Tuesday 14 December 2010

FREE HONEYMOON BURE UPGRADE ON ALL 10 DAY PACKAGES IN JAN 2011!

DEAL #2FREE HONEYMOON BURE UPGRADE ON ALL 10 DAY PACKAGES!

Free Honeymoon Bure UpgradeBook any of our packages to go fishing, diving, bird watching, or indeed just hanging out at Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort during the whole month of January and get upgraded to our exclusive Honeymoon Bure free!

BUDDY DIVES FOR FREE IN JAN 2011!


Your buddy dives fir FREE!Don't miss your chance to have your buddy dive for free at Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort during the whole month of January 2011 and see the mantas on the Great Astrolabe Reef.

Use this great deal to get your one of you diving for free to get in even more diving this year.

Friday 3 December 2010

Recognition for Matava at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

MEDIA RELEASE: 29th November 2010

Recognition for Matava at the
Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010

Matava has won in the Best in the Marine Environment category at this year’s Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 organised by responsibletravel.com.

The Judges said “Matava is a beacon for responsible tourism and an example to other dive sites. They maintain a strong commitment to both the conservation of the marine environment and the development of the local Fijian community. All staff and dive guides are from local villages, they have signed an agreement with local villages designating 3 established marine reserves as 100% no-take zones, across large geographic areas, and even succeeded in assisted in getting marine conservation on to the Fijian National Curriculum.”

At a ceremony hosted at World Travel Market (WTM), Docklands, London, on Wednesday 10thresponsibletravel.com, organisers and founders of the Awards, and Amanda Wills, managing director of Virgin Holidays, headline sponsor of the Awards.

November, the Awards were handed out by Justin Francis, managing director of

Justin Francis, founder of The Responsible Tourism Awards and managing director, responsibletravel.com, organisers of the Awards said:

“This year I have been heartened by the depth of commitment and connection our winners have shown to the local communities in their destinations. Their successes and pioneering spirits are remarkable and the very real and authentic experiences they have created, set responsible tourism apart. They also remind us that holidays can be both luxurious for visitor and enhancing for local people – helping build schools, water pumps, clinics and conserving cultural and natural heritage.”

Lorna Young accepting Matava’s Award at WTM 2010

Richard Akhtar, Director of Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort said:

“At Matava, we are of course both happy and proud to receive this prestigious global award. We find it even more important that the industry, by rewarding similar efforts, choose to take a stand for the environment we depend on. We also see it as an important continuing signal to the community which at the same time can serve to inspire the numerous individuals and companies who have been doing so much, and continue to do even more in the field of environmental enlightenment and conservation. This award has highlighted Fiji’s leading role and efforts in this regard especially.”

Amanda Wills, managing director, Virgin Holidays, headline sponsor of the Awards said:

“I’m once again humbled by the commitment, drive and ingenuity of today’s winners. They have shown us all what can be achieved by the people and places seeking to benefit from tourism, even when the economic climate continues to challenge us all. Their’s is truly an example for the rest of the industry to follow, and I’m delighted that Virgin Holidays is again able to be a part of this celebration.”

Launched in 2004, the Awards are run in association with partners World Travel Market, Metro Newspaper and Geographical

Over the years the Awards have celebrated the best in responsible tourism, and attracted some of the best celebrity supporters, including Michael Palin and Paul Theroux!

Simon ReeveIn 2010 Simon Reeve, best-selling author, presenter and broadcaster launched the Awards with an exclusive interview in Metro Newspaper:

“The Responsible Tourism Awards focus attention on travel firms that are providing us all with amazing trips that make a difference to a local community while still protecting the environment and our planet. And they remind us that responsible travel is not only better for our world, it’s also more interesting and memorable. Responsible tourism is the future of travel.”

Liz BonninLiz Bonin, Wild Animal biologist, biochemist and presenter of ‘Bang Goes the Theory’ on BBC1 also lent her support to the Awards with an exclusive interview on wildlife and responsible tourism in Metro Newspaper:

“If we make the effort to respect our holiday destinations and contribute responsibly to the local economy by staying in local farms or homestays and exploring the local wildlife through eco-tourism, we benefit by getting a real sense of local culture and discovering hidden treasures we could never get from a faceless resort holiday, all the while knowing that we have our done our bit to keep this planet happy and healthy. The Responsible Tourism Awards are doing a fantastic job at reminding us of our duty to travel in this responsible way.”

