SPECIAL OFFERS Kadavu Island Accommodation Meals Diving Fishing More Activities Prices Contact Us Matava ABC Airport Astrolabe Reef Bar Bird watching Bookings Bure Contact us Credit Cards Culture Dive Sites Environment Ferry Fijian Culture Fish seasons Flights Food Getting here Hiking History Kadavu Kava Kayaking Laundry Library Lovo Manta rays Map Marine reserve Meke Mosquito nets Nature Walks Organic garden PADI Package Prices Pictures Scuba Showers Snorkeling Solar Power Stargazing Surfing Telephone Transport Trekking Vegetarians

Bar The main bure has a fully stocked bar with a selection of local and imported beers, wines and spirits, soft drinks and juices. Tea, coffee and Milo are available during the day from the kitchen for a small fee. Guests run a tab at the bar which is settled when checking out.     click to enlarge Bird watching Twenty-seven of Fiji's birds are endemic to Fiji, found nowhere else in the world. Thus for those interested in ornithology, Fiji offers a unique opportunity. Kadavu has the additional attraction of the three species found on no other place in the world and these species, like the Kadavu musk parrot, can all be seen on the grounds of the resort. We can advise guests on the best bird watching spots, and if required provide guides for excursions to the rainforest or mangroves.     click to enlarge Credit Cards MasterCard, Visa and AMEX are welcomed. Prices quoted on this website are discounted cash prices. As there are no banks on the island, we are able to offer this concession to those who want to settle their bill in cash. Our standard prices are 5% higher than the ones quoted and this should be borne in mind by those wishing to settle by credit card. Most foreign currency and travelers cheques are accepted but, again due to lack of banking facilities, exchange rates quoted are not as favorable as with a high street bank. Dive sites Naiqoro Passage: Home to "Spot X" and the "Japanese Gardens". This passage offers one of the finest dives in Fiji, abounding in pelagic fish including schools of sharks, wrasse and barracuda, and coral gardens exploding with colour. The passage is a marine reserve.     click to enlarge   Nacomoto Passage: This passage includes "Eagle Rock" and "Cabbage Patch". Eagle Rock is named after a school of eagle rays, which fly around the bommie at the mouth of this passage. The dive also typically hosts reef sharks, barracuda and turtles. Cabbage Patch is home to one of the biggest cabbage coral patches a diver is ever likely to see. Reef sharks, hump head wrasse and colourful schools of reef fish are commonly seen on this relaxing dive. The passage is a marine reserve.     click to enlarge   Soso Passage: Home to "Golden Chimney" and "Coral Wonderland". The Golden Chimney is a large coral structure completely covered in golden soft corals, which when blooming light up the entire area. Gorgonian fans, moray eels, reef sharks, garden eels are other highlights of this dive. Coral Wonderland combines the best of wall, drift and relaxed coral watching. The dive starts deep with some very large fan corals on the edge of a very deep drop off. At the end of the wall, large schools of barracuda often hang out along with a grey reef shark or two. The last part of the dive is spent in shallower coral gardens which go on and on with reef fish schooling in large numbers.     click to enlarge   Manta Reef: A very special dive and one of the few places in the world where manta rays can be seen regularly. You'll be taken by the size and graze of these beautiful creatures as they circle inquisitively. Though almost within touching distance all you'll do is stand back in awe. Even without these magnificent creatures, the reef itself is outstanding in its quality and diversity of fish life. If you see mantas as well, this dive will always rank amongst the best you will ever do.   Click here for the cost of diving     click to enlarge Environment / Conservation Our focus at Matava is eco-tourism. We promote the natural environment, both marine and terrestrial and have adopted programmes to avoid damaging our environment. These include conservation awareness, and waste management (recycling) programmes at the resort and with local villages. There are no power generators at Matava - our lighting is primarily solar, with additional kerosene lanterns if required. All rubbish is sorted, food waste is fed to local pigs. We compost as much waste as possible. Plastic and glass bottles are recycled. Please help us to minimise our impact on the environment and don't litter.     click to enlarge Fish seasons Black Marlin season runs from August to December with blue and striped marlin showing from March to August. Sailfish are caught all year round. Wahoo and dog tooth tuna are best from June to September but are caught all year round. Yellow fin tuna show in large numbers from June to August but some remain close to the reef throughout the year. Barracuda and Spanish mackerel (Walu) are present in large numbers from October through March but can be caught all year round. Fishing outside the barrier reef is subject to reasonable weather conditions but fishing inside the reef is almost always available.   