By anonymous , 28-09-2004

recent trip - just got back from Fiji spent 2 nights at rendevous, people rave about the food but we found it so so and they don't go out to the surf early every day, it depends on the tide my husband got wake up call at 5.30 to go surfing and then they said we not going till 9 as the tide won't be right till then, he had ok waves but was windy all week, people are friendly there but the accomodation was not so great bit of septic smell all the time in the rooms, ok for the money. Singing at night was good and others staying there were fun.There is not alot to do there when the surf is no good as you are well out of town.We went down to natadola and had good waves there one day it is a beach break but the swell needs to be big to get in there, it was probably 3 feet but fun sucky waves. we also went to the river mouth at Sigatoka which was really good solid waves and glass for a couple of hours, just surfed it with a few locals who were friendly and had no trouble sharing the waves. We just hired a car to drive around ourselves which means you can control the times etc.Hope this helps a bit

By NSW , 24-09-2004

Stay Home - Stay at your home spot. Keep your hard-earned cash. Spend it in your community (unless you live far inland). Surf resorts suck and always will.

By Peeelin Bannana , 23-09-2004

Recent trip to Fiji - Myself and a friend just got back from Fiji Sept 13.We spent 4 Days at Seashell Cove Resort ,1 night and day at wadroika,and 3 nights in the capital city Suva.

What i can tell you is this .Seashell Cove is a good resort ,as their are lots of people to hang out and party with.The vibe is very good ,the boat drivers and diving guides know their shit winds/water/ect,and are ready to go in the morning "around 7:30 " when they get a group to fill the boat.The only places your likely to surf are Mini cloudbreak ,Desperations ,and Wilkes.Most of the time it seems Wilkes , is the only wave working.We had a few decent days there(some barrells) but nothing epic.It is a fun place to stay i must say.

Where as Waidroika ,although nice ,is a bit farther away .It seemed to have more older couples ,and family vacationing.With the Surfing ,the new Israeli owners are ok but it seems we needed to light a fire under their ass to get the boat out .We were up at 7:30 ,my friend speaking for the Dorm of us 8 surfers,told the owner lets
get the boat going,that around 8 am .He said no, no, it won't be that good blah blah .Well needless to say we were all loaded on the boat and ready to go out 9 am ,when the owner holds the boat to wait another 10 or 15 minutes for 2 more sets of people .Well we got out to Frigates about 9:45 ,it was a good 6 to 8 feet with 4 people out.Other boats on the outside of the channel.Their was a total of 12-15 of us i got some good rides but not lots of them .It would have been nice to catch it early ,as it clearly was a good day for the wave.If you fly halfway around th4e world to go surfing ,you would expect the boat to be ready to go and, depart early to get the good waves,at Waidroika its about filling the boat .

If you go to fiji don't expect empty lineups,although their was no attitudes which was nice .At the main beach near seashell and Tavarua they are building the a large Sheraton or Marriott Resort.It will be the biggest on the island .If you think the breaks are crowded now ,wait 2 years till its fininshed and you probably won't even wanna go cause of the crowds.

If ya get a some days where the surfs blown out ,check out the capital city Suva .Its quite interesting ,and has some good food,good clubs and nightlife.

By Tim , 22-09-2004

exlporation - me and a mate are heading to fiji in jan and feb for a month. we have plenty of time to ccheck it out and are keen to head to the outer islands and to some exlporation. has anyone been out that way that could point me in a general direction of increasine our chances of finding decent waves. will b camping and trying to stay in cheap accom. also does anyone know where to find any sort of reef maps of fiji oceangraphic maps.?? Thanks.

By Andrerew , 21-09-2004

Outrigger - Can somebody please tell me if there is any good reefs near the outrigger? Thank you.

By anonymous , 19-09-2004

Seashell or Rendezvous Resort? - Any suggestions on an excellent budget resort to stay at besides Waidroka? Going for two weeks and want to make the most of it. I don't want my trip to be ruined! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

By will_frogley@hotmail.com , 15-09-2004

BOYCOTT WAIDROKA BAY RESORT - ATTENTION SURFERS. Are you planning to go to Fiji soon? What are your expectations of your trip? Uncrowded, world-class perfection no doubt. Well, if this is what you want be prepared to think outside the square and do some exploring. Do not believe in the hoax perpetrated by Waidroka Bay Resort advertising that you are in for uncrowded conditions. I urge everyone not to go to this place. They have done untold damage to the environment and treat the local Fijians and guests with complete and utter disdain. The wonderful local people are hurting and operations like this should not be supported by surfers. ("I'm really not happy today. I'm not happy any days anymore" was what one worker told me after a confrontation with the owners... this time about environmental damage... remember the Fijians live in the surrounding area of Waidroka and do not like seeing their home destroyed against their will) The Israeli owners only care about your money and arrogantly refuse to take onboard advice from their surf guide and employees about the current crowd situation. Expect Pipe to be packed, and you only surf it for a couple of hours because of the tide. Frigates has exploded in popularity in recent years and is definitely not uncrowded. I am writing an article on this debacle for a leading Australian magazine and anyone who has been to Waidroka or other parts of Fiji and would like their thoughts expressed (this includes you, Michael Kaz!) feel free to send me an email. Keep surfing, keep smiling and I urge you to think about who you support with your hard earned dollars on a surf trip. Regards, Will Frogley

By Spoken From Experience , 10-09-2004

The Skinny on Waidroka - I would take some time to sift through the history of this chat board, and that of the frigate's link, to read up on Waidroka. Quite simply, it is not where you want to experience your first surf trip for a variety of reasons. The place is beautiful, but the resort is poorly managed by a non-surfing ownership, and little regard is offered toward guest satisfaction. You will be made to share the lineups with far too many people, and local waves are both fickle and challenging for the unseasoned traveler. It can be a terribly frustrating exercise. In closing, Waidroka Bay Resort has a well deserved reputation as an overpriced, overbooked, overly disappointing experience. By most accounts, it is the worst of Fiji's surf operations. Despite repeated warnings of this regard, people still give the place a try, and nine of ten reviews support this claim. Good luck!

By lgrabkow@bigpond.net.au , 10-09-2004

tell me about Waidroka - I have a surf trip booked to waidroka bay which constitutes my first surf trip abroad from Aussie.. I am interested to find out anything I can about waidroka bay resort and what people's experience of it has been. What can anybody tell me about the place? I have read several conflicting reviews and would appreciate some honest personal accounts.

By amclean@bigpond.com , 08-09-2004

Urgent assistance - I've just canned the trip to Mentawiis and I'm going to Fiji with my girlfriend in the last week of September, 04
Any advice on a reasonably priced place to stay where i can have access to good surf daily would be of great help. rights or lefts R experienced.