Matava Fiji’s Premier Eco-Adventure Resort was featured front page of Fiji Times on April 23rd 2009.
We recommend Foxit Reader for pdf reading.
“Our precious heritage has to be well managed and preserved for long term benefits with tourist increasingly looking for pristine destinations for their holidays.
“A very important product of our tourism industry is our environment. This is an emerging trend whereby many visitors give weight to environmental consideration when choosing a holiday.”
Those are the words of the Chairman of Tourism Fiji, Patrick Wong in congratulating Matava Fiji’s premier Eco-Adventure Resort, the official winner of Padi Asia Pacific Awards in the category Project Aware Marine Environment Award 2009.
Where do I start. My husband (non diver/fisherman) and I met and married in Fiji in 99/2000 and have come back to Fiji over 20 times. We’ve been to most regions and love it. We came across Matava 4 years ago when recommended during one of our other trips. I did communicate with the staff via email for sometime prior to our first visit just to get a good understanding of what to expect, heat, mosquitos etc. The communication was fantastic and my expectations were set for a hot humid stay with the potential of assorted wet season bugs. With this knowledge in hand we chose Xmas/New Year as our first trip (wet season).
From the minute we landed at Vunisea’s quaint airport we knew we were in for something different. We loved the ride from the airport in the old truck with a few stops to get supplies before meeting our transfer boat. The 40 minute trip from Vunisea to Matava is absolutely mind blowing and after 4 return visits to Matava I still can’t get sick of travelling around in these transfer boats. Rain or shine.
Upon arriving on my first visit I was a little disappointed that there was not the traditional golden bar of sand out the front, but that disappointment faded within about 5 mins. Matava is primarily a dive resort however, there is so much to do, including some great snorkeling at the reef right in front of the resort,which incidentally is a marine park thanks to the resorts owners agreement with the local villages, bush walks, guided canoe trips, surfing, game fishing, just hanging out on the deck, having fun with the staff or just chilling on your stunning deck with a good book/ipod whatever.
Our stays have generally been 2 week visits at Easter or Xmas/New Year (so we can have more time off work to spend at Matava) and there are lots of fun festivities to be had with the guests, staff and villagers. Last Xmas/New Years was the absolute best. Our stay was initially 2 weeks, we extended to 3 then extended to a 4th and final week (reality – need to get home to start saving for the next trip). I would have thought that after 4 weeks we may have got a little tired of the best diving I’ve ever experienced. I hooked up with some great dive buddies and seriously, for 3 weeks straight (in the wet season) our chant after surfacing was “that was the best dive ever!”. I managed to pack in 40 dives this trip and could have still done some more, but I’m also a fan of the game fishing.
Bite Me, the 31ft Blackwatch is a fantastic boat completely equipped with all you need for a great day’s fishing. Adrian and Joe are just fantastic and I’m sure they enjoy it just as much as the punters who head out past the reef for some deep sea fun! I’ve been lucky enough to get some Fiji National Records which always puts a smile on everyone’s face. I’ve shared charters with non-fisherpeople who’ve always had a fantastic day and come back for more. I recommend always take plenty of sunblock, shades, a hat and a sarong to cover up when it gets a bit hot.
During the 4 trips to Matava we’ve chosen to try all the accommodation. We love it all. From the budget oceanview bure right on the water’s edge (very traditional) to the medium budget with own bathroom, to the awesome Honeymoon Bure’s on the top of the hill. We loved the deck at the Honeymoon Bure and the fact that you can keep the bathroom door open, stand in your shower and enjoy the most wonderful view of all.
I could continue to go on and on more than I already have however, I would like to list a few points which make us keep coming back:
1.Remoteness – means that guests who travel here are doing so for like minded reasons
2.Great Company – we’ve hardly met a guest we didn’t have great fun with
3.Awesome diving, you name it (apart from wrecks) they have it, drift, no drift, deep, not deep, big fish, little critters, manta’s, sharks, day/night. The local dive team really know their stuff
4.Game fishing, activities, chillin (from someone who usually can’t sit still for 5 mins)
5.Staff РMaggie and the team just do everything they can to make your trip the best Рthey truly make you feel like one of the family (not a clich̩ in this instance)
6.Food – and lots of it! Fresh, diverse, GREAT deserts (and I’m NOT a desert person) and cold beer
7.The new Bure – we loved the character of the old bure but the new one is something else
8.The Deck – a great place for those cold beers and stories at sunset, before dinner, and for just chillin
9.The most amazing blues and beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen – I will NEVER get sick of those waters
I SOOOO wish I was back there right now....
Earth is a water planet and the planet needs our help. Why? Climate change is a major threat with increased ocean temperatures and ocean acidification impacting fragile underwater environments. Dive for Earth Day is an extraordinary opportunity to take action and help address the underwater issues that concern you most.
How can you help?
Individual Divers and Water Enthusiasts:
Volunteer today! Search for Dive for Earth Day events near you and choose from hundreds of conservation activities that put aquatic issues on the Earth Day map.
Dive Professionals and Organisations:
Coordinate an event! Organise a coral reef monitoring project, underwater cleanup, AWARE Kids event or AWARE Fish ID Specialty Course. Register online to receive free resources to help make your day a success.
