Dive Review of
Jewel Bubbles Divers/Matei Pointe in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Taveuni

Bermuda, Maldives, Palau, Kona

Dive Conditions

max depth and time as a group, based on air consumption.  

We saw no provisions for photography, although we didn't ask about it.  

Overall Rating

We had a fabulous time in Fiji.

Flying on Sun Air was somewhat of an adventure, with last minute changes to
schedule.  But they got us where we needed to be.

Matei Pointe was a perfect place to stay. The house was the right size, the
grounds are beautiful, and the location is perfect. It was a wonderful
place for our kids (ages 4 and 2.5) to play around. Snorkling from the
beach was good once you got far enough out. The water was calm enough at
the beach for our kids to play around in with no problems. Lo and her
helpers were friendly, cheerful, and helpful. Our kids loved them.

Some things were funny, like the salt that would randomly appear and
disappear from day to day. And the dog Marmalade who treated us like he was
our pet. For our group of 5 adults and 2 kids, Matei Pointe really was
exactly what we needed.

We did 3 days of diving with Jewel Bubble Divers. They are a locally run,
small operation. Very laid-back and easy to deal with. Rental equipment is
OK. Boat is new, single engine with no shade. No provisions for
photographers. We (four) were the only divers. For groups of 5-8 they take
2 divemasters. For the first day, Qio took us to Matei Pointe reef for two
easy dives. He wanted to check out our ability and comfort level before
going to the Rainbow Reef. On the 2nd day it was too windy to go all the
way to the best spots, but we had two good dives at Fish Factory and
Annie's Bommy. On the third day we dove the Great White Wall and Jerry's
Jellies. Qio was ill, so the divemaster was Mike. His intentions are good,
but he needs more experience. The White Wall is awesome. In general, the
hard coral was healthier than I expected; Qio said it's recovering well
from the 99 El Nino. Soft corals were nice, but not "the soft coral
capital of the world" other than at the White Wall. Lots of small
colorful fish, but no big stuff.

One brief trip to Swiss Fiji Divers to send email corroborated what we
heard from some sources: rigid rules, grumpy staff, and none of the
relaxed, friendly service of local Fijians.

The Bouma waterfall hike and the Natural waterslide were both great fun.
Beautiful scenery, fun hiking, and excellent swimming. Both are must-do
activities on Taveuni. We also had many day trips to Prince Charles Beach:
a beautiful beach with great snorkling, fun sand for the kids, and no other
people. Our taxi driver, Nan, took great care of us for all the activities,
shopping, and transportation.

We had one great dinner cooked for us by Chef Dan at Matei Pointe (arranged
by Lo). His papaya soup is the best. We also had good food from Lal's Curry
House and at Ronna's Coconut Grove. Coconut Grove has much better coffee
than Audrey's. Also, Audrey doesn't like kids.
 

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