Who's been to Fiji? Advice needed

[Papa_Bear]

Beqa Island is the 14th largest inside the largest Lagoon Reef in the Area of the South Pacific! It has Nine Villages and four resorts, Beqa Lagoon being the largest, Ratu Cala in Raukua is the island Ratu like his brother Kinney who just passed on in 2006! It is the Home of Fire Walking and all Fire Walkers must get permission from Beqa to walk on fire! The resort was Rodel's Number one Dive Resort in 2001!

And all the Dive Masters there us Reed's Rods!

Pictures and video here:Two Tanked Productions HD & SD Underwater Productions and video services

 

[Wiggsy]

Hey - for both diving and surfing, you must consider Beqa Lagoon Resort - as they do the diving brilliantly and manage the surf pretty well (though it is not a surf resort). There is a small backpacker surf resort just off Beqa called Batiluva on Yanuca. We had kids have the best dives of their lives and then the next day surfing 6 foot tubes at Frigates from the Beqa boat. And the diving/surfing costs the same and is about 1/4 the coast of the other resorts nearby that also surf Frigates.
Another interesting is to go down to Kadavu - dive based at Matana or Matava Resort - then transfer to Nagigia Island resort which has a break at King Kong Left...see Fiji Surfing Resort and Fiji Surf Camp - Nagigia Island Index for details. This is the most amazingly beautiful place I have ever seen and offers brilliant surfing; great snorkelling and light game fishing. But few resorts do both diving and surfing in Fiji.

 

[BlueDevil]

Anyway, I absolutely loved this place!!!

The owners, Rena & Bob were only there for 2 days before leaving for 1 month back in Australia, where they're from. Rena is a HOOT!!!! Not sure how old, maybe 70s (sorry if you're reading & I'm wrong!), but warm, outspoken and funny as hell. Bob, more soft spoken, often takes the brunt of her jokes or gives up a few leg hairs (with a smile). Both are extremely friendly and I was sorry not to spend more time with them.

But no fear, the two managers, Mere & David, made us feel just as welcome. Mere is a Fijian native from a smaller island to the East & David is Australian with a thick accent that I often had trouble understanding but with a great sense of humor. They are husband and wife. Mere just has a wonderful personality! I couldn't help but give her a HUGE hug when leaving.

The food was very good, with lots of variety and delicious desserts. And at no time was I hungry. You choose your meals at breakfast. Normally you choose between two things each for lunch and dinner. Could be a problem if you're a picky eater. None of us are. I almost always went for the fish. Vegetables are locally grown.

But it is certainly worth repeating. I'm still missing it big time.

Isn't it interesting how different people can have very different perceptions of the same thing? I stayed at Dive Kadavu (Matana) about 3 years ago and have vowed never to go back unless there is a change of ownership. I have stayed at eight different resorts in Fiji and Vanuatu and this was by far the worst! From the description above it does sound like things must have improved since we were there (I hope so!) and I don't want to be unfair to them if that is the case. However our experience was so vastly different you would think it was a different resort.

Before I go on though I must say the diving was excellent. The soft corals were amongst the best I have seen and if you exclude specific shark feed dives I saw more sharks on the dives over there than I have previously encountered elswhere. So I would highly recommend the diving itself, and the dive operators generally did a very good job. And Joeli the dive master was an absolute gem, worth his weight in gold! I think he is the resorts biggest asset.

As for the resort itself we found it very neglected and run down. For example lots of cracked tiles in the bathroom and generally an 'unfinished' or 'makeshift repairs' look to many aspects of the carpentry in the rooms. I am sure it probably looked good when it was built but it is crying out for some decent renovation (unless this has been done since I was last there!)

We found the hospitality skills of the owners (Bob and Rena) to be pretty much non-existant. Rena never introduced herself to me the whole time we were there and I was probably lucky to get more than a few words out of her. She spent most of her time playing cards on the computer (when she wasn't complaining that the kids were making too much noise). Bob was more approachable but still didn't come across with the warmth that I would expect of someone running a resort (and presumably hoping people would want to make a return visit in the future).

The food was very poor in general. We had a large group of 30+ and of course divers get pretty hungry. At times though the amount of food was quite inadequate and we even had the situation of people arriving a bit late to find that virtually all the food was gone. The quality of the food was pretty poor too and the lovo feast was a disgrace (a lot of the food was almost inedible, especially the rooster which was tougher than leather - my daughter threw up after this meal!) there was also a lack of fresh fruit most of the time - we didn't see a banana the whole time we were there (yes true - no bananas in a Fijian resort!)

