Resort Report: Matava Eco Resort

Matava isn't your average dive resort. It's not the sort of place where you'd jet down for a long weekend, make a couple of morning dives on the usual sites, then spend the afternoon chilling on the beach or ordering room service in your swim-up hotel suite. Instead, Matava is a place to escape from it all and then play Robinson Crusoe in a magnificent natural setting, but with warm showers, soft bedding and delicious gourmet meals. And then there's the diving, which is some of the finest on the planet.

Matava is a fully off-grid property located on a remote bay on the northeast corner of Fiji's Kadavu Island and accessible only by water. Solar power and solar hot water provide essential creature comforts, and on-site organic gardens and orchards supply the majority of the kitchen's needs. Guests are housed in traditional Fijian Bures crafted from sustainable island woods and other natural materials. These stand-alone dwellings offer high cathedral ceilings, picture windows displaying lagoon and ocean views, and decks positioned for privacy.

With just 10 bures nestled into the surrounding rainforest and overlooking the lagoon, the atmosphere at Matava is relaxed and personal. Staff members greet guests by name, and meals become social events with a family-like atmosphere. Menus are crafted from ingredients harvested from the sea and picked fresh daily from the resort's organic gardens and groves. The dining terrace provides sweeping views of the reef, and a memorable setting for dinners served by lantern light under the stars. An on-site spa offers a range of therapies and makes use of natural Fijian-made products.

Matava Resort is home to Mad Fish Dive Centre, the only dive operation located directly on the Great Astrolabe Reef. As the world's fourth largest barrier reef, Astrolabe is famous in diving circles for its pristine corals and abundant and diverse marine life. The reef line forms a protected lagoon that encompasses Kadavu and Ono Island, providing a wide range of diving environments on both sheltered interior sites and the outside slopes and walls of the reef. Among the experienced divers can expect are sheltered coral gardens, fish-laden offshore pinnacles, high-energy drift dives and walls and slopes covered in profusions of hard and soft corals. A signature site is Manta Reef, which is one of the few locations in the world where both reef and oceanic manta rays can be encountered on a consistent basis. Channels such as Naiqoro Passage hold sharks and swirling schools of tuna, giant trevally, mahi-mahi and snapper, while sites on the open-water side of the reef provide additional chances for sightings of passing pelagics, including humpback whales, tiger sharks, whale sharks, billfish and tuna.

Mad Fish is a PADI 5 Star Dive Center, operating two fast launches that carry a maximum of twelve divers and have the range and speed to access the entire length of the Great Astrolabe Reef. In addition to daily two-tank dives and snorkel trips, the shop offers 3-tank excursions to the northern sites beyond Ono Island and continues to make exploratory trips to new sites all along the reef. Matava Resort works in conjunction with the neighboring village of Kadavu Koro to maintain a marine reserve protected from any sort of fishing, shell collecting and reef walking. The shallows of this reserve are a favorite with snorkelers

In addition to diving and snorkeling, Matava Resort is located near several remote, world-class surfing reef breaks. Both reef and blue water fishing trip and can be arranged. Sea kayaks are available to explore the pristine shores and beaches of Kadavu and Ono Islands, with itineraries ranging from one-day excursions to two and four-day paddles with overnight stays in local villages. The lush rainforests that surround the resort hold footpaths that can be enjoyed by hikers and bird watchers, either as guided or self-guided walks. Guests also have the opportunity to experience the authentic culture of the region by participating in traditional kava ceremonies and lovo feasts or attending a meke, which is a celebration of traditional song, music and dance.

Kadavu Island is served by both scheduled and charter flights from Suva's Nausori International Airport and Nadi International Airport. After landing on Kadavu, guests transfer to a boat for a 45-minute ride to Matava, which cannot be reached by road. Also available is seaplane service from Nadi directly to the resort. A majority of the resort's lighting and electrical devices are 12-volt systems operating on solar power. Internet connectivity is available, along with 120/240V power for charging cameras, strobes and laptops. 

With discount pricing that includes seven nights’ accommodation, boat and shore diving, the ability to add on a bunch of activities, all meals and drinks, hotel taxes and roundtrip airport transfers, you can't pass it up. Book online, send us an email at sales@caradonna.com or give us a call at 800-330-6611 to learn more about this unique property and all the adventures that await in Fiji.