normal to be paying 400 FJD for a transfer round trip from taveuni to dolphin bay divers for 4 persons?, i think is really expensive....
Maybe the plan is changing to use one of the operators in Taveuni, and as far as i can see Taveuni Dive is the best located but is really hard to find information for accomodations around if is not in resort, somebody can recomend us a nice and cheap place around?
Thank you very much in advance and to all the people who reply me before, especially you Fiji_diver, thank you for all your information

 

[feitr]

I spent 9 nights at dolphin bay divers. Transfers shouldn't cost that much - they take the dive boat over from the resort and pick you up, ie. it costs them no more to transfer 4 people as it does to transfer 1 person. If they quoted you that (presumably paying full price for each person) then just ask to get it cheaper and say it is putting you off (i am 99% sure if you point out you are unhappy with the transfer cost they will put it down and you are right that there is no way you should pay this much - just point out the fact that it doesn't cost them anymore to pick up 4 than it does 1). Dolphin bay has a perfect location (imo) but it is definitely a more bare bones outfit as compared to a 5* resort. If you are in a bure you will have a small hand shower with cold water (has a small gas heater but they were in a drought and turned them off apparently to discourage long showers), small room (mine didn't have a fan, some might not sure), solar lights. But everything is clean and nicely presented. The home beach is very beautiful and the snorkeling/shore dive is actually ok (nothing compared to somosomo but worth a shore dive and maybe a night dive also). Also dolphin bay is actually closer to the dive sites than the taveuni operators. If you want to be pampered then spend more money and go with a star resort - if you want relax in an isolated spot and aren't too fussed with hot showers, etc. then dolphin bay is a good option imo and it is pretty easy to get over to taveuni and do the coastal walk/whatever else you want to do.

 

[Blighbaby]

where are you staying on nananuira and who are you diving with?