Diving Resorts
Mamanuca / Yasawa /Coral Coast
North | Beqa | Kadavu | Mamanuca | Liveaboard
Tokoriki, one of Mamanuca's better resorts, is situated a hilly island with a mile-long beach and wonderful snorkeling. The property consists of 34 guest bures and villas. It has all the usual amenities, bar, restaurant, lounge area, swimming pool, and of course, boutique. The resort rests at the foot of a steep hill. The majority of the bungalows run along the beach, adjacent to the main facilities. There are 29 deluxe single room beach bures (which were refurbished in 2004) and 5 sunset pool villas (constructed in 2004) with separate living and bedroom areas. Free activities include sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling equipment, kayaking, tennis, hiking, and table tennis. It's civilized and quiet here--there are no (noisy) motorized watersports on Tokoriki.
Prices range from F$825 for the deluxe beach bure to F$1100 for the villas. Meal plan is F$99.00 per day for adults and food is reportedly very good. I've heard comments about seaweed washing
ashore on the beach but evidently that complaint is overblown. One last note to take into consideration: Fijiguide readers have consistently given this property very high marks. Here's a recent comment: "The place is absolute paradise. We stayed in one of the sunset pool villas and practically lived in the plunge pool. The food was fabulous and the staff simply fantastic. We swam in the ocean most days and couldn't get over how clear and warm the water was. We would go back in a shot."
A typical sight in the Mamanuca waters is a Moray Eel. Check out one such speciman in the video clip below.
Castaway Island Resort is actually on an 174 acre island just to the north of Malolo, one of the largest islands in the Mamanuca Group. It's a family resort with plenty of kids running around--honeymooners will probably not be happy here. The 4-star resort has recently been refurbished and is considered one of the better resorts in the Mamanucas. They offer sixty six spacious, thatched Fijian style bures with king size bed with ceilings lined with genuine masi (tapa) cloth. Most include 
two additional single beds in their configuration, with those bures comfortably sleeping up to four persons.
The main buildings have stone terraces and an indoor-outdoor restaurant, sit on a rocky point overlooking the sea. Prices are in the US$280-US$680 range. Amenities include 2 restaurants; 3 bars; outdoor pool; tennis court; sauna, and free water sports such as snorkelling, water-skiing, sailing, windsurfing and reef fishing. Diving is big at Castaway--they have PADI International Five Star Gold Palm status. (Photo courtesy of Castaway.)
Vatulele is a resort on a jewel-like island of the same name. Located 32 km off of Viti Levu's Coral Coast, it has 19 luxury bures fronting 700 meters of white sand beach. Access to the island is via plane. The US$6 million property is on 60 acres and was developed by Henry Crawford, an Australian film maker whose projects have included the TV miniseries `A Town Like Alice'. The architecture has been described as a blend of Santa Fe and traditional Fijian styles - thick, whitewashed masonry walls and wooden shutters topped by a high Fijian thatched roof. The result is an airy, sun-washed effect. Food is reportedly terrific and one friend described Vatulele as an "epicurean summer camp for adults." A typical lunch might be scallops with curry lentils and 
fetuccini with parmesan.
It's gotten kudos from the the travel press and in past years was voted one of the 'Top 25 Small Hotels in the World' by Readers of Travel & Leisure. It has, among other amenities, a five star PADI diving facility which is unsual for such a small property. Dining is communal dining so you'll definitely have a chance to meet fellow travellers. For those who want privacy anyone can have private dining options for all meals. One thing that really appeals to me about Vatulele (in addition to the fact that guests can drink unlimited Veuve Clicquot champagne) is that the resort is located on an island where there's the possibility of real interaction with Fijians. Other very posh resorts, often located on private islands, tend to be rather sterile. However, with Vatulele you're on an island that still is a living, breathing Fijian community. Prices start at US$1521 per couple per night which includes private villa, meals, alcohol and all activities other than scuba diving.
Diving Attractions and Facilities: The diving around Vatulele Island is pristine, and their reefs are not visited by any other dive operators. The diving is primo! Currents are generally mild, but due to the island remote location and being surrounded by deep water there is a plethora of nutrients to support a fantastic underwater environment. The local visibility is generally a bit better than in other areas of Fiji, and pelagics from mantas to hammerhead sharks are often sighted. There is no shortage of hard or soft coral, either. There are over 20 dive sites (more than you could visit over a week long stay) within a 15 minute boat ride from the resort! Shore diving from the resort is only marginal, due to the shallow protected area out in front of the beach, but the snorkeling is excellent. Water temperatures range from a winter low of around 77F (25C) to 82F (28C) in the Fijian summer.
Dive operator: Vatulele is the only five star island resort in Fiji with a PADI "Golden Palm" status dive facility and resident instructors. Courses are offered up through a variety specialty courses and Divemaster (all open water referrals are accepted), and daily 1 or 2-tank dives, plus afternoon or night dives can accommodate even the most serious divers. There is no retail dive shop at the resort, but they can accommodate their guest's minor repair needs. Tanks (K-valve aluminum 80's and 63's), weights and belts are provided to all divers, and BCDs, regulators wetsuits and underwater scooters are also available. Vatulele operates 2 dive boats, an 8.5m catamaran and a 5.3m mono hull. The cat is a purpose built dive boat that can handle 10 divers, and the mono can accommodate 4 divers. Both have covered areas. The minimum certification qualification of their dive guides is Divemaster, and they maintain a 4-1 ratio of divers to guides.
Distance:
The closest sites are a mere 5 minutes away, and the farthest about 30
minutes. The average is 15 minutes.
Book a dive vacation to Vatulele Resort with Sea Fiji Travel
Yasawa Island Resort is an understated luxury lodging with 18 bures nestled along a white sand beach. All bures have huge decks, king size beds and large bathroom. Small touches abound. Each bure is stocked
with homemade cookies and there is a half shell clam basin to wash your feet. A number of treks that can be taken around the island and peaks of several hundred meters provide remarkable vistas. Mountain bikes are available and there are great treks to numerous beaches. Food is one of the best reasons to stay here. Seafood is caught locally and all meals offer fresh fruit and liberal amounts of fresh vegetables. Typical dishes were homemade ravioli, avocado and shrimp salad, homemade breads and fresh lobster. Unlike some of the other resorts where everyone dines together, here one can choose to dine with friends or at your own table. Great food, friendly management and staff and a gorgeous setting make YIR a winner. YIR is a 25 minute plane ride from Nadi Airport which costs US$185. Prices start at US$820 per couple, which includes all meals. (Photo courtesy of Yasawa Island Resort.)