The Secrets of

An IslandNation Rich inCulture Invites

Divers toExplore Its

DepthsTEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY

*»kK BY JACK & SUE DRAFAHL

' - - ,diver fln.di a

photogeniccolony of soft corali. Top: Anelegant specimen of the soft coralsthat proliferate on Fiji's reefs.

urfmg the Web one day, we ran_-' across Fiji's new home page. The

text read, "Fiji—the way the worldshould be." If you've ever been thereyou would know that is the absolutetruth. Fiji is a special place where thepeople are so friendly they have noword for stranger. This island par-adise offers magnificent flowers andlush foliage that can only be rivaled bywhat lies beneath the crystal blue wa-ters that gently lap the shoreline. Youcan find deep walls, comfortable shal-lows, current cuts, soft corals, hardcorals and animal life galore.

Fiji, a group of more than 300 is-lands in the southwest Pacific, isnortheast of Australia and NewZealand and southwest of Hawaii. Toget a better idea of what it has to offer,we have divided it into three regions-western, central and northern.

The northern section includes Fiji'ssecond largest island, Vanua Levu,along with Taveuni, Laucala, Matagi,Qamea and several smaller islands.The wettest area of Fiji, it is also thelushest. Here you will find virginforests, streams and dozens of water-falls near the island shores. The off-shore reefs are prolific and offer someof Fiji's most famous diving.

Savusavu is the largest town onVanua Levu but don't blink when driv-ing through it. There are several differ-ent resorts nearby, offering a range ofaccommodations to fit any budget ordesire.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji IslandResort features 20 bures (Fijian cot-tages), nestled in the coconut treesoverlooking Savusavu Bay. It is hometo Project Ocean Search, an educa-tional study program started by Jean-Michel in the early '70s. It offers a fullservice dive store with a 37 foot V-hulled dive boat with twin 330 hp en-gines, on-site E-6 film processing anda freshwater pool. Planned activitiesfor the whole family include trips tomangroves, local village visits, tide-pooling, snorkeling and kayaking.

Eco Divers is for those on a budget.Two fast inflatables allow divers to en-joy all the same sites visited by Jean-

92 - .

Michol Cousteau Resort. Eco Divers tea-tun;:; ;i rotui l dive store with changingrooms and showers. They serve as bookingagents and can arrange for all types of localaccommodations. Eco Divers can also ar-range land excursions to villages and treksthrough the rain forests.

If you are looking to get away ^from it all and be totally pam-pered, Narnale Resort is theplace. Recently renovated, it nowof fers eight bures that capture theessence of luxury and simplicity. The buresare nestled into the flora and fauna, guaran-teeing privacy. Namale offers two dives aday and many other activities.

All the sites are buoyed and shared by allthree dive operations. The diving aroundSavusavu Bay is easy and offers somethingfor everyone. Coral bommies such asNuggets and Split Rock are home to ani-mals galore. The depths can range from afew feet to more than 100. Lots of small crit-ters live in the nooks and crannies.

Deeper wall diving can be found in theKoro Sea. Here the current exchange of-fers more of the soft corals for which Fiji isfamed. Hole in the Wall has dozens oflarge colorful soft corals adorning thebreathtaking walls. Oh, yes, there is a beau-tiful swim-through at the top of the wall thatgives the dive its name. About 20 miles tothe south, some of the best diving can befound off Namenalala Island. Here the tidalexchange through two current cuts offers adive that keeps the adrenaline pumpingfrom start to finish. Grand Central Stationis the best, with large schools of Barracuda,sharks and rays swimming along with you.

Just to the east is Fiji's third largest is-land, Taveuni. It is home to several resortsoffering everything from backpacking tentsto luxurious accommodations where dinneris served on fine china. Nicknamed theGarden Island, it o f fers rich greeneryadorned with flowers of every color.

The Somosomo Strait, between Taveuniand Vanua Levu, offers some of the finestdiving in the world. Here you will findRainbow Reef, covered with soft coralsfeeding during the tidal exchange. This isthe home of the Great White Wall, which iscovered with hundreds of white soft coralsall feeding in the current.

Dive Taveuni is owned and operated bythe Cammick family. It features eight pri-vate cures surrounded by sprawling gar-dens. Meals are exquisitely prepared andserved on the outdoor patio so you can en-joy the sunset overlooking the SomosomoStrait. A recent addition is a hillside swim-ming pool that offers a panoramic view.

Garden Island Resort is a traditionallystyled hotel that sits on the edge of theSomosomo Strait. It features 28 comfortablerooms, freshwater pool, restaurant and openair bar. The hotel was recently purchased byAqua-Trek, which operates dive centers inNadi and on Mana Island. The dive operation,

A Gray Reef Shark cruisesThe Supermarket, athrilling shark dive inFiji's western region.

Above: A waterfall cascades from a verdantcliff in the interior of an island in Fiji's northernregion. Left: The coloration of this tiny molluskkeeps it safe within a branch of soft coral.

