Taveuni Island Resort

Set atop a bluff looking out over the Somosomo Strait, the location of the Taveuni Resort & Spa couldn't be better. It is magical to sit with a post-dive beer in the restaurant or outside your villa watching the sun set majestically over the ocean.

The Taveuni Resort is a simple, no-nonsense sort of place that does all of the fundamentals extremely well. It isn't overly fancy or stylish but delivers everything you could possibly want. Part of the reason it is so good is that the owner/managers, Rick and Do, have been in the area for 38 years and are the pioneers of diving in the area. This is part of the charm of this place as it very much feels like you are staying with family - all of the staff has been there with Rick and Do for a long time and all are incredibly friendly.

There are just 12 rooms at the resort: Garden, Ocean View and Ocean Front Villas and the Grand Matalau Villa which has two bedrooms. All are spacious, have air conditioning, separate living and sitting areas, inside and outside bathrooms and large outdoor spaces. They are very comfortable and very well kitted out without being overly stylish.

In terms of facilities, there is a limited selection but all you could need: a decent sized infinity pool, a spa with two treatment rooms and a small but nice beach down the road from the resort (you don't come to this area of Fiji for the beaches though). However, it is the area surrounding the resort that is the main attraction. As well as the diving, the main draw is the natural beauty of the local area - the resort is right by Bouma World Heritage Park which is home to stunning waterfalls and wildlife so great for trekking and nature.

The food is outstanding and what's more it's all included in the cost of the room. There is only one restaurant and it is simple but lovely overlooking the sea. There is a changing menu each day with delicious, healthy food.

The biggest draw though, has to be the diving in the Somosomo Strait where there is world-class coral, excellent fish life big and small and a wide variety of dive sites. You could easily spend a week here diving every day without getting bored.

The hotel no longer has its own dive centre - Rick used to run it but he doesn't dive any more so the diving is run by the lovely Julie at Taveuni Ocean Sports, a local dive centre about a 10 minute drive away - it's really excellent. The normal schedule is to be collected at around 8am (very much dependent on the tides to this varies) for a 2-tank dive and back in time for lunch. There is normally an afternoon 2-tank dive as well so you can get a lot of diving done!

Overall, this is a really well-run place and a great base for diving the Somosomo Strait. For clients that want a sociable resort with a lot of character then this is a great one to go for.