Matava - Fiji...Untouched

Matava really feels like Fiji untouched: A nature jewel in midst of the jungle, no streets, no shops, only yourself, good company with similar guests staying in max. 10 huts, the sun and the sea - a dream for scuba divers and snorkelers alike. Take a breath and unwind. Please note Matava is NOT suitable for the common main stream tourist looking for the usual entertainment provided by big resorts.

A beautiful setting on the water far away from almost everything. Comfortable but not fancy. Food is tasty but not gourmet. Didn't stay long enough

We stayed there for two weeks. It was amazing. We had not relaxed that much in a long time. Away from noise. Away from people. Away from civilization. Away from craziness. Away from internet world. Away from busy world. True meaning of "Getaway" here. Facility was nicely done. It was like a small village. Having our own bure with ocean view patio was very very nice. We felt much of privacy, safe and comfortable. All the amenity was functioning well and we did had any problem whole time we stayed there. Staff was very very friendly but caring and professional. Food was excellent! Snorkel and diving was super. Walking in the jungle was very special. This place is not for the party people. But for the people who loves nature and truly deserve to relax, and enjoy Fiji. A truly special place. I would definitely love to go back there.

My brother and I decided to stay here because we wanted to snorkel the Great Astrolabe Reef. Overall, this place was comfortable, clean, in a great location, with very friendly staff. The journey here is a 45 minute boat ride, the only way to get to the resort, through beautiful coral reef clusters. Make sure to wear your sunscreen, tie down your hat, and long sleeves before you take off, as the boat is not covered. At the resort, you will do all of the activities together with the other residents, such as diving, eating meals, etc ... Electricity in the room worked during the hours they told us it would be available. However, down at the main burre, there is a 24 hour charging station where you charge any device at any time. The resort has a beautiful coral reef in front of it, that you can snorkel at any time. They also offer kayaks, snorkeling equipment, and a local map to hike to the local village with a waterfall. My recommendation for this resort is to stay here for as long as you can here, because if you have a long list of activities you would like to do, you most likely wont be able to complete them all. The staff needs some time to prepare for the activities that are separate from the usual daily morning dives, such as snorkeling at night. I dont think this is unusual for any resort in Fiji in general, but its best to go in knowing you wont be able to do everything. The culture is just slow and therefore you need time.

This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in - avoid it like the plague. The roof in my room leaked resulting in a pool of water on the floor whenever it rained. The windows did not fit properly and did not close, which together with the gaps between the tops of the walls and the roof resulted in constant wind noise and drafts. I have never seen such a shoddily built room. There is nothing authentic about it. I stayed in four other hotels during this trip to Fiji, all of which were considerably cheaper than Matava and infinitely better quality, so this is in no way typical of Fiji. The transfer from the airport was in a small open boat which I nicknamed "Spinebuster". I was sat on a hard wooden bench, and whilst the sea was relatively calm, was bumped and bounced the whole journey. There was also considerable spray from the sea, although full so'westers were provided to deal with this. The purpose of my holiday to Kadavu was to dive the Astrolobe Reef. Whilst several of the staff at Matava wear shirts encouraging you to dive the Astrolobe Reef I was unable to do so even once in my week's stay. Whilst Matava has two custom dive boats, one was out of action with electrical problems the whole of my stay and the second was often unavailable. "Spinebuster" was offered as an alternative, but after one dive on it where I came back almost hypothermic due to the windchill and sea spray I refused to dive from it again (and I dive in Scotland in winter). Poor dive sites were offered.

The resort lived up to expectations though expensive. Staff excellent and helpful. Owner only seemed interested in certain visitors not speaking to our group- even when a member of the group was very sick.