They also seemed quite money hungry and were keen to make some extra dollars out of us whenever possible. They wanted exorbitant amounts for simple things such as a boat snorkelling trip and were very reluctant to negotiate a fair deal. I say this in the context of travelling frequently with a group of around 30 people and finding resort managers will do just about anything to provide the best value they can in order to lure us back the next year. The story quoted about them not doing a deal on the 7 night stay sounds very typical.

I do hope that things have improved there. I don't remember the managers mentioned above (Mere and David) so maybe they are new and are running the place much better??!! I would love to hear that they have fully renovated the place and that new owners had taken over the place. If that is ever the case I would love to return because it is a beautiful location with great diving. The cultural experience of the local village and school were also really good. But until I hear that everything has improved hugely I sadly could not return. I may add that my view of the resort was in line with the other 30 or so people that I was with - no one was impressed.

If all the issues I have mentioned have been addressed then I apologise and take it all back!

 

[Papa_Bear]

Frigates Pass is the Pipe Line of the Pacific with a Goofy Foot double overhead!
Frigates in the background at Surf Zone:

 

[bobbieg]

I have made in excess of 40 dive trips to Fiji encompassing all diving regions. The BEST by far in terms of diving quality and cultural encounters is the island of Taveuni. The reefs & dropoffs there rank among the best int he world. There are several local dive operators and some provide the utmost in personalized service as they take only 6 divers daily on their boats ... so no crowds. For accommodations the best dollar value would be to rent a beachfront cottage. Just search fiji rental accommodations on the www.

 

[borisphotosafari]

I spent 8 weeks in Fiji and Solomon Islands last Oct, Nov. I went for a lot of diving and did over a 100 dives there.

Not to be missed is Pacific Harbor, shark feed with Beqa Adventure Divers was awesome. We didn't see the Tiger shark but the action was great. I did 3 shark dives and 2 days of reef diving. Reef was OK, I had it all to myself. Uprising backpackers looked nice, but I didn't stay there, just had dinner there once.

Kadavu, I stayed at Waisilima Resort. Peaceful, great place, great staff, really remote, good diving, best hard coral I ever have seen. Home made deserts made my stay there unforgetable.

Nai'a liveaboard trip was good, lots of diving in a lot of places. Great boat, great crew.

Taveuni, Garden Island resort was good, diving was good, great dive shop staff. Hiking around to the water falls and waterslide, time zone line. Watch out the waterslide can hurt.

For the non diver, Octopus Resort was great, I spent 5 days there at the end of my trip and didn't dive there, I was dived out. I didn't want to leave the resort. The beach was great. Just the atmosphere there was very positive. Don't miss the church visit on Sunday, the singing was great, not the pastor.

Have fun, Fiji is a special place, the Fijians make it special.

 

[Hoomi]

Interesting reading... when I visited the Dive Shop yesterday to look into lessons, they had a Beqa Island Fiji excursion taking bookings for February 2010, which just happens to be our 30th Wedding Anniversary. $2599 per person, including round-trip airfare, lodging, meals, taxes, and dives.

We're just a bit hesitant on committing that kind of money to something, but with 18 months to pay ahead on it, we could plan it and pay before we go, rather than charging the cost to one of the credit cards.

We both want to learn to dive, and that would give us 18 months for lessons and experience before what should be a very memorable trip for a milestone anniversary...

Oh, so tempting...

 

[Travelnsj]

I spent 8 weeks in Fiji and Solomon Islands last Oct, Nov. I went for a lot of diving and did over a 100 dives there.

How was the diving in the Solomons? I've been looking to go but when I heard they have commercial fishing like Malaysia I canceled the trip, basically due to the lack of Marine life I've seen at the Malaysia locations I've been too.....any info is appreciated.

 

[ScubaYakker]

Finally had time to fill you in on the BIG TRIP! Spent 2 1/2 weeks in Fiji, traveled to the Mamanucas, Kadavu and Pacific Harbor. I made some absolutely fantastic discoveries. On Kadavu, aside from the Matana Beach Resort/Dive Kadavu and Papageno Resorts, there is a moderately priced, eco-friendly property called Matava Resort. Matava is located just minutes from the Astrolabe Reef, and boasts some of the most spectacular diving that I have seen in Fiji. The owners are putting great effort into the property: new main and upscale bures make this Resort a very special place.

Two properties in Pacific Harbor really stand out; Waidroka Bay Surf & Dive Resort, and Uprising Resort. Waidroka is probably the only dive-oriented property that accesses the same dive sites as the Beqa Island-based properties. Easy to get to, access to lots of land based activities once you are there make this a get Resort for Divers with non-diving partners. As given in the name, Waidroka is also a great surf resort, with access to surf Frigates Passage.

