In short: Paradise Taveuni is a fantastic place to visit to see the natural wonders of Fiji, eat delicious food, make friends and laugh with the very kind/attentive staff, and dive some of the most unique and beautiful reefs in the world. The resort was recently rebuilt, so the Oceanfront Bures you stay in are downright magical. Truly something for everyone: from the adventurer who wants to scuba dive with reef sharks and hike in jungles, to those looking for lazy days of fruity drinks, massages and relaxation in the pool (while watching insane sunsets over the ocean.) You won't be disappointed in Paradise. We never wanted to leave.
COVID: The owners and staff are very on-top of COVID safety-- the staff is fully vaccinated and guests are Rapid Antigen tested (per the Fijian Health Ministry's rules) after 48 hours of arrival. Everything is very clean and sanitized, and they even worked out our COVID tests for us at a local hospital (to meet US re-entry rules) on the way to the airport when we left. Rest assured, you can travel safe with this team :)
More detailed info: Paradise Taveuni was a wonderful surprise. We had planned a dive trip to celebrate our anniversary in Indonesia, but with Covid, the borders weren't yet open to US citizens. PADI recommended Paradise to us, and raved about their 5-star dive shop.
The owners Allan & Terri have created a picturesque paradise on the coast of The Garden Island. They get to know you, and help create exactly the vacation you are looking for. Allan went out of his way to make sure we were able to dive The White Wall at the perfect time, and we even got to dive with manta rays (our dream!) Terri was also able to work out a day trip to the natural rock waterslides for us one day.
The resort does a great job of creating a sense of community, We made friends with other guests and the staff. There were themed nights under the stars and a Fijian night with dancing and a Kava Ceremony. The Ceremony had us enjoying the the tradition of drinking Kava side-by-side with the local staff and even the local Chief (an honor!)
Our package included a 30 minute massage, which was wonderful and done alongside the ocean, to the sound of the waves. --insert relaxed sigh--
We also had 2-3 boat dives a day, which took us to the world-famous Rainbow Reef, a truly massive, colorful marvel of undersea life. We rented our gear from Paradise's dive shop-- it was all in good shape and the dive team were very helpful and knowledgeable.
Allan is a chef, so the food at Paradise is top-notch. Each day there is a selection of local fresh-caught seafood of the day, a variety curries, some Italian dishes, grilled meats, and of course lots of fresh tropical fruits and local Fijian fare. The resort is committed to operating in a sustainable manner that respects the land and it's resources, so you order your next meal ahead of time (you order your lunch at breakfast, and your dinner at lunch.) This keeps from wasting food on the island -- a huge problem many resorts are guilty of. We were thrilled to see Paradise's commitment to making only the freshest meals and not creating waste.
The drink menu is also top-notch (Try the Fiji Time!) They have a full bar, beer and wine, as well as tropical drinks made with local fruits.
And again, we can't stop raving about how kind and wonderful the staff was. The kindest people -- and they all knew our names from day one. So in kind, I wanted to mention their names as well. At the resort Flo, Becky, Navi, Nia, Liti, and Soni all went above and beyond-- we already miss them all! :)
The dive team was wonderfully helpful, knowledgeable, and hilarious. Big thanks to our captains Sean & Kim, as well as the rest of the dive team Salote, Sonny, Christine, & Oscar. And extra thanks to Daniel, our driver, who went down the natural waterslides with us, and even showed us where to avoid the sharper rocks! haha
Basically, don't hesitate. Go to Paradise. And... take me with you? haha
