Taveuni Diving Packages

How to Get There

Taveuni is easy to get to, with several daily flights from Nadi, although its distance makes it expensive to visit for a short stay. The flight itself however, can be beautiful, peering down over the splendour of the crystal Fijian seas.
Fiji Airways, Northern Air and Island Hoppers have daily flights from Nadi (1½ hours) or Suva (1 hour) to Matei Airport on Taveuni.
A popular alternative route for those with at least a week to spare is to take the ferry from Suva to the island. It is also possible to take a ferry from here to Savusavu or a smaller boat across Buca Bay to the east tip of Vanua Levu.
Unexpected events can sometimes cause travel plans to change. For this reason we recommend you consider diving package, travel and trip cancellation insurance. Visit our insurance programme section for a competitive quote:

Choose Your Own Accommodation

If you are planning to stay in Fiji before or after your Taveuni resort diving vacation, you can find a range of accommodation choices at hotelscombined.com, our affiliated hotel reservation specialists:

All bookings made with hotelscombined.com carry a 'Low Price Guarantee' to ensure you get great value for money. They also have a "book now and pay later" policy, to allow you to secure your reservation now and only pay on your arrival.

Sightseeing and Things to Do

As well as the fabulous diving packages, Taveuni offers plenty for the nature lover. There are treks and hikes galore for those with the energy. 2 of these not to be missed are the Lavena Coastal Walk, with its bizarre rock formations, pools and falls, and Tavoro Falls in Bouma National Heritage Park. Des Voeux Peak, the second highest point on the island, is also a rewarding experience, especially for bird watchers.
A rough, sometimes muddy trail just inland from Waiyevo takes you to Lake Tagimaucia. Here between October and December you can find in abundance the rare and beautiful Tagimaucia flower. Beyond Waiyevo, the road becomes rough and passes several impressive waterfalls. The Matamaiqi blowholes and coastal pandanus forests are the main attractions in the very south of Taveuni.
For the ornithologist inside you, the island is a great place to spot rare and beautiful birds such as parrots and fantails. The king of the birds here however, has to be the orange or flame dove, a rare and wonderfully coloured specimen.
If action is more your thing then check out the thrills, spills and occasional gashes of the Waitavala water slide, outside Waiyevo. Participants hurtle down these naturally occurring rock chutes with a delight only slightly lessened by high speed bone-on-rock collisions. If you see several people emerging unscathed it may be worth a go.
You can go horse-riding in the south of the island or try your hand at game fishing from Matei, if you wish to spend the afternoon slaughtering the wonderful creatures you spent the morning marveling at.

The Beaches

There are some beautiful white sand beaches on the little islands surrounding main island, whereas Taveuni's volcanic history has left it with fine black sand beaches. Although perhaps not as photogenic, the black beaches are great for swimming and snorkelling. Deserving of particular mention are those of Matei and Lavena. Boat trips can be arranged to the nearby islands.
There are 3 beautiful islets situated off the north east coast of Taveuni: Qamea, Laucala and Matagi islands. The islets have fabulous white sand beaches and a low flight over this area is superb. They are privately owned islands and only Qamea will consider visitors as it has a camping ground. Qamea is the site of an annual migration of land crabs where, some time in November/December, vast numbers of crabs make their annual scuttle down to the sea. Great snorkelling and bird watching also add to this island's attractions.

Restaurants and Entertainment

Dance clubs, pubs, go-go bars, foam parties and the like have yet to make it to Taveuni. There is a cinema in Wairiki screening Bollywood movies at weekends, if you like that sort of thing.
Instead you can have a few beers or whisky & cokes in almost every restaurant. If you are lucky (some would say unlucky) you can spend an evening with the locals gathered round a big bowl of kava. The liquid extracted from the root is said to have hallucinogenic qualities. Despite Dive The World's determined efforts to establish the validity of this claim, the best we can confirm is a tingling of the mouth and a sense of well-being. Then again that may just be the company of the Fijian people.
Waiyevo and Naqara are probably the best dining option in the south of the island. Apart from the resorts where the food can be excellent, there are other options although the fare may be rather basic, consisting of western, Indian and local dishes.
Matei in the north of Taveuni is home to some of the best restaurants on the island where you can eat on beach decks or verandahs, watching the planes coming in to land at the airport over the islets a little offshore. The choices in Matei include pizzas, curries and 3 courses of fresh seafood.

Shopping

Tourist shopping is limited to food and drink and handicrafts. There are supermarkets in Wairiki, Naqara and Matei selling fresh produce, as well as market stalls in Naqara which make for an interesting browse. Handicrafts for sale in dive resort gift shops and in Waiyevo are of the traditional wooden and woven variety.

Local Transport Options

Local buses trundle around the island (very slowly uphill) and are a great place to get chatting to the locals. The bus schedule is about as strictly adhered to as you would expect from Fijian folk, and buses are sometimes cancelled so you need to be as sure as you can that you will get to and from your destination.
4WD vehicles can be rented in Naqara although, for a days sightseeing, it may be better to book a cab in Matei or Waiyevo and haggle for a good price - certainly below that of a hire car. Most taxi drivers fancy themselves as tour guides, and a good one can be a real bonus.