Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions has been guiding sea-kayaking journeys and study programs around Fiji's Kadavu Island group since 1998.
Kadavu Island offers a remote and unspoiled environment for sea-kayaking, snorkeling, trekking, cultural interaction and learning experiences.
People from all over the world, from 3 to 73 years old, have travelled through these beautiful islands under the friendly and experienced leadership of Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions.
The trips take place in a sparsely-populated region, where a vast barrier reef surrounds an area of lagoons, coral passages, islets, bays, beaches, and rainforest-covered hills.
Here it's possible to see flying-fish, dolphins, turtles, whales (seasonallly), as well as all kinds of tropical and marine birdlife.
As well as sea-kayaking, snorkeling and trekking are important parts of the expeditions. Tamarillo's guides know the best places for all these activities, and are able to take small groups of people to places seldom seen by others.
A range of expeditions is available for groups and individuals. Travelers can book places on scheduled departures (see: 'dates & details' for the full list); groups can book private trips; and student groups can undertake customised study programs.
As well as Fiji sea-kayaking journeys and study programs, Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions offers:
- Italy walking tours;
- New Zealand sea-kayaking and study programs.
Apr 8, 2008
Apr 1, 2008
Misty Gorillas of Kadavu - New Research
One fact usually overlooked by visitors to Kadavu Island are the rarely seen primates that inhabit the inaccessible jungle covered interior mountains.
The original black & white movie 'King Kong' was filmed on the island's South West shore in the shadow of Mt Delainabukelevu, the island's extinct volcano. A nearby world famous surf break is also named after the movie and surfers from around the world come to surf the left hand reef break - King Kong.
Though never seen near the coast, some villagers with plantations on the upper mountain slopes occasionally see evidence that the gorillas have raided their plantations for fruit.
A new scientific mission has been launched to try to track down and research these secretive animals. Head scientist Dr Jouve binhad and his team of researchers and biologists arrived this week on their research ship and set up their base camp anchored off Matava Resort.
We will bring more news if their attempts prove successful.
The original black & white movie 'King Kong' was filmed on the island's South West shore in the shadow of Mt Delainabukelevu, the island's extinct volcano. A nearby world famous surf break is also named after the movie and surfers from around the world come to surf the left hand reef break - King Kong.
Though never seen near the coast, some villagers with plantations on the upper mountain slopes occasionally see evidence that the gorillas have raided their plantations for fruit.
A new scientific mission has been launched to try to track down and research these secretive animals. Head scientist Dr Jouve binhad and his team of researchers and biologists arrived this week on their research ship and set up their base camp anchored off Matava Resort.
We will bring more news if their attempts prove successful.
Misty Gorillas of Kadavu - New Research
One fact usually overlooked by visitors to Kadavu Island are the rarely seen primates that inhabit the inaccessible jungle covered interior mountains.The original black & white movie 'King Kong' was filmed on the island's South West shore in the shadow of Mt Delainabukelevu, the island's extinct volcano. A nearby world famous surf break is also named after the movie and surfers from around the world come to surf the left hand reef break - King Kong.
Though never seen near the coast, some villagers with plantations on the upper mountain slopes occasionally see evidence that the gorillas have raided their plantations for fruit.
A new scientific mission has been launched to try to track down and research these secretive animals. Head scientist Dr Jouve Binhad and his team of researchers and biologists arrived this week on their research ship and set up their base camp anchored off Matava Resort.
We will bring more news if their attempts prove successful.
Mar 23, 2008
Fiji Dive, Culture and Conservation Programme
Fiji Dive, Culture and Conservation Programme
This programme is perfectly suited to scuba diving enthusiasts, beginner or qualified, looking to further their skills and use their diving experience to give something back. At the same time, you will learn all about Fijian culture and be able to relax on the numerous beaches that Fiji is renowned for.
Scuba Diving Course
During the first 2 weeks you will receive your scuba diving training, which will enable you to join the conservation programme and partake in the diving at other points during the programme.
Your training will require you to complete 1 scuba course – either the PADI Open Water Course or the Advanced Open Water Course. If you have already completed these qualifications, you have options for other courses or extra dives instead.
