Saturday 23 June 2012

So Many "Not To Be Missed" Parts to this Adventure for Group of 16! - TripAdvisor

My husband and I are managers of Aquatic World Dive Shop and we lead group dive trips to destinations world wide. We feel we have high standards and look for destinations that have great diving, accommodations, food, and service. We visit each destination before deciding if we will return with a group.  
We were very pleased with our first check out visit here, and even more pleased with the experience we shared with our return, bringing a group of 16 to Matava 5/31 - 6/7/12.
We found the diving to be pristine with beautiful hard corals, very good visibility, tons of fish life, and the manta dive is not to be missed. Joe, the dive shop manager runs a tight operation and he managed to make us laugh at his Fijian imitation of a New Yorker every time we saw him. 
The bures are lovely, many with breathtaking views, but you do need to be aware this is an Eco Resort and hot water is not endless with a driving force, so nor is there air conditioning.
The food is delicious and fresh.The soups and salads are not to be missed. Ingredients are picked from the garden each day. We were very impressed with the chef's ability to give us tasty dishes for every meal during our one week stay. 
The service was the icing on the cake for our group. We were each given special attention and laughter was constant throughout our stay. Maggie coordinates the social atmosphere, the dining experience, the kava parties, and everyone's sense of humor. And he does this like no one else can! George is the perfect compliment to Maggie. He lead us on early morning bird walks, shared his knowledge of customs and nature with us in a way that felt like we had been given a gift because he is so proud of who he is and what he has. He seems to contain a secret joy that bubbles out when he dances with the village children.  
All the staff took great care of us while seeming to exude no effort to do so. The owners Richard and Adrian took great care and we always felt they were very pleased to have us as their guests. Our diverse group included a family of three with a 19 year old daughter, couples ranging from 30 years old to 60 years old, and a single. 
The waterfall and village visit is not to be missed! 
If you are bringing a group to this destination be sure to book your flight from Nadi to Kadavu through a private charter flight. Do not use Pacific Sun! This was our biggest mistake. This airline can not handle large dive groups and your baggage will not make it the same day. If booking a group, work with Matava to use a charter airline. 

Sharon Corcoran
Room Tip: If you do not mind climbing stairs the rooms high on the hill have spectacular views.


So Many "Not To Be Missed" Parts to this Adventure for Group of 16! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor:

Wednesday 6 June 2012

A Healthy Shark Population Means a Healthy Marine Environment

Tuesday 5 June 2012

"MAGIC AT MATAVA" - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Having worked through one of the hardest years of my life with considerable business and personal challenges myself and my beautiful wife Tamara decided that is was time to treat ourselves to an extra special experience. We were craving not just rest and relaxation though also looking for adventure in a pristine untainted environ. After having traveled to many other areas of the pacific we had strangely never been to Fiji. To many tourists thier knowledge of Fiji and it's islands does not extend beyond the heavily touristed areas of Nadi, Pacific Harbour or other typical manufactured experiences that seems to be the preffered option for many guests visiting this South Pacific Paradise. After learning dive in High school many years ago and developing a passion for Marine Ecology and awareness I have always sought to remove ourselves from the typical holiday experience and give us something that makes us feel how lucky we are to live on this earth and interact with it's beauty and Matava was exactly that. Our Kadavu Island experience at the lovely Matava started long before we actually reached the resort with our friendly escorts Yasawa and Wise waiting at Vunisea airport to begin our short trip to the resort. The transfer is by boat which is just fantastic and all part of the adventure. This boat ride only wets your appetite for some of what you will experience over the time of your stay giving you a unique look at the location , size and beauty of the island of which you are now a part of. 
We reached Matava in the early evening just as the sun had set. The magnifIcent main Bure lay before us lit up by the soft glow of the resorts lighting and a dozen beautiful smiles which were just as warm and inviting. I will never forget the feeling I experienced when I first arrived here. Before I even stepped of the boat onto Matava's jetty we knew we had chosen wisely.
You are them ushered my Maggie through to have a meet and greet with the staff while being treated to whatever refreshing beverage your heart desires to start to settle in. The first thing you notice is how attentive the staff are knowing everybody's names, likes dislikes and meal preferences. Any one who had special requests was well catered for and nothing was ever a problem. 
Not only are the staff here very special so are the other guests. You notice this as soon as you arrive here it's like you have arrived in "Eutopia" the whole mood is vastly different and interactions you will have here remind me of a theme a fiction author would set in a book about perfect human realtions in a perfect world (You will know what I meen when you experience it for yourself) We spent the first half of our holiday in "Lomalagi" Bure down by the water and then the second half high on the hill in the Honeymoon Bure with sweeping views of the reefs. They were both comfortable, appealing and clean. The beds were lovely and better than what you get in just about very hotel anywhere which is nice when you want to sleep as well as you can so you can take full advantage of the activities on offer.
Whatever you come here for they will make sure you don't go home dissapointed whatever your into. My wife is now a fully qualified diver thanks to the expertise of Matava Director Richard Akhtar. Richard gave her the confidence and skills necessary to become a safe a relaxed diver. We enjoyed getting to know Richard and appreciate the time he took out of his busy schedule to make sure we were satisfied. Many thanks go to my wonderful dive master Cherie and her husband Glen who made sure our dive experiences were A1 and that we were comfortable every other part of the trip and were just generally great company. Marine operations were all conducted by Big Joe who ran the Mad Fish Dive centre Matava's own dive centre and has exceptional knowledge as a coxswain, fisherman, diver and is a true Master Mariner who gives you the freedom and scope you want as an experienced diver. Joe is combination with his deckhand Lea took us to the best spots at the best times and worked hard to make sure we were always kept comfotable and given the best possible diving experiences. All dives were amazing though swimming with a dozen feeding Manta's doing Barrell rolls is hard to top especially when one decides to lift you with it's enormous wings. 
Thanks also go to George - George served us with humour and courtesy and is a typical proud Fijian man that values his heritage and shows a spectacular exhibition during his powerful tribal dance moves. Vinaka George. Our private romantic Dinner on our Bure Balcony high in the hills was made extra special by Seta she is attentive though subtle and is a credit to her Father who lives behind the resort with his magnificent Garden. General resort life meals and escursions were all expertly executed by Ta an her team and she always had everyone doing what they needed to to make sure everything was running smoothly. Ta organised a beach picnic on a deserted island with Military precision and turned a beach full of coconuts and driftwood into a beach banquet in half an hour for three boats of divers!
We did heaps of dives, walks to the village, waterfalls and kayaking, traditional cooking, kava and ran out of time to do everthing else - That trophy Wahoo will have to wait till next time. The dive operations looked after my gear beautifully it was always washed and stored and waiting for me just where I expected it to be ready for another day. Everything carried on and of the boats for you which i'm not used to though very appreciative of. We were very lucky to have found such a special place in this world and were very disappointed to go. All our expectations of a tropical holday were met by this establishement and we would go back in heartbeat.
Thank you to all that made an individual contribution to our satisfaction while at Matava it did not go unnoticed.

