Fiji
January 14-24, 2024
Fiji is the ‘Soft Coral Capital of the World’ as quoted by Jean-Michael Cousteau. Three hundred and ninety species of soft and hard corals plus over 1200 fish species have created what may be the most colorful reefs in the world. An underwater topography that has caverns, canyons, swim-through, incredible wall dives, and frequent shark encounters entices divers from the palm lined beaches of white sand. Fiji is the perfect pacific island getaway.
Trip Details:
Shark Marine Reserve and Taveuni Island:
On this trip we are headed to the Shark Marine Reserve for 2 days of exhilarating shark diving south of Pacific Harbor (north of Beqa Lagoon). The area is famous for its bull sharks and the occasional tiger. Divers are required to pay a levy ($25FJ), which goes back to the local village in exchange for them not fishing in the area. This has allowed marine life to thrive and shark numbers to replenish.
Taveuni Island, northeast of Viti Levu is the soft coral capital of the world with amazing dive sites such as Rainbow Reef, the Great White Wall and other locations nearby. The Rainbow Reef is a 32km reef in the Somosomo Strait between the islands of Tavenui and Vanau Levu. It is a famous dive site.
Check out the article written about the sharks and our trip in 2022.
Dates: Jan 14-24, 2024
Duration: 10 nights/11 days
Package Costs:
$2550.00 USD per person (2 divers – double occupancy – double or two single beds)
$3550.00 USD per person (1 diver – solo diver/traveler)
$1248.00 USD per person (Non-diver shared with diver)
$2550.00 USD per person (1 diver shared with a non-diver)
$2199.00 USD per person (Non-Diver double occupancy rate)
$2899.00 USD per person (Non-Diver single occupancy)
Ask About Optional Upgrade to Premium Ocean View Rooms at the Pearl Resort at additional cost.
Airfare:
Current pricing for airfare (as of Oct 29, 2023):
$1705.00 USD p/person roundtrip on Fiji Airways, LAX-NAN, NAN-TVU, TVU-NAN-LAX subject to change until ticketed.
$1805.00 USD p/person roundtrip on Fiji Airways
SFO-NAN, NAN-TVU, TVU-NAN-LAX subject to change until ticketed.
$1318.00 USD p/person round trip on Fiji Airways: SFO-NAN-TVU, TVU-NAN-LAX - SOLD OUT
Departing Jan 12, 2023 and Returning Jan 24, 2023
*Non-diver add-on: $250 USD/week snorkeling from the dive boat.
Getting to Fiji:
Arrival: Sunday Jan 14, 2024
Departure: Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
To/From North America:
Fiji Airways flies from LAX or SFO to NAN (Nadi, Fiji)
Leaving from the US will be on Jan 12, 2023
Group Airfare is $1318.00 USD roundtrip includes taxes and one checked bag on Fiji Airways.
Domestic flights to/from Taveuni need to be included in your international ticket for extra weight/baggage allowances with Fiji Airways.
The flight time from Los Angeles or San Francisco is approximately 11 hours with direct flight options.
To/From Australia:
International Flight/s: There are a number of airlines that fly to Fiji including Fiji Airways (best option), Jetstar, Qantas, Singapore. If you are traveling from Australia flights can vary from $600-$1000 AUD, it takes about 4.5 hours with a direct flight.
Exclusions:
Extra boat dives on Taveuni $75 US/dive
Dive gear rental ($25 US/day shark dives, $20 US/day on Taveuni)
Nitrox $10 US/per tank on Taveuni
Massages or add-on day trips to explore Taveuni Island or Pacific Harbour
Non-divers boat snorkel trip on Taveuni
Digicell SIM card approx. $30FJ at Nadi airport (best for remote Fiji) or Vodafone pocket wifi hotspot
Alcohol or beverages
Lunch & Dinner in Pacific Harbor
Shark Reef Marine Reserve Levy ($25 FJ)
Airfares: International & Domestic
Travel Insurance / Dive Insurance
In room wifi, $15 FJ a day (if installed in time) on Taveuni. Wifi is included at the resort in Pacific Harbour.