The Fijians share their rich culture withvisitors; inviting them to mekes, wherethere is singing and dancing.

Rainbow Reef The Fijians share their ricDivers, Offers div- visitors; inviting them to iing on some of there is singing end dandFiji's finest sites inminutes.

A q u a v e n t u r eTaveuni offers div- ving in the Somo-somo Strait as wellas the waters tothe north. Theyservice guests ofTaveuni's northern .', ^v*accommodations,such as the Mara-vu Plantation Re-sort, which fea-tures 10 buresamid 54 acres oftropical gardens. There is also a camp-ground on the beach adjacent to the diveoperation which consists of tent sites, bureand dormitory.

Just northeast of Taveuni you will findtiny, privately owned Laucala, an island par-adise that was originally Malcolm Forbes'getaway. Fiji Forbes is a 3,000 acre retreatwith seven oceanfront bures and a friendlystaff dedicated to fulfilling your every wish.Best of all, there is no set diving schedulehere, you dive when you want to.

Matangi Island is a 240 acre privateisland run by the Douglas family. It fea-tures 10 bares and even a romantic get-away perched in the treetops. At thenearby island you will find the QameaBeach Club, which has 11 beachfrontbures set in 43 acres of tropical gardens.

The waters around these islands offer adiver's paradise. All three island dive oper-ations have their own special sites butsome are shared by all. Depths range from15 to 130 feet and dozens of sites run for

miles along the walls in front of the islands.As you drift along the wall you find manyoverhangs and deep crevices, home to anarray of colorful sealife. At the bottom ofthese crevices you will find rubble pileswhere shrimp, nudibranchs and crabs

Dive &TWK IN FIJI!A K D 6 N I S L A N D R E S OT H E B E S T D I V I N C A T T H 6 B E S T PPJC6!

Taveuni, the "Garden Island" of Fi j i , is known for its tropicalrain forests, idyllic waterfalls and colorful fish filled reefs.

Garden Island Resort, located on Taveuni. is a 28 roomocean-front resort just minutes from the fabled

Rainbow Reef and the Somosomo Strait.

Top off your dive day with one of the many activities, such as rainforest treks, sea kayaking or horseback riding, which can be

arranged by our friendly staff.

3 night hotel and dive packagesstart as low as $250!

CXLL YO U (̂ T IkXVfL XG £ NT 0 Ik:

1-800-541-4334OR 415-398-8990

K-mail: infoSaquatrck.com • www.aquatrck.com

Circle til on Reader Service Card

^Matanqi Is Ian«./ FIJI ISLAN

240 acre private islandWorld class soft coral diving/wallsFijian cultural experiencesUnlimited shore diving (FREE) Experience it!Romantic Treehouse Bure

• 5 nts/8 tanks, meals, all resort excursionspp $95000

Contact info:USA 1-888-MATANGI

(888-628-2644)www.Matangilsland.com • info@Matangilsland.com

arete f160 on Reader Service Card

* Explore The World With *

The Dive Travel& Adventure Guide

BOOK ANY ADVENTURE TO ANY DESTINATION

Belize • Costa Rica • Honduras • Aus-tralia • Fiji • Hawaii • Solomon IslandsThe Caribbean • Papua New GuineaThe Seychelles • New Zealand • BaliMexico • Europe • South America

Discover the

Ix)maloma C3rystal DivcrrsCa//.- Great Destinations8OO-741-2178

e-mail: scuba@skindiver.comarete §117 on Reader Service Card

1.800.877.DIVEarde §71 on Reader Service Card

96 SKIN DIVER JULY 1997

circle »34 on Reader Service Card

make their home.There are several live-aboard boats

that cruise the Fijian waters. Each has itsown special sites but their routes tend tooverlap. Live-aboards show you fabulousU/W sights but generally offer limited cul-tural experiences.

Live-aboards can also reach locationsalmost impossible to get to from resorts.One of Fiji's best dive spots is E-6, in themiddle of the Bligh Waters, and accessi-ble only by live-aboard. The deptharound this pinnacle is 3,000 feet, mak-ing it an incredible wall dive.

The 85 foot Matagi Princess II isowned by Carol and Nigel Douglas. Withsix deluxe staterooms this boat can ac-commodate 12 divers. It tours the di-verse and pristine sites of Fiji's north.

The 120 foot A/a/'a is family owned andoperated by Rob Barrel, his sisterAlex and her husband, Todd Edwards. TheNai'a is designed to accommodate up to18 guests in nine spacious staterooms.They cruise the waters near Wakaya, Gauand Namena, where you can expect to see

Dedicated to

When it comes to planning theperfect dive vacation in Fiji,only Trip-N-Tour can guaran-tee you 100% satisfaction.

At Trip-N-Tour we devote allour time and expertise to onlythese islands.So when planning your next

dive vacation, let the experts atTrip-N-Tour take care of allthe details.

