Visit Date: March 2013

I have only place I have ever dove was in the Caribbean. This was a great experience. The corals were amazing and so abundant. The number of fish was unlike anything I have ever seen.

The dive shop was very attentive to the whole dive group. They made sure we saw all kinds of things that we had never seen before.

Before each dive they put us by experience, explained each dive site so that we knew exactly what we were doing.

Each day they cleaned out gear and we did not have to worry about a thing other than our wetsuits and boots. The next day they were already set up and ready to go.

Visit Date: January 2012

Our trip was amazing. The lagoon has very healthy reefs- we saw a shark on almost every dive, and the pinnacles and walls are filled with healthy soft and hard corals. We have never seen so many fish and invertebrates! Most of the diving was easy although there were some dives with moderate current. The only thing I would warn divers about is what time of year you go. We went during the rainy season and because of tropical depressions we had rain and wind which really cut down on the visability. If you are looking for the perfect 130 ft viz then go between April and October. Otherwise if you can go to Fiji then go!!!!

Visit Date: April 2009

My wife and I spent a week at Beqa Lagoon Resort, Beqa Island, Fiji, in early April 2009. We are 40-something divers on an ongoing quest to find the perfect balance between world class diving and plush accommodations. We enjoy destinations with character and charm, i.e., we prefer authentic tropical and Caribbean resorts, as opposed to corporate properties made to look like authentic tropical and Caribbean resorts. Beqa Lagoon Resort fits the bill on all counts. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and would highly recommend it to all divers. If you are not a diver, the resort would appeal greatly to couples seeking a romantic, relaxing, low-key, lay-on-the-beach-in-an-island-paradise-with-an-occasional-activity-thrown-in kind of vacation. However, if you are an active type and are not diving, you might run out of things to do. Getting to the resort involves a three-hour bus ride from the Nadi airport to a marina on the southern end of Viti Levu. The bus stopped on the way for a break in the town of Sigatoka. Guests then board a boat for a one-hour ride to the resort. There is no pier at the resort. Guests are shuttled between the big boat and shore in a smaller boat. (This is also true when diving.) You have to walk a short distance in the water from the small boat to the beach, so wear appropriate clothes and shoes. It is a somewhat rigorous journey, especially after the overnight flight from LAX. The benefit, however, is that the resort is truly isolated. There are no roads on Beqa island. Other than another small resort or two and nine small local villages, there is no development. When you get to the resort, you really feel like you have "gotten away". The resort is relatively small, with 25 individual "bures" (villas). Our package included a beachfront bure with a queen-sized bed; a separate area with a single bed, couch, and chairs; bath with shower; air conditioning; refrigerator; safe; and a veranda with lounge chairs, table and chairs, a beautiful view, and a small plunge pool. I would not call the bures opulent. However, ours was clean, well appointed, and extremely comfortable. The grounds are well kept and beautiful, in typical island paradise fashion. The food at the resort was consistently excellent, the best we have had on any of our dive trips. Breakfast consists of a continental buffet, supplemented with made-to-order eggs, and pancakes or French toast. At breakfast, each guest receives a menu showing the lunch and dinner offerings for the day. Guests fill out a card with their lunch and dinner choices. There are typically two lunch choices, one involving fish and the other beef or chicken. For dinner, guests again choose between two entree options, a fish dish, and a beef, lamb, or chicken dish. Dinner also includes soup or salad, and dessert. Lunch and dinner are both served with homemade bread/rolls. The food is well prepared and presented. The desserts are especially good. One of the truly unique aspects of the resort is the ability to experience real Fijian culture. Most of the resort's staff members live in one of the two villages within walking distance of the resort. Each afternoon, the resort offers some sort of cultural program or activity, e.g., village visits, cultural demonstrations, waterfall hikes, cooking demonstrations, etc. In addition to these scheduled activities, guests are encouraged to visit the villages casually, on their own time. There were also some evening events, including traditional fire walking, song, and dance. The villagers and staff members are warm, welcoming, and open. Again, this is not a bunch of performers pretending to be islanders. This is the real thing. By the end of the week, you truly feel like part of the community. The diving is top notch, both in terms of the dive operator and the dive sites. The boats are comfortable. There were typically 12 to 14 divers on our boat, yet it did not feel particularly cramped. The dive staff is well trained. The dive sites offer a little bit of something for everyone, including wrecks, walls, reefs, swim-throughs, and more. This is full-service, valet diving, i.e., the staff picks up your gear shortly after you arrive, and you do not handle it again until you leave. They offer a couple of dive excursions, including a shark dive. We did not do the shark dive. However, other guests did it and liked it. The night dive was spectacular. Please note, the resort tries to coordinate guest departures with guest arrivals, so the resort boat only needs to make one trip across to Viti Levu. For us this meant a relatively early (around 9:00 a.m.) departure time on our last day. Because our return flight did not leave Nadi until late that night, the resort arranged for us and several other guests to share a "day room" at a resort across the street from the Nadi airport. This was a very good idea. Instead of sitting in the airport all day, we spent our day in and around the pool. Some people took a cab into Nadi for shopping. We then took the resort shuttle to the airport. It ended up costing about $6 per person for the room. I highly recommend it. This was our second trip to Fiji. On our last trip we stayed at Wananavu Resort on the north side of Viti Levu. (See my review.) Between the two, I would say I had a better overall experience at Beqa, because of the solitude and the unique cultural experience. The food was better at Beqa. However, I considered the diving somewhat better at Wananavu. Either one is an excellent choice. In summary, Bequa Lagoon Resort is great. Fiji is great. We hope to return soon. If you have ever thought about going, go!