Wananavu Reviews & Specials - Bluewater Dive Travel

Wananavu Beach Resort

4.3
(5 REVIEWS)

Destination: Fiji

Kings Rd, Raki Raki, Fiji | Full-board + 2 dives from $276/ppn

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Wananavu Beach resorts is currently closed. Click here for more Resort Options in Fiji, or Contact Us and we can recommend some great alternatives.

Wananavu Beach Resort Quick Pitch 

Wananavu offers true Fijian hospitality. The resort's remote location provides privacy, coupled with mainland convenience.

 

Quick Information 

  • No of Rooms: 35
  • Dive Center: On-site
  • Amenities: AC, mini-fridge, free activities such as tennis, kayaks, snorkeling, Wifi, spa, Nitrox
  • Wi-Fi: Paid WiFi is available in all areas
  • Nearest Airport: Nadi International Airport
  • Airport shuttle: Yes, surcharge
 

 

How to Get There

Wananavu is situated on the mainland, approximately 2.5 hours from Nadi International Airport. The resort offers airport shuttle service.

 

Dive Overview

Easy access to over 40 dives sites. Fiji offers excellent dive diversity. Fiji is home to an amazing variety of fish life, including colorful angelfish, anemone fish, anthias, frogfish, hawkfish, moray eels, ghost pipefish, and countless other photogenic species.

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Accommodations

Types of Rooms, Amenities and Photos

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Wananavu Room Overview

Wananavu Beach Resort offers 35 deluxe bures (Fijian for “home”) and villas located in an idyllic 4-star resort setting. Choose from lush tropical garden views, hilltop ocean views or beach front bures and villas.

 

WananavuSampaguita Resort MoalboalSampaguita Resort Moalboal Wananavu

Garden View Bure

Garden View Bure

Set amongst lush tropical gardens, the garden bures offer paradise at your doorstep. Each garden bure is designed with a distinctive Fijian feel. The open plan design invites you to relax, unwind and enjoy the tranquility the garden oasis has to offer. The timber floors and double doors at the foot of the king-size bed, spill out onto your own private deck, where you can watch the coconut palms sway in the breeze. Perfect for couples looking for a tranquil setting nestled amongst the mango and flame trees.

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Two-bedroom Garden View Bure

Two-bedroom Garden View Bure 

The two bedroom garden bure offers you a place to kick back and enjoy your own slice of paradise, with its own Fijian interior flare. The relaxed living room is adjoined by two separate bedrooms; one with a queen-size bed, the other with two single beds, which makes this the ideal option for couples and families who are seeking a place to unwind amongst Fiji’s tropical gardens.

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Ocean-View Bure

Ocean-View Bure

The open plan bedroom with king-sized bed and sitting area offers you a place to slip into the soothing pace of island time, and relax in a truly unique Fijian setting. Read a book or lap up the sun on your own private deck, as you watch the gentle waves lapping the shore line.

Perfectly suited for couples looking for a place to laze in an idyllic setting, evoking romance and relaxation.

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Beach Front Bure

BeachFront Bure

The Beachfront Bures are located directly on the beach only steps away from the ocean itself.  Right out the front door is your own private deck and then you are surrounded by palm trees with hammocks and lounge chairs sprinkled between.

These Bures are similar in all respects to the Ocean View Bures with the additional feature of being located on the beach frontage.

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Two-Bedroom Beachfront Bure

Two-Bedroom Beachfront Bure

Two Bedroom Bures are ideal for families or small groups of friends and boast 2 sleeping areas, 1 large bathroom, tiled decks and green space just steps away from a private beach.

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Ocean View Honeymoon Bure

Ocean View Honeymoon Bure

Honeymoon Bures each have a private plunge pool with a separate deck, a large lounge, a king-sized canopied bed, an outdoor shower in a private courtyard as a romantic addition to the indoor shower and bathroom. These Bures offer privacy, luxury and a great outlook.

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Beachfront Honeymoon Bure

BeachFront Honeymoon Bure

One magnificent, soaring-roofed, huge traditional Fijian Bure. Enjoy the space, secluded plunge pool and a stone-walled outdoor courtyard shower to compliment the indoor shower. Staying in this Bure is like being in your own exclusive resort with your own private beach and your own private plunge pool.

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Villa Vanua

Villa Vanua

Villa Vanua is the ultimate Wananavu accommodation, centered around guests privacy and luxury. Sleeping up to 10 guests, Villa Vanua includes four large bedrooms, three bathrooms and a full kitchen that opens out to an open plan dining and lounge area with state of art audio-visuals.