1-800-917-2243K-Mail: tntmicro@ix.netcom.com

WWW: hht://empg.com/trip-n-tour

Call today for our FKKKfull-color dive brochure!

§153 on Reader Service Card

85' luxury vessel. 6 deluxestaterooms (12 divers).E6 processing. Dive theunexplored pristine reefsof Fiji's Northern region.

800-976-5732crcte §161 on Reader Servce Card

most everything Fiji has to offer.The 101 foot Sere is owned by Greg

Lawlor, a fourth generation Fiji resident.There are five deluxe staterooms that willaccommodate 10 divers. The Sere'stravels include most of the areas the oth-er vessels cover. The Sere is now anAggressor Fleet vessel.

The newest addition to Fiji's waters isthe Fiji Aggressor, scheduled to be oper-ational late this month. It will cruise thenorthern waters based at Savusavu andthe southern waters from Suva.

The central area of Fiji has drier weath-er than the north yet still offers variety un-derwater. It includes Kadavu, BegaLagoon and Vatulele.

• Kadavu is Fiji's fourth largest island. Itis very remote, with virtually no roads.Access to the two main dive operations isby boat only. Matana Beach Resort/DiveKadavu offers accommodations that areoceanfront as well as those nestled intothe green hillside. Either way the view ismarvelous, especially at sunset. Malawaioffers luxurious colonial style cottages on348 sprawling acres of greenery.

Both resorts have their own sites,spread out on one side of the island. Thereef is made up of strings of large coralbommies. Most have swim-throughs bigenough for divers and are decorated withred, pink and white soft corals. Blue Tangis a popular dive where you often see Blue

Tangs, of course, but also Blue RibbonEels, Jawfish and, if you're lucky, leaffish.You will find Fijian animal life well represent-ed here. There is even Robert's Wreck,sunk by Malawai's owners.

FIJI BOUND

Flights to Fiji are available throughAir Pacific and Qantas. The nonstop AirPacific flight from Los Angeles to Fiji'sInternational Airport in Nadi takes ap-proximately 10 hours. The outer islandsare reached via either Air Fiji orSunflower Airlines.

Air Pacific(800) 227-4446Qantas Airlines(800)227-4500

Air Fiji(800) 677-4277 (U.S.)Sunflower Airlines(888) DIVE FIJI (U.S.)

Bega Lagoon is the crater of an extinctvolcano. The soft corals here compare tothose found in the north. Diving here is ei-ther with Bega Divers or Marlin Bay Resort.

Vatulele is in between the central andwestern regions. It offers the superbweather of the west and the dynamitediving of the central region. This elegantisland paradise offers 15 Mediterraneanvilla style bures and is dedicated to un-

surpassed cuisine and personal service.The diving off Vatulele features vivid softcorals, prolific hard corals, enormousseafans, sloping walls, pelagics, GardenEels and anemonefish.

The western portion of Fiji is made upof the Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands.There are accommodations and water-sports to please everyone. The weatherhere is nice year-round and its proximityto Nadi International airport makes it theperfect spot for family holiday getaways.

Mana Island offers extensive guestrooms designed for the whole family,while Beachcomber offers endless activi-ties catering to the young at heart. Aqua-Trek operates the dive facility on Mana aswell as a full-service retail facility in Nadi.Beachcomber's diving is run by Sub-surface Fiji Limited, which features a scu-ba training pool at the water's edge. Bothfacilities offer nitrox.

The number one site in the west isSupermarket. Dozens and dozens ofsharks are handfed by Aqua-Trek's ApiBati. Divers form a circle on the seafloorsurrounding Api and the sharks comefrom every direction. You can also divethe B-26 Bomber or be surrounded bybatfish at Gotham City.

Fiji offers something for everyone. Thefriendliness of the natives is almost unbe-lievable. Fabulous Fiji is the way the worldshould be!

t Forbes Masazine's Laucala (La-tha-la) Island, you are treated to

a world of space and choices beyond compare. All wrapped

in the friendly and warm Fijian hospitality that itself knows no bounds.

Our full service dive operation will cater to your every need., .there are no

time tables or schedules. You decide i—^.^-——

when and we'll take you to over thirty

world class dive sites nearby our spectac-

ular island located in the Northern Group

of the FIJI Islands. Ifyou don't want to dive,

youcan fish, windsurf, snorkel, play tennis a do nothing at all. Anytime.

Your accommodations, a private bure, is located on the beach and features

all the modern comforts and conveniences you will need. Our staff will

prepare your meals, make up your bure and cater to your special requests.

FORBESM A G A Z I N E ' SF I J I I S L A N D

In a FIJI Forbes Laucala world, you yet toexperience paradise without a limitation in sight!

1 -8OO-FORBES-5Outside U.S. Phone (719) 379-3263 or fax (719) 379-3266

Address: P.O. Box 149, Ft. Garland, CO 81133

SKIN DIVER JULY 1997 97