Matava is fully operational after Cyclone TOMAS

Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort is 100% fully open after the cyclone passed Fiji on Tuesday 16th March 2010

 

KADAVU, FIJI ISLANDS - 17 December 2009 - On Monday 15th March 2010 Fiji was hit by a Category 4 Tropical Cyclone, TC TOMAS. The cyclone passed over the northern islands and well to the East of Kadavu Island.

Although the resort experienced high winds and heavy rain, no damage was done to the resort at all, apart from the loss of some thatch from the corner of the roof of the dive centre.

The guests and staff spent the whole day playing cards, board games and reading books safely in the Main Bure while Maggie served breakfast, lunch and dinner as normal. We even had some divers toughen up and go shore diving in the 'teeth' of the bad weather on Monday and Tuesday and get some great pics of critters on The Critter Junction dive site!

By Tuesday 16th March we were once again fishing, diving and trekking as normal, in glorious sunshine with not even a slight breeze!

The cyclone passed well east of Kadavu and was over in a couple of days of strong winds and grey weather.

Due to flight safety reasons, Pacific Sun did postpone its flights for a couple of days, but have now fully resumed services to Kadavu from Nadi.  All flights to and from Kadavu from Nadi International Airport are currently fully resumed and we have have had clients fly in and out of Kadavu today (Wednesday 18th March 2010).

We appreciate your patience in these matters, and rest assured that we are all fine and 100% fully operational at Matava - Fiji's premier Eco Adventure Resort.

Here is a pic taken by Adrian this morning from the deck of Mango, one of our Honeymoon Bures:


Richard, Adrian, Jeanie, Stuart & The Team @ Matava

Tropical Cyclone Tomas Gone

The weather today is....... Glorious..

Tropical Cyclone Tomas Gone

Divers and Medical Professionals Combine Work andPassion for Scuba Diving Through Fiji Project

Divers and Medical Professionals Combine Work andPassion for Scuba Diving Through Fiji Project

TO: Medical, Dental, Optometric and Pharmacy Professionals, Health Editors, Human Resource Managers

Most people think of Fiji as an island paradise, but there are many children in area villages who are in tremendous need of medical and dental care. Mark Fischer, owner of Keizer’s Hydrosports Dive and Travel, is putting together a team of “underwater ambassadors” and medical professionals to help those children on the land near some of his group’s most cherished dive locations. 

Learn how you can combine your profession, passion and also receive tax benefits as a result of participating in a medical mission to Fiji. Enjoying, appreciating and learning about preserving the beautiful, natural landscape above and below water will also be discussed. To RSVP or for additional information please email mark@hydrosports.com . To learn more about scuba certification at HydroSports please click HERE. 

DIVE Northwest, a 501 (c)3 non-profit, and HydroSports Dive and Travel located in Keizer, Oregon, are spearheading an effort to bring doctors, dentists, optometrists, nurses and support staff to Kadavu, Fiji, May 8 to 15, 2010. The 150+ children attending school in Koro Village have limited access to routine or preventative medical, dental or vision care. The project’s goal is to hold a week long clinic to provide care to students and faculty of the school and village.

For Trip Information Click HERE

 

To join our interest list please contact Mark Fischer at 503-304-5383 or mark@hydrosports.com.

HydroSports Dive and Travel
DIVE Northwest
3846 River Road North
Keizer OR 97303
www.hydrosports.com
503-304-5383

Medical Mission Fiji

Matava Resort- das Tor zum Great Astrolab Reef - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Wir verbrachten auf eine Empfehlung eines Freundes hin über Weihnachten 10 Tage auf Matava - und dies war etwas vom besten was wir je erleben durften!

Das Resort besteht aus etwa 10 im tradtionellen fijijanischen Stil gebauten Hütten mit zum Teil herrlichen Ausblick auf die kleine vorgelagerte Insel und das Meer - alleine auf der Veranda sitzend und den Ausblick genießend könnte man Stunden zubringen. Weiters gibt es eine Gemeinschaftshütte, wo die Mahlzeiten gemeinsam mit allen Gästen eingenommen werden. Auf jeden Spezialwunsch, ob Vegetarier oder Allergien, etc. wird Rücksicht genommen. Das Verhältnis zwischen Gästen und Mitarbeitern ist herrlich entspannt und freundschafltich, alle sind wahnsinnig freundlich, hilfsbereit, immer lächelnd und zu Scherzen aufgelegt.

Die Tauchcrew ist sehr professionell und versucht auf alle Wünsche einzugehen, zum Teil waren wir nur zwei bis drei Taucher plus Guide. Wir hatten dort unsere besten Tauchgänge und wirklich sehr viel Spaß zusammen.

