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

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Jewel Bubbles Divers/Matei Pointe, May, 2006, by Mike Binnard, CA, USA . Report 2521.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	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.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	26-50 dives
Where else diving	Bermuda, Maldives, Palau, Kona
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, noCurrents
Water Temp	82-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	30-60 Ft/ 9-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	max depth and time as a group, based on air consumption.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	We saw no provisions for photography, although we didn't ask about it.

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

Jewel Bubbles Divers/Matei Pointe, May, 2006,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

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