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 Paradise Taveuni (PT) from March 24 to April 2, 2024. I’m a single diver/traveler. My dive buddy can only take one trip a year, so I’m on my own for my trips. I like the comforts of modern life, so my absolute must have criteria for a dive trip accommodation is A/C, 24-hour power, and hot water.
Getting There. I flew from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco on a United flight in the morning, picked up my bags, then checked into Fiji Airways for a direct overnight flight from SFO to Nadi (pronounced Nahn-dee). When I arrived in Nadi 10 ½ hours later, I picked up my bags, then checked in and boarded a domestic flight on Fiji Link to Taveuni in a prop plane. From there, I was picked up and transported by PT’s service for a 30-minute drive to the resort.
The flights went well, but we had a medical problem two hours after leaving SFO. The passenger two rows up from my seat was having seizures. His daughter was back in coach, so she was called up to render him aid. They also made an announcement if there was a doctor on the plane. There was no doctor on board. The daughter was able to get him calmed down, but it was a scary bit of time not knowing if we were turning back the flight. We arrived in Nadi with no further incidents.
Money. Only FJD is accepted in Fiji. The best place to get money is at the airport in Nadi. I have a Charles Schwab debit card, which reimburses me for any fees at the ATM. It was quick and easy, and the driver waited while I got the money. There is a 3% credit card fee everywhere in Fiji, so I got plenty of cash at that ATM. By the way, there’s no tipping in Fiji.
Baggage. Everything I read about Fiji Airways’ baggage rules can be thrown out the window. Since I had three separate flights on three airlines, my baggage rules were for the lowest allowable weight limit, which was Fiji Link, 33 pounds for checked luggage and 15 pounds for a carryon, plus a personal item. United’s allowance for coach was 50 pounds-no problem. I was in business class from SFO to Nadi, which allows 3 bags at 66 pounds each and 2 carry-ons, plus a personal item-no problem. I didn’t have anything close to that. The tricky part came to the Fiji Link flight. What they publish on the website and what a phone agent told me were completely different, so I ended up just prepaying for the extra weight to allow me 50 pounds. That’s the best way to do it because they charge a lot more at the counter.
My carryon was 25 pounds because my camera gear and the important stuff were in that bag. I knew I’d be rolling the dice. My personal item was a backpack. There were lots of people emptying out their carryon bags because they were too heavy, both in SFO and Nadi. They weighed everyone’s carryon. I think because I was in business class, they didn't weigh my carryon in SFO. When I got to Nadi, I played nice and humbly asked the agent if I could be allowed the overweight carryon since I just got off a business class flight. He made a big point that he should charge me because I was over the limit, but I was kindly persistent and he didn’t charge me for the excess weight or make me pay extra to check the carryon. Whew!!
Weather. It’s the South Pacific, so it was hot and humid. It rained nearly every day with a downpour, mostly in the overnight hours, but sometimes it started right before dinner. March to April is the tail end of the rainy season. Prior to my arrival, the previous two weeks had been very rainy and there was flooding throughout the island. Add to that the rain during my stay, and the visibility was poor. The water temps were 82-84 degrees F. There was mild to no current during the dives.
Paradise Taveuni. The grounds at PT were beautiful and everything you could imagine about a Fijian resort. Lush greens, grass, tropical plants, and stunning views. The staff was welcoming and friendly. The Fijian hospitality is genuine and after the first day, they knew me by name. Although, this is a full-service dive resort, the target demographic is divers, snorkelers, families, and kids. There were many newly-certified divers, along with inexperienced divers and those that hadn’t dived in several years. The resort was at full capacity the entire time I was there. It was a bit chaotic at times.
Wi-Fi. You get 15 minutes of free wifi each day at 1 mbps only available in the restaurant. If you want more data, the “premium” wifi for a fee is still at 1 mbps, but it’s unlimited. This is a remote island, so poor connection is expected. I have T-Mobile and I couldn’t even get a connection most of the time.