Price Includes:
3 nights at Pearl South Pacific includes:
Full cooked breakfast
Wifi
Non-motorized water activities
Fire walking show
Accommodation in renovated marina view or ocean view rooms (additional cost for ocean view rooms)
3-4 dives at the Shark Marine Reserve
7 nights at Paradise Taveuni includes:
Meals: full cooked breakfast, along with 2 course lunch and a delicious 3 course dinner after a full day of diving
5 Day Dive Package – 2 tank boat dives (10 dives)
FREE shore dives daily from 7am – 5pm, excluding dive gear
Accommodation in Oceanfront Vale rooms or Oceanview Family Bure
Wifi in main bure and restaurant
Fijian Cultural Show/Dance night
Up to 14-18 Total Guided Dives during the trip (includes tanks and weights)
Unlimited shore dives on Taveuni.
Land transfers from airports to hotels and back.
Presentations on marine wildlife.
Travel and explore with a travel and dive expert.
Photography and editing advice provided.
Guided dives by certified DMs/Instructors
Experience local culture
Fun & friendly atmosphere with experienced group leader Kim
Itinerary:
Sun Jan 14th – Arrival into Nadi – Transit to shark dives/Pacific Harbour (3 hours drive)
Mon. Jan 15th – Shark Dives – Shark Marine Reserve (stay at Pearl South Pacific Resort)
Tues. Jan 16th– Shark Dives – Shark Marine Reserve (stay Pearl South Pacific Resort)
Wed Jan 17th– Fly to Taveuni from Nadi (domestic flight, stay at Paradise Taveuni)
Thurs Jan 18th – Taveuni – Diving Great White Wall
Fri Jan 19th - Taveuni – Diving Great White Wall
Sat Jan 20th - Taveuni – Diving Great White Wall
Sun Jan 21st- Taveuni – Diving
Mon Jan 22nd - Taveuni – Diving
Tues Jan 23rd -Taveuni – AM Dives or Sightseeing
Wed Jan 24th– Depart to Nadi and connecting to international flights
Group Size:
The trip will be limited to 12-22 pax (includes expedition leaders) for photographers/divers. This is a co-ed trip. Photography assistance will be available to help you get the most out of your trip. *Please bring/or have a copy of your SCUBA certification cards. Divers must be open water certified with at least 10 dives post certification for the shark dives.
More About Fiji:
Fiji is a group of roughly 330 tropical islands in Melanesia in the South Pacific, Fiji is roughly 1100 miles northeast of New Zealand. The capital and gateway city, Nadi, is located on Viti Levu, one of the two major islands.
The currency is the Fijian Dollar (FJ).
The electric current is 240 volts. Fiji has three-pin power outlets, which are identical to Australia and New Zealand.
The traditional Fijian language is made up of a number of dialects, with the official interpretation being Bau Fijian.
Visibility: During the dry season, visibility is often 100’+ outside the lagoons. The Bligh Waters can have high visibility even in the wet season, ranging from 80-100ft.
Weather: November marks the beginning of Fiji’s summer. The days start to get a little warmer than previous months of the year with the maximum average daytime temperatures reaching 29°C / 84.
Average Water Temperatures in November: 80-82F/ 26-27C
Diving in a 3mm wetsuit should be sufficient during this timeframe.
For more info on diving on Taveuni, click here.
Power Adapters for travelers from the US and other countries:
Type I: mainly used in Australia, New Zealand, China, the South Pacific and Argentina. This socket only works with plug I. These are available on Amazon. Please check your electronics to make sure they convert 120V to 240V. Most laptops, cameras, phones, battery chargers, automatically convert.
How to secure your spot:
Please note that this trip has limited spots, so you will need to get in quick to secure your booking. The following payments will be required:
$700 USD per person to secure your spot
25% of remaining balance due Oct 1, 2023
75% of remaining balance due Nov 1, 2023
We will be in touch via e-mail for your payment and provide individual invoices with the details above. To check on available spaces to secure your spot, email: info@designedforscuba.com.
