Spent a wonderful 9 days at Matava and would have loved to stay longer. This was mostly a scuba diving trip for us and we were not disappointed. First the diving details. Although Fiji is better known for its soft corals, this area of Fiji consists of mostly hard corals. We just had tastes of soft corals here and there. The hard corals are varied and for the most part incredibly pristine and healthy which was refreshing to see. There were not a lot of large schooling fish for the most part, but we did see sharks on about a quarter of the dives which was not expected. We had mantas on two dives along with larger tuna types making passes at us on the outside reefs. We did 3 dives most days. Unlimited shore diving is offered, however because of the extreme tides (we were there on a full moon), if you don’t dive on high tide, you will have a very long hike back to the dive shack with all your gear on and, ok that was just way too far for me.

Our diving was done from either “panga” like skiffs when there were less than 4 divers or their very well designed aluminum “Dive Me”. A new smaller aluminum boat was to be delivered to the resort the week after we left to replace the skiffs entirely. If it is as well designed as “Dive Me” it will be top notch to dive from. The boat rides to the dive sites were as long as 45 minutes not necessarily because they were far away, but because the extreme low tides while we were there made for creeping along through gaps in the reef very slowly an absolute must. The scenery was spectacular so no one minded. The normal is for a two tank morning dive with your surface interval done on the boat or a nearby beach. Tea and snacks served. You then are back to the resort for lunch and a single tank afternoon dive. I think in the summer they do two tank afternoon dives however not enough daylight for that at this time of the year down there.

In 8 days of diving we only ever saw one other dive boat and it only had two divers, so basically we had miles of reef to ourselves. The visibility varied depending if you were on the outside or inside of the reef with outside being maybe as good as 150’+ and the inside being more like 30’-40’ depending on the tides and time of day. Some of the inside dives were my favorite despite the visibility, but then we are used to 10-20’ vis diving at home so 30-40 is fine with us. The dive sites had good variety that included sheer walls, sloping reefs, patch reefs and sandy areas. The dive crew and boat operators are top notch and leave you alone to dive pretty much your own profile once they are comfortable with your skills.

About the Resort:
The resort itself is nestled along the southeast side of the island and can barely been seen from the water blending in so well with the lush natural beauty of the island. The owners have carefully built the resort to have as little impact on the land and sea as possible. Most of the electricity is created by the abundant solar energy of the tropics, which also provides the hot water for showers in your private and very confortable bure. With no roads to the resort EVERYTHING is brought in by boat. That in itself would be a challenge, but additionally everything needs to be timed by the tides because of the shallowness of the inside areas of the reef where it connects to the island. At low tide boats are sitting in the sand and you will be walking to or from the transfer boats across sand and sea grass flats.

Don’t think for a minute this is a “rustic” basic resort. Far from it. Despite the logistics of supplying the resort, the staff goes beyond being friendly and caring and don’t ask me how such amazing and varied meals came out of that kitchen. A large garden supplies the majority of veggies served at the resort with the rest coming from the local village. What a treat that was.

If you are looking for a big city fancy resort bar life this is not the place for you. The eclectic group of guests from at least 4 different countries while we were there combined with one of the resort owners, Richard, and the rest of the staff, made for some fun evenings.

Because that area of Fiji is also world renowned for its deep sea fishing, the resort has a sports fishing operation as well and about a third of the guests were serious fishermen I really enjoyed talking to. These guys really seem to know how to fish and this resulted in fresh wahoo and other deep sea fish on the menu multiple days along with amazing plates of sashimi two nights in a row.

The beautifully landscaped grounds are filled with flowers that are used fresh daily all over the resort. The individual bures are very comfortable with nice beds and linens and cooling provided by the tropical breezes. There is small florescent light in the bathroom and another one in the bure itself, just so you can find your away around. If you want to read at night, bring a head light. A ceiling fan would have been nice as some nights the air just did not move and that made sleeping difficult, however with limited electricity I understand why they did not have them in each bure. There are mosquitos about in the evenings so if you are bothered by them come prepared with long sleeves and pants and some bug repellent. I did not have a problem but my traveling companion did. You sleep under a mosquito net so once in bed it is not an issue.

