Luxury Fiji Islands

Fiji scuba diving highlights include a fantastic variety of colorful soft corals, a wealth of marine life, lots of specialist scuba diving resorts and live-aboard dive charters as well as excellent snorkeling off the beach.

The Fiji archipelago is encircled by a huge reef. Within its protected waters are shallow lagoons, steep drop off's, and thousands of scuba dive sites. Most areas are easy to get to with plenty of resorts offering scuba diving scattered around the islands. Sea temperatures are incredibly warm - typically 25C in winter (May to Nov) and up to 30C in summer at depths of 5 meters. Visibility is also excellent with depths of 40 meters not unusual. The best diving conditions are early morning before the winds pick up. Heavy rainfall in the summer can obscure visibility off the main islands with river run-off.

Where to go scuba diving in Fiji

Mamanuca dive sites can easily be accessed by boat (20 minutes or so) from the Nadi Airport area on the main island of Viti Levu. Several resorts in the Nadi Area offer full diving facilities and there are numerous day packages for snorkeling and diving. The Mamanucas have shallow lagoons with hollows and bommies with excellent marine life. There are some interesting caves to explore notably Sawa-i-Lau in the Yasawa Group.

Yasawa Island Resort, Yasawa Island
Turtle Island Resort, Turtle Island

World famous Astrolabe Reef and Beqa Lagoon in the Southern Islands include numerous soft corals, reef bommies and passages. Small secluded dive resorts accessible only by boat. Lush rainforest and tropical beaches. Humid and wet at times. Very traditional Fijian lifestyle and culture. Beqa Lagoon can be accessed by boat (1 hour plus) from the Coral Coast on the main island of Viti Levu. Several resorts along the Coral Coast offer full diving facilities and daily access to the Lagoon and beyond.

Luxury Resort for diving at Bega Lagoon:
Royal Davui Resort

World famous Rainbow Reef in the Northern Islands (between Taveuni and Vanua Levu) with advanced drift diving through channels. Numerous smaller reefs around Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Qamea, Laucala and Matagi with abundance of soft and hard corals and excellent marine life. The Northern Islands have been developed for eco-touism as well as diving and the regions outstanding mountains, rainforests and waterfalls are all relatively accessible with tours and trails to the major attractions. Humid and wet at times.

Two separate barrier reefs between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu in the north-east of Fiji are accessible from Nananu-i-Ra and the Lomaiviti Group. Rich area fed by tradewind currents with excellent marine life including mantas and hammerheads as well as bommies and pinnacles in the lagoons. A handful of small island resorts, some very luxurious. Also accessible by charter dive boats that explore some of the unexplored areas of these huge reefs. Shipwrecks can be explored around the old Colonial capital of Levuka on Ovalau. Mostly sunny.

Premium Island Resorts in the Northern Islands:
Taveuni Island Resort, Taveuni Island
Taveuni Palms Resort, Taveuni Island
Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Island Resort
Qamea Resort & Spa
Matangi Private Island Resort

Pacific Harbour Resort for divers and golfers:
-The Pearl Resort

Fiji Scuba Diving Emergencies

In cases of diving emergencies, divers will be taken by sea, road or low flying air to the Fiji Recompression Chamber Facility in Suva. Charges vary according to circumstances so it is best to have adequate insurance cover. At some of the smaller budget resorts cowboys do exist, so choose carefully and if you're a beginner, don't jump to the chance of diving without proper PADI certified instruction.

Surfing Fiji has a renowned reputation amongst the international surf community. The rave here is exciting reef breaks (not for beginners), secluded locations and the traditional Fijian hospitality. Most reef breaks around the islands are accessed only by boat so whilst this keeps the crowds down, it also puts the cost up.

Specialist Fiji surfing resorts are found on Viti Levu, Mamanucas and Southern Islands. For the complete surfing Fiji experience, several live-aboard surf charters operate around the islands.

The only decent beach breaks for beginners are on the south coast of Viti Levu, the main island. Sigatoka has the most reliable breaks although undercurrents can be dangerous. There is surfing off the coast at Hideaway although only 1 hour each side of high tide and undercurrents are dangerous. Natadola Beach is good for body surfing and there are a few breaks off Suva, the capital, where locals will point the way.

Best time April to December. If bringing surf boards into the country, check first with your airline carrier for baggage restrictions and excess costs. Local airlines will only carry surf boards with advance warning and will charge extra.

Several good surf shops can be found in Nadi Town and Suva. Boards are reasonbaly priced and there's a good selection of accessories. Specialist surf resorts have spare boards for rent.

Surfing Fiji Competitions

• January - RIP CURL Oceania Surfing Cup, Tavarua
• May - Tavarua Quick-Silver Pro Fiji, Tavarua

The best Fiji surf breaks are found off Tavarua in the Mamanuca Group and off Beqa and Kadavu in the Southern Islands.

There are some other excellent breaks around Beqa and Kadavu in the Southern Islands. Frigate's Passage, a left-hand break in the middle of the ocean, has a growing reputation amongst surfers for its reliable big barrels and long rides. Serua Rights is a long right-hander with a hollow inside section across the passage and Pipe is another left-hander with a mid to high tide break. There are two very basic surf camps on Yanuca island, off Beqa and a more upmarket property, Nagigia Resort off the west tip of Kadavu, right opposite the challenging and reliable King Kong break.

Alternatively, on the main island of Viti Levu, Waidroka Bay Resort offers surf packages and frequent transfers to Frigate's Passage only 30 minutes away by boat as well as to Cloudbreak in the Mamanucas.

Recommended luxury resorts for experienced surfers:

Namotu Island Resort - mostly shared accommodation
Lalati Island Resort