Culture Experience
Also during the first 2 weeks, you will stay with a traditional Fijian village and learn all about the way of life of these amazing friendly people. You will spend half of your time on the scuba courses, with the remainder of your time spent with the village people, in a complete cultural immersion programme.
Conservation Project
The project aims to build an MPA (Marine Protected Area) in Savusavu Bay, Vanua Levu Island. A marine protected area is a place where corals, fish and other marine eco-systems are allowed to flourish without risk of being altered or harmed by man. The research you undertake will support the work of the infamous Jean Michelle Cousteau MPA located nearby.
Most meals are included during the programme, however, please check the full itinerary for further details. During the conservation programme, volunteers will need to purchase their own lunch each day, which can be done on the way to the dive site each morning. You should budget £2 approximately each day for this.
Relaxation week
The final 4 days of the programme are spent relaxing on the Coral Coast at one of the top backpacker resorts. Accommodation is provided, with up to 6 volunteers staying in a dorm-style lodge.
Meals are not provided during these last few days, so you will need to budget about £6 each day.
This programme is perfectly suited to scuba diving enthusiasts, beginner or qualified, looking to further their skills and use their diving experience to give something back. At the same time, you will learn all about Fijian culture and be able to relax on the numerous beaches that Fiji is renowned for.
The Programme
This 6-week programme is split into 3 main sections – Cultural Experiences, Scuba Diving and Conservation. However, the programme finishes with a few days relaxing on one of Fiji’s most popular beaches, so you have a holiday week too.
Scuba Diving Course
During the first 2 weeks you will receive your scuba diving training, which will enable you to join the conservation programme and partake in the diving at other points during the programme.
Your training will require you to complete 1 scuba course – either the PADI Open Water Course or the Advanced Open Water Course. If you have already completed these qualifications, you have options for other courses or extra dives instead.
http://www.realgap.co.uk/Fiji%20Dive,%20Culture%20and%20Conservation%20Programme
Fiji Dive, Culture and Conservation Programme
This programme is perfectly suited to scuba diving enthusiasts, beginner or qualified, looking to further their skills and use their diving experience to give something back. At the same time, you will learn all about Fijian culture and be able to relax on the numerous beaches that Fiji is renowned for.
The Programme
This 6-week programme is split into 3 main sections – Cultural Experiences, Scuba Diving and Conservation. However, the programme finishes with a few days relaxing on one of Fiji’s most popular beaches, so you have a holiday week too.Scuba Diving Course
During the first 2 weeks you will receive your scuba diving training, which will enable you to join the conservation programme and partake in the diving at other points during the programme.
Your training will require you to complete 1 scuba course – either the PADI Open Water Course or the Advanced Open Water Course. If you have already completed these qualifications, you have options for other courses or extra dives instead.
Culture Experience
Also during the first 2 weeks, you will stay with a traditional Fijian village and learn all about the way of life of these amazing friendly people. You will spend half of your time on the scuba courses, with the remainder of your time spent with the village people, in a complete cultural immersion programme.
Conservation Project
The project aims to build an MPA (Marine Protected Area) in Savusavu Bay, Vanua Levu Island. A marine protected area is a place where corals, fish and other marine eco-systems are allowed to flourish without risk of being altered or harmed by man. The research you undertake will support the work of the infamous Jean Michelle Cousteau MPA located nearby.
Location
Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji (locations will vary according to schedule). Fiji is a tropical Island Nation situated in the South of the Pacific Ocean.Accommodation and Meals
During the programme, you will be accommodated in a mixture of different forms of accommodation, from hostels to a private rented house. Please see further information for more details. Rooms will be shared, based on a mixed or single-sex basis (group determines who they wish to share with.)Most meals are included during the programme, however, please check the full itinerary for further details. During the conservation programme, volunteers will need to purchase their own lunch each day, which can be done on the way to the dive site each morning. You should budget £2 approximately each day for this.
Relaxation week
The final 4 days of the programme are spent relaxing on the Coral Coast at one of the top backpacker resorts. Accommodation is provided, with up to 6 volunteers staying in a dorm-style lodge.
Meals are not provided during these last few days, so you will need to budget about £6 each day.