Terms and Conditions
Designed for Scuba, LLC highly recommends you purchase travel and dive insurance as soon as possible after confirming your travel plans. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for diving insurance. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for diving insurance. Dive Assure offers a Dive and Travel Insurance annual and short-term (per trip). You can purchase it here: https://diveassure.com/en/home/?pid=18662
Evidence of adequate travel and dive insurance must be provided prior to departure.
Bookings made more than 100 days out from the start of a trip require a deposit of $700.00 USD per passenger in 2024 and a regular deposit schedule will commence in late 2024/early 2025.
All deposits are non-refundable.
Bookings made less than 100 days out from tour commencement require payment in full to secure your booking.
Payment in full is required 100 days out from the start of the trip. We will email you a final payment reminders. No refunds will be given within 100 days of the start of any trip, under any circumstances.
If you cancel your spot more than 100 days before the start of a trip, and we are able to resell/fill the spot, a trip credit for your remaining balance (minus a $300 USD service fee deducted) will be issued for use on another Designed for Scuba, LLC trip within 2 years of the cancellation.
If you cancel your spot less than 99 days prior to the start of a trip, no refund or credit will be issued for deposits that have been paid.
If our In-Country Providers cancel or if aForce Majeure Event occurs, meaning any act of God, war, terrorism, fire, flood or any other extreme weather conditions, loss of power, epidemics or pandemics, industrial disputes, slow-downs or other strike activities, riots or civil disturbances, acts of government, semi government or other authorities, inability to obtain any necessary license or consent and delays caused by sub-contractors, suppliers or other third parties (including telecommunications carriers), material shortages or other disruption to the trip beyond our control, Designed for Diving shall not be held responsible for matters outside of our control or any failure to deliver the trip.
The affiliated and established company such as Aqua-Trek and Paradise Taveuni, hold the relevant insurances and maintain responsibility for the dive and snorkel insurance policies and procedures. As such when in the water diving, snorkeling or swimming you are diving under the affiliated company's policies and procedures and must adhere to either the Captain, Dive Instructor or Divemaster’s instructions.
Designed for Scuba, LLC takes no responsibility for loss, damage or injury arising from any shortfall, error or omission in the information passed to the customer during the course of the sale or subsequent delivery of the product. The company takes no responsibility nor can be held liable for loss, damage, or injury that occurs on a supplier’s or service provider’s premises or transport, or between two such premises.
Participation in any of the Activities involves certain risks which may result in injury or death. This warning does not purport to describe or disclose all risks associated with participation of the Activities. There are a wide range of inherent risks when engaging in sports and particularly underwater sports; for example, with diving there is the risk of decompression sickness, embolism or other hyperbaric injury can occur that requires treatment in a recompression chamber. Open water scuba diving trips may be conducted at sites that are remote, either by time or distance, from emergency services or recompression facilities. Scuba diving, snorkeling and tours will involve uncontrolled encounters with wild animals which bears the risk of stings, bites, and at the extreme end, more serious injury and death. Participants should be responsible and aware of animal behaviors and their own interactions and engage in these activities entirely at their own risk.
We will not be liable to you in respect of any personal injury (including without limitation serious injury or death) that you may suffer or sustain directly or indirectly as a result of attending the Trip or participation in the Activities. Nor will we be liable to you in respect of any other losses arising as a result of any such personal injury (including without limitation loss of profit or earnings or other consequential losses). We will not be liable to you in respect of any of your personal property that is lost, stolen or damaged before, during or after a trip.
Please ensure you understand our cancellation policy prior to providing any deposits and agree to the booking and trip. By placing a booking with Designed for Scuba, LLC, this implies that you accept these booking terms and conditions and cancellation policy.
Entry Requirements for Fiji
All COVID Entry Requirements have been dropped as of February 2023
Passport valid at least 6 months (or more) from departure from Fiji for US Citizens.
Blank page in passport for entry stamp.