The resort was very clean, tropical and freindly. The diving was world class. The manta rays were graceful. the staff was one of the best i have ever encountered. the food was great. what else can i say it exceeded my expectations. i can't wait to go back.

Matava is great for diving and possibly for fishing (although we didn't try it), but anyone else might be disappointed by the lack of other activities - or not. The beach is non-existent at high tide and would be better described as mud-flats at low tide. Kayaks are available free for guests, and it is possible to walk to the local village and rather spectacular waterfall, although after rain the path becomes barely passable. It’s better to kayak to the village or persuade the resort staff to take you there in a boat, in return for fuel money of course.

The diving on the Great Astrolabe Reef is fantastic, although some of the boat trips out to the sites can be challenging in rougher weather. We saw mantas, sharks (small ones), schools of barracuda and lots of smaller fish as well as coral in pristine condition. Some days we reckoned that our group of three or four were the only people diving on the whole reef. Trips to the manta ray site are run twice a week weather permitting, and the local guides reckon that mantas are seen 7 times out of 10.

The resort styles itself as an eco-resort, which in practical terms means that waste is recycled, some of the food is organic and electricity is solar-generated. There are no power sockets in the bures, so don't bother taking a hairdryer! Batteries for cameras etc. can be recharged in the office. Meals are excellent, although the fruit and veggies can be a bit repetitive as since they serve whatever is in season. There are only so many ways to cook cabbage!

The transfer from Vunisea is in a small open boat, and can be bumpy and wet in inclement weather. Like banging your head against a wall, it's nice when you stop. Apparently this southern side of the island often has the best weather in summer, when the rest of the country is hot and humid, but gets the trade winds in winter, which makes for rougher seas for winter diving. Whenever you go, a sense of adventure is definitely needed!

Prior to our visit to Matava, we read several fantastic reviews of this resort - perhaps our expectations were just too high.

We arrived at the little Kadavu airport on a tiny plane with all the other tourists heading to other resorts. Within half an hour of our arrival, everyone else from our plane had been picked up and whisked off to their resorts. Nobody came for us. After numerous phone calls, and a couple hours we finally found the boat that was supposed to take us out to Matava. Not a good start to our adventure.

We went to Kadavu to dive and signed up for a 10-dive package. Although the diving was good and the gear was high quality, we felt that the operation was not as professional as it could have been.

Our regular dive guide had only been diving for a year and the main dive master at the resort only went on one dive with us because he was assigned to a visiting photo shoot. This did not make our experience unsafe (we are experienced and comfortable divers) but detracted from the potential to see rare and interesting things and to learn about their natural history.

The only scary experience was when Kava George fell asleep on the boat and was no where to be found when we re-surfaced from our dive. Our dive guide didn't have a whistle (fortunately we did) and we spent 15 minutes out in the water yelling for George. Fortunately our whistle woke him and we were found.

The majority of the bures at Matava are reasonable and the newer more expensive ones are lovely. We found it very strange however, that since they're in the process of remodelling them, they have chosen not to put screens on the windows... this means that any time spent in one's room must be under the mosquito netting that's over the bed which makes the nice larger rooms somewhat pointless though still worth the extra money. We were promised hot water showers, but went without for 2 days without compensation.

Our meals ranged from poor to excellent - in other words, variable. Overall the dinners were fantastic, but the breakfasts and lunches were occasionally okay but often poor.

The highlight of Matava, and its greatest asset, is the flamboyant Maggie. A fashion star in his own right, Maggie is the kind of guy who serves passion pillows for breakfast and is diligent to make sure that every guest is taken care of. Without him, our experience would have been okay... with him, it was better.

But our least favorite part of our experience were the aloof and somewhat grumpy resort owners. Adrian seemed to be more interested in fishing and his fancy fishing boat than he was in his client's comfort and Richard was downright unpleasant. Whenever we tried to ask him questions or to connect with him on a personal level he seemed disinterested and put out. Richard's wife Jeannie is supposedly the one who makes the guests feel comfortable and at home but she was not around during our stay. We simply can't fathom why people like this have chosen to leave the modern world, invest in a destination resort and to immerse themselves in the hospitality business?!

Although they are working on improvements and the resort does have potential, we feel that our Matava stay was considerably overpriced and a generally average experience.

If you want a spa or a hotel, this isn't the place. If you want peace, quiet and ultimate seclusion, then this is the place. We had a great time here. The diving was great, as was the guide. Only book dive trips early to ensure availability. Was great having family style dinners by candlight with other guests.