Fiji 

Fijians are amongst the nicest people on the planet and I guarantee you will fall in love with both the place and its people

 

 

Village life and customs. The chance to sample kava, the Fijian ceremonial drink and drink of choice in the evenings (we'll probably drink Fiji Bitter or Fiji Gold ...). Parrots and lorikeets, fruit bats and lizards and land crabs. Not to mention some of Fiji's best diving. You can expect good viz ... typically 100 feet or more, great hard corals and a plethora of fishes including blue ribbon eels, lionfish, scorpionfish, pipefish, anemone (clown) fish and squadrons of basslets. While Fiji is considered the soft coral capital of the world my understanding is that Kadavu, despite good soft corals, is better known for its hard corals. When I dived there with Mike last year I saw some of the biggest plate corals I've ever seen as well as spectacular 200-foot visibility (this is not an exaggeration).

 

Here's a collection of Fijian wildife photos

Crested iguana	Fiji tree frog	Red breasted musk parrot	Collared lory
Leaf Scorpionfish	Freckled hawkfish	Flatworm	Lionfishes
Anemone fish	Blue Christmas tree worm	Sea star detail	Flowery cod
Squat lobster in crinoid	Mantis shrimp	Brittle star	Blue ribbon eel

Diving

Likely to be on the cool side (78?). I dive with a 5/3 full suit and often get cold towards the end of a dive. I'd recommend a hood if you have one. I will require everyone to have some sort of emergency signaling device ... a safety sausage will be mandatory.

Most dive sites are close to the resort but we may visit sites that are up to an hour away. If you get seasick you'll need to take appropriate medication.

While most dives will be suitable for beginners it is possible there will be some current dives (it brings out the best soft coral). I won't inflict a current dive on new divers until they are deemed competent to cope.

Dive Kadavu has limited rental equipment which is outrageously expensive. Mike has some gear to rent at around $20 a day.

Weather

This is the Fijian winter. We could get days of strong southeast trades which will make the ocean choppy and access to dive sites uncomfortable. But we are just as likely to get days of beautiful sunny weather. Night time temperatures could drop as low as 68 with daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s. A light weight sweater is definitely recommended.

Packing list

Old time Fiji dive hand, Shannon Mayes, has put together a packing list. You can access this by clicking here. Thanks Shannon.

 

Mike and the largest plate coral I've ever seen

Carbon credits

Cost

Price includes round trip airfare from LAX to Fiji and the round trip flight to Kadavu, all accommodation, meals (except when staying in Nadi prior to return) - and diving. It does not include excess luggage from Nadi to Kadavu (and return) nor does it include gear hire, alcohol or tips. It does include a day room for those returning after the Waisalima trip and overnight accommodation for those visiting Dive Kadavu. You are responsible for your own travel to and from Los Angeles International Airport.

 

I've lived in Fiji for a total of nearly 15 years. While I don’t speak Fijian I know Fiji better than most US based tour guides and I wrote the most comprehensive work on Fiji nature. My book Fiji’s Natural Heritage is available for $34.95 for those of you who want to learn about the place ( www.pacificislandbooks.com/fnature.htm ). My Snorkeller’s Guide to the Coral Reef is available at $20.00  www.pacificislandbooks.com/nature.htm .

Here's what Sir David Attenborough had to say about Fiji's Natural Heritage:

"A superb - and most importantly - a comprehensive survey of all aspects of the rich natural world of Fiji. This is the sort of guide that anyone with curiosity about the land, the plants and animals around them is constantly seeking, and so rarely finds. It's a book that will, I am sure, be constantly consulted and treasured."

 

Here's a view of Waisalima from the ocean.