Trip Report: Beqa Lagoon Resort

[minamin13]

We recently returned from our honeymoon in Fiji. It was our first time travelling to the South Pacific, and I'm excited to share my impressions, particularly of the diving. We had never scuba dived anywhere in the South Pacific so it was interesting to compare the diving experience with the California and Caribbean diving that we are accustomed to. A word of warning: this trip report is full of detailed fish descriptions, armchair science, vast generalizations and way more adjectives than you can shake a stick at.

Trip Report:
Mina's Dive Blog, Life Blog and Travel Blog: Fiji Overview from a South Pacific Newbie

Pictures:
Picasa Web Albums - minadivelife - Fiji Honeymoo...

All pictures were shot with a Canon SD1200 with its internal flash, no external strobes.

 

[robint]

thanks for the trip report! sounds like you had a great time.

 

[1davey]

We are going in July. I read else where that it should be less rain, dryer. Thus better vis. Hope it is true. Did a shark dive in Costa Rica. Bull sharks. One the way back saw a school of about 500 Mobular Rays! It was unbeleaveable. Can't wait to do Bequa's.

 

[MOWI]

Great report, Mina. We were at Beqa last November, and the visibility was much better than what you experienced.

We loved Beqa & Fiji.

A couple of additional comments:

* Our group had an epidemic of equipment failures. Luckily, we were diving with the shop and they had brought a bunch of spares. Bring your own, don't count on spares, rental or repair at Beqa.
* Women will want to throw a below-the-knee wrap skirt into your suitcase for culture-appropriate modesty when visiting the villages. A backup is that they sell a ton of sarongs in the gift shop -- instant midi skirt over your shorts.
* The native guides handle/touch the wildlife a lot. This is OK, it's their territory and it is abundantly clear they are wonderful stewards of it. Just not an example to apply elsewhere!
* Brushing up buoyancy skills will be well rewarded in Fiji. There's nothing better than floating along just above a shallow reef top.

 

[MOWI]

PS, we didn't find the fish at all skittish. Not sure why the difference.