For a full list of finalists, see www.responsibletourismawards.com

- Ends -


Notes to editors

About Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort, is an eco adventure getaway offering you a fun and unique blend of cultural experiences and adventure activities in the environmentally pristine and remote island of Kadavu in the Fiji Islands. Matava – Fiji Premier Eco Adventure Resort is a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort as well as a Project AWARE GoEco Operator. With more than 14 years experience in the Fiji Islands, Matava is recognized as a leading educational dive centre. Matava offers accommodation for up to 22 guests in lush tropical surroundings in traditional thatched Fijian ‘bures’ with hardwood polished floors, louvre windows and private decks offering privacy, comfort and superb ocean views.

For interviews, images or further information please contact Stuart Gow, Stuart@Matava.com, t: 679-997-5416

About The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards

The Awards are the most prestigious and competitive of their kind in the world and are a collaboration between online travel directory responsibletravel.com; UK media partners Metro Newspaper and Geographical Magazine and World Travel Market who host the ceremony. The central tenet of the Awards is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people.

About responsibletravel.com:

responsibletravel.com is the world’s leading travel agent for responsible holidays. The site offers over 3,500 richer, deeper and more locally distinctive travel experiences that are better for destinations and local communities.

Whether you’re after an action-packed adventure, a relaxing beach escape or a charming countryside getaway closer to home, there’s something to suit all tastes and budgets.

Co-founder, Justin Francis had the original idea for the website on his travels through Africa having completed his MSc in Responsible Tourism. He launched the site with backing from Dame Anita Roddick in 2001 and since then has been included in Courvoisier’s The Future 500, Thames and Hudson’s 60 Innovators Shaping Our Creative Future and taken his place on the Advisory Board of The International Centre for Responsible Tourism at Leeds Metropolitan University. Based in Brighton, England responsibletravel.com also campaigns for positive change in the travel and tourism industry.

Contact:

Stuart Gow
Stuart@Matava.com

+679 603 0685

Alex Lyons
press@responsibletravel.com
+44 (0)1273 648 519


Recognition for Matava at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Thursday 2 December 2010

One if by land, or two if by sea…

One if by land, or two if by sea…

AND / OR

It’s your choice when you travel with the Amazing Sisters to Fiji.

Option 1: Fiji Island Dancer Live-Aboard
Oct. 6, 2011 to Oct.16 (includes travel days)
$2,995 or $3,195 (includes taxes and port fees) depending on your cabin choice

Option 2: BOTH Fiji Island Dancer + Fiji’s Matava Eco Resort
Oct. 6, 2011 through Oct. 23, 2011
$4,595 or $4,795, depending on your cabin choice

Option 3: Matava Eco Resort (land based)
Oct. 15, 2011 through Oct. 23 (includes travel days)
$1,799

NOTE: This pricing does NOT include airfare, and it’s too early to be able to get a confirmed air price right now, but based on current available fares, we are ESTIMATING the airfare from RDU to Fiji to be in the $1,400 - $1,500 range. You are free to arrange your own or to book through us.

Here's Laine and Mary Ann (the Amazing Sisters) describing these amazing adventures:

Fiji Island Dancer (only 8 spots available)
Climb aboard the intimate, 10-passenger Island Dancer II for a live-aboard diving adventure to paradise. We’ll explore the reefs, bommies (that’s Aussie for pinnacle), and walls of Nigali Pass, Wakaya, Koro and Namenalala Islands. We’ll experience the dazzling underwater colors of Fiji firsthand: brilliant corals and huge sea fans, ornate ghost pipefish, brightly pigmented nudibranchs, lionfish, blue-ribbon eels, giant clams, maybe even a yellow pygmy seahorse, and don’t forget “Dorie” and of course clownfish “Nemo”. The Sisters know from experience that Fiji is called the soft coral capital of the world for good reason. You won’t believe the beauty of both the soft and the hard corals in Fiji. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Fiji is also home to schooling pelagic so keep an eye out for giant mantas, sharks (reef and hammerheads), eagle rays, turtles, giant groupers, huge schools of barracuda, yellowfin tuna and even the occasional pilot whale! And how about a night dive with the light fish so abundant they make for a great light show?