This programme is perfectly suited to scuba diving enthusiasts, beginner or qualified, looking to further their skills and use their diving experience to give something back. At the same time, you will learn all about Fijian culture and be able to relax on the numerous beaches that Fiji is renowned for.
The Programme
This 6-week programme is split into 3 main sections – Cultural Experiences, Scuba Diving and Conservation. However, the programme finishes with a few days relaxing on one of Fiji’s most popular beaches, so you have a holiday week too.
Scuba Diving Course
During the first 2 weeks you will receive your scuba diving training, which will enable you to join the conservation programme and partake in the diving at other points during the programme.
Your training will require you to complete 1 scuba course – either the PADI Open Water Course or the Advanced Open Water Course. If you have already completed these qualifications, you have options for other courses or extra dives instead.
http://www.realgap.co.uk/Fiji%20Dive,%20Culture%20and%20Conservation%20Programme
Mar 18, 2008
Fiji Special from Don
We just couldn't let Don pass us by without highlighting some of his photography work here on Kadvau and Matava, as well as around the world.
"Here are some of the beautiful photos of my trip to Fiji with my diving buddy, Martin. His underwater photography is presented in the underwater section. We were so glad to be in this part of the world and for the chance to meet so many wonderful people."
He was kind enough to send us a hard back photo book for the Main Bure and all the staff to see.
Thanks Don, and we wish you all the best in your new Photo Career!
http://members.iinet.com.au/~don.limbh/index.html
The Team at Matava
"Here are some of the beautiful photos of my trip to Fiji with my diving buddy, Martin. His underwater photography is presented in the underwater section. We were so glad to be in this part of the world and for the chance to meet so many wonderful people."
He was kind enough to send us a hard back photo book for the Main Bure and all the staff to see.
Thanks Don, and we wish you all the best in your new Photo Career!
http://members.iinet.com.au/~don.limbh/index.html
The Team at Matava
Feb 18, 2008
Matava Astrolabe Hideaway Matava Astrolabe Hideaway
Matava Astrolabe Hideaway is located in the lush tropical surroundings of Kadavu Island by the Great Astrolabe Reef. Matava is a small and intimate getaway that was designed to blend with its natural environment and offer comfortable and economical accommodations, world-class scuba diving and superb meals. There are no roads, towns or power lines—this true hideaway is reached only by boat! There are nine traditional Fijian bures nestled in the rainforest. All bures have polished timber floors, four-poster beds and private decks. Solar power lighting and gas-heated water make your stay comfortable. The Oceanview Bures offer spectacular panoramas of the Great Astrolabe Reef and surrounding islands, and the Waterfront Bures are by the shore, enclosed in beautiful tropical gardens. | ||
Meals at Matava are an imaginative blend of local and international cuisines. The menu takes advantage of local seasonal delicacies and the day`s fresh produce, incorporating locally grown organic tropical fruit and vegetables, home-style freshly baked breads and reef-caught seafood like coral trout, trevally, lobster and walu. Also, enjoy scrumptious lovo feasts, the traditional Fijian meals cooked over hot stones. Matava features a fully-stocked bar with selection of local and imported beers, wines and spirits. | ||
If you are into fishing, you can catch your own dinner and maybe even enough to share with others. Regular catches include yellow fin and skipjack tuna, walu, barracuda, trevally and sometimes even sailfish. Scuba diving the Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji’s largest living structure and one of the world`s premier dive locations, is the focus here. The reef offers great diversity of both soft and hard corals, and abundance of marine life. The resident dive shop will take you the best sites around the reef and dazzle even the most experienced and well-traveled diver! All levels of diving is offered, including beginner courses. | ||
Apart from fabulous diving, Matava offers an extensive list of fun activities. Snorkeling here is excellent, surfers will love the five passages on the reef producing long barreling waves from two to ten feet tall, and guided half day to three-day kayaking trips around the islands are a magnificent way to see the real Fiji. Matava has also established a portfolio of treks and guided walks to take advantage of the stunning scenery. And you can, of course, just relax and take in the tranquil atmosphere of the islands—stargazing is particularly good here! |
Technorati Profile
Fiji Adventure Travel - National Geographic Adventure Magazine
Sailing Fiji's Outer Islands
Adventure-approved excursions for right now. By Costas Christ
"South Pacific: Mothership Outer Islands, Fiji
The A/S Tui Tai already had a corner on the South Pacific's adventure cruise market—packed with top-of-the-line mountain bikes, kayaks, surfboards, and scuba gear, it's been plying Fiji's waters for 25 years, ferrying passengers from one unspoiled island to the next. But this spring, life onboard gets even sweeter: when the ship leaves dry dock with half a million dollars' worth of renovations, including eight new expedition cabins, four staterooms, a spa, and five daybeds for lounging on deck. The ship's relaunch is timed to coincide with the arrival of calm seas, when the season really gets going for what owner Tige Young calls
'extremely remote island expeditions.' Each day, the Tui Tai arrives at a new island or dive site in one of the richest regions of marine life on Earth. When not exploring the underwater marvels, you'll hike, bike, and unwind on empty islands, taxing yourself now and again with the task of seeking out secret jungle swimming holes.