Villa Vanua makes for a perfect holiday for the whole family or reunion of friends and family. Villa Vanua is also a perfect option for your next conference event or function.

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Family Villa

Family Villa

Located on its own, the Family Villa has superb views of the resort, ocean and outer islands.

The Family Villa is great for families or couples. Sleeping up to 7 guests, the Family Villa includes 3 large bedrooms (beds: king, queen & 2 singles), 2 bathrooms (one in the master bedroom), a full kitchen and laundry facilities. There is also a TV and DVD player for those times you wish to sit back, relax and enjoy some downtime.

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Resort Facilities

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Wananavu Beach Resort Features

  • Resort pool
  • Conference room
  • Wedding venues
  • Tennis court
  • Boutique Shop
  • On-site 4-star restaurant and full bar (daily happy hours)
  • Public Wifi (in-room/private Wifi available for purchase)
  • The Wananavu Resort’s Wai Spa

 

Wananavu Beach Resort Activities

  • Tennis*
  • Fish Feeding*
  • Coconut Tree Climbing*
  • Church Service*
  • Swimming Pool*
  • Serenaders*
  • Snorkeling*
  • Volleyball*
  • Kayaks*
  • Cooking Demonstration*
  • Board Games & Cards*
  • Crab Racing*
  • Dolphin Watching
  • Snorkeling
  • Beach Picnic
  • Waterfall Excursion
  • Island Discovery Tour
  • Nacagicagi Mountain Hike
  • Sunset Cruise
  • Cultural Village Tour
  • Sport Fishing

*Complimentary activities

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Schedule & Rates

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Wananavu Beach resorts is currently closed. Click here for more Resort Options in Fiji, or Contact Us and we can recommend some great alternatives.

 

Dive Information & Itineraries

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Fiji Dive Overview

Rakiraki (Fiji) is located on the northern most tip of the main Fiji island Viti Levu and showcases some of the best scuba diving Fiji has to offer out in the adjacent Bligh Water. Fiji is known for its world-class coral reefs and has been labeled the “The Soft Coral Capital of the World”. Fiji's vibrant coral reefs rise up from the ocean to depths less than ten feet (three meters) so that divers of all levels of certification can find amazing diving. From the smallest nudibranchs and cleaner shrimp to schools of trevally & barracuda and maybe even a shark or three. Trips to Fiji’s Bligh Water, Vatu-I-Ra Passage and Sailstone Reef never fail to impress their scuba diving guests. Whether divers are looking for a mind-boggling twist and turn maze dive with swim-throughs and plenty to see or dive on top of pinnacles with walls plunging into the abyss, Dive Wananavu can provide scuba divers with an amazing experience

 

Fiji Dive Sites 

Here are a few of the dive sites in the world famous Bligh Water of Fiji to whet your appetite until your next diving adventure.

