Matava — Fiji Untouched

Dive resort · Fiji · Kadavu Island, Fiji · Official Website

The Kadavu shoreline and its coral reef from the air

Booking by Tour Leader Club

2 room types · house reef

Matava sits on the southern shore of Kadavu Island — a volcanic island rising three thousand metres from the ocean floor, well off Fiji’s main routes. There are no roads here: only a network of paths linking one village to the next, and the resort itself can only be reached by boat.

In front of it lies the Great Astrolabe Barrier Reef, which the resort calls the world’s fourth longest barrier reef and Fiji’s largest living structure. It runs along the south side of Kadavu and up to the North Astrolabe Reef, forming sheltered coral lagoons; five main passageways cut through it, all a short boat ride from the resort.

The diving is run by Mad Fish Dive Centre, the resort’s own PADI 5 Star centre on site. The signature site is Manta Reef: a submerged reef outside the barrier, about forty minutes by boat, its top around fifteen metres, a feeding station where mantas turn up all year. There is a resident population plus occasional pelagic visitors, a fun swim-through, patches of clownfish, pristine hard corals and fans, schooling fusiliers, surgeonfish, Indian and narrow-barred mackerel and dogtooth tuna — with the occasional Pacific sailfish or great hammerhead.

Straight off the beach is a marine reserve taking in Waya Island. Between the shore and the fringing coral lies a bed of seagrass where, with a good eye and some patience, you can find seahorses; the fringing reef holds the same species as the barrier plus plenty of juveniles. You can snorkel out from the sand, take a resort kayak, or ask to be dropped by boat.

Accommodation is ten handcrafted bures scattered up the slope in the rainforest. Polished mahogany floors, large airy louvre windows, timber king or queen beds, full-length picture windows and a private sun deck looking over the lagoon and the barrier reef.

Matava runs itself. Power, lighting and hot water come from the sun, with a standby generator; water comes from the resort’s own artesian springs and even fills the pool. The bures have low-voltage lighting and ceiling fans, with 240 V charging in the main bure. The kitchen cooks what grows next door: fruit, vegetables and herbs are picked daily from the organic farm and seafood is sourced from the surrounding waters. All organic waste is composted, and guests are asked to carry out batteries, plastic and anything non-biodegradable.

No markup

You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.

We run the deal

Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Card payment

We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.

Support all the way

We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.

The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.

About the resort

Country: Fiji
Location: Kadavu Island, Fiji
Nearest airport: Kadavu (Vunisea) Airport — a 5-minute drive to the bay and about 45 minutes by boat
Transfer: The resort meets guests at Kadavu Airport, then a short drive and a boat ride; return transfers are included on bookings of 5 nights or more, otherwise FJ$150 each way per booking
House reef: A marine reserve right in front of the resort, Waya Island, a seagrass bed with seahorses and the fringing coral
Dive centre: Mad Fish Dive Centre — the resort's own PADI 5 Star centre on site
Rooms: 10
Internet: Satellite Wi-Fi in the resort's main areas; there is no internet in the bures
Languages: [English]

At the resort

A main bure with the restaurant, lounge and library

A pool filled from the resort's own artesian spring

An organic farm and seedling nursery on site

Mad Fish PADI 5 Star dive centre on site

Two custom-built dive boats

Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling gear complimentary

Board games and a small library

Solar power plant and solar hot water

Artesian drinking water with a tap for refilling bottles

A 240 V charging station in the main bure

Laundry

The Loop Track around the grounds for birdwatching

Diving

The Great Astrolabe Barrier Reef — the world's fourth longest

Five main passageways through the barrier, all close to the resort

Manta Reef outside the barrier, about 40 minutes away, top around 15 m

Manta rays all year — a resident population plus pelagic visitors

A marine reserve with fringing reef right in front of the resort

Mad Fish Dive Centre — PADI 5 Star, beginner to professional

The DIVE ME dive boat, room for 12 divers on a 2-tank dive

The CRUSH catamaran, certified for up to 35 passengers

All dives are boat dives, and all are priced as 2-tank dives

Discover Scuba, Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses

The dive centre is on the resort grounds. Dives are counted in pairs: even a single dive is charged as a two-tank day. Tanks and weights are included in the dive price; gear hire — BCD, regulator, wetsuit — is extra, and so are dive computers. Manta Reef carries a FJ$100 surcharge and depends on tides and weather, so it is not guaranteed on a short stay. Proof of dive insurance is required before diving. For exposure the resort suggests a 3 mm suit in summer and a 5 mm in winter.

