Fiji - where else should we go?

[cbm32]

I hear ya :0 The tigers are actually hit and miss. I have done that shark dive 6-7 times and have yet to be lucky enough to have a tiger show up.

 

[shutsal]

Final outcome is 6 nights at Nanuku Auberge resort and 3 nights at Royal Davui and departure to Fiji got pushed up a week due to the crazy increases in airfares leaving when we planned so we are now leaving for Fiji this Saturday.

So looks like we will end up doing the shark dive at Beqa. So how does that happen there? How do you book it and who do you book it with, is there more than one outfit or is it like the Roatan shark dive where one operator basically has the monopoly on it?

Royal Davui has diving available so I'm sure we will likely book direct with them for that, they also allow unlimited shore diving so I'm sure we will do at least one of those.

I think you will really enjoy Royal Davui. We had a great couple of days there. We booked the shark dive through Royal Davui. They have a dive center there and tag along with AquaTrek to do the shark dive. Like cbm32 said, you just quickly sink to the bottom with your back against some coral/rocks and enjoy the show. The first one is deep (I think it was 90 feet) the second was around 60 feet. They advised us to turn deco off on our dive computers (no way I would do that) and I did go into deco on the first dive. Nothing serious, I think it was 10 minutes at 30 feet.

A lot of sharks, I think we had 6-8 bull sharks and too many lemon sharks and nurse sharks to count. Plus about a million of your favorite shiny fish. Photography is difficult. It's deep, silty, and full of highly reflective fish. Other cool thing I remember seeing is a few hundred lampreys.

 

[mmmbelows]

I think you will really enjoy Royal Davui. We had a great couple of days there. We booked the shark dive through Royal Davui.

I hope so. I'm kind of choking right now on their transfer charges. Round trip for two of us from Pacific Harbour to their island - $600.00.

Having a hard time wrapping my brain around $600 for a 5 mile trip.

 

[shutsal]

I hope so. I'm kind of choking right now on their transfer charges. Round trip for two of us from Pacific Harbour to their island - $600.00.

Having a hard time wrapping my brain around $600 for a 5 mile trip.

Wow that is really expensive! I just looked back at our itinerary and it was an all-in quote for the whole 4 days from our travel agent so I can't see how much they exactly charged. And that is just the boat to/from Pacific Harbour? I know for us we also did their small charter plane from Nadi to Pacific Harbour as well. I remember it being a high speed boat and taking about 40-50 minutes, think it was maybe around 15 miles? But $600 does seem excessive.

 

[cbm32]

Is that in US dollars of Fiji dollars?

 

[mmmbelows]

Wow that is really expensive! I just looked back at our itinerary and it was an all-in quote for the whole 4 days from our travel agent so I can't see how much they exactly charged. And that is just the boat to/from Pacific Harbour? I know for us we also did their small charter plane from Nadi to Pacific Harbour as well. I remember it being a high speed boat and taking about 40-50 minutes, think it was maybe around 15 miles? But $600 does seem excessive.

Google maps shows it to be about 11km, but that isn't totally accurate since I don't know exactly where they are leaving from in Pacific Harbour.

---------- Post added May 14th, 2015 at 03:52 PM ----------

Is that in US dollars of Fiji dollars?

It's 300 fjd per person each way, so $1200 fjd for the two of us round trip or about $600 USD. I've emailed them more than once for clarification and this is what it is. I hope they have caviar, champaign and maybe a unicorn or two on board the boat for the trip over. I keep saying things like "you can't take it with you...." trying to lessen the pain, but that is one expensive dang boat ride.

 

[wico6768]

Google maps shows it to be about 11km, but that isn't totally accurate since I don't know exactly where they are leaving from in Pacific Harbour.

---------- Post added May 14th, 2015 at 03:52 PM ----------



It's 300 fjd per person each way, so $1200 fjd for the two of us round trip or about $600 USD. I've emailed them more than once for clarification and this is what it is. I hope they have caviar, champaign and maybe a unicorn or two on board the boat for the trip over. I keep saying things like "you can't take it with you...." trying to lessen the pain, but that is one expensive dang boat ride.

$600 for a transfer?

Well, this is why on our trip of a lifetime trip to FP, we just didn't look. Paid the TA in advance, and just signed at the end. It was easier that way than if we had looked at each item separately (like this boat transfer) We knew what the total was, so it was just easier to sign off on that, then enjoy But after that we were hooked, so had to figure out more economical ways to keep returning.

But you are right, you can't take it with you, so there's that.

I look forward to hearing about your trip when you return. Fiji is on our list, we just keep putting it off because, that flight just seems so much longer than the 7.5 one to FP. But we are for sure going at some point.

 

[cbm32]

Pretty outrageous pricing.

Fiji can be done very reasonably (other than the airfare which will always cost in the $875 to $1100 per person range) if you know where to go.