Island Dancer Trip includes:

  • Seven nights on board the Island Dancer II
  • All meals and beverages (including national brands of alcohol)
  • Transportation from Nadi to the boat in Suva
  • 5 and ½ days of diving up to five dives per day
  • Land excursions on some days
  • And all the usual Peter Hughes Diving Dancer Fleet services and amenities:
  • Comfortable staterooms with air conditioning and private bathrooms
  • Fine cuisine prepared by the chef
  • Warm towels draped around your shoulders after each dive
  • Hot chocolate (with or without alcohol) is passed around after each night dive
  • Nightly turn-down service with a mint on your pillow
  • Morning beverage service. Leave your request on your door at night, wake up to your preferred beverage brought to your stateroom each morning
  • Dive deck services include hanging up your wetsuit and rinsing your dive gear, handling your valuable camera equipment with care.

Matava Eco Resort, Kadavu Island
On the remote island of Kadavu, Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort boasts secluded splendor while also satisfying your spirit of adventure. Matava is a genuine eco-hideaway designed to cause minimal impact on the environment. Don't be afraid of the words "ECO RESORT" in the name. While the resort is run primarily on solar power and has won various awards for their efforts in Eco Tourism and low carbon foot print, the only thing you will have to do without is a hair dryer and you won’t even miss it!!! If you are looking for the perfect hidden paradise with amazing food, service, personal attention, awesome diving and a true Fijian experience, then you need to look no further than Matava! The real magic of the place is the location and service. The staff are warmly welcoming, helpful and friendly. Add to this a pristine and amazing location, great food and a nice atmosphere and you have the ingredients for a perfect vacation destination. The entire resort only accommodates a maximum of 22 guests.
Matava is bordered by the Great Astrolabe Reef, the world’s fourth largest barrier reef. It is rated as one of the world’s premier diving locations, offering great diversity and spectacle in coral structures and marine life. Dive sites are 10 - 30 minutes away with 2 scheduled morning boat dives -- more if you request them. The diving is fantastic with amazingly healthy hard corals, soft corals of all colors and the reefs and walls teaming with tropical and reef fish, anemones of every color and size, sharks and turtles and mantas. You may even hear a humpback whale serenade.
We will sleep in beautiful traditional thatched Fijian bures nestled in the rainforest and set amidst lush tropical surroundings. Each bure has its own deck, and offers privacy, comfort, and beautiful ocean views - the perfect vantage point for each night's sunset. The bures are large, comfortable, and airy with many windows and beautifully polished hardwood floors.
For non-divers and divers there are hikes, treks, snorkeling, surfing, fishing, bird watching, kayaking, or simply relaxing and unwinding. Step into the village greeted by locals with huge smiles and a loud “BULA!” Watch the young villagers jump from high atop the rocks above the beautiful waterfall, or choose to spend the night in the village with a family.
The staff at the resort is amazingly friendly, including the owners who really go out of their way to give you the trip you want. If you want to do something, just ask, they will make it possible for you. For example, some guests told the staff they were interested in learning about local healing. The staff arranged for them to take a trek across the island to visit a healer who had been working his trade and farming local produce all of his life.
Gas lamps emerge just before sunset giving the main bure and the surrounding area a warm and inviting glow. Dinner is family style, making for easy conversation with other visiting guests as well as the owners of the resort who make you feel like you are part of their family. The food is fresh, plentiful, local flavors including fresh fish caught that day, vegetables and fruits grown in the resort’s organic gardens, and very nice wines to compliment the culinary creations coming from the chef!
Listen…do you hear the morning drum? It’s telling you it's time for a huge breakfast. Then it's off to dive the great Astrolabe Reef!! Join the Amazing Sisters on a truly unique and genuine Fijian experience.

Matava Trip Includes:

  • 5 day of 2 tanks diving (10 dives)
  • All day free access to shore diving at The Critter Junction
  • 7 nights in Oceanview Traditional Bure
  • All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, unlimited tea/coffee)
  • Traditional Lovo evening with entertainment and kava drinking
  • Waterfall trek on final non-dive day
  • All taxes


Join us NOW! Space is LIMITED!! $500 non-refundable deposit due immediately to reserve your spot. Additional $1,000 due January 1, 2011. Additional $1,000 due April 1. Final payment due July 1, 2011. Berth choice is assigned on a first-come / first-served basis, with priority going to couples.
Cancellation penalties are stiff for this trip, so please read the cancellation policy carefully.
We STRONGLY RECOMMEND trip cancellation insurance.

Sign up through our secure ON-LINE site right now.


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