Food. French-pressed coffee, hot tea, and water are free all day long. There's a fee for iced tea, so I would order hot tea with a glass of ice. Sodas and alcohol are quite expensive, $4 for a can of Coke and $12-$15 for cocktails. Some of the food was very good and some not so good; and not so good meaning that meats would come out dry and overcooked. The portions were very big, much more food than I could eat in a meal. Fijians eat a lot of mayonnaise, both for dips and in sauces. The service was a bit slow at breakfast when all the divers are eating at once. I quickly figured out it was best to get breakfast between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. before the rush starts. Diving starts at 8 a.m.
Snacks and Extras. I had read that it was a good idea to bring your own snacks, alcohol, sodas, water, etc., because of the resort prices and lack of choices. My transport driver happily stopped at a market so I could get those things.
Safe Water. PT does not provide bottled water, not even Fiji water, which is their own country’s drinking water. I tried my best before leaving for this trip to get a clear answer from PT about how they sourced their drinking water, and the answer I got was that it was filtered. I have found in my travels that “filtered” can mean different things in different countries. So during the grocery stop, I stocked up on bottled water. Before leaving the U.S., I also purchased a LifeStraw water bottle in case I needed it. At the resort, I was shown how the water was filtered and it was perfectly acceptable. Note that you cannot drink the tap water anywhere on the grounds except from the restaurant. You can shower and brush your teeth safely with the tap water.
Meke Performance. This is a traditional Fijian dance performed by locals. Since I had never seen this before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There was one hula dancer dancing to recorded hip-hop music, not traditional Fijian music. I’ll just say it was weird.
Accommodation. PT fouled up my reservation and put me in a different room on arrival than what I booked because they oversold my room category. After three days in the substitute room, I had to then move to the other room, which meant I couldn’t really unpack everything. I made this booking one year in advance with the help of Bluewater Dive Travel, so I was surprised this happened. It was poor planning on their part. This was the start of a whole host of problems.
The accommodation has a lack of plugs. You’ll need Australian adapters. The A/C was barely able to keep up with the heat and I had to keep the bathroom door shut just to get the room cool enough to sleep at night. There are no glass windows, just screens with wooden shutters-not very energy efficient. They run off generator power 24 hours a day, and there was plenty of hot water for a shower with good water pressure. The power was lost multiple times during my stay at all hours of the day or night. I don’t know why. One of the other guests had reported that their A/C stopped working. It was not repaired for three days. Since the resort was full, there was nowhere to move them.
It bugs me when I stay someplace that the hangers don’t come off the rod, so I travel with lightweight, plastic, foldable hangers. I needed them at PT. They’ve got the kind of hangers that are attached with a solid metal ring, which make the hanger useless if you want to remove it. I like to hang things around the room to dry. Included amenities are a hair dryer and the standard toiletries, along with a coffee/tea setup and a mini fridge. In addition to the indoor shower, there is an outdoor shower with plenty of privacy. The mosquitoes are fierce. Unfortunately, I am a mosquito magnet, so I have to be smothered in insect repellent when I’m outside.
The mattresses are very old and uncomfortable, soft and soggy in the middle. Cyclone Winston hit in 2016 and wiped out PT. They rebuilt the resort, so the mattresses have not been replaced since then. Since I was in the temporary room to start, I did not unpack my blow-up camping pad. My back was sore every morning. When I was moved to the new room, I pulled the sheets back to set up the camping pad, and what I saw was a mattress that was filthy and falling apart. Thankfully, I did not get any bed bug bites.
When I brought this to the attention of the owner, she offered to give me a new mattress. When the “new” mattress was swapped out while I was diving, I came back to find what I got was another dirty mattress in the same condition. I’m attaching photos. The owner’s definition of “new” was quite different than mine. She said they don’t have “new” mattresses that are in plastic wrap in a storage area. They swap out the mattresses to air them out and they are not transported back and forth or stored with any plastic covering. They’re essentially just dragged around in the dirt and then stored uncovered.
