Diving Fiji

Sprinkled across the sunny face of the South Pacific are the 330 friendly, idyllic islands of Fiji. Known as the "Soft Coral Capital of the World", Fiji is one of the world´s premier dive destinations. Cruise aboard a fabulous dive liveaboard to discover the technicolor world of the famous SomoSomo Straits, Astrolabe Reef and beyond. Stay in traditional style thatched bungalows with all the amenities. Enjoy diving, snorkeling and kayaking over magnificent sites, relaxing on glorious beaches, visiting traditional villages and more. Fiji is unbeatable for a dreamy tropical vacation - the perfect destination for novice to extreme divers, honeymooners, families and escapists of all ages. Reef & Rainforest represents a menagerie of dive vessels and unique resorts to suit your personal taste and budget.

Fiji ...a thousand miles of pristine white sand beaches...fabulous coral gardens and azure lagoons...a place where the natural balance is restored...where a languid, easy pace seems to make time stand still and where childhood notions of romantic islands can set imaginations ablaze. Adrift for millennia in splendid isolation it has escaped the incursions of dangerous animals, poisonous snakes, spiders and pestilential diseases such as malaria. Fiji is a land of ancient rituals and rich cultural heritage.

Fiji is a world class dive destination with year round sunshine, warm waters and an unbelievable range of dive destinations throughout the archipelago. Walls, tunnels, grottos, huge gorgonian fans, black coral, with big and small fish action, all with superb visibility - Fiji has it all.

A melting pot close to the islands of Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia sitting at between 13-24 latitude south with the 180th meridian (international dateline) passing through part of Vanua Levu (second largest island in the group) and Taveuni, the garden island. Covering a total land mass of 11,350 square miles (just over the size of Massachusetts), more than half of this is in the principal island of Viti Levu (Great Fiji), followed by Vanua Levu (Large Land). It is, however, in its sea area that Fiji is truly great covering more than 124,200 square miles. Of the 330 islands 106 are inhabited with many mountains, tropical forests and large fertile areas. It´s nearest neighbor lies to the northwest, the Solomon Islands. The ethnic groups are limited to 48% Indian, 46% Fijian (Melanesian-Polynesian) and 2% Europeans with the population being split to 3 religious groups; 52% Christian, 38% Hindu and 8% Moslem. English is the official language but Fijian and Hindi are widely used. There is a tension between the Fijians and the Indians but they are trying to overcome their differences.

A British colony since 1874, Fiji gained independence on 10th October 1970. The seat of government is in Suva, the capital, which sits on the southeast of the main island of Vitu Levu, even though most people talk about Nadi (pronounced Nan-di) and think of that as the capital. With the international airport on the outskirts of Nadi it is not hard to realize why. In 1987 a military coup ousted the government; order was restored on 21st May when a compromise was reached granting Lt. Col. Rabuka, the coup´s leader, increased power. Rabuka staged a second coup on 25th September and then in October declared Fiji a republic. A civilian government was restored to power in December 1987 and a new constitution was drafted which protected the rights of all citizens. Fiji´s main source of revenue is tourism but income also come from sugar refining, bananas, ginger and timber.

The average summer temperatures range from 73ºF to 86ºF with the average winter temperature ranging from 68ºF to 78ºF. A cooling trade wind blows from the southeast for most of the year. The temperature usually conveniently drops in the evening and picks up again the next day by mid-morning. In the summer (November to March) water temperatures average 80ºF to 83ºF and in the winter, trade wind season, (April to October) between 76ºF-80ºF. A light tropical wardrobe is ideal, especially shorts and loose shirts. Divers should bring lycra suits for use in the summer and 3mm suits for winter months.
Notice: Passports with at least six month´s validity remaining required. For U.S. citizens, visas are given upon arrival into Nadi.