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Dive Review of Subsurface Fiji/Malolo Island Resort in
Fiji and Tuvalu

Subsurface Fiji/Malolo Island Resort, Sep, 2007,

by Dean and Lori Conrad, tx, USA ( 1 report). Report 4414.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 3 stars Food 2 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 2 stars
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling 5 stars
Value for $$ 3 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments We chose Malolo because we are u/w photographers and wanted to avoid the frustrations of trying to shoot in the currents we've heard about in some of the areas of Fiji better known for diving. However, we cannot recommend Malolo for a dive vacation. The viz was very disappointing, due in part to the fact that it rained part of our first five days there, even in the dry season! Boats are small and cramped, with no rinse tanks or drinking water on board!! There are not even rinse tanks or gear storage at the dive shop! In 8 or so days of 3-tank diving, we repeated many sites over and over, some ad nauseum! Currents in the passage can be quite strong, but there are more soft corals there as a result. We saw sharks reliably at the "Supermarket," but it's otherwise unremarkable. The only "WOW!" site for us was "Plantation Pinnacle' - it was very beautiful, with lionfish, clownfish, anthias, etc. Back at the resort, the menu never varied, and if you don't like Indian food/curries, plan to eat a lot of pizza and fish and chips at the beachside bar. Ice is a precious commodity, and ice water is just cold water -- no ice. The tap water is fine to drink (it IS Fiji, after all!) -- good thing, since you need to provide your own on the boat, and you don't even want to KNOW what a 6-pack of bottled water will cost you in the gift shop! Save the bottles and refill them from the tap in your room. Be sure you take whatever batteries, spare parts, etc. you need, as there is NOTHING available at the resort or in the dive shop. Also, plan to get to know your neighbors in the adjacent room well, as there is no sound-proofing between them. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the inability to get shore tanks to dive the resort lagoon. We saw things -- pipefish, juvenile picasso triggers, etc -- snorkeling there on our last afternoon that we NEVER saw on any of our boat dives! If you do decide to visit the Mamanucas, the South Seas Cruises ferry is a great way to see several of the picturesque islands on your trip from Viti Levu. You'll board the bus to Denarau Harbor across the street from the Nadi airport -- not the most convenient arrangement, but it will afford you the opportunity to chat with the very friendly locals at the bus stop. Fiji's tourism industry has suffered as a result of the coup(s), and so tourists are welcomed with open arms, almost literally! We honestly saw no sign of unrest, even in the Nadi.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Bonaire, Little Cayman, Maui, Hawaii, Cozumel, Mexico, Saba, Cayman Brac, Florida Keys, Bay Islands of Honduras
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather cloudy Seas currents
Water Temp -°F / -°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility - Ft/ - M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile ?
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 1 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 2 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments No facilities for cameras whatsoever -- no rinse tanks, even at the dive shop.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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