Eyes for Fiji - A Good Will Diving Featured Cause

November 2010 marks the official beginning of Good Will Diving, and for this Deep Blue Adventures is highlighting the need for eye glasses for Fijian Villagers.

CEO & Founder of Deep Blue Adventures explains “We chose this cause for a number of reasons. As divers and travelers we experience many wonderful aspects of the countries we visit. We often fall in love with the surroundings, the food, the culture and of course what we find there beneath the surface. More often than not, the people are what touches us the most and deepens our experiences. We felt that highlighting a need of some of the warmest people we have ever met in one of our top-selling destinations would be an appropriate place to start. This is also something everyone can be involved in – we are not asking for money, we are asking for something very simple that many people are able to give – used or old reading eye glasses. Kids and teens can be just as involved as adults and no one has to dig deep in their pockets – that’s part of what Good Will Diving is all about. While foundations often desperately need financial support, and we will always encourage and be part of that, many of us are not aware that we can often make a huge difference in someone’s lives without it costing a penny. Finally, another reason we selected this program is it struck a very personal chord with one of our team members”.

Terri Huber, Senior Sales Representative with Deep Blue Adventures explains.

“One night, during my recent trip to Fiji, I was chatting after dinner with another guest and Matava resort owner, Richard Akhtar. During our conversation, the subject of the needs of the Fijian Villagers came up and Richard immediately responded without hesitation, eye glasses. Having traveled to many remote diving destinations around the world and being welcomed and treated graciously by the locals we have thought of a small gesture to say "thank you". We as divers visit and enjoy these far off countries and return home with long lasting memories, photos, and souvenirs. So, why not give back a little to help out the remote villages of Fiji?”

While the glasses will be distributed to various villages in need across the country, Matava Resort on Kadavu who operates the Matava Foundation has agreed to assist Deep Blue Adventures in their first Good Will Diving venture by providing a contact point in Fiji and facilitating in getting the glasses to those that need it most. Organizations such as clubs or schools that participate in the Eyes For Fiji Program and elect to take a group to the resort will receive a Meke from the village, with an official handing over ceremony to the elders of the village as part of their week at Matava, a truly memorable experience.

If you are interested in contributing to this effort, you can do so simply by mailing in reading glasses, but Deep Blue Adventures is willing to absorb the postage costs involved on your behalf if you email GoodWillDiving@deepblueadventures.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 888-266-2209 and request a self-addressed, postage paid envelope.

We are also encouraging dive stores, clubs, schools, scouts, business and other organizations to consider becoming a collection point for Eyes for Fiji and engaging their local community in an effort on a larger scale. Once the glasses are received any interested donors may request a $50 travel voucher as a thank you for their donation. Glasses collected will be sent on a regular and ongoing basis to the islands through the company’s various contacts. All vouchers will be distributed electronically due to conservation efforts also being made by the company.

On behalf of the people of Fiji, and all of our team members here at Deep Blue Adventures, we thank you in advance for your interest and support.

Deep Blue Adventures the best dive travel vacations worldwide - Eyes for Fiji - A Good Will Diving Featured Cause

Fabulous & Friendly Service & Awesome Diving! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Stayed only 9 days at Matava Resort and loved every minute. Wonderful staff, VERY friendly and always around if you need anything at all.

Beautiful food (& heaps of it!) gorgeous views from our tropical bungalow & awesome diving.

Dive staff really look after you & take you to all the best spots. Great knowledge of the area and surrounding reefs. Highlights of diving were turtles, manta rays (up close) and lots of sharks! Not to mention colorful corals.

Will definitely go back there.

Anj & Rob (Victoria)

Fabulous & Friendly Service & Awesome Diving! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Super Resort - das richtige - TripAdvisor

Wir waren für - leider - nur drei Nächte in Matava und sehr begeistert! Das Resort ist sehr abgelegen, Anreise per Boot vom kleinen Inselflughafen. Wir hatten eine Oceanview Bure, die sehr nett war. Beim nächsten Mal würden wir aber des größeren Betts wegen wohl in die Honeymoon Bure gehen.

In Matava haben wir mit das beste Essen unserer 5-wöchigen Reise gehabt! Z.B. super frischen Fisch, den zwei australische Fischer jeden Abend an Land brachten, sehr phantasiereich gekocht. Mit den anderen Besuchern und Eigentümer Richard hatten wir sehr nette Abende. Wir haben auch viel über Fiji gelernt.

