Papa_Bear
Contributor
A Lovo!
1st trip to Fiji and Australia - a few questions....
- Thread starter cawhite
- Start date
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Wow, Papa Bear... sounds like a really good time. I was thinking we'd be stuck at the resort most of the time. We'd love the village visits, but don't you have know someone to introduce you in order to get invited to the villages?? What kinds of things did the kids at the school like best to receive?
Carole
Carole
OK... everyone.... we took the plunge. We booked our reservation at Coconut Grove on Taveuni. Wanting to fly to an outer island (vs. driving and a boat ride) was part of the factor... and a couple more recommendations on Trip Advisor for Coconut Grove. So I'll report back after we return.
Now the next question... when should we purchase our Nadi - Taveuni flights on Pacific Air? The flights right now are a good price ($300 FJD R/T per person). I'd prefer to wait until early '09 (assuming the exchange rate stays favorable) since we just put a few deposits down on this trip, the holidays are coming up, etc. Right now we're a little more than 7 months from our trip. How long is it safe to wait?
Now the next question... when should we purchase our Nadi - Taveuni flights on Pacific Air? The flights right now are a good price ($300 FJD R/T per person). I'd prefer to wait until early '09 (assuming the exchange rate stays favorable) since we just put a few deposits down on this trip, the holidays are coming up, etc. Right now we're a little more than 7 months from our trip. How long is it safe to wait?
Papa_Bear
Contributor
Good luck you will have a great time! You should always book your air with the resort because it is supplemented by the government airlines! If you book on your own you will have to pay a steep fee for baggage to and from Nandi, but booked through the resort they fly your gear to and from the destination at no additional charge! So be sure to check your allowances for bags and wight! Have fun, I will have 08 Beqa pictures up mid December!
Shasta_man
Contributor
Good luck on your trip, cawhite! Hope the trip works out well. Fiji time, Fiji time. Translated that means just relax and you'll get there and it'll work out. 
I did finally get a few shots posted in my gallery:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=16894
First shot is what we saw most of the time. Storming. You can see the extent of the tidal zone in this photo.
Second shot is how beautiful it can look. You see how high the tide is here. Note the dog footprints in the sand.
Third shot is example of what you could see of Vanua Levu as we flew along it to Savusavu.
Fourth shot is midday tide out. I'm standing in the tidal area, up to mid shin or less out to the top of the shot where it gets deep. Getting into deeper area is tough due to lots of coral and not enough water. When tide is in, it's pretty sandy murky and you can't see the coral formations in the water.
I did finally get a few shots posted in my gallery:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=16894
First shot is what we saw most of the time. Storming. You can see the extent of the tidal zone in this photo.
Second shot is how beautiful it can look. You see how high the tide is here. Note the dog footprints in the sand.
Third shot is example of what you could see of Vanua Levu as we flew along it to Savusavu.
Fourth shot is midday tide out. I'm standing in the tidal area, up to mid shin or less out to the top of the shot where it gets deep. Getting into deeper area is tough due to lots of coral and not enough water. When tide is in, it's pretty sandy murky and you can't see the coral formations in the water.
Shasta_man
Contributor
...May 30 - beautiful
June 1 on - pic 4
Very disappointing as you can how beautiful it can be in May 30 photo. Squalls came through where, from the whiteout, you couldn't see the beach from the spot the pics are taken. The back of the house had a nice deck but since it was so windy you couldn't get up out of the weather either. Storms made raging torrents out of streams so you couldn't really hike anywhere. So it was always inside. After a couple days, leaks started in the house where we had to push all the furniture to one side. After day four of rain, leaks were bad and most things were wet and didn't dry because of the humid air. With no TV or radio, which I definitely liked when renting the house, we ran out of things to pass the time and, importantly, no weather forecast. I got sick in the middle of this. Visited a third world hospital in the middle of the night, the taxi driving through frogs all over the road during storm.
The trip from hell for us. I expected tropical rain but it was a solid week of heavy storms. We got in little diving. We did get some good stuff but just a taste. Day we had to leave it was beautiful again. Then we took a sailboat for another week in the Mamanucca Islands north of Viti Levu. There it was beautiful day 1 then slowly again turned rainy for the rest of the trip, though not nearly as severe. That part of the trip, aside from the weather, has my highest recommedation. Awesome experience to have the luxury of your own sailboat and crew and hook up with resorts to dive some good spots. Living on a sailboat with your own captain and chef can be a pretty cool experience. A 10 day trip with them could take you some real places and places on your own.
I learned a few hundred things on that trip. First, is that it rains in Fiji. Anywhere in Fiji. That's why I suggested the distributed risk method if you could. Next was bring a radio.
June 1 on - pic 4
Very disappointing as you can how beautiful it can be in May 30 photo. Squalls came through where, from the whiteout, you couldn't see the beach from the spot the pics are taken. The back of the house had a nice deck but since it was so windy you couldn't get up out of the weather either. Storms made raging torrents out of streams so you couldn't really hike anywhere. So it was always inside. After a couple days, leaks started in the house where we had to push all the furniture to one side. After day four of rain, leaks were bad and most things were wet and didn't dry because of the humid air. With no TV or radio, which I definitely liked when renting the house, we ran out of things to pass the time and, importantly, no weather forecast. I got sick in the middle of this. Visited a third world hospital in the middle of the night, the taxi driving through frogs all over the road during storm.
The trip from hell for us. I expected tropical rain but it was a solid week of heavy storms. We got in little diving. We did get some good stuff but just a taste. Day we had to leave it was beautiful again. Then we took a sailboat for another week in the Mamanucca Islands north of Viti Levu. There it was beautiful day 1 then slowly again turned rainy for the rest of the trip, though not nearly as severe. That part of the trip, aside from the weather, has my highest recommedation. Awesome experience to have the luxury of your own sailboat and crew and hook up with resorts to dive some good spots. Living on a sailboat with your own captain and chef can be a pretty cool experience. A 10 day trip with them could take you some real places and places on your own.
I learned a few hundred things on that trip. First, is that it rains in Fiji. Anywhere in Fiji. That's why I suggested the distributed risk method if you could. Next was bring a radio.
Oh, that sounds like a terrible trip!
Do you recommend we split the time with our 5 short nights... 3 on Taveuni and 2 on a Mamanuca Island fairly close to Nadi... maybe Malolo or Castaway? I actually have a back-up reservation at the recently renovated Sheraton Denarau too (using Starwood points). I was planning to keep that reservation in place until we go "just in case".
Do you recommend we split the time with our 5 short nights... 3 on Taveuni and 2 on a Mamanuca Island fairly close to Nadi... maybe Malolo or Castaway? I actually have a back-up reservation at the recently renovated Sheraton Denarau too (using Starwood points). I was planning to keep that reservation in place until we go "just in case".
CA_White: what time of year are you travelling? Your original post said you were either going in June or August.
The rainy season is April-October, with the peak being May/June (I think Shasta can attest to that). August would have a better chance of sunshine. I spent 2 weeks in November and only had rain 1/2 of one day. I think the time you're travelling may affect whether or not you split the trip as suggested.
Just a thought...
The rainy season is April-October, with the peak being May/June (I think Shasta can attest to that). August would have a better chance of sunshine. I spent 2 weeks in November and only had rain 1/2 of one day. I think the time you're travelling may affect whether or not you split the trip as suggested.
Just a thought...
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