Matava - Fiji...Untouched

The staff made this stay feel like being welcomed into a family. Sue seemed to run the whole show and cooked every meal, all healthy, delicious, generous portions made with local ingredients, including vegetables from the resort garden. When we asked about traditional food, the team arranged a lovo and kava ceremony with staff and guests, music, and dancing. Saying goodbye was hard. Thanks again to Sue, Bill, Ma, Tom, Ruben, and everyone for such a warm welcome. You’re all full of light ✨ We spent two days diving with Bill. The Astrolabe Reef was full of abundant, varied, healthy coral, colorful little fish, and a nurse shark. For the second day we paid extra to reach manta reef, which was farther away, and saw five mantas of different sizes, including some huge ones, plus a turtle and more reef sharks. Bill, Thomas the captain, and Corro took good care of us, and the gear was in great condition. The boat ladder is very slippery and could use improvement, so I had to be careful getting back aboard. There are kayaks, and a small sandy island directly across from the resort where we found lovely coral, plenty of fish, and even eagle rays while snorkeling. It’s the best spot for a swim in the sea. The pool was empty during our visit; we were told drought had made it hard to fill with spring water. Matava Untouched is remote, surrounded by nature and sea, and a good fit if you want to step away from modern comforts and stress and get back to basics. Our bure was simple, comfortable, and beautiful. It runs on solar power, enough for lights, and the fan barely worked, but the sea breeze reached our lower-level bure well. We were up with the sunrise for breakfast. The resort encourages guests to mingle by seating everyone together at meals, and we met some lovely people. It was a peaceful, refreshing stay and a genuine eco retreat. We loved it, though the simplicity is real. The resort runs on solar power, and it was enough for lights, but the fan barely worked. The breeze through our lower bure made that manageable.

The dog there is magic, and I love him. The owner eventually seemed to genuinely care, refunded our money, and helped us get to the plane. I’m sad the place was so bad because we’d been excited to dive the reef. A local offered us a room as we were leaving, so maybe we’ll return, but I really can’t recommend this place. We lasted one awful night and tried to leave within an hour. There’s only one flight a day, so we took the next one out. The room shook in a storm, with bugs flying around. It may have been nice years ago, but ours was dirty, had no outlets and no fan, except sometimes at night when the owner allowed one. Huge spiders and bugs were in the room, dead and crawling, including up my arm. Wind blew through the walls, and the bug net barely fit the bed. We were told meals would accommodate us as vegans, but the women in charge kept making up rules, wouldn’t say what we were eating, and the result was awful. They described the other food in detail, but not ours. We got bitter melon while everyone else had coconut cake. You could only eat communally at the times they set, and when we wanted to unpack after more than 30 hours of travel instead of going straight to lunch with strangers, the response turned odd and passive aggressive. You couldn’t get power outside the main area, where someone was always watching. It honestly felt like a cult we’d escaped. They serve beef while calling themselves eco. The ride to and from the “resort,” really a cluster of shacks, is in an uncovered small outboard boat that fits four people plus the standing driver. I like that kind of adventure and was fine with it going out, but the return was harrowing. Waves came over and into the boat; at times I couldn’t see or breathe, and we were soaked through. That wasn’t really a negative for me, but nobody warned us, so I’m warning you. The owner was patronizing and gaslighting at first, though later seemed to genuinely care.

The reef is pristine, stretching for miles, and the diving is awesome. Matava feels remote, wild, beautiful, and untouched. Great dive shop, thanks Bill and Koro. Sue, thanks for the delicious meals and everything else. Tom and the staff were smooth and friendly.

Before heading to Matava, bring converters for anything you need to charge. Internet and charging are only available in one spot, so keep your charging needs down and bring the right charger for each essential. There are also lots of stairs and boat rides, so it may not suit people with mobility or accessibility issues. With that said, Matava is a really special place. The staff are thoughtful, work hard, and seem to remember what you need. The food was amazing, the resort was spotless, and the scuba dive shop team were simply the best. It’s not Disneyland, and it isn’t trying to be. It’s a simple slice of paradise where you might spend an afternoon on a perfect beach, eat incredible food, pet turtles, see sharks and mantas, or swim with humpback whales. We were thinking about coming back before we’d even left.