A previous post mentions the shark diving available out of Pacific Harbor. Uprising Resort gives access to both operators who do the shark dives. Uprising advertises themselves as a 'flashpacker' property, but that moniker does not do the Resort justice. There is a dormitory, but the bures on the beach are all stand-alone, with outdoor showers and are spacious to spead out dive/camera gear.

I believe that these upcoming dive resorts are going to be the new 'best-values' in Fiji. If you'd like any more info on these or other South Pacific dive properties please feel free to contact us.

Always Follow the Bubbles
Mark Augustine
Owner/Managing Director

Dolphin Destiny Adventures
Exotic Aquatic-based Adventures -
On, In and Under the Oceans of the World

9844 Township Rd.
Browns Valley, CA 95918
Email: dolphinadventures2004@yahoo.com
Ph (530) 749-2066
(530) 749-2066 Office
(530) 749-2086 Fax
(877) U-GO-DIVE Toll Free

CST#2057247-40

 

[TheUWPhotographer.com]

I produced two CD ROMs about the Fiji Islands and have been there seven times over the years. I had the opportunity to visit 24 different resorts & hotels and three different live-aboards. Here's what I learned...

Soft coral gardens are not found everywhere in Fiji, even though some areas claim to be loaded with it and often times use soft coral photos from other areas of Fiji to advertise in their brochures and websites. I had heard so much hype about the "soft coral capital of the world" I was very disappointed when I got there until I actually found the best diving.

The time of year you choose to visit has a big effect on water temps and visibility. Warm water means reduced vis. You'll get the best vis in July and August, but the water is colder. Because you're also looking for surfing, you're going to give up some of the best diving in Fiji. The best surfing and best diving are not side-by-side.

Be careful about what resort you pick. They cater to different markets (honeymoon, surfers, families with hoards of screaming kids, gay & lesbian, singles, backpackers, celebrities & the super rich, diving, corporate, large groups, spring-breakers, and more). Also note that just because its a "dive" resort, this doesn't mean its in the best diving area. Some small resorts are family owned, so you're going to get in the middle of "the family" whether you like it or not. Some of the resorts are simple breathtaking, with gourmet food all the way. Others are very rough and rugged.

Take what your travel agent tells you with a grain of salt. Talk to more than one. They sell the resorts they are affiliated with and collect the commission from and I found that I got the most incorrect info from agents (sorry to you agents, but I'm just telling it like I experienced it, and still do today).

I had heard a lot of hype about the diving around Matangi, Qamea, Taveuni, and the Somosomo Straight (great white wall), but I was disappointed. Lots of dead coral rubble and soft coral areas were few and far between. There was also a lot of current. What soft coral I found was small and in small patches. Nothing compared to other areas.

Beqa diving was OK, but not outstanding. I wouldn't travel all the way to Fiji to dive only there. I've heard great things about the shark dives they do in that area, but never did it myself. This area might be your best bet for both surfing and diving.

Nadi, Suva, Coral Coast, etc. - not great for diving. Lots of big resorts, some "Club Med" style.

Yasawas are great if you want the most beautiful white sandy beaches, but the diving isn't that great. Resorts range from super five-star to backpacker.

Mamanucas is pretty good for hard coral, but soft coral is not as abundant. I did see much nicer hard coral gardens than I expected after the coral bleaching they had some years back. Not all resorts have good dive ops or staff that knows what they are doing.

Kadavu - resorts are not terribly luxurious, food and diving is mediocre.

Lau - some nice diving, but hard to get to.

The BEST diving in Fiji is found by live-aboard or long boat trips. The Vatu-i-ra pass in the Bligh Channel is by far the best place to dive in Fiji. You can get there by live-aboard or from Wananavu Resort with Kai Viti Divers. I suspect that the dive op at Koro Sun Resort on Vanua Levu might also go there. Another area that is amazing is around Namena. Nai'a took us to a place they called "Kansas", which was amazing. Both areas have a lot of current, but seeing soft coral gardens as far as the eye can see is worth it. Koro Sun Resort is much nicer than Wananavu, but getting there by plane adds its challenges. Both the dive ops at Koro Sun and Kai Viti were the best in Fiji. Castaway Island also has nice boats and a top notch operation, but has lots of kids too and is kind of pricey.

My advice you be to talk to a lot of people who have been to different areas and ask specifically for what you want when you talk to a travel agent.

No matter where you go in Fiji, you are going to LOVE the people. The minute you step food on their island, you become part of the family and leaving is very, very hard. They sing Isa Lei to you when you leave and definitely capture a piece of your heart. Your trip to Fiji will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.

Good luck in your decision.