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Dive Review of Taveuni Ocean Sports/Nakia Resort & Dive in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Taveuni

Taveuni Ocean Sports/Nakia Resort & Dive, May, 2013,

by Ron Hays, CA, US ( 2 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 7304 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments “About As Good As It Gets”
My wife & I stayed here for a glorious week in May. This was our 5th trip to Taveuni as Fiji is one of our favorite dive destinations. This was our 1st time at Nakia Resort & Dive and it was comparable in every way with the more expensive Matagi Resort, plus the quick, 20 minute access to the Somos Somos Straights dive sites was the icing on the cake. Though this is an Eco Resort in every way, the owners have designed and engineered the water/power/fan systems in such a manner that there is little difference to a grid powered resort. As always, we are blown away by the grace, courtesy and constant happiness of the Fijian people-couple that with an excellent training program enhancing attention to even the most minute details and the staff gets an A++. The design and maintenance of the entire property is quite impressive, especially for a tropical, oceanfront setting. Located on the land side of the lightly traveled, main road, the steep bluff blocks out almost all of the infrequent traffic noise (as well as most of the beach-level mosquito population), yet beach access (and the dive center) is just a short walk down a set of well maintained steps. The fresh water pool is probably the nicest on the island, perfect for the after-dive refresher (along with a cold Fiji Gold). We were on the full meal & dive package, which makes a lot of sense as the food was so delicious, varied and beautifully presented we had no desire to go elsewhere for our meals. Our favorite menu item was the passion fruit, banana crepe desert with vanilla ice cream. During the entire week, we wanted for absolutely NOTHING. On our last night, 2 of the dive masters performed some of the most enchanting Fijian songs on guitars while harmonizing with the wife of Mas, the lead singer. The goodbye song, sung in harmony by the entire staff on our departure was just so very special. Speaking of dive masters, the dive operation was totally professional. The dive shop and equipment were in top shape and well maintained. A good supply of top quality rental gear was available. Here is a tip: Because the baggage allowance from Nandi to Taveuini is 25% lower (30 lbs vs 40 lbs) and because the extra baggage charges are so high ($90fig RT for 2 bags), depending on your luggage weight, it may make sense to leave your BC, regulator & fins at home. I would rather pay a great dive shop for well maintained, quality rental gear than pay the somewhat poorly run hopper airlines for + baggage charges. The dive boat was aluminum, well designed, very fast with easy entry/exit and well sheltered from the elements. Each dive site was thoroughly covered and special features to appreciate were pointed out in the briefings. The diving was typical Fijian spectacular, lots of fish and corals and great visibility on all but 1 day (after a heavy nighttime rain). Daytime temps were in the low 80's, water temps 79+. A 2 mill wetsuit was perfect-and bottom times were great as most dives were in the color ranges, rarely getting below 60 feet. Deeper was offered for the macho crowd that likes everything a deep blue; but the experienced divers opted for more color and less depth. They split up our group of 6 into 4 experienced divers and 2 novices, which was very much appreciated by the experienced (breath control & neutral buoyancy) group. Julie, the owner of the dive operation (and daughter of the resort owners) was spectacular in every way, paying personal attention to every diver before & after the dives. What a beautiful woman, with a warm heart. Our trip time from LAX to Nandi was 10.5 air time on Pacific Air, then a 9 hour layover in Nandi (get a day room for 1/2 price at Raffles just across the road from the airport-great bar, great pool and an OK restaurant) to a 1.5 hour flight on the hopper to TAV. Return time was the same with only a 2.5 hour layover at NAN. Our thanks to a GREAT resort & dive operation for another fabulous Fijian dive trip and perfect vacation.
Websites Taveuni Ocean Sports   Nakia Resort & Dive

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving World Wide
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm, surge
Water Temp 80-80°F / 27-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 2
Water Visibility 40-100 Ft/ 12-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Julie & the crew at Taveuni Ocean Sports gave us the best service plus the awesome Great White Wall. Each dive profile was clear, precise and they delivered on critters on every dive. The provided excellent service, top quality rental gear & quality dives for all levels of experience.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities 5 stars
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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