Die gute Seele Matavas ist, wie schon von anderen erwähnt, Maggie, die alles im Griff hat und immer nett und freundlich ist.

Wir haben eine sehr interessante Birdwatchingtour gemacht, mit Besuch im "Dorf." Ausserdem waren wir schnorcheln. Auch die Tauchausrüstung ist auf neuestem Stand.

Wir würden jederzeit wieder nach Matava gehen!

Super Resort - das richtige Fiji - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Party at Matava for Thanksgiving with ScubaRadio Crew! - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

cuba Radio Mermaid Special 2010

Come and join us and the Scuba Radio presenters and Mermaids at Thanksgiving for a week of fun and diving and Turkey Gobbling in November 2010.

November 20th to November 27th 2010

A week of diving, chaos and fun for only - USD 1199.00

Click here to read more...

The Scuba Radio crew with Greg the Divemaster and the Mermaids are coming back to Fiji, and this time it's going to be mostly for fun!

The week will begin on Saturday 20th, however DO feel free to drop in for half the week, or even just the last few days! Drop us an email or call us on Skype and we'll work it out! Heck, it's going to be chaos anyway!

Greg et al will arrive at Matava in Fiji on Monday 22nd November, fresh from a week in Las Vegas at the DEMA Show. If you are planning on going to this Dive Show, cahnces are that you'll bump into the crew there, and you can fly with them all the way to Fiji.

Greg and the crew were here in May (listen to that show here!), and they loved it SO much that they're coming back. This time they're coming to Matava in Kadavu to dive the Great Astrolabe Reef with the mantas, and they are inviting us all along for the week!

---

Listen to Scuba Radio now!

ScubaRadio is radio talk show with a diving theme. Pictures are painted of the underwater world as listeners and guests share their diving adventures. Every diver has a story about the perfect dive, destination, or encounter with some amazing sea creature. ScubaRadio provides the forum. It’s like hanging out at a Tiki hut and sharing fish tales with friends.

Never heard of Scuba Radio (where HAVE you been?), find the podcasts/archives of ScubaRadio here, available worldwide online! Just click here or paste the following link into your podcasting software: http://www.scubaradio.com/srpodcast.xml. You’ll find at least a couple years of past shows!

If you’re using Itunes, just click here and subscribe!

The latest edition of ScubaRadio will now automatically download to your computer/MP3 listening device!

---

Scuba Radio Mermaid Special 2010

So here's the deal:

• • 7 nights at Matava in an Oceanview Bure

• • All meals and airport transfers included

• • 5 days of 2 tank diving - 10 dives

• • Free unlimited shore diving

• • Free 3rd tank on 1 afternoon

• • Free use of kayaks, snorkelling around the resort

• • Traditional Lovo Feast and Kava Ceremony

• • Scuba Radio T-shirt and baseball cap

• • Free fun times with the Matava / Scuba Radio team and of course the ScubaRadio Mermaids

Chance to star on the Scuba Radio broadcasts recorded throughout the week!

• 
  

Diver - USD 1199.00
Non Diver - USD 899.00

(only valid for double / twin share, Group 5 pay - 1 FOC)

Additions

• • Upgrade to 5 days of 3 tank dives (15 dives) – USD 199.00
• • Extra night – USD 125.00(based on 2 sharing)
• • Extra days diving (2 tanks) – USD 100.00
• • Single supplement – USD 500.00

Dates:- November 20th to November 27th 2010

---

Book your ScubaRadio MERMAID Package Now!

Click here to book your ScubaRadio MERMAID to the Fiji Islands today and see all the mantas and pristine tropical reefs on Mad Fish Dive Centre's dive boats on the Great Astrolabe Reef on Kadavu!

Book Now!

Party at Matava for Thanksgiving with ScubaRadio Crew! - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

New telephone numbers for Matava!

Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort has installed a new Satellite Communications System with new telephone numbers. We have new methods of contacting Matava in the Fiji Islands including new telephone and fax numbers and a new Skype name! All running off the in-house solar power!

Our new permanent contact numbers are:

TELEPHONE:    +679 603 0685

FAX:    +679 603 0684

SKYPE:    MatavaFiji

"And so what does this mean to you?" I hear you ask? Well one of the big step forwards is that we now have a 24 hour contact via Skype technology and voice-mail there-in on site at the resort. This will revolutionise our online reservations and booking system.