Dining

Full board — breakfast, lunch, dinner, unlimited tea and coffee

Vegetables, fruit and herbs from the resort's organic farm

Seafood sourced from the surrounding waters

A dinner menu that changes daily

Kokoda, yellowfin tuna sashimi, Thai fish soup

Coral trout, garden salads, desserts from local fruit

Lunch — tacos, sushi rolls, frittatas, pizza, burgers, soups

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options on request

Meals taken communally or privately on your own deck

The kitchen runs on what grows next door. The farm yields coconuts, pineapple, pawpaw, guava, banana, mango, lemons, avocados and kumquats; the beds give eggplant, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, capsicum, radishes and cassava; coriander, basil, sage, lemongrass, mint and oregano are grown separately. The resort notes that coconut is prominent throughout its cooking — allergies and dietary needs should be flagged in advance.

Things to do

Snorkelling from the beach and at Waya Island — free

Boat trips to the reef and the barrier passageways

Birdwatching — all four Kadavu endemics

Trekking to waterfalls and villages along the path network

The teitei walk — a local farmer and medicine man's garden

Surfing in the barrier reef passages, three-hour boat trips

Sea kayaking and paddleboarding, including a village overnight

Sport and game fishing by charter

Yoga in the main bure

Visits to local schools, villages and community events

Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling gear are complimentary. Sea kayaking and the cultural routes are run with the local guiding company Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions, from a three-hour day paddle with a village lunch to a four-day trip around Ono Island with homestay nights. The nearest surf break is Vesi Passage (ten minutes out, powerful barrelling lefts up to 12 ft), then Soso Passage (twenty minutes, beginner-friendly lefts) and Naigoro Passage (twenty minutes, rights for confident surfers). On the fishing side the resort holds over fifty Fiji National Records and IGFA World Records; billfish are tagged and released, giant trevally are released, and the rest of the catch goes to the kitchen.

Rooms

Bure

View: Over the lagoon and the Great Astrolabe Reef

Beds: A queen bed, or a king or queen plus up to two singles

Handcrafted bures close to the water, positioned so they keep their privacy while staying a step from everything else. Polished mahogany floors, large airy louvre windows and full-length picture windows opening onto a private sun deck. The resort builds them in two styles: one with a queen bed for two — a couple or a single guest — and one with a king or queen plus two singles, for a small family.

Full-length picture windows onto your own deck An expansive private sun deck Private en-suite bathroom Cool breathable cotton sheets Solar-powered ceiling fans Solar-powered lighting Hot water from the solar hot water system

Bure

View: Direct ocean views from the bed

Beds: A king or queen bed

Bures set on a gentle hillside, each in its own nook of rainforest so the neighbours stay out of sight. Direct Pacific Ocean views open straight from the bed, with an expansive sun deck in front. One layout, double occupancy.

Direct ocean views from the bed An expansive private sun deck Private en-suite bathroom Polished mahogany floors Large airy louvre windows Hot water from the solar hot water system Solar-powered lighting and ceiling fans

Rates

Accommodation

Double	Single	Child 5–12
Oceanfront Bure	FJ$ 710	FJ$ 480	FJ$ 125
Oceanview Bure	FJ$ 830	FJ$ 600	—

Fijian dollars per night, taxes included. Double occupancy is the price for the bure with two guests, single occupancy for one. The rate covers all meals, unlimited tea and coffee and the use of snorkel gear, kayaks and paddleboards. Prices run from 1 April to 31 March.