Before shipping out, grab an extra day for beach time near Fiji's capital, Suva, and allow yourself to recuperate from 15 hours of flying and International Date Line-induced jet lag.
Days: 7
Outfitter: A/S Tui Tai www.tuitai.com
Cost: $3,000
Fiji Adventure Travel - National Geographic Adventure Magazine
Adventure-approved excursions for right now. By Costas Christ
 | ||
 | | |
"South Pacific: Mothership Outer Islands, Fiji
The A/S Tui Tai already had a corner on the South Pacific's adventure cruise market—packed with top-of-the-line mountain bikes, kayaks, surfboards, and scuba gear, it's been plying Fiji's waters for 25 years, ferrying passengers from one unspoiled island to the next. But this spring, life onboard gets even sweeter: when the ship leaves dry dock with half a million dollars' worth of renovations, including eight new expedition cabins, four staterooms, a spa, and five daybeds for lounging on deck. The ship's relaunch is timed to coincide with the arrival of calm seas, when the season really gets going for what owner Tige Young calls
'extremely remote island expeditions.' Each day, the Tui Tai arrives at a new island or dive site in one of the richest regions of marine life on Earth. When not exploring the underwater marvels, you'll hike, bike, and unwind on empty islands, taxing yourself now and again with the task of seeking out secret jungle swimming holes.
Before shipping out, grab an extra day for beach time near Fiji's capital, Suva, and allow yourself to recuperate from 15 hours of flying and International Date Line-induced jet lag.
Days: 7
Outfitter: A/S Tui Tai www.tuitai.com
Cost: $3,000
Fiji Adventure Travel - National Geographic Adventure Magazine
Feb 9, 2008
Fiji Special Photo-Site by Don
"I am glad to have a chance to have experienced a memorable trip to Matava. Also, you guys there have done a fabulous job contributing lots to the education of our fragile environment and needs to conserving them for the future generations, cultural as well as Improving the social status of the locals. Hope the “Fiji Special” will contribute towards your goal."
Vinaka
Don, Hin Lim
Hin Lim Photography
274, Victoria Street
274, Victoria Street
Richmond 3121 Victoria,Australia
Tel: +61 (0) 3 9421 1548 (available on Thursday and Friday)
HP: 0401 012 374
HP: 0401 012 374
Feb 2, 2008
“I holidayed at beautiful Matava,
coverd in tress ( as opposed to lava),
I learnt to dive & emerged alive,
And finished the day with Kava”
That all said I've had a wicked holiday here! A massive thank you to evryone for everything, Chris and I had the best time. The food was beautiful, the nature stunning, the laughter salutorious, the service fablulous & welcoming, the atmosphere magical. We have been transmorgrified from uptight city kids to chilled mer-people. We are for Scuba! You are champions. Vinaka you legends!”
Chris & Caitlin,
UK
Jan 19, 2008
The diving was amazing
“There are no words to explain how wonderful the last 3 weeks have been. The diving was amazing, the resort beautiful & the staff couldn't have been more fun. I will never forget Matava & I hope you all enjoyed us; even the trouble makers!”
Nikki
Long Island University
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