(To be continued)
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 Paradise Taveuni (PT) from March 24 to April 2, 2024. I’m a single diver/traveler. My dive buddy can only take one trip a year, so I’m on my own for my trips. I like the comforts of modern life, so my absolute must have criteria for a dive trip accommodation is A/C, 24-hour power, and hot water.
Getting There. I flew from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco on a United flight in the morning, picked up my bags, then checked into Fiji Airways for a direct overnight flight from SFO to Nadi (pronounced Nahn-dee). When I arrived in Nadi 10 ½ hours later, I picked up my bags, then checked in and boarded a domestic flight on Fiji Link to Taveuni in a prop plane. From there, I was picked up and transported by PT’s service for a 30-minute drive to the resort.
The flights went well, but we had a medical problem two hours after leaving SFO. The passenger two rows up from my seat was having seizures. His daughter was back in coach, so she was called up to render him aid. They also made an announcement if there was a doctor on the plane. There was no doctor on board. The daughter was able to get him calmed down, but it was a scary bit of time not knowing if we were turning back the flight. We arrived in Nadi with no further incidents.
Money. Only FJD is accepted in Fiji. The best place to get money is at the airport in Nadi. I have a Charles Schwab debit card, which reimburses me for any fees at the ATM. It was quick and easy, and the driver waited while I got the money. There is a 3% credit card fee everywhere in Fiji, so I got plenty of cash at that ATM. By the way, there’s no tipping in Fiji.
Baggage. Everything I read about Fiji Airways’ baggage rules can be thrown out the window. Since I had three separate flights on three airlines, my baggage rules were for the lowest allowable weight limit, which was Fiji Link, 33 pounds for checked luggage and 15 pounds for a carryon, plus a personal item. United’s allowance for coach was 50 pounds-no problem. I was in business class from SFO to Nadi, which allows 3 bags at 66 pounds each and 2 carry-ons, plus a personal item-no problem. I didn’t have anything close to that. The tricky part came to the Fiji Link flight. What they publish on the website and what a phone agent told me were completely different, so I ended up just prepaying for the extra weight to allow me 50 pounds. That’s the best way to do it because they charge a lot more at the counter.
My carryon was 25 pounds because my camera gear and the important stuff were in that bag. I knew I’d be rolling the dice. My personal item was a backpack. There were lots of people emptying out their carryon bags because they were too heavy, both in SFO and Nadi. They weighed everyone’s carryon. I think because I was in business class, they didn't weigh my carryon in SFO. When I got to Nadi, I played nice and humbly asked the agent if I could be allowed the overweight carryon since I just got off a business class flight. He made a big point that he should charge me because I was over the limit, but I was kindly persistent and he didn’t charge me for the excess weight or make me pay extra to check the carryon. Whew!!
Weather. It’s the South Pacific, so it was hot and humid. It rained nearly every day with a downpour, mostly in the overnight hours, but sometimes it started right before dinner. March to April is the tail end of the rainy season. Prior to my arrival, the previous two weeks had been very rainy and there was flooding throughout the island. Add to that the rain during my stay, and the visibility was poor. The water temps were 82-84 degrees F. There was mild to no current during the dives.
Paradise Taveuni. The grounds at PT were beautiful and everything you could imagine about a Fijian resort. Lush greens, grass, tropical plants, and stunning views. The staff was welcoming and friendly. The Fijian hospitality is genuine and after the first day, they knew me by name. Although, this is a full-service dive resort, the target demographic is divers, snorkelers, families, and kids. There were many newly-certified divers, along with inexperienced divers and those that hadn’t dived in several years. The resort was at full capacity the entire time I was there. It was a bit chaotic at times.
Wi-Fi. You get 15 minutes of free wifi each day at 1 mbps only available in the restaurant. If you want more data, the “premium” wifi for a fee is still at 1 mbps, but it’s unlimited. This is a remote island, so poor connection is expected. I have T-Mobile and I couldn’t even get a connection most of the time.