About Dive for Earth Day
Earth Day raises environmental awareness on a global scale. Since the 30th anniversary of Earth Day in 2000, Project AWARE has helped divers focus attention on aquatic environments for this annual event. Thousands of diver volunteers in more than 115 countries have helped protect underwater environments and educate local communities for Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day. Read more about Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day initiatives around the world and share your news with the Project AWARE community.
Make Every Day Earth Day
There are many simple, low-cost things you can do each day and each time you dive to lower your impact on the environment. Begin by following Project AWARE’s Ten Ways a Diver Can Protect the Underwater Environment or check out our Tips to Keep Waters Debris Free.
Visit Date: 24th November 2007
Our dive trip to Matava Eco-Resort exceeded our expectations. We felt like we were living in harmony with nature in our private bure while still having modern conveniences. The beauty of the island flora and fauna and the Astrolabe Reef was what we came for and we were not disappointed. We book 2-3 dive trips a year and our reason for choosing Kadavu was because of Astrolabe Reefs reputation for diversity and Manta Rays. We booked Matava based on trip advisor reviews, good value for the money, and the likelihood that we’d get to dive with Manta Rays (they take their boats to Manta Reef 1-2 times/week and see Manta’s about 80% of the time).
Getting There. All of our gear transferred without a hitch on flights arriving from Nadi and returning to Suva . Our baggage was overweight so we owed about $20 FJ in fees. There are few roads on Kadavu and the only way to Matava is by boat and they pick you up. It was a pretty day both coming and going so we enjoyed the ride.
Diving. Our first day of diving, we went to Manta Reef and within 5 minutes we were viewing the majestic beauty of graceful gliding and feeding Manta Rays. Never to be forgotten was the mother/baby pair that performed a barrel roll at the surface! We hung below the reef and watched several different Mantas feeding overhead. Other days of diving we spent completing our PADI Advanced Open Water Certification which we needed to be dive volunteers at our local aquarium. Our Dive Instructor, Simon Parry, was both fun and on task! He picked the dive sites where we could complete our required skills but also made sure there was plenty of reef life to view along the way. There were 3 dive masters at Matava (Simon, Joe and Tae) who knew the reefs well and would help you find what you were looking for. Our Fiji underwater photos are located at [--]. We did two days of diving Viti Levu which included the shark feeding dive at Beqa Adventure Divers (Pacific Harbor, Beqa Lagoon) so many of the shark pictures were taken there.
Flora and Fauna and Other Activities: When we weren’t diving, we enjoyed the incredible views of the ocean and neighboring little island from our bure deck. There were sea kayaks which you could use to investigate the beaches of neighboring islands and coves. We spent most of our time being entertained by the various sightings, calls and songs of the birds that live and feed at Matava. Our bird photos are located at [--]
Meals. All meals were served at set times (announced by lali drumming) on the main bure covered deck with a beautiful ocean view. Although meal times are set, they are happy to work with your special circumstances. A couple days we were not back from diving at lunchtime so they just served our lunch when we returned. The breakfasts were mainly cereal or granola, toast and fresh fruit plates with an occasional special add on to make it interesting. Dinners were the best meal of the day. Usually some type of fresh fish.
Scuba dive in Fiji with Matava - The Astrolabe Hideaway
Guests: The resort guests greatly added to the experience with nightly chats over dinner and drinks. How lucky we were to have been there at the same time as professional underwater photographer Terry Arpino and his son, Alex (uwpgallery.com), Fiji Reef Check National Coordinator Helen Sykes and her partner, Stuart Gow (resortsupportfiji.com) and Tania de Hoon and her husband Jimmy. Tania used to own Aquaventure Dive Resort on Tavenui and is now Operations Manager for the Fiji Adventure Cruise Tui Tai. On the last night of our stay, we also enjoyed the company of Bill Goodwin, author of Frommer’s South Pacific Guidebook.
We enjoyed sharing dinner and conversation with the owners (Richard, Jeanie and Adrian). Adrian’s passion is fishing and he is the Captain of Matava’s game fishing boat, Bite Me, which has 21 Fiji National Records.
Matava is a wonderful, remote getaway where the people will make you feel welcome like family. The food will more than satisfy. And the setting is lovely. If you are ok without air conditioning, and don't mind fairly basic accommodations, this could be the place for you. Throw the diving on top of it all, and you have a fairly inexpensive dive vacation that feeds your soul. You may never want to leave, as some of our group felt when it came time to depart.
Undercurrent Diving Report on Matava Resort
Qualifications: Marine Biologist; PADI Dive Instructor
Base: Tewantin, 150 kms north of Brisbane
Occupation: 10 years fulltime work in the dive industry travelling the world. Underwater cameraman owning his own underwater imaging business with his dive partner wife.
Pitch: I’m passionate about the underwater world and have brilliant contacts, in-depth knowledge and experience of the area. I have more than a year’s worth of story ideas for UWC and enjoy talking about anything relating to the underwater world.
As a long running theme here at this blog we have advocated for commercial shark diving involvement and leadership in conservation efforts.
Last week we got the following email and announcement from Stefanie Brendl, owner of Hawaiian Shark Encounters.
Shark conservation, outreach, and education is best served by the front line operators in the region.
Welcome to the new conservation website Shark Allies and Kudos to the guys in Hawaii for dreaming this up:
Hi Guys,