Matava Resort is proud to install this communications solution purely using the alternative power already available at the resort.

We will maintain our current CDMA/Easytel phone (+679 368 0080) until the end of August 2010, at which point they it be disconnected.

The new system runs on the Gilat SkyEdge System which supports telephony, broadband data and video communications via satellite. It is optimized for transaction-oriented applications, business continuity needs, legacy protocols, rural telephony deployments and multi-topology networks with mesh, star and multi-star topologies.

The system has an uplink speed of 64kbps where the service and support are provided by Connect Fiji. 

Not only does the new service out perform its predecessors, the satellite network is designed to perform even under the heavy tropical rain.

The equipment installed at Matava is called a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal). It consists of a 1.8m dish (situated hidden away behind the resort office) and outdoor electronics for communicating with the satellite and an indoor unit to which our standard telephone /fax lines and laptops are connected. The intelligence within the indoor unit processes the calls and distributes them to assigned telephone lines.

Power for the terminal is purely 12V DC and is supplied by our own in-house solar panels and batteries in our Main Bure complex.

Watch this space for the next phase in the program which is to make WiFi available directly to guests laptops in the Main Bure (shhhhh... this is currently top secret info!)

Once again, here are our new permanent contact numbers:

TELEPHONE:    +679 603 0685

FAX:    +679 603 0684

SKYPE:    MatavaFiji

Project AWARE Foundation: Event Details

Join the children from local Vacalea Primary School to collect all the rubbish between the school and the resort.

Students from Vacalea Primary School

Last year, over 10 sacks of marine debris were collected including shoes, fishing nets, plastic bags and even a plastic chair!

Afterwards everyone can enjoy a BBQ, lolling around in the sea and plenty of rugby with the kids, and of course staff, at Matava

2010 is the 40^th Anniversary of Earth Day, an international campaign designed to raise environmental awareness on a global scale.

Underwater environments are under numerous threats including pollution, debirs, climate change, overfishing, and coral bleaching. Dive for Earth Day is an extraordinary opportunity to take action and help address the underwater issues that concern you most.

Over the last 10 years, the Project AWARE Foundation have joined this effort to focus attention on aquatic environments, and named this 'Dive for Earth Day'.

Why?

With the oceans covering more than 70% of the Earth's surface and providing habitat for 90% of all life on the planet, one aim is to highlight the issues facing this particular environment, including pollution, debris, climate change, overfishing and coral-bleaching. Human activity is costing the Earth. And despite the oceans' vast expanse, our marine debris is taking its toll on aquatic eco systems.

Project AWARE Foundation: Event Details

Dentists & Matava Foundation in Kadavu, 2010

Dentists & Matava Foundation in Kadavu, 2010
Originally uploaded by Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Manta Ray, Kadavu, Fiji

Remote paradise - TripAdvisor

Matava is the perfect place to experience the beautiful part of Fiji that is Kadavu.

The location is great, overlooking the lagoon and then to the outer reefs in the distance.

The friendly atmosphere created by the owners and the incredible staff (led by the incomparable Maggie) feels just right and the communal dining tables allows a relaxed, informal interaction with the other guests over the fresh and varied food.

The Bures are reasonably simple but very nicely done with decent amenities (lights, running water, proper toilet, shower etc.) considering that it is an eco-resort and very remote.

There is plenty to keep you as active or inactive as desired. Snorkelling is great between the resort and nearby island and others guests said the diving nearby is 1st class. Other activities include boat trips, private beach picnics, surfing and a real highlight of visiting the nearby school, village and waterfall.

The island of Kadavu is a window into the Fiji of the past, untouched by many of the historical colonial influences or present political contrivances.

We really cannot recommend Matava enough if you are looking for something different and beautiful. Set your expectations accordingly (remembering it is an eco-resort and a long way from anywhere) and you will not be disappointed.

Remote paradise - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor:

National Geographic Interactive|

National Geographic Interactive — August Issue

In this dynamic issue: Dive into Beauty, Danger and Discovery with Bahamas Blue Holes.

Discover your world with award-winning photography, in-depth videos, animated slideshows and more exclusive content. Read it on your iPad, mac & pc!

National Geographic Interactive