Click here for the cost of fishing trips     click to enlarge click to enlarge History The name Matava is derived from a famous battle that took place on this land back in the 17th century. Warriors from the then powerful Rewa district on Viti Levu came down to make war with Kadavu village - our neighboring and historically most powerful village on the island. On hearing this the Ratu "chief" sent his messenger "matanivanua" to challenge the Rewa warriors to war. Three times the matanivanua returned to the village with no reply. It was not until the fourth "va" challenge that a bloody battle ensued on the beachfront. The Kadavu warriors proved too powerful and won the battle naming the site of the battle Matava after the messenger who was sent four times before the battle took place. Kava / Yaqona Drinking The traditional drink of Fiji, yaqona or better known as kava, is a central part of most Fijian ceremonies. The root of a species of pepper plant is dried and pounded into a powder before being mixed with water in a traditional bowl called a tanoa. The resulting drink acts as a mild relaxant and has a slight numbing effect on the tongue. It should be noted that the mix looks rather unappetising. At some point in your stay, you'll undoubtedly be offered a bilo (or cup) either at the resort or during a village visit. We suggest you should try at least one!     click to enlarge Laundry All our washing is done by hand. We'll normally change our guest's sheets and towels every third day. Hand wash laundry facilities are available if required. Washing powder may be purchased in the main bure. Library A selection of english and international books and magazines are available from the "shelf library" in the main bure. So after an exciting dive, you may just want to hang out, fall into one of our cosy pillows and enjoy a little poetry.     click to enlarge Marine reserve Working in conjunction with our neighboring village of Kadavu Koro, we have established a marine reserve from the boundary of the Matava foreshore extending out to encompass the opposite Waya island. This area is protected from any sort of fishing, shell collecting and reef walking. There is a sandy path out through the sea grass that ends in a small clearing in the fringing coral where the boats enter and exit. This provides easy access to snorkeling areas and we ask that you stick to the path. The sea grass is a nursery for all sorts of marine life which you are welcome to snorkel over at sufficient tide.     click to enlarge Mosquito nets The resort provides mosquito nets for all beds in all bures. Mosquito coils and repellant may be purchased from the main bure.     click to enlarge Organic garden Matava boasts an extensive organic vegetable garden offering a host of fresh vegetables and fruits used daily in our meals to provide the freshest fare. The garden offers such fruits as coconuts, pineapple, pawpaw, guava, banana, mangos, lemons, melons, avocados and mandarins. We also grow delicious organic vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, lettuces, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, cabbages, pumpkin, capsicum, radishes, and cassava. To complement our vegetable dishes, we also grow a variety of herbs such as coriander, basil, sage and oregano. We have a nursery to start seeds in a controlled environment, which we then transplant to the garden. Since we compost all our organic waste, we have a large compost system to help enrich the already fertile soil.     click to enlarge click to enlarge Overnight kayak trip The adventure begins with a leisurely guided kayak from the resort to Nacomoto village, pausing along the way for some snorkeling and a packed lunch on a secluded sandy beach. After arriving at the village you present your "sevu sevu", a gift of a bundle of Kava root and receive the traditional welcome from the village chief and elders. Then a local guide from the village will take you on a walk into the hills to see some sights of historic interest. The guide is extremely knowledgable about the history of the region and the surrounding flora and fauna. Then cool off in the hidden waterfall where the guide will offer you some green coconut milk straight from the tree. Dinner is back at the village with the elders and the family you will be staying with. You will be invited to join in the ensuing kava ceremony and hear the ancient stories of the village elders. After a good nights sleep and a hearty breakfast you'll have the choice of kayaking back or a resort boat will collect you for the trip back to the resort. This activity includes all meals, accommodation, guide, village guided treks and kava for your sevu sevu. Two or three day packages are also available upon request.   