Das Resort legt viel Wert auf Umwelt- und Naturschutz, Strom gibt es nur für die notwendigsten Dinge und man merkt bald, dass es auch nicht viel mehr bedarf um einen super Urlaub zu haben.

Ich kann das Resort und die Insel jedem empfehlen, der gerne abseits der Massen Urlaub macht, Einheimische kennen lernen möchte, es gerne ruhig hat aber auch die Gemeinschaft schätzt, tauchen oder schnorcheln liebt und kein Sonnenanbetender "nur" Strandurlauber ist (Strand auf der gegenüberliegendenen Insel, nur bei Ebbe)!!

Matava Resort- das Tor zum Great Astrolab Reef - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Perfect - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

This place is a little slice of heaven.

However, if you are the type that likes to be entertained or have schedules then this isn't the place for you. We spent 5 days here and didn't dive or fish but we were busy. We went kayaking, hiking, exploring the mud flats, snorkling (it's quite good right out front of the resort) and just relaxed and slept. A much needed rest.

The food was great and all staff were friendly and helpful. Oh, we did take the kayak trip to the remote village and although our guide didn't seem super pumped to be out there with us, we had a fantastic adventure with him. he was knowledgeable. The village was a highlight and the voices of the children singing to us while we hiked to the waterfall is one of my favorite memories. It was hard to leave this place.

It's rustic and wonderful, our type of place.

Perfect - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Returning Soon - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

We have been to several places on Kadavu and find Matava the best.

We would return just for the food but when you add the reef, the wonderful staff, diving, snorkeling, fishing, and the very nice beach facing the resort we will be there again in 2010 and that should be about 12 visits for us since we began traveling to Fiji in 1993-ps we did our rescue PADI Certification there.

Returning Soon - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Warning: Fending Off Mosquitoes May be Harmful to Your Health « I Count for myEARTH

Natural Mosquito Repellent

According to an article by Vanessa Vadim, environmental advice columnist for Mother Nature Network, "Every year, 500 million people are infected with mosquito-borne illnesses and at least 2.5 million die from those infections."

Mosquitoes are attracted to floral scents found in perfumes, hair products, sunscreens, moisturizers and fabric softeners. They also like potassium, which is found in meat, bananas, melons, sports drinks, milk, potatoes and tomatoes, all foods we like to enjoy in abundance for summer cookouts. Mosquitoes are also tempted by the lactic acid and carbon dioxide that our bodies produce with exercise, so lingering outside after a workout is a surefire way to attract these annoying little pests.

The good news is that you can repel mosquitos naturally by incorporating repellent plants into your landscape and by welcoming animals into your yard that eat mosquitoes. If this isn't an option for you, you can make your own personal mosquito repellent. Using unscented skin cream as a base, add a few drops of eucalyptus, cedar, geranium, peppermint, lemon grass, fennel, catnip, rosemary, tea tree, castor or soybean essential oils and apply the mixture to your skin. You can also use water or alcohol as a base, mix together with essential oils in a spray bottle and mist onto your skin. Another natural repellent? Avoid wearing dark colors. As with any product, be sure to check the label on each bottle of essential oil for directions for use.

This information provided with help from http://icountformyearth.wordpress.com

Warning: Fending Off Mosquitoes May be Harmful to Your Health « I Count for myEARTH

Travel Smart: Invasive Plants and Animals - The Green Guide

With 650 million tourists crossing international borders annually, travel is a leading cause of unintended invasive-species introductions. Fungi, insects and seeds hitch rides in luggage, on food and clothing, even on our bodies. "The organisms...that we import intentionally pale in numbers beside the masses of smaller living things we set in motion incidentally," cautions Yvonne Baskin in A Plague of Rats and Rubbervines: The Growing Threat of Species Invasions. And not without cost: In the U.S., invasive species have contributed to the decline of up to 46 percent of imperiled species.

Some countries require aircraft "disinsection" to crack down on alien invaders, forcing airlines to spray cabins with insecticides, including synthetic pyrethroids, which can spark asthma attacks. Passengers may be subject to in-flight spraying on some flights to Asia, Africa, the South Pacific and the Caribbean, while other countries spray planes immediately before passengers board.

What You Can Do: Travel Smart: Invasive Plants and Animals - The Green Guide

Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort Reviews and Photos, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

• Offering 42 reviews of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort in Kadavu Island

Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort Reviews and Photos, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Dream Holiday - Done Right - TripAdvisor

This was the absolute dream holiday. The team at the Matava Resort on Kadavu are outstanding in how they ensure their practices are environmentally and socially responsible and - that their customer service is amazing. Thank you team Matava for all you do.

As very avid divers, we can report too that the diving here is sensational and again, you know it is be doing in the most environmentally responsible (and safe) way with Matava.

For our videos - see the following links.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D564Zv4sPJ8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pshqJoeTBc

Dream Holiday - Done Right - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor