Dive Review of Matava Eco Adventure Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Kandavu Island

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Matava Eco Adventure Resort: "Matava is a very special place", Apr, 2015, by George Constantino, AK, US ( Contributor 14 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 8225 has 1 Helpful vote.
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
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	As others have reported, Matava is an “Eco Adventure Resort” and an acceptable mix of Fijian laid back, organic, and ecologically smart venture. Two of the owners live on site and are actively involved in the day to day operations. At least 95% of the staff are from the local villages and they treat you like family. The meals are excellent and we enjoyed the evening social hour. There were just a hand full of guests at the resort while we stayed and half of them focusing on fishing for the local tuna and other big water fish that hang out beyond the outer reef. The diving was varied and good. We dove walls, bromines, points, and large coral formations. Viz varied from 40 to 80 feet. The hard corals are amazingly healthy and diverse. We saw at least one manta (and once a sailfish during a safety stop) each time we dove Manta Ridge. I have to say that the Matava dive staff lagged a bit behind the other resorts we visited on this trip (Wanavavu, Volivoli, and Matava) in terms service. It wasn’t so much what they did or didn’t do as much as the spirit in which they did it. I can’t quite point my finger on it and it may be that the daily grind of getting divers and gear to and from the resort to the boats anchored 100-200 yards away just seemed to drag on. And, the boat crew were just doing their job by rote. Not a real problem, but after the stellar service at both Volivoli and Wananavu it seemed that the dive staff at Matava were just plain tired and a little burnt out. There are a number of villages along the coastline and the locals depend of the sea for much of their protein - so large fish are rare within the outer reef. While we were there a party of 4 came for the tuna fishing and did well. Also, as we left whales were starting to show up. Finally, let me get this off my chest. Fiji Air just plain screws you on luggage fees. We had two 50 pound dive bags and two 22” suitcases that weighted ~25 pounds. While they didn’t charge us anything to bring our luggage from the USA to Fiji, they charged us $200 on our return trip to Los Angles. They also charged us $100 US in luggage fees to fly to Kandavu from Nadi and $5O US on the return trip. So be forewarned.
Websites	Matava Eco Adventure Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Alaska, Florida, Georgia & California Coasts, Socorros, T&C, Bahamas, Red Sea, Philippines
Closest Airport	Kandavau	Getting There	It takes a 50 minute flight in a twin engine otter and a 60 minute boat ride in a 25’ covered boat to get to this resort on Kandavu Island.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	78-79°F / 26-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	40-70 Ft/ 12-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Had to dive with their dive master and come up with at least 750psi/50bar.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
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	Primitive - charging station in lounge. Bucket, shared with fins, and without water for cameras.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Matava Eco Adventure Resort in Fiji and Tuvalu/Kandavu Island

Matava Eco Adventure Resort: "Matava is a very special place", Apr, 2015,

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 Matava Eco Adventure Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Kandavu Island