Need help planning trip to Fiji

[sjukich]

Hello everyone, I need a bit of helpplanning my next trip. You guys have done a great job in the pasthooking me up with some great details that led to awesome trips.First off a bit of background about the travelers. It will be myselfand my wife traveling, I'm 27, she's 25 and we both love to doanything outdoors, including hiking, fishing, and especially SCUBAdiving. Our last trip was to Belize and we loved it, not touristy atall, great diving and awesome culture. We are sort of looking for thesame this go around, great diving, not touristy and plenty to do. Weare looking to go to Fiji for the next trip and are looking to go inMay-June for somewhere between 15-20 days. I have done a lot ofresearch but there is just so much info that it's hard to narrow itdown. I was thinking about flying into Nadi, then head to Beqa lagoonto do the shark dive and then head to Taveuni for more diving andwhatever else you recommend, then on to Kadavu and maybe finish up inthe Mamanuca group for some relaxation. This was just a rough ideaand any info is helpful as far as what to do, where to dive, who todive with, where to hike, where to eat, where to stay, and how longto stay. As far as accommodations go, where not in need of a 5 starresort but we do like to come back to a nice room at the end of theday. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[farsidefan1]

Garden island resort dives almost exclusively on the rainbow reef which is excellent. It is also within walking distance of the international date line which makes for some fun photo ops. Further down the road the paradise resort on Taviuni is outstanding but you drive for an extra half hour to get there. It is near where a gentleman takes you for a bird watching tour on his property. They can arrange horse riding trips as well. They go to the rainbow reef every other day and the vuna reef the next day. Both have pools (infinity pool at paradise). Shore diving is possible from Paradise as well. Perhaps from garden island as well but somehow we didn't do it so probably not. I can't believe I would have skipped it. Garden island is like a super 8 on spectacular grounds while Paradise is more like traditional Fifi with individual bures available. Grden island was very nice, Paradise was,... well, paradise. An advantage of Garden island is that it is a half hour closer to a hike to some waterfalls. 3 falls to be exact. I think the rainbow reef and the bligh waters (not accessable from Taviuni) offer the best diving in Fiji.

 

[fiji_diver]

Hi
So many options.
To help you make a decision, here's what I think are the best dive areas and a few accommodation options.
Taveuni probably has the best diving with big walls, fast currents and lots of life. It also offers inland activities hard to beat in Fiji for hiking, waterfalls and some genuine village experiences. Garden Island is nice but also have a look at Dolphin Bay Divers for some real bargains.

Kadavu can be hit and miss for diving but on a good day, fabulous. The outer wall of the Astrolabe reef is worth a visit but often not diveable due to currents.
Matava is very popular but fairly basic with no beach at the resort.

The Lomaiviti islands are my favorite area but not so easy to see if not on a liveaboard. Naigani offers trips to Wakaya passage (Mantas and hammerheads) and also to E6 and other wall dives as well as their home reefs which are in excellent condition.

The Namena reserve is superb but only really accessed from Savusavu by Cousteau or Korosun.

Aquatrek shark dive in Beqa lagoon is worth doing - if you like sharks. Staying at Club Oceanus is real value and you are on site with Aquatrek.

Suggested itinerary. Most economical route.

Go from Nadi by Coral Sun bus to Pacific Harbour. about 2 1/2 hours.
Dive with Aquatrek and stay at Club Oceanus. lots of activities around there from Zip lining to quad bikes and jet skiis if that's your thing.
Shark dive + a couple of days reef diving with a day off for other stuff.
Transfer by road to Naigani (2 1/2 hours) to dive Wakaya and lovely coral sites. 5 days perhaps.
Naigani will transfer you back to Suva airport (Nausori) and you fly to Taveuni and dive with Dolphin Bay 5 days.
Road transfer to Savusavu (rather bumpy), stay at Daku or Hot Springs Hotel.
Dive with Cousteau at Namena. 3 days.
Get the overnight ferry back to Suva and road transfer back to Nadi. Or fly from Savusavu to Nadi

Logistics are fairly easy and apart from internal flights, they don't need to be booked in advance, or at least not until you are here.

Avoiding internal flights is good as you only get 15Kg baggage, although the excess rates are low, and you don't have the stress of not diving if flying in 18 hours.They are also rather expensive at times.

Let me know if you would like any more info.
Have a great trip
Greg

 

[sjukich]

Ok people, I have had lots of good advise thrown at me and I came up with a basic plan I believe. Please let me know what you all think. My biggest concern right now is having stuff to do outside of diving. I very much love to dive but also like to do things outside of diving that will keep me entertained everyday. I like the non tourist areas but at the same time I do enjoy going into town and having places to eat, drink and socialize. That is also a concern for some of the resorts. I have heard a lot about Naigani resort but I'm concerned that I may just run out of things to do there outside of diving. I truly have ADHD and need to be active, not just sit on a beach. That is where you all come in since I have never been to these places. Of course, the main activity would be diving so I do want to go to the best sites(and hopefully knock off the Hammerhead bucket list item) but I'd day I will probably only dive 4-5 days out of every week. So here is the plan, and please feel free to break it down and adjust it, like I said I like relaxation but I still need things to do and need to have places to socialize.

Arrive in Nadi
5-7 days at Uprising Resort in Pacific Harbor(They have a stay 5, pay 4 special that includes zipline and rafting)
Shark Dive and possibly Beqa Lagoon dive

5-7 days at either Coconut Grove or Nakia on Taveuni
DIVE!!!!

5-7 days at some other location, and at this point I really have no clue where. Like I said I want things to do, great dives are for sure but even hikes, city exploration or whatever else might be fun.

All of things are negotiable, I just did a bit of research on trip advisor and so on and some of the resorts are just too pricy and these looked fair. If they are horrible, please tell me, if the area is horrible, please tell me. I'm still planning so anything goes! Thanks everybody.

 

[Dive Wananavu Fiji]

sjukich, as someone who lives in Fiji I will tell you one does not really come to Fiji for a city or night life. The south coast of Viti Levu 'Coral Coast' does a good job with lots of tourist options with the zip line, rafting there is also the Jet Boat in Sigatoka that is quite a bit of fun as well. The Shark dive is a must do, check out Brandon at Aqua Trek for that, but make sure you book in advance because it is very popular. The resort I run the dive center for is also on the main island of Viti Levu and we often have divers that do a week in Pac Harbor to dive with the sharks then come north to us to see some Sunshine (we're not called the Sunshine Coast for nothing. ) and do some pretty spectacular diving out in the Vatu-I-Ra passage, AKA the Bligh Water for the soft corals Fiji is really known for. If you want to hit Kadavu check out Matava eco-resort and Alan at Paradise Taveuni also runs a great resort (we often have divers do a week here then a week there).

Are you bringing your dive gear with you or big u/w photography gear? If you are pack very light if you're planning on traveling to the outer islands as they often have limited luggage allowances. My friend flew to Taveuni last year and payed $400USD in excess luggage for his second bag each way to make sure his camera made it.

If you have any questions please ask. I lived along the Coral Coast last year before moving up to Wananavu and Rakiraki in October.