Diving in Viti Levu

In truth the best diving in Fiji is not found around the main island of Viti Levu. Unless your idea of a perfect holiday means being confined to one of the big resorts within a couple of hours' drive from the airport, the chances are you will be moving on from Viti Levu to some of the other islands of Fiji.

However, the one thing that we do recommend is that any diver's trip to Fiji should be organised to include a stay in Pacific Harbour to join the amazing shark feed dive at Shark Reef, where you have a very real chance of once-in-a-lifetime encounters with bull sharks and tiger sharks.

Elsewhere, the diving in Viti Levu is characterised by hard coral walls and channels visited by pelagics. In our opinion there is little in the way of top quality scuba diving here and places like the Coral Coast don't really live up to expectations.

The soft coral bommies and pinnacles of Beqa Lagoon lie just off the south coast and are one of the best known scuba diving destinations within Fiji.

Highlights:

Shark Reef - over a decade of protection from fishing has meant that this area, on Fiji's main island, Viti Levu, can be teeming with fish both big and small but it is the incredible shark feeding experience that make this spot a must see experience for divers visiting Fiji.

Diving here will find you resting on the sea bed a little distance away from the experienced guides who distribute chunks of fish to any passers-by - and what a sight! 8 different types of sharks frequent this area and cruise by to rip a piece of fish flesh from the outstretched hands of the guides which will send your heart racing!

Travel to Viti Levu

Viti Levu (Great Fiji) is the largest and most populated of Fiji's 333 islands. Viti Levu Fiji has a total land area of 6,518 square miles. Almost 70% of all Fiji inhabitants and over half the land mass of Fiji are located in Viti Levu. In addition to Fiji hotels and resorts, Viti Levu has cities, villages, remote beaches, beautiful inlands, tropical rainforests, sugarcane fields and much more. Here you will find spectacular diving, fishing, hiking, camping and surfing.

Suva (150,000) is the capitol of Fiji and the largest city in the South Pacific. It has a variety of restaurants and accommodations and is home to the famous Suva Handicraft Markets. While Suva is an urban city, Nadi is known as Nadi Town. Surrounded by cane fields, Nadi has a kilometre of duty free tourist stores, a colorful market and a number of good restaurants, coffee shops and bars. 20 minutes drive south of Nadi is Denarau Island, a man-made development of waterways and gardens. It's home to one of the world's finest golf courses. Ten minutes further south is Sonaisali Island, a stylish, laid-back resort on a private island just 1000 feet off the mainland. The Coral Coast runs along the southern shores and is home to the world's second largest single reef. Snorkelling and scuba diving here is excellent. There are a number of resorts that cater for families and couples. Sigatoka Sigatoka is the main town in the area. There's a lively market and is famous for pottery which can be found in nearby villages. Upriver from Sigatoka is a wide valley known as 'The Salad Bowl' because of the rich market gardens. For a driving experience, take a 4WD from Sigatoka, over the mountains to Raki Raki on the north coast. Allow half a day at least to take in the spectacular scenery and traditional villages. It's a picturesque, tranquil area still untouched by commercialism with some excellent diving.