Taveuni

[maddmike]

What's the status of coral bleaching & general reef health at Taveuni? I've heard conflicting reports (mostly from 2001).

And unlike most divers, we're planning to stay in Matei, not at Garden Island Resort. What are the other dive operators like? (everything I've read is about Aqua-Trek.)

How big is the "town" of Matei? Easy to walk around?

 

[reubencahn]

Was in Taveuni in the summer of 2003. I was disappointed by the health of the reefs as compared with those in the Vatu-i-ra channel. Can't comment on Matei. We stayed at Taveuni Island resort.

 

[maddmike]

Was in Taveuni in the summer of 2003. I was disappointed by the health of the reefs as compared with those in the Vatu-i-ra channel. Can't comment on Matei. We stayed at Taveuni Island resort.

How was diving with Swiss Fiji Divers? Safety conscious? Good equipment (boats and rental gear)?

Seems like other people have said a lot of the hard coral is dead around Taveuni, but soft corals are OK in the Somosomo Strait. Do you agree? Is there any good snorkling at Taveuni?

 

[reubencahn]

How was diving with Swiss Fiji Divers? Safety conscious? Good equipment (boats and rental gear)?

Seems like other people have said a lot of the hard coral is dead around Taveuni, but soft corals are OK in the Somosomo Strait. Do you agree? Is there any good snorkling at Taveuni?

Swiss Fiji divemasters were very good, friendly, helpful and safety concious. In particular, Isoah is great. However, the boat was crowded carrying too many for its size and was slow. This is a problem as Swiss Fiji is fairly far from most of the dive sites. It took us nearly an hour to reach the first dive site on any given day. The hard corals are very beat up. The soft corals are decent but again not as good as the Bligh Water. We didn't do any snorkeling while we were there so I'm no sure about that but it looked as though it would have been pretty good.

All in all, if you're going primarily to dive and you can choose another option, I would.

 

[Shasta_man]

Was there in June and Swiss Fiji Divers crew were very nice. However, small boat was used which gassed us with carbon monoxide. Sit all the way in the back for the best air. Their main clientele are Europeans. It was a long trip out.

Great snorkeling in front of their place. However, most places have a low tide area where water goes down to a foot deep for part of the day.

Matei was small place with indian grocery stores. It also contains the airport so you hear planes.

It rains in Taveuni. A lot. horizontal wind driven rain for days at a time. I wouldn't plan my dream vacation there or stay for too long.

How was diving with Swiss Fiji Divers? Safety conscious? Good equipment (boats and rental gear)?

Seems like other people have said a lot of the hard coral is dead around Taveuni, but soft corals are OK in the Somosomo Strait. Do you agree? Is there any good snorkling at Taveuni?