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Dive Review of Paradise Taveuni in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Taveuni

Paradise Taveuni, May, 2013,

by Mae L. Ding, CA, US (Sr. Reviewer Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 10 Helpful votes). Report 6981.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 2 stars
Snorkeling 3 stars
Value for $$ 3 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Enjoyed five nights and four days of diving here in May. Beautiful rooms and gardens on cliff overlooking the ocean. Pool and outdoor dining room have great views of the ocean.
Diving
Dive operation on site has 2 small boats with good shade but no head, and a larger boat which we never saw. Loved the large very clean rinse tank. Wet suits never dry completely overnight in the outdoor drying area. Tank fills were consistently 3000 pounds. No nitrox available. Rated PADI 5 star diver operation and offer dive instruction. They take care of all your gear except your wet suit. Many divers rent the dive gear and wet suits which looked relatively new and in good condition. Dive group goes up together at around 50 minutes dive time. No nitrox available. Dive trips to great spots at Rainbow Reef like the White Wall, Annie’s Bommie, Fish Factory, Yellow Tunnel and other places which are generally 30 to 60 minutes from dock. Extra charge to go to Rainbow Reef if do not meet minimum number of divers of $80 FJ for two divers. Boats provide fresh coconut, cake, water, towels. Saw pods of dolphins, pilot whales, manta, and flying fish on the way to and from dive sites. Beautiful hard and soft corals. Best dives were Yellow Tunnel at Rainbow Reef and Annie’s Bommie. Many large schools of fusilars, midnight snappers, yellow snappers. White tip reef sharks on several dives and turtles on several dives. Easy access to house reef off of dock. Coral on house reef mostly damaged from hurricane two years ago, but still a lot of fish and life there including two blue ribbon eels, various sea cucumbers, trumpet fish, large snappers, clown fish, mantis shrimp, and Nudibranchs.
Food
Food is varied with meat or chicken, fish, and vegetarian choices at lunch and dinner often with asian, italian, or indian recipes. Basic meal package includes hot breakfast with french roast drip coffee (not the instant coffee that many other places serve), one course lunch and two course dinner, and unlimited sodas. Alternatives are a-la-carte pricing or deluxe meal package which includes 2 course lunch and 4 course dinner. Servings are generous. Good cooking and attractive presentation. Service is friendly and very good. Midweek they have a traditional Fijian Lovo feast with very good native dancing, singing, and musicians.
Rooms , Grounds, Public Areas
Tastefully decorated, large rooms with mini frige, hair dryer, some with outdoor showers and indoor showers, a few new rooms with air conditioning, all have overhead fans. However, not enough light for reading at night in the air conditioned rooms (some other rooms had reading lamps). Nice pool with view of ocean. Dining is outdoors with view of ocean. Wifi is free and available only in dining area and lounge. No phones or TV in rooms. Beautifully landscaped grounds.
Activities
Many organized activities some free and some at extra cost for nondiving days - spa, hiking, free kyaking, snorkeling, visits to gardens, coconut husking demonstration, sulu tying demonstration, Fiji night dinner party and entertainment, and horseback riding. They have several masseuses all of whom are very good.
Negatives
Some mosquitoes in the evening – normal for Fiji. A few flys at meal time can be pesky. May not be enough divers in the shoulder and offseason to go to Rainbow Reef for diving without extra charge. Boats have no head. Reef in front of hotel is damaged. Good snorkeling and diving requires a boat ride. Dim lighting in rooms. Dives are usually limited to 50 minutes bottom time. Only had two dresser drawers in my Bure. Our trip in May had a little rain most days and heavy rain on 2 days, but usually cleared up within a couple of hours with sunshine much of the day.
Positives
Great food, service, beautiful well appointed rooms and diving at Rainbow Reef. Very friendly and personable staff. Late checkout is offered at no charge if rooms are not needed for other guests. Bar prices are reasonable.
Overall highly recommended place to stay and dive.

Websites Paradise Taveuni   Paradise Taveuni

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Fiji, Palau, La Paz, Hawaii, Belize, Little Cayment, Cozumel, Riviera Maya
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 78-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 30-60 Ft/ 9-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions depth limits and time limits. Surface at 500 pounds of air pressure.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? no

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales > 2
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 1 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments General visibility during the period when we were there was not as good as it can be at other times which affecvted the rating. No camera bucket on boat.
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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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