The Matava Experience Package

Per person
7 nights	FJ$ 2,485
6 nights	FJ$ 2,130
5 nights	FJ$ 1,775

Per person, based on double occupancy, inclusive of all Fiji taxes. The package covers accommodation, all meals, tea and coffee, return Kadavu Airport boat transfers and the use of snorkel gear.

Diving

Per day
1 day	FJ$ 350
2 days	FJ$ 330
3 days	FJ$ 300
4 days	FJ$ 290
5 days and more	FJ$ 270
Manta Reef dive, surcharge per person	FJ$ 100
Gear hire per day, must be pre-booked	FJ$ 70

Price per day of two dives, including the boat, tanks and weights. All dives are counted in pairs, even if only one is made.

Courses

Price
Discover Scuba Diving	FJ$ 240
Open Water referral	FJ$ 700
Open Water	FJ$ 975
Advanced Open Water	FJ$ 975

Course materials are extra and can be completed online; the price is advised on booking.

Snorkelling, birds and trekking

Per person
Snorkelling at Waya Island	Free
Boat snorkel trip	FJ$ 85
Birdwatching on your own	Free
Three-hour guided trek for the four endemics	FJ$ 70
Walks on the local trails	Free
Guided trek to the waterfall and village	FJ$ 70

Snorkelling from the beach and at Waya Island, and walks on the local trails, are free. Guided trips need a minimum of two people.

Surfing and kayaking

Per person
Boat surf trip	FJ$ 130
Kayaks and paddleboards near the resort	Free
Guided day kayak with lunch	FJ$ 340
Guided overnight trip with a village stay	FJ$ 440

The surf trip runs up to three hours, needs a minimum of two surfers and intermediate to advanced skills. Kayaks and paddleboards for your own paddles are free. Guided routes need a minimum of two people.

Fishing and transfers

Price
Fishing, 3 days for the boat	FJ$ 9,600
Fishing, 4 days for the boat	FJ$ 12,800
Each extra day	FJ$ 3,200
Kadavu Airport transfer on stays under 5 nights, each way per booking	FJ$ 150

Fishing is priced for the whole boat, maximum six people, with a minimum three-day charter, booked in advance. Full-day charters include lunch. Guests bring their own speciality tackle; limited trolling tackle is provided.

Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.

When to go

Best time: Summer from November to April is hot and humid; winter from May to October is milder
Water temperature: Around 24 °C all year
Air temperature: Up to 32 °C in summer, 22 to 27 °C in winter

The climate is tropical. Summer, from November to April, brings sunshine, warm seas and occasional showers, with temperatures peaking around 32 degrees. Winter, from May to October, is milder: sunny with occasional cloud, gentle to strong breezes and 22–27 degrees, so pack layers. Water temperatures hold around 24 degrees year-round — a 3 mm suit is enough in summer, a 5 mm is better in winter. The resort's foreshore is protected by the Great Astrolabe Reef, so the water in front of it stays calm.

Getting there

The resort is on Kadavu Island and can only be reached by boat — there are no roads to it.

Fiji Link flies to Kadavu from Nadi most days and from Suva once a week. The flight from Nadi takes forty minutes; the schedule is on the Fiji Airways site, and the resort advises confirming the flight the day before. Kadavu airport is small: it has restrooms and not much else.

From there the resort’s staff take over. First a five-minute truck ride to a secluded bay — depending on the tide you may have to wade through shallow water to board. Then about forty-five minutes by boat along the inside lagoons of the Great Astrolabe Reef. Smaller groups sometimes travel by traditional Fijian longboat — keep sunscreen and sunglasses to hand.

The transfer back usually leaves around 10 am, with the exact time depending on flight schedules. On bookings of five nights or more the return trip is included; on shorter stays it is FJ$150 each way per booking.

There are no banks on the island. The resort recommends bringing Fijian dollars; US, Australian and New Zealand dollars and euros are also accepted, and card payments at the resort carry a 5% fee.