Although we did not do much besides diving, some of the other guests raved about their village visit, medicine plant walk and going to the waterfalls. We did do yoga every morning out on the large deck overlooking the bay. Very inspirational! The resort will supply mats, straps and blocks upon request. Apparently there has been enough interest that yoga retreats may be coming soon. Could not think of a better setting.

On our last day there was a wedding! It was just incredible the job the staff did led by the very capable Maggie who was in his element attending to every detail to make it unbelievably romantic and to go off without a hitch. Flowers from the local area were everywhere and decorating even the boat that took the bride and groom to a secluded beach laid out for the ceremony with mats, shade, a full meal and a few hours to themselves afterwards. When they came back to the resort later in the evening all of us joined in helping them celebrate with party time Fijian style that included music, Kava ceremony, dancing and a huge feast of beautifully laid out food. It was a wedding they will always remember.

Overall a wonderful trip and I would love to go back there again. Probably go at a different time of year just for the variety and longer daylight hours so we can dive more!

My husband and I stayed at Matava for 7 days. We had two snorkeling trips with a guide, a guided boat trip/walk through the village and nearby waterfall, a discover scuba lesson, a lovo at the resort with local musicians and plenty of kava, and unlimited snorkeling and kayaking on our own. All were fantastic. Lisa is a great instructor for diving - very patient and easy to follow.

Snorkeling off the resort is plentiful and amazingly gorgeous, as were the boat trips to the other reef. The resort had plenty of kayaks, and the coastline with its little bays and inland rivers are perfect excursions; we also kayaked to another nearby small island for several snorkel outings on our own.

Our oceanview bure was pleasant, clean and comfortable, and the view of the ocean was completely unobstructed. Our front deck was perfect for yoga in the mornings (the resort provided a mat -- no need to BYO). Window screens and mosquito netting kept the little buggies mostly at bay (I did get bit, but I would get bit in a completely sterile operating room).

The staff was extremely helpful, welcoming and fun - more like friends and family than a hotel/resort. We had a fantastic time socializing with everyone at mealtimes. The wine list is short, but perfectly selected -- we enjoyed both the Shiraz and the Sauv Blanc.

Transfers (by boat) to/from the Vunisea airport were easy and flawless.

If I had one issue, and it is a minor one, it is that meals (especially breakfast) got to be a little (understandably) monotonous, but everything we ate was well made and tasty. Portions were reasonable, seconds available as well.

My husband and I just spend 7 nights at Matava, and we are already planning our next trip there. We loved the place, and especially the staff sooooo much we have totally fallen in love with Matava.
The staff were wonderful, couldnt do enough for you day and night, always quick with a smile and a joke. The food was fantastic as was the diving.
Matava would not be for everyone, but if you dont mind rustic charm (no air con or fan, and limited electricity - tropical breeze, gas lanterns and mozzie nets instead) and want a true romantic adventure far, far from the maddening crowds then I would highly recommend this place to you.

So-called "eco adventure" "resort." Not a place I would visit again; you should stay away. Foreign hotel owners and managers are unprofessional and inexperienced. All of the local Fijian staff are real nice and I had great dives. Boat ride from dock near airport represented to be 45 minutes but in my case it took 68 minutes, a very long time in an open rowboat in the blazing sun! And in the bargain the boat driver 's rough handling of my carry on bag damaged my computer and external hard drive. This place is totally overpriced, it would be overpriced if the rate was half! The place is a fire trap ... guests are warned about fire potential but few fire extinguishers are provided and those are well hidden - if you don't know where they are you will not find them in an emergency, especially at night! And, no smoke alarms! It is closer to camping than luxury resort it purports to be. Do not confuse Matava (stay away!) with Matana Resort / Dive Kadavu (go there) on the same island. All merely my opinion, of course.