fiji/vanuatu diving
- Thread starter mimmies11
- Start date
Fiji
Fiji
Hi,
I've been to Fiji twice and I'm returning this summer for 2 weeks. Truly great diving experiences in Kadavu and around Taveuni/Qamea/Laucala. This summer I'm exploring Beqa and Vanua Levu.
Like all dive locations, there are high current sites and low current sites. Your husband can tell the dive master exactly what type of conditions he is comfortable with. Unless he's getting certified in a high current area, high currents are no big deal. All you do is ride the current.
Researching Fiji, you'll discover it's a large island country with many locations to choose from. If you're looking for beautiful, incredible sps coral reefs, I suggest Kadavu. The Astrolabe Reef does not offer great clarity, but the reefs are truly amazing. Huge manta rays also visit this reef complex and some dive operations offer "manta ray" dives. Compared to the rest of Fiji, the resorts on Kadavu are cheap. Does the low price change the quality of your stay? Hmmm... somewhat. You will still get the great Fijian service, but your food and bed/cabin(bure) experience will be less luxurious. Kadavu is far-off the beaten tourist track and it shows. A departing tourist I encountered upon landing on Kadavu stated, "Welcome to nowhere." Truer words were never spoken.
If you want to PARTY and mingle with other tourists (mostly from New Zealand and Australia), I suggest the Mamanucas. There are quite a few resorts here that range from cheap to expensive. The diving here, from what I hear, is just so-so. Again, you don't go to the Mamanucas for the diving . . .
The Yasawas, like the Mamanucas, provide mediocre diving experiences. The Yasawas' resorts are of two types: backpacker and crazy expensive. The Yasawas claim to fame are their beautiful white sand beaches and beautiful sapphire water.
Viti Levu (the island your international flight lands on) is a huge island with reefs that touch the beach and are exposed at low tide. While it's a great place to collect "live rock" for the aquarium trade, I would not suggest it as a dive location. It may be good in a hundred years however if sea levels rise and submerge the reefs . . .
Beqa Island and the resorts around Beqa (Pacific Harbor) surround the Beqa reef complex just south of Viti Levu. This is my next destination, so I can't yet speak to the nature of the reefs or the diving experience. In Beqa, I'll be staying at Beqa Island Resort. It's moderately priced as far as Fijian resorts go and it looks very nice. If you're interested in trying out a shark dive, the dive operators around Beqa/Pacific Harbor offer a dive that includes black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, gray reef sharks, bull sharks, and a tiger shark (and a few others I can't remember). Yes, bulls and a tiger . . .
Vanua Levu is an island north of Viti Levu that offers great resorts, hotels, and great diving. There are great dive sites very close to Savusavu (the main tourist hub on Vanua Levu), but the premier dive location the dive operators go to is the Namenalala reef system. I'll be diving this site this summer as well. If you want to be at the center of the Namenalala reefs, stay in the center at Moody's (with the boobie birds). Someday I hope to try Moody's, but as it is a no-kids location, I chose the Cousteau Resort for this coming vacation instead.
Taveuni is a veritable "garden island." Lush, wet, humid, beautiful vegetation and INCREDIBLE DIVING. The Somosomo Straits are out of this world amazing. Located between Vanua Levu and Taveuni, the Straits are really only accessible from Taveuni dive operators or from Matangi. The Straits are high current dives, but like I stated above, easily accomplished by novices (if they don't mind flying over the reefscape). The anthias and chromis, by the MILLIONS, pulse in and out of the hard and soft corals. The beauty and spectacle take your breath away.
Taveuni's accommodations range from travellodge-esque (Garden Island Resort) to 5-star. A Lonely Planet guide or the internet are adequate sources of information. I've stayed at Matangi Island Resort 2 times while in this area and I've been VERY PLEASED with the resort and the dive operator. Matangi's dive masters will take you out to Motualevu (if you do an internet search on Motualevu, you'll get a dive report with pictures that I wrote a while back) as well as Somosomo Straits.
Best of luck planning your trip!
Regards,
Scott
Fiji
Hi,
I've been to Fiji twice and I'm returning this summer for 2 weeks. Truly great diving experiences in Kadavu and around Taveuni/Qamea/Laucala. This summer I'm exploring Beqa and Vanua Levu.
Like all dive locations, there are high current sites and low current sites. Your husband can tell the dive master exactly what type of conditions he is comfortable with. Unless he's getting certified in a high current area, high currents are no big deal. All you do is ride the current.