  • Mount Mutiny - Named after the legendary Capt. Bligh from the Mutiny on the Bounty story (also where Fiji’s Bligh Water gets its name). Rising up from the depths this pinnacle offers the diversity of pelagic fish such as schooling Barracuda and Jacks to name a few but is most remembered for its area nicknamed “Rainbow Reef.” Rainbow Reef is a wall of soft corals (which can be mistaken for fans) in a variety of color resembling colors of a rainbow. Some have said this is the best soft coral dive, in not only Fiji but the world…
  • Mellow Yellow - That is until you dive Mellow Yellow. Another pinnacle dive, Mellow Yellow is named after the large population of yellow soft corals trees decorating the current facing side and is one of the scuba divers favorite dive sites. When the current isn’t running the soft coral can be rather, well, limp, but add a little current and this dive is a can’t miss. Schools of Scalefin and Bi-colored Anthias so thick you can’t see through them. Recent diver Bob complained, “I wasn’t able to see the coral through the schools of fish.” If only every dive destination in the world can have that problem. But don’t get hung up on looking just at the schooling fish, check the cracks and crevasses for small shrimp, nudibranchs, Scorpionfish and other macro life.
  • Black Magic Mountain - BMM has very healthy coral, and in many other areas of the world some would say fantastic corals but when compared to Mt Mutiny and Mellow Yellow we living in Fiji say its lacking. What BMM lacks in coral it more than makes up for with its abundance of schooling fish. Black Magic Mountain is home to several huge schools of pelagic fish like Big Eye Jacks, Pickhandle Barri’s, Fusiliers, Anthias as well as several different species of Sharks and Eagle Rays.
  • G6 - G6 holds the distinction of being several staff members favorite dive site at Dive Wananavu and with good reason. Amazing purple soft corals cover the side of this dive site with lots of golden Scalefin Anthias swimming through them make this another beautiful dive site in the Bligh Water. Often found off in the blue are personal favorites Thread Fin and Big Eyed Jacks, and schooling Barracudas. Don’t get caught looking for just the big animals on this dive site, as hidden in the reef are several species of Scorpionfish, nudibranchs and we wouldn’t be surprised if one day we find a Pygmy Sea Horse hiding in one of the many fans decorating this large bommie.
  • E6 - Dive Wananavu’s furthest out site, and one of Fiji’s best-known dive sites. E6 was aptly named after the amount of E6 Slide film shot when this dive site was first discovered. This amazing pinnacle rises from the depth of the ocean some 3000 ft+ (900m) up to just a few feet (1/2 meter) from the surface and is teaming in hard corals on top, soft corals on the protected sides with reef fish and schools of pelagic fish found where the current rushes past. This current is what supplies the nutrients that make E6 and the whole 
  • Vatu-I-Ra passage and the Bligh Water so rich with healthy lush corals, but don’t worry there is always somewhere to hide in the current shadow if you get tired of swimming.
  • Wheatfield - Before we get to the area known as the Vatu-I-Ra passage we come across another reef system referred to as “Midway Reef.” One of the more well-known dive sites in this region is another pinnacle dive site known as Wheatfield. Named for the soft corals covering the top of this reef (15ft, 5m) that wave in the current like the wheat fields of Nebraska blowing in the wind. Scuba divers can expect visibility ranging around 80ft+ (24m) and Wheatfield is a great place to find several species of lionfish, and a new recent discovery of resident Ribbon Moray Eels.
  • Neptune’s Rhapsody - Neptune’s Rhapsody is a series of coral bommies with schools of Anthias living within soft corals on top of the bommies and many swim-throughs hiding along the bottoms. This is a great dive site to find different species of nudibranchs and other invertebrates and also larger animals like White Tip Reef sharks. For those who like to crawl through cavern like holes surrounded by fans and soft corals during your scuba diving adventure, this is your dive site and a reminder that the Bligh Water covers more area than just the Vatu-I-Ra Passage.
  • Dream Maker - For those with the desire to find more swim-throughs during their scuba holiday and for photographers who like divers framed by large sea fans and coral windows, then look no farther than Dream Maker. For a special treat swim to the current side of Dream Maker and watch the fish swirl around you as they feed on the nutrients being blown by. Just don’t forget to look down once and a while to see if the resident White Tip Reef Shark or the Neploean Wrasse comes along to check things out. Lots of Gorgonian fans decorate the crevasse making for some spectacular wide-angle underwater photography.
  • Golden Dreams - On the same reef system as the previous dive site, Golden Dreams reminds many divers of Mellow Yellow just on a shallower scale. The highlight of this dive is the current side rock face with many yellow soft coral trees and the near-by swim-though lined with the same soft corals. Keep a keen eye or ask your Divemaster to put his eyes in for the possibility of spotting the large resident Octopus living in the reef to the east of the boat mooring. Many of the Fiji dive sites in this area have a plethora of swim-throughs and Golden Dreams is no exception.
  • Pure Magic - When the currents are running right the Wananavu Dive Boys and this site deliver, well, Pure Magic. Whether you're looking for schools of Fusiliers, White Tip Reefs Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Turtles or schools of umpteen other types of fish divers all get a kick out of what they find on this dive site. Underwater photographers may also find themselves snapping away at the Oriental Sweetlips cleaning station or the dozens of macro critters hidden amongst the reef with the Moray Eels and more.

 

[Read More: Fiji Dive Travel Guide]

 

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Dive Center Information

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Wananavu Wananavu

 

Wananavu Dive Center Overview

Dive Wananavu is Fiji’s premier Scuba Diving resort facility, located on the Wananavu grounds. Dive Wananavu strives to offer the best Fiji scuba diving experience available and reflect the style and level of service Wananavu clients have come to expect from the Resort and, now, from the Dive operation. Wananavu’s Dive Manager leads an amazing staff of local Fijian Divemasters and licensed boat captains who take great pride in offering divers Fiji’s top quality scuba diving service. Dive operation is comprised of super fun, attentive dive crew members who focus on providing a holistic diving holiday with warm hospitality. Dive Wananavu has NITROX available and comfortable, non-smoking vessels.

