Dive Review of Taveuni Dive Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Taveuni

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Taveuni Dive Resort: "Excellent accommodations and diving on Rainbow Reef", Apr, 2022, by Jason Marks, CA, US ( Sr. Reviewer 8 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 11904.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I’d long wanted to see (and take my shot at photographing) the soft corals of Rainbow Reef in the Somosomo Straight, and booked a week at Taveuni Dive Resort with that goal. Mission happily accomplished! The excellent dive operation at TDR took us each day 10-20 minutes across the straight for a 2-dive trip and back to the resort for lunch, with another dive available in the afternoon. Your gear is loaded and unloaded each day for you, and set up on your tank. The dive and boat crews were totally professional and safety-oriented, as well as friendly and helpful; the two boats we dove off were well equipped, safely operated, and, at least during our visit, uncrowded (the resort was full, but not all guests were divers). Without my asking, they made sure that once I was in the water I got my camera, and that it was taken safely back on board and put in a dedicated rinse bucket after the dives. The guide I dove with most often, Louis, took care to point out especially good wide-angle subjects for me. Really a delight to dive with this crew. The dives were well chosen and designed to take advantage of the currents – which of course bring out the full “flowering” of the softcorals – without unnecessary struggles for the divers. Besides the softcorals, sites on Rainbow Reef boast impressive hardcoral gardens (with some evidence of bleaching, but many healthy areas as well), anemones, a profusion of small reef fish and the occasional shark (mostly white tips), turtle or school of barracuda. Some sites that stood out: Anna’s Bommie, The Zoo, Liza’s, Cabbage Patch, Purple Wall and of course the Great White Wall. The resort was very comfortable and well run. Dining is outdoors (nice for these COVID times), with a pool immediately adjacent, which is where everyone mostly hangs out in the afternoon if they are not diving. Our bure was very spacious, with a table that made a good camera-work station, two large ceiling fans, a fresh-water shower in front for rinsing off after the dive and a portable drying rack for swimsuits etc. Food was a bit hit or miss during our visit – some dishes took a long time to come out of the kitchen and/or were not as tasty as they could have been – but they were in the process of training a new cook and I think this will improve soon. Flights to and from Taveuni were on Fiji Link, Fiji Airways' domestic arm, and went off without any hitches. Weight limits are somewhat strict on the interisland flights, but the charges for overweight are not exorbitant and are not always enforced. On our return flight to Nadi,the airline needed to hold a couple of bags for a later flight because of plane weight limits, but the person in charge found passengers who did not have close connections and could accepot getting their bags a few hours late. The COVID testing protocol (at the resort on Day 2 after arrival) went smoothly. We did not take a pre-departure test because we were staying in Fiji for another week, but I assume they could handle that as well. Divers, and especially photographers, should be aware that the resort is across the coast road from the small marina where you board the dive boats, and up a mild incline, so there is a short walk (less than ¼ mile) before and after each dive trip. Those with mobility issues or very heavy camera rigs may want to ask for a ride in the pickup truck the crew uses to bring tanks etc. to and from the boats. They are happy to give you a ride.
Websites	Taveuni Dive Resort [same]
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Indonesia, Phillipines, Maldives, French Polynesia, Caribbean, Micronesia, Fiji.
Closest Airport	Mattei, Taveuni	Getting There	SFO-NAN, NAN to Taveuni
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	83-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
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		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	No camera room, but plenty of space in your bure, and ample outlets to charge from (bring plug adapters).

Subscriber's Comments

By Greg Bruce in WA, US at Apr 28, 2022 15:50 EST

Thanks for taking the time to do a report. I arrive at Taveuni Dive Resort 2 weeks from today for a 2 week stay there with a group of dive buddies from Portland, OR. We have booked the entire resort for our group for the 2 weeks. Looks like you had nice water temps. How was the visibility? I hope the food situation improves. Especially since we will be there for 2 weeks. Thanks again!

By report author: Jason Marks in CA, US at Apr 28, 2022 19:10 EST

Glad the report was of interest, Gregory. Vis was good but variable and not super-clear, maybe 50-80 feet. We were there April 9-15, so your trip will be about a month later than us, and my understanding is that as fall progresses the vis gets better and water temps fall a little. I'm sure the kitchen will find its footing better by next month -- it seemed to improve even while we were there -- and I should emphasize that nothing they served us was bad; it just could have been better. Have a great trip!

By Alice Ribbens in MN, US at Apr 29, 2022 10:18 EST

Hi Jason! I think we met you and your wife on the Arenui in 2018 (Banda). Thanks for the review. We've looked at the Taveuni Dive Resort a few times but keep planning other trips. Great to know it is as good as it looks.

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Dive Review of Taveuni Dive Resort in Fiji and Tuvalu/Taveuni

Taveuni Dive Resort: "Excellent accommodations and diving on Rainbow Reef", Apr, 2022,

Photos Submitted with this Report

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):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Taveuni Dive Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Taveuni