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Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / August 2006

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where to dive in south pacific?

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marsh222@aol.com - 13 Aug 2006 18:10 GMT
I am going to be taking my honeymoon next august to the south pacific
and I want to go to an island that will give me the best diving.  I am
very confused between all of the islands ie. Bora Bora, Tahiti, Fiji,
etc.

Is there one island that has better diving than the others or are they
all the same?  Since this will be one of the few times in my life that
I can go to that part of the world, I do not want to make a mistake.  I
would really appreciate input from anyone who knows.

Marshall
Grumman-581 - 13 Aug 2006 18:53 GMT
> I am going to be taking my honeymoon next august to the south pacific
> and I want to go to an island that will give me the best diving.

> Is there one island that has better diving than the others or are they
> all the same?  Since this will be one of the few times in my life that
> I can go to that part of the world, I do not want to make a mistake.

Well, since you're getting married, you will have already made the
mistake... After a mistake that big, does it really matter whether you
make a significantly smaller mistake like which island for diving?

OTOH, it's not too late to cancel the marriage...

Men marry women thinking that they will not change.  Women marry men
thinking that they *will* change.  They are both wrong.

Men marry women thinking that they will get laid more often... Soon
afterwards they realize the error in their logic...

The reason that some men are stupid enough to get married twice is
that they were stupid enough to get married the first time...

Oh well, you have been warned... As such, if you choose to ignore this
warning, you do so at your own peril...
Greg Mossman - 13 Aug 2006 23:09 GMT
>I am going to be taking my honeymoon next august to the south pacific
> and I want to go to an island that will give me the best diving.  I am
> very confused between all of the islands ie. Bora Bora, Tahiti, Fiji,
> etc.

Not Tahiti.  Probably not Bora Bora.  Maybe Fiji, but there are many islands
in Fiji and some aren't as good as others.

> Is there one island that has better diving than the others or are they
> all the same?  Since this will be one of the few times in my life that
> I can go to that part of the world, I do not want to make a mistake.  I
> would really appreciate input from anyone who knows.

Your problem is that the best of the diving islands and the best of the
honeymoon islands rarely overlap.  Fiji will have corals superior to the
more remote Tahitian Islands and more diverse fish life as well, but you
have to do your homework since some islands have suffered from coral
bleaching.  Normally I'm a do-it-myself traveler, but in your case I'd
highly recommend using a dive travel agent that specializes in the South
Pacific and can (hopefully) give you current information about sites that
may still look pretty in the brochures but were wiped out in the last year
by whatever typhoon or el nino came through.

Try these folks: http://www.trip-n-tour.com/fiji_2003/main_fiji_parent.htm -
I spent 10 days in Tahiti and 6 days in Palau with the owner of this
company.  I know he books a lot of Fiji trips too, and has traveled there
extensively, plus they're a great resource to see how the various locales
relatively stack up as honeymoon or dive locales.  For instance, I know they
don't like to recommend Tahiti as the best spot for honeymooning Americans
because our inhibited male eyes can't help but wander over to the
lasciviously displayed beachfuls of bare breasts, and that's not the best
way to start off a deeply devoted marriage.

Or these: http://www.divetrip.com/pacific.htm - I've used them for Indonesia
and an upcoming trip to the Caribbean, but they purportedly do a fine job
with Fiji as well.  Like the owner of Trip N Tour, the owner of Island
Dreams is also a very well-traveled diver and a nice guy, though I've only
met him once.
Dan Bracuk - 14 Aug 2006 01:38 GMT
marsh222@aol.com pounded away at his keyboard resulting in:

:I am going to be taking my honeymoon next august to the south pacific
:and I want to go to an island that will give me the best diving.  I am
:very confused between all of the islands ie. Bora Bora, Tahiti, Fiji,
:etc.

The only place I have been to in the South Pacific.  I was there
twice.  Both trip reports are available here,
http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/Trips/.

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.
egmacrae@gmail.com - 14 Aug 2006 23:25 GMT
Congratulations; My wife and I go diving every summer to celebrate our
anniversary and have been to the South Pacific.

In Tahiti ,we went to Bora Bora and stayed at Le Maitai but should have
chosen Hotel Bora Bora instead. More romantic and expensive but it's
your honeymoon. Aman resorts owns the Hotel Bora Bora and other great
romantic spots. They can't be beat for romance wherever you decide to
go.
http://www.amanresorts.com/bora/home.htm

I would do 5 days in Bora Bora and 5 days in Rangiroa

Use Air Tahiti toi do some island hopping
http://www.airtahiti.aero/home.php

We dove with Top Dive in Bora Bora. they have a great operation, their
own little resort and great restaurant. They also have a dive shop in
Rangiroa.
http://www.topdive.com/topdive/index.php

Bora Bora offfers close encounters with reef sharks, Rangiroa drift
diving , Turtles,Mantas etc..In either place you are not going to see
beautiful corals. You need to go to Indonesia visit Bali,  and Wakatobi
resort for that.

We stayed at Kia Ora Village in Rangiroa in an overwater bungalow
http://www.tahiti-explorer.com/hotels/kiavillage1.html

In Fiji  has better corals-we stayed on Taveuni and Namena Island-
Great sunsets and diving. Taveuni has the Great White Wall. Namena hase
a great house reef. namena is a lot more rustic but is very
ecologically minded

http://www.taveuniislandresorts.com/Resort.html
http://www.moodysnamenafiji.com/

Whatever you decide Enjoy!
ginmill01 - 26 Aug 2006 02:42 GMT
We have been to Fiji three times, three different areas.  We personally
found the best diving to be at Taveuni.  We did the Great White Wall,
Rainbow Reef.  Garden Island Resort was adequate, not great, but the diving
more than made up for it, maybe the best diving we have ever had.

We went to Beqa.  The resort there was fabulous, but the diving was only
so-so.  We stayed at what was Marlin Bay Resort.  It is now Beqa Lagoon.  We
then stayed at Sonosali Resort.  A very nice resort.  The diving is fair to
occasionally good.

The last trip we went to Raki Raki and stayed at Wananavu Beach Resort.  The
resort was very nice, quite romantic.  We also found the diving to be quite
good, not as good as Taveuni, but a close second.  We then went to Treasure
Island.  We found that island to have a terrible odor several times a day.
The diving was only fair.

If you want the best diving, i suggest Taveuni
If you want the best combo of resort/diving, i suggest Raki Raki at
Wananavu.

>I am going to be taking my honeymoon next august to the south pacific
> and I want to go to an island that will give me the best diving.  I am
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Marshall
Daniel Kessler - 26 Aug 2006 16:31 GMT
As to Fiji...I've been there 13 times diving and have dived the locations
mentioned...but what about Kadavau?  You didn't mention Kadavau.

They have some pretty reefs down there covered with a kind of yellow blossoms
that is quite stunning and they have a deep dive (135) feet or so down through a
large grotto on the reef but they won't necessary take anyone there, but it is
also qutie a thrill.

Also, in that "neck of the woods" is the Astralab Lagoon -- have you dived that?

There are some interesting dives down there.

> We have been to Fiji three times, three different areas.  We personally
> found the best diving to be at Taveuni.  We did the Great White Wall,
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> >
> > Marshall
 
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