Click here for the cost of overnight kayak trip     click to enlarge click to enlarge click to enlarge Solar power Lighting is provided by solar power. The solar panels situated around the resort charge deep cycle batteries during the day to provide lighting in the evenings. The system is 12 volt and normal household appliances can not be used. It is however possible to have your batteries charged by the staff on duty in the resort office. A lantern is provided for each bure and is yours to utilise for the duration of your stay.     click to enlarge Stargazing Whether guests are amateur astronomers or hopeless romantics they will be enthralled by the starlit nights that occur at Matava. The absence of city lights make it possible to see the Southern Cross, Scorpio, other constellations, even planets, watch shooting stars and meteor showers. Surf sites Soso passage: Located around 30 minutes by boat from the resort, this site features left hand breaking waves that can be surfed on almost any wind direction, best on a southeast swell. It can be surfed on both high and low tide, has an average size of around 4-6ft and up to 10-12ft between June and September.   Vesi passage: Located around 10 minutes by boat from the resort, this site has both left and right hand breaking waves. The main break is predominantly left, holding quality waves of up to 12ft and is all power from top to bottom. It can be surfed on an incoming tide and is best on a northerly wind and a south-east swell. Naigoro Passage: Located around 20 minutes by boat from the resort. Depending on its power and size is a thick, steep right-hander. Works best on a south-west swell.   Click here for the cost of surf trips to the reef Telephone Phone calls can be made at the resort. International calls are placed through an operator who calls back with the exact cost of the call. This is then added to your bar tab. Calls relating to your travel arrangements to and from the island are complimentary. Transport Services Your international flight will take you to either Nadi or Suva on Fiji's main island Viti Levu. From there daily domestic flights take you to Kadavu's airport in the town of Vunisea. Flight times to Kadavu are 45 minutes from Nadi and 30 minutes from Suva. For flights from Suva to Kadavu contact: AirFiji (+679 331 3666 or www.airfiji.net) For flights from Nadi to Kadavu contact: SunAir (+679 672 3016 or sunair@connect.com.fj) From Suva you can also get to Kadavu onboard the ferry going twice a week, though the journey can take anything between 6 hours and two days. Upon your arrival in Vunisea, you'll be picked up and taken to Matava by one of the resort's boats. The boat ride will take approximately 45 minutes.   Click here for boat transfer cost   Click here for a map of Kadavu     click to enlarge click to enlarge Treks and walks Nacamoto Trek: Matava has a daylong return trek to Nacomoto village that takes in mangroves, rainforest and grasslands. The steep climb involved as part of this walk is well worth the effort for the spectacular views over the Great Astrolabe Reef. Sections of rainforest provide welcome shade along the way, while two inviting waterfalls will tempt hikers into taking a dip. Transfer to and from the village is by boat.   Click here for the cost of Nacamoto trek     click to enlarge   Teitei Walk: You may join one of our local farmers and medicine man on a walk to his teitei (garden). You'll learn about the local crops of dalo, tavioka, uvi and yaqona and about the uses of local forest plants for crafts, medicine and building. Afterwards, you'll have the chance to relax and talanoa (chat) with members of his family in their village home before returning to the resort. The trip takes approximately three hours and includes breathtaking views, shady forest paths and grasslands.   Click here for the cost of Teitei walk     click to enlarge Waterfall Visit: Located one hour walking time from the resort is a stunning waterfall which plunges into a cavern of overhanging rocks dappled in ochre and russet colours. The pool below provides an excellent place for a refreshing swim following the walk. It is also popular among guests to sit and relax while the local village children scamble up the rocks surrounding the pool and show off with amazing high dives.   Click here for the cost of Waterfall walk     click to enlarge Village Mekes The local village performs a meke for guests of the resort upon request. A meke is a ceremony of traditional songs, music and dance often unique to a particular village. The performers may be school children or the village women's group. Usually most of the village attends, offering encouragement to their friends, joining in the fun and providing for a real cultural exchange. This is a village initiative supported by Matava Resort to keep local versions of the mekes alive and at the same time raise money for the community development projects in the village.   Click here for the cost of village mekes     click to enlarge