"MAGIC AT MATAVA" - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Sunday 3 June 2012

Fantastic resort & staff - Review of Matava - TripAdvisor

I'm back home and reflecting on the absolutely wonderful scuba diving trip my buddy, Sherry, and I had April 17-26, 2012. 
All of my 18 dives were fantastic & unforgettable! Dive master, Alex, has great knowledge of the creatures and their ocean environment, and his care and attention to us was superb. 
The dive with the manta rays on the other side of the Astrolabe Reef was a wonderful experience. On every dive I was among the world's most beautiful corals...and the colors were amazing! I appreciated also that at my age (72 years) there were no limitations or restrictions imposed.
I loved everything about this Matava experience! 
The resort's eco-environmental commitments, the bure were stayed in, the great food Sita prepared for us, the village visit--and especially the friendly environment with the guests and staff visiting during 'Happy Hour". 
Thanks, George, for being such a great host! Matava has an excellent team. Miss you all, and wish you continued success. 
I've travelled much of the world, and this Matava experience will be unforgetable.
(Dr.) Diane Tyler 
Vancouver Island, Canada

Friday 1 June 2012

TheBlu World Oceans Day June 8








The thing to do on World Oceans Day
is dive into theBlu

Friday
June 8th, 2012




World Oceans Day, June 8th is right around the corner - next week! The Blu needs your help....

OceanElders, WildAid, and theBlu are holding a global online celebration at theblu.com, in honor of World Oceans Day, June 8, 2012, entitled "If You Love The Ocean, Download It! theblu.com"

The event will unite individuals, communities, and organizations all over the world in a globally shared moment celebrating the beauty and significance of the world's ocean. On June 8th, the "Big Blu" whale, created by Academy Award winner Andy Jones (for Avatar), will be seen for the first time, and Ambassador Species sponsored by WildAid and OceanElders will be available for purchase.


Things you can do

1. Tweet and Facebook post about theBlu and World Oceans Day
2. Email and blog about theBlu and World Oceans Day
3. Ask your constituents to embed theBlu widget on their sites

SAMPLE TWEETS/MESSAGES, THEBLU WIDGET, AND IMAGES FOR YOU TO USE, ARE ACCESSIBLE AT theblu.com/wod.


Please start your outreach today. Let's make World Oceans Day 2012 the biggest ever!
 
Thanks...

The Team at theBlu


 
OceanElders members are: Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, Captain Don Walsh, Neil Young and founder Gigi Brisson. The OceanElders are signed up in theBlu and have selected their own individual Ambassador species.


WildAid members are: Carmelo Anthony, Sir Richard Branson, Jackie Chan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Minnie Driver, Ralph Fiennes, Harrison Ford, Jane Goodall, Kate Hudson, Ang Lee, and Yao Ming.  The WildAid Ambassador species currently in theBlu is the Whale Shark.