judypots
Registered
My husband and I returned from Fiji a few weeks ago - we spent a week at Wananavu Beach Resort on Vita Levu and then a week at Sau Bay, off Taveuni. We were there from Sept. 21 through Oct. 6. First, a little about us. We're from NJ, so the trip to Fiji was, as you can imaging, very lengthy. Newark to L.A., L.A. to Nadi - then the 2 1/2 hour not particularly pleasant ride to Wananavu. We've been diving for about 9 years and have over 200 dives. Most of our trips have been to the Caribbean, (Bonaire, Cozumel, Little Cayman, Saba, Turks & Caicos), but we've also been to Palau, Truuk, Yap and Komodo. So, with that background, I will say that we were somewhat disappointed with the diving from Wananavu, in the Bligh Waters. The dive operation was fine - great people and very professional. However, we both felt that the diving in the Bligh waters was not any more interesting than much of the diving we'd experienced in the Caribbean, except for the large schools of fish on some, but not all of the dives. Wananavu resort itself is a pretty place, and the accommodations were fine, the service very good. However, we found the food to be very spotty, some good, some ok, some awful, and we were glad to be leaving after a week. It was a great value for Americans as the exchange rate is 2 Fijian dollars for one American dollar, but the travel distance and expense more than overroad that. All in all, it wasn't worth the trip from the east coast of the US to go there to dive.
However, Sau Bay off Taveuni was a different story. The resort itself is tiny - 5 total bures, 3 for couples or single, one for families and one very upscale "Safari Tent", although it wasn't a tent at all - just very large unit, more luxurious with a private plunge pool. It wasn't even full when we were there and we were the only two divers, so we had the boat and dive master all to ourselves. The food was excellent and the location lovely. The diving was a whole different experience there from the Bligh Waters. Nigel, Sau Bay's owner, said that the Bligh Waters had been hit pretty hard by Cyclone Winston last February. Not the case at Rainbow Reef off Sau Bay. We were gobsmacked by the amount and variety of fish on every dive - just masses and masses. We were as impressed with the amount, variety and color of the hard coral as much as with the soft coral. And while we didn't see much of the big stuff - a few sharks and Napolien wrasse- but virtually no turtles, for instance, the rest more than made up for it.
So all in all, we're happy we went to Fiji, but we wouldn't go back to Wananavu.
However, Sau Bay off Taveuni was a different story. The resort itself is tiny - 5 total bures, 3 for couples or single, one for families and one very upscale "Safari Tent", although it wasn't a tent at all - just very large unit, more luxurious with a private plunge pool. It wasn't even full when we were there and we were the only two divers, so we had the boat and dive master all to ourselves. The food was excellent and the location lovely. The diving was a whole different experience there from the Bligh Waters. Nigel, Sau Bay's owner, said that the Bligh Waters had been hit pretty hard by Cyclone Winston last February. Not the case at Rainbow Reef off Sau Bay. We were gobsmacked by the amount and variety of fish on every dive - just masses and masses. We were as impressed with the amount, variety and color of the hard coral as much as with the soft coral. And while we didn't see much of the big stuff - a few sharks and Napolien wrasse- but virtually no turtles, for instance, the rest more than made up for it.
So all in all, we're happy we went to Fiji, but we wouldn't go back to Wananavu.