Researching Fiji, you'll discover it's a large island country with many locations to choose from. If you're looking for beautiful, incredible sps coral reefs, I suggest Kadavu. The Astrolabe Reef does not offer great clarity, but the reefs are truly amazing. Huge manta rays also visit this reef complex and some dive operations offer "manta ray" dives. Compared to the rest of Fiji, the resorts on Kadavu are cheap. Does the low price change the quality of your stay? Hmmm... somewhat. You will still get the great Fijian service, but your food and bed/cabin(bure) experience will be less luxurious. Kadavu is far-off the beaten tourist track and it shows. A departing tourist I encountered upon landing on Kadavu stated, "Welcome to nowhere." Truer words were never spoken.
If you want to PARTY and mingle with other tourists (mostly from New Zealand and Australia), I suggest the Mamanucas. There are quite a few resorts here that range from cheap to expensive. The diving here, from what I hear, is just so-so. Again, you don't go to the Mamanucas for the diving . . .
The Yasawas, like the Mamanucas, provide mediocre diving experiences. The Yasawas' resorts are of two types: backpacker and crazy expensive. The Yasawas claim to fame are their beautiful white sand beaches and beautiful sapphire water.
Viti Levu (the island your international flight lands on) is a huge island with reefs that touch the beach and are exposed at low tide. While it's a great place to collect "live rock" for the aquarium trade, I would not suggest it as a dive location. It may be good in a hundred years however if sea levels rise and submerge the reefs . . .
Beqa Island and the resorts around Beqa (Pacific Harbor) surround the Beqa reef complex just south of Viti Levu. This is my next destination, so I can't yet speak to the nature of the reefs or the diving experience. In Beqa, I'll be staying at Beqa Island Resort. It's moderately priced as far as Fijian resorts go and it looks very nice. If you're interested in trying out a shark dive, the dive operators around Beqa/Pacific Harbor offer a dive that includes black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, gray reef sharks, bull sharks, and a tiger shark (and a few others I can't remember). Yes, bulls and a tiger . . .
Vanua Levu is an island north of Viti Levu that offers great resorts, hotels, and great diving. There are great dive sites very close to Savusavu (the main tourist hub on Vanua Levu), but the premier dive location the dive operators go to is the Namenalala reef system. I'll be diving this site this summer as well. If you want to be at the center of the Namenalala reefs, stay in the center at Moody's (with the boobie birds). Someday I hope to try Moody's, but as it is a no-kids location, I chose the Cousteau Resort for this coming vacation instead.
Taveuni is a veritable "garden island." Lush, wet, humid, beautiful vegetation and INCREDIBLE DIVING. The Somosomo Straits are out of this world amazing. Located between Vanua Levu and Taveuni, the Straits are really only accessible from Taveuni dive operators or from Matangi. The Straits are high current dives, but like I stated above, easily accomplished by novices (if they don't mind flying over the reefscape). The anthias and chromis, by the MILLIONS, pulse in and out of the hard and soft corals. The beauty and spectacle take your breath away.
Taveuni's accommodations range from travellodge-esque (Garden Island Resort) to 5-star. A Lonely Planet guide or the internet are adequate sources of information. I've stayed at Matangi Island Resort 2 times while in this area and I've been VERY PLEASED with the resort and the dive operator. Matangi's dive masters will take you out to Motualevu (if you do an internet search on Motualevu, you'll get a dive report with pictures that I wrote a while back) as well as Somosomo Straits.
Best of luck planning your trip!
Regards,
Scott
rmougey
Chair, MACNA 2014
Can't add much to the review of Fiji, good information above. You might want to consider one of the live aboard dive boats there if you want to venture out a bit. Both Naia and Aggressor offer nice itineraries. I've been on Naia several times in Fiji, it's always a treat.
As for Vanuatu, I've been diving there twice, about 3 years apart. Similar to Fiji, but significantly larger hard coral (acropora) growths. There is a great, easily accessed wreck in Santo, the SS Coolidge. Excellent fish life and good underwater vistas.
Vanuatu is the only place that I have regularly encountered Nautilus underwater, at night.
If you go to Vanuatu, you can easily combine land tours and diving. Some of the outer islands are quite fascinating. Local village visits are a must!
-Rob
As for Vanuatu, I've been diving there twice, about 3 years apart. Similar to Fiji, but significantly larger hard coral (acropora) growths. There is a great, easily accessed wreck in Santo, the SS Coolidge. Excellent fish life and good underwater vistas.
Vanuatu is the only place that I have regularly encountered Nautilus underwater, at night.
If you go to Vanuatu, you can easily combine land tours and diving. Some of the outer islands are quite fascinating. Local village visits are a must!
-Rob
