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Dive Review of Matangi Island Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Matangi

Matangi Island Resort, Sep, 2013,

by Mona Cousens, CA, US (Contributor Contributor 12 reports). Report 7518.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 3 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments From the time you are greeted by the singing, smiling staff at Matangi Island Resort to the minute you leave with a tear in your eye, you feel that you are home and part of a very special family. In fact, when you talk to the staff on an individual basis, you will hear them all comment on their “Matangi family”. This attitude is evident in everything they do to make your stay here very special. It is no wonder that half of the guests were honeymooners. They chose well.

You could do as much or as little as you wanted. There were organized outings every day which you could join and are included in the price of your trip. These included snorkeling trips daily, and weekly tours depending on the day of the week to the Village on Qamea island, the waterfall tour and hike on Taveuni, hikes on Matangi Island, visits to a pearl farm, etc.. Or you could do something more intimate like a picnic on Horseshoe Bay beach for two, (extra charges apply.) If you wanted to go hand line fishing, the staff would take you to do that as well. Just ask.

The bures are beautifully appointed with hardwood accents, king beds and outside garden showers. They are incredibly large. All face the ocean with porches and amazing views.

We came to dive the waters near the island. The resort was once a dedicated dive resort and is now mostly catering to the honeymoon trade. They do, however, have a dive staff and comfortable boats which are very fast. We were the only two divers and as such had the ability to request the dive sites we wanted. At first they took us on a check out dive and stayed close to home. These sites were not so great due to over fishing and an infestation of the crown of thorns in the Long Beach area. We discussed the fact with them that we are not new divers and do not wish to see these types of mediocre sites and things changed rapidly.

There are some world class sites here I am happy to report. Ask to see Shipwreck or Broken Reef which are near the resort, or you can request to see some wonderful walls which are about a 30-40 minute ride away. The best sites in this area are Noel’s Wall and Yellow Wall. These are only available weather permitting, of course as they are out in the open water.. You can cruise along a wall full of yellow soft coral rivaling the great white wall as long as a small bit of current is out. We did that one twice.

The food at the resort is varied and very well prepared. There is a lovely bar area where you could relax and trade stories with the other guests, but keep in mind, most are not divers and have different stories than yours. The pool is beautiful and inviting with many loungers having thick comfortable pads. In short, go here if you want to mix high end luxury with diving. You will not be disappointed. And yes, everyone cried when they left. It is that good.
Websites Matangi Island Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Komodo, Raja Ampat, All Caribbean, Borneo, Thailand, PNG, etc.
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy Seas calm, choppy, no currents
Water Temp 78-°F / 26-°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 75-150 Ft/ 23-46 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions We dove our own profile.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? no

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 1 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments You are on your own with the camera.
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Subscriber's Comments

By Alice Ribbens in MN, US at Feb 13, 2014 18:03 EST  
We were at Matangi 5 years ago and had a great time there, both diving and otherwise. Glad to hear it is still doing well.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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