Dive Review of Dive Kadavu/Matana Beach Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Kadavu

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Dive Kadavu/Matana Beach Resort, Mar, 2010, by Cindy Edgerton, WA, US ( Reviewer 6 reports). Report 5664.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We were delayed getting here due to Cyclone Tomas and after it passed through, we had a stationary front that dumped rain on Kadavu for several days impacting viz due to runoff. We met our NZ friends at the airport and flew to Kadavu together. You can carry duty free liquor on the inter-island flights. Of resorts on Kadavu, Matana is closest to the airport and the boat trip only took 10-15 minutes. There was one other guest (non-diver) at Matana when we arrived but she left the next day - and a few days later a couple from Switzerland arrived. The six of us (all divers) had the resort to ourselves for several days and after we left, the Swiss couple were the only guests. For the first time in Fiji, we were cautioned to lock everything up as "a lot of people walk by the resort on their way to Vanusea" where the airport is. The rooms have small safes and there were locking cages on each bure's lanai where you could store your dive gear and let it air dry. Diving was very good - lots of swim-throughs and interesting topography. Generally not a lot of current. Diving would have been great if the viz was better. Dive leader Sola was very accommodating and great at pointing out critters and most dive sites were only about 10 minutes from the resort. Dive site Yellow Wall had fabulous yellow soft coral and a large swim through, combined with a good mix of large and small critters: three eagle rays, two clown triggers, various wrasses, butterfly fish (BFF) and groupers. Dive site Evil Trench had a chimney that started at 100' and went down to 182' where there is a large cave that you can swim through and out to the blue ocean. Lots of large lobsters in the cave and occasional sharks. (Advanced divers only). Also saw a turtle, two sharks, and an octopus above 100' at this site. We did a three tank dive to the NW corner of the island near Mt. Washington (they call it King Kong Mountain - because that is what it looks like). Saw a white tip shark, two Hawksbill turtles, stingray, Clown and Titan trigger fish, Lyretail Grouper, Reticulated BFF, Emperor Angelfish, and a Flame Angelfish (we've only seen them in Hawaii before this). They also offer day trips to the Astrolabe reef with enough divers. The dive site called Featherstar had more pipefish than I have ever seen in one dive (there were dozens). This was our seventh trip to Fiji but we saw fish here we hadn't seen before including the Fiji Clown Blenny. There is no shore diving at the resort - it's a sandy beach with one small, shallow bommie which is interesting to snorkel around. There is a coconut palm tree on the beach where where you can get cell coverage. The resort has the largest variety of fish and sea life ID books I have ever seen at a resort (for use in dining room only) as well as a large lending library. Bures are very basic but have the essentials - queen bed, private bath, solar hot water with gas backup, ceiling fan and window screens. (When booking accommodations in Fiji, don't assume they have window screens - ask. Some don't.) All bures are down near the beach and the dining area is up above them. There is a beach bar that is open for happy hour before dinner. Food was basic but good (you pre-order lunch and dinner at breakfast). One night was a Lovo Feast (Fijian BBQ). We would consider going back to Kadavu island and would like to try Mai Dive since they're on Ono Island and dive the Astrolabe Reef (they had no availability this trip.) One Fiji resort with similarly basic accommodations and truly fabulous diving is Naigani Island Resort. There are no reviews posted on Undercurrent but we've been there twice (3/03 and 5/08)and I would gladly answer questions. It's not a dive resort and you may be the only divers - but in our two trips there, we never saw another dive boat and the conditions were pristine. We booked Naigani (and others like this trip)through WorldofDiving.com. Their prices are very competitive, they give excellent customer service and they go above and beyond if you have problems (like Cycle Tomas this trip.) One time the owner of World of Diving met us at LAX on a Saturday night to ensure our luggage made it on our flight to Fiji when our plane from Seattle was delayed due to mechanical problems and we had less than an hour on the ground. They're all divers, know their resorts, and really care. We can't say enough good things about World of Diving.
Websites	Dive Kadavu Matana Beach Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Hawaii, Bonaire and elsewhere in Fiji.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	77-82°F / 25-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	30-100 Ft/ 9-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Back on boat with 500 PSI or 50 bar.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Water bucket on boat for cameras. No camera facilities on land.

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Dive Review of Dive Kadavu/Matana Beach Resort in Fiji and Tuvalu/Kadavu

Dive Kadavu/Matana Beach Resort, Mar, 2010,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Dive Kadavu/Matana Beach Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Kadavu