Matava Eco Resort

This was like staying at someone's house with guesthouses in the countryside. All action took place in the main building or patio, and one could take out a kayak if desired. This was an escape from the hustle & bustle and detach from doing anything but dive, snorkel and read a book. 5 days would have been enough here.The food was standout delicious, from their own garden, and fresh bread products.The diving was good, but nothing particularly exciting. Just really clear water and pristine coral.The ride to and from the airport on a small boat was rough.

FIJI – MATAVA ECO RESORT, KadavuI have to say that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on my first visit to Fiji. Described as an eco-resort, Matava’s staff had been very fast, informative and helpful in arranging the visit but even with web information about Fiji, Kadavu and Matava, I still wasn’t sure what to expect except for some pretty exciting diving.The island of Kadavu lies a short distance south of Fiji’s main island, Veti Levu. After a quick flight from the international airport at Nandi we landed at Kadavu and were greeted by friendly Matava staff members who gathered our gear and got us down to the local wharf where we boarded one of the Matava boats for the half-hour run to the resort. The resort can only be accessed by water or by foot trails. But the fact you are not in a recreational, urban resort does not mean there is a lack of amenities. As we were to see.Warmly greeted at Matava’s landing by George and Mr. Maggie, the staff quickly carried our baggage up to the Honeymoon bure. The bures or cottages are built traditional Fijian style. Matava’s are large, simple and airy with solar lighting and hot water, attached deck with magnificent views of the lagoon waters and Great Astrolabe reef and each placed for privacy. If you are looking for AC, TV, room service and fancy, you might be a lot happier at a different resort. However if you appreciate nature close at hand and serious efforts made to reduce a carbon footprint impact with lush foliage at every turn and beautiful diving at your door step, Matava will fit you like a Lycra skin.The food at Matava was amazing! The call to breakfast and dinner was by the pounding of the lali – the traditional Fijian slit-drum. If you ask and have a modicum of rhythm, you may have the opportunity to drum the resort to dinner. The food is nearly all grown or produced at the resort. Fresh greens, vegetables and fruit are standard with every meal and the cooks created mouth-watering meals in traditional Fijian style as well as international dishes and it was impossible to choose one meal over another; they were all delicious. Also, the soups that were served with lunch everyday were absolutely the best I have ever tasted anywhere!While we were there we were treated to several kava ceremonies and an impromptu sing along with participants from two of the nearby villages. The kava ceremonies were a very quickly acquired taste, and the singing of the locals was just beautiful. We really had the feeling that we were among life-long friends at these warm, wonderful events.As for the diving, again Matava far exceeded my expectations – and I had high expectations. The 75-mile long Great Astrolabe Reef embraces such diverse terrain and sea life it is difficult to know where to begin. Sharks, mantas, barracuda, wrasse, jack, corals, soft and hard, Tridacna clams, court-sized areas blanketed with huge colorful anemones along with their guardian Clown fish – sufficed to say the diving is magnificent. Visibility ranged from 40 to 100 feet and water temp was quite comfortable in a 3mm suit.Would we go again? In a heartbeat! The work and effort made by owners Richard Akhtar and Adrian Watt on this eco-treasure is plain to see and wonderful to experience. They and their staff’s pride in their service to guests and the resort itself make a visit to Matava a truly marvelous experience. It is an experience that will call you back again and again.Patrick Smith

Matava is like a hidden gem. The staff walks out to greet you and you immediately feel incredibly welcome. Wading through shallow water on the path to and from the boats is part of the experience, but they help carry everything, and we are divers after all. Luxury is not an option, but a very good, comfortable atmosphere where you truly experience an island of Fiji is part of every day at Matava. The local school children arrived by boat one evening to share their songs and dances while the adults conducted a traditional Kava ceremony. It did not feel staged like others we had seen but a true celebration. The people at Matava made the islanders so welcome, they stayed singing, playing guitars, and enjoying Kava late into the night. This is definitely an eco resort and they do an amazing job with their own garden and well thought out conservation. Accommodating a gluten free diet was no problem for them and never felt like an imposition. This is not the place to go if you need to be constantly connected by internet or phones, but a place to be blissfully off the grid. The rooms are basic, but meet all your needs, especially after a day of diving. Wide decks look out to the water and the beds have graceful mosquito nets along with functional showers. Bugs were not a problem during our stay though we did see many land crabs in shells and coconut halves on the hike up to our room, Diving the great astrolabe reef from here was only a short ride on spacious comfortable boats with divemasters who live on the island and commute by kayak. The dives were in areas of abundant hard coral rather than soft, though both are there. The hard corals were large with lots fish big and small among them. The passes had more colorful soft coral which opened up in the change of the tides. We were able to see Mantas with the short excursion out to an area where I understand that is common there. The conditions inside the barrier reef walls were calm, though you could see the waves (surfable I understand) on the outer edge. Currents were variable in the passes, but negotiable. One area had the whole top of a reef section covered in a garden of anemones and clown fish. I could have stayed there all day watching and taking photos. Besides the many anemones and their buddies, I was thrilled to see many giant clams and the brightly colored sweetlips, I had only seen others photos of before. This is a location ideal for couples or friends who like a quiet pace and beautiful diving. The people were my favorite in my Fiji travels.