 

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Other Information

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Practical Information

  • Electricity: 240 Volt
  • Time zone: UTC+12:00
  • Languages: Hindi & English
  • Accept credit card?: Yes (VISA, Mastercard, American Express)

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Got Questions? Ready to Book?

Call us today at 310-915-6677 or email us bookings@bluewaterdivetravel.com

And let us book your dream vacation!

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Underwater Gallery

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Wananavu Wananavu

Wananavu Wananavu

Wananavu Wananavu

 

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Reviews (5)

5
5
5
5

Good:
One of the best dive resorts we ever had! Food is served on a balcony overlooking the garden and the sea. Great food with a very good selection. Any special wish is taken care of. Excellent diving with great fish life. Beautiful colors and great variety from small to large. Very relaxing schedule, great atmosphere and service.

Not so good: Dive sites are a long boat ride away with only two dives a day.

Visited on 05/2017 - Submitted on 04/10/2020
Minneapolis, MN
United States
0
5
4
5
Visited on 04/2014 - Submitted on 12/05/2014
4
4
4
4

DANGER, DO NOT COMBINE’ should have been printed on our itinerary to Wananavu Resort in Fiji. Combine the cold New Zealand winter, the lure of a warm tropical paradise and four guys bursting for a great time and you get a recipe for some Fiji fun. Two divers and two non divers begin the trip and four divers emerged at the end with some fantastic diving, heaps of laughs and memories of a life time especially for the oldest in our group who dove for the first time at 73.

I knew when Jeremy and Kristen at Reef Safaris said ‘my dive shop is your dive shop’ that we would be well looked after and boy did they. Within a 30 minute boat ride of the resort we were dropped on some excellent sites on Sail Stone Reef. Dive sites like Golden Dreams, Bula Maize, and the Pinnacles had us mesmerised and keep us coming back for more. We could not wait for the next days diving and as we came up from the first dive we were thinking about going down for the next and as someone said we were going up and down like a naughty girls pants (of course with an appropriate surface interval).

Crystal clear warm water greeted us and as we were soon guided through some great swim throughs and between tall pinnacles by our Dive Master at a depth of 15 to 25 metres. Golden Dreams was named for the golden soft coral lavishly spread on the balmys and swim throughs. Visibility was between 30 to 50 metres with some beautiful soft and hard corals and a huge quantity of fish. We saw several White Tipped Reef Sharks, mating Octopus, several types of Stonefish, Lion Fish, Blue Fin Tuna, Spanish Mackerel and the small colourful reef fish were as thick as fleas on Grandpas hound.

One of my highlights was the high population of nudibranchs from the Blue Dragon (up to three per square metre) to Diserable Flabellina. Several varieties were photographed and listed as undescribed in the guide book so you do not know what waits to be discovered. These slow and beautiful sea creatures are perfect for the new and experienced photographer and the lack of current and good visibility helped get those clear shots without an external strobe. The Dive Master was great at pointing out these miniature dragons and was always willing to make the dive our dive by finding and pointing out animals or plants we wanted to see.

At Wananavu Resort we were spoilt for activities on our day off. Choices of several village visits, bamboo rafting, kayaking, snorkelling and petanque were all available. Talks on medicinal plants and ‘the tree of life’ the coconut kept us informed. Our group loved the interaction with the locals and I do not know who laughed the most at the waterfall village. After drinking kava, chewing on the sweetest sugar cane I have ever had and sliding down a natural waterfall into a refreshingly cool rock pool we bought a few pieces of handicraft.

One tip for the interested traveller which the Islanders really appreciated was the giving of items we take for granted. Everything from summer clothes for adults and kids, kids books, rugby boots and eyeglasses (like those you buy from the $2 shop) are greatly appreciated. As always in Fiji the Fijian people add a great deal to the experience. We go to the islands for the warmth and sun and soon discover the Fijians are just as warm and sunny.

Another buzz would have to be the light in Mike’s (age 73) eyes describing the fish and coral on his first dive. With a splash he was over the side looking at a world he had never imagined. His enthusiasm was infectious and had all the charm and adventure of a kid explaining his new discovery. He felt lucky to be able to experience the underwater world just as every diver feels when they come up from a great dive. Unimaginable is the only way I know how to describe scuba diving. A whole new world awaits you, we do not have to leave this planet and you can begin at almost any age.

