Fiji
Bula! My first dive destination after I became certified was to Fiji. We stayed in Nadi, which is close enough to the Mamanutha islands that you can easily plan a 3 dive day trip to many of the islands and surrounding reefs. These islands offer all kinds of diving for all levels of divers, however, we found that the reefs there were a bit disappointing and covered with silt. The water conditions were ideal, with 80 degrees F and visibility from 100+ feet. These islands offer shark diving, drift diving, walls, and a large variety of fish, crustaceans, and critters. In addition, there are lots of tours offered to visit these islands from the main island. You can visit several of them by sailboat in a day, or stay in a resort on one of the tiny islands.
We also dived up near Raki Raki (northeast part of the island, about a two hour drive from Nadi Airport) on the beautiful "Golden Dream" and "Dreammaker" dive sites in the Bligh waters. Although we did this in a day, I would recommend staying in one of the lovely resorts along the Northeast coast of the island. These boasted incredible 60 foot tall coral columns, soft corals, and all kinds of marine life from sharks to nudibranchs. I would highly recommend the northern waters of Vitu Levu, the largest island, for diving. The reefs are beautiful, healthy and full of colorful life. The water temperatures are warm year round (78 to 82 degrees F), and the visibility is great.
The people of Fiji were warm and welcoming. We found plenty to do on the islands with activities that included hiking in the lush rain forests, sailing, fishing, and special village tours where we obtained permission from the clan chief to explore their land. Fiji will forever be one of my favorite dive and travel destinations.