Food. French-pressed coffee, hot tea, and water are free all day long. There's a fee for iced tea, so I would order hot tea with a glass of ice. Sodas and alcohol are quite expensive, $4 for a can of Coke and $12-$15 for cocktails. Some of the food was very good and some not so good; and not so good meaning that meats would come out dry and overcooked. The portions were very big, much more food than I could eat in a meal. Fijians eat a lot of mayonnaise, both for dips and in sauces. The service was a bit slow at breakfast when all the divers are eating at once. I quickly figured out it was best to get breakfast between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. before the rush starts. Diving starts at 8 a.m.
Snacks and Extras. I had read that it was a good idea to bring your own snacks, alcohol, sodas, water, etc., because of the resort prices and lack of choices. My transport driver happily stopped at a market so I could get those things.
Safe Water. PT does not provide bottled water, not even Fiji water, which is their own country’s drinking water. I tried my best before leaving for this trip to get a clear answer from PT about how they sourced their drinking water, and the answer I got was that it was filtered. I have found in my travels that “filtered” can mean different things in different countries. So during the grocery stop, I stocked up on bottled water. Before leaving the U.S., I also purchased a LifeStraw water bottle in case I needed it. At the resort, I was shown how the water was filtered and it was perfectly acceptable. Note that you cannot drink the tap water anywhere on the grounds except from the restaurant. You can shower and brush your teeth safely with the tap water.
Meke Performance. This is a traditional Fijian dance performed by locals. Since I had never seen this before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There was one hula dancer dancing to recorded hip-hop music, not traditional Fijian music. I’ll just say it was weird.
Accommodation. PT fouled up my reservation and put me in a different room on arrival than what I booked because they oversold my room category. After three days in the substitute room, I had to then move to the other room, which meant I couldn’t really unpack everything. I made this booking one year in advance with the help of Bluewater Dive Travel, so I was surprised this happened. It was poor planning on their part. This was the start of a whole host of problems.
The accommodation has a lack of plugs. You’ll need Australian adapters. The A/C was barely able to keep up with the heat and I had to keep the bathroom door shut just to get the room cool enough to sleep at night. There are no glass windows, just screens with wooden shutters-not very energy efficient. They run off generator power 24 hours a day, and there was plenty of hot water for a shower with good water pressure. The power was lost multiple times during my stay at all hours of the day or night. I don’t know why. One of the other guests had reported that their A/C stopped working. It was not repaired for three days. Since the resort was full, there was nowhere to move them.
It bugs me when I stay someplace that the hangers don’t come off the rod, so I travel with lightweight, plastic, foldable hangers. I needed them at PT. They’ve got the kind of hangers that are attached with a solid metal ring, which make the hanger useless if you want to remove it. I like to hang things around the room to dry. Included amenities are a hair dryer and the standard toiletries, along with a coffee/tea setup and a mini fridge. In addition to the indoor shower, there is an outdoor shower with plenty of privacy. The mosquitoes are fierce. Unfortunately, I am a mosquito magnet, so I have to be smothered in insect repellent when I’m outside.
The mattresses are very old and uncomfortable, soft and soggy in the middle. Cyclone Winston hit in 2016 and wiped out PT. They rebuilt the resort, so the mattresses have not been replaced since then. Since I was in the temporary room to start, I did not unpack my blow-up camping pad. My back was sore every morning. When I was moved to the new room, I pulled the sheets back to set up the camping pad, and what I saw was a mattress that was filthy and falling apart. Thankfully, I did not get any bed bug bites.
When I brought this to the attention of the owner, she offered to give me a new mattress. When the “new” mattress was swapped out while I was diving, I came back to find what I got was another dirty mattress in the same condition. I’m attaching photos. The owner’s definition of “new” was quite different than mine. She said they don’t have “new” mattresses that are in plastic wrap in a storage area. They swap out the mattresses to air them out and they are not transported back and forth or stored with any plastic covering. They’re essentially just dragged around in the dirt and then stored uncovered.
(To be continued)