Visited on 07/2011 - Submitted on 02/25/2014
  • Top Reviewer
Huntington Beach, CA
United States
5
5
4
4

In 2013 my fiancée and I had the opportunity to visit Fiji and dive the Wananavu Resort after winning in the Bluewater Shootout. What can I say about the experience? Amazing, fabulous, wonderful, would do it again in a second.

Fiji itself is amazing.

The trip from Nandi to Wananavu - about 2-hours by road - gives you the opportunity to see some of the island and the people. Green rugged hills are reminiscent of some areas of Northern California while in other areas great sweeps of sugar cane fields bordered with palms, banana, papaya and mango trees leave no doubt that you are in a tropical paradise. And this is even before you get a look at the water!

Arriving at the resort I was impressed by the warm welcome and the neat facility. Our check-in was easy and completed with a complimentary welcome cocktail. We were upgraded to the Honeymoon bure which was a magnificent ocean-view room. The king-sized canopied bed, private mini-pool, view deck and indoor and outdoor showers were exactly the things that would keep newlyweds very happy.

The food at the resort was very good and abundant and the staff first class.

But we were at Wananavu to dive.

Over our six-day stay, we made 14 dives, our first less than an hour after we arrived. The dive operation was prompt and anticipated our needs and had our gear onboard the boat in short order. The dive operators - Chris Liles an American expat and Vicky his wife, a transplanted Brit - were efficient, cordial and accommodating in every way. Both being underwater photographers, they and the dive masters ( Mere, Josh, Las, Jimi, Kini and Jo) are finely tuned to the need of UW photogs and some of the nicest folks anywhere. The operation runs two boats. The 33-foot Nami, the larger boat, is setup to accommodate (I believe) 20 divers, but we never had more than ten aboard during our trips. Twin outboards allow fast trips to the amazing dive sites of the Bligh Waters. The second boat the Nami Llailai, is smaller (24-foot) and is setup as a six-pack boat and is as fast as the large Nami. Both boats have dive gear storage bins beneath bench seats and carried the usual safety equipment along with GPS, VHF radio, life preservers, fire extinguishers, 02 and first aid kits.. Both boats are fast and stable and are very good dive platforms.

The Diving! Is just amazing.

All our dives were to sites in the Bligh Waters and we made repeat dives to the same site a couple of times. Usually I would have issues with jumping the same site, but the reefs there totally change depending on depth, current and time of day. Parnella’s Rock became a totally different dive when the current picked up. The current was easy enough to swim against, but made the difference in the types and number of creatures seen and whether certain soft corals were out in feeding mode. Other sites we did multiple dives on were Black Magic Mountain and Mount Mutiny. Truly, by picking a different depth, time of day and current flow, each one of these sites was actually myriad different dives.

The colors of the fish and corals on the sites were amazing. Looking at some of my images after the trip it looked like someone went crazy in a paint store; the vivid colors – blues, reds oranges, yellows, greens and the shades and variations of each is just stunning. As far as creatures, we did not see many big boys. We saw sharks often, but out in the blue and barracuda and turtles of some size would cruise through periodically. But the spectrum of colors provided by the local reef inhabitants seemed to make up for fewer large folks. For me, the number and diversity of the Tridacna clams was very cool. Every mantle was different and I killed many pixels capturing the amazing colors and patterns.

Diving the Bligh Waters with the Dive Wananavu operation will make you want to come back (or not leave!)

Visited on 05/2013 - Submitted on 02/01/2014
  • Top Reviewer
Huntington Beach, CA
United States
4
5
5
4

It is a bit of a drive from the airport out to Wananavu, but worth the time. We stayed in a honeymoon suite up high on the hill with an amazing view and our very own pool on the patio which was so welcome after a day of sensational diving, good food and the hike back up the hill. The room was spacious with a big comfortable bed and a shower that gave you the choice of indoor or outdoor. As much as I enjoyed the room, view, and food, the diving captivated me. I had already dove this same trip in Bequa and on the Great Astrolabe Reef, but the Bligh water dives took my breath away. It was like diving inside a kaleidoscope with all the soft corals and anthas. I only wish 3 dive days were more the norm rather than 2 dive days, I didn't feel like I got to dive enough while I was here. This would be a great destination to combine diving and relaxation.

Visited on 05/2012 - Submitted on 01/29/2014

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