5 Best Hotels in Kadavu Group, Fiji

The only property actually located on the Great Astrolabe Reef, Mai only a maximum of 16 guests, assuring you of a completely personal and unique dive experience. Each individual gets to set his or her own itinerary, and most destinations are appropriate for both divers and snorkelers. Once back from your dive, the comforts of the resort await you: a warm shower, free Wi-Fi, and a hammock on your private deck. There are kayak trips or snorkel safaris to join around the resort, and all meals are included and made from produce grown organically on-site. Pickup from Vunisea airport is included in the rate.

Better known as "Dive Kadavu" after its in-house dive shop, the emphasis here is on relaxation and the reefs. Matana's three covered dive boats hit 40 sites including the hangout of giant manta rays on the Astrolabe Reef, another with shark feeding, and one with a dive to 120 feet with a big swim-through. Shore dives are free. Set both on the beach and a bit uphill, the 10 simply appointed studio-style bure sleep from two to five. Bure 9 and 10, designed for couples, have king beds and are set right on the lovely beach, as are a few of the larger, family-oriented bure. When not submerged, you might trek up the ridge behind the resort for fantastic ocean views, take a boat to a local waterfall or another beach for a picnic or a sunset booze cruise. The included food is good and there's plenty of it, with predinner hors d'oeuvres served at the beach bar.

Divers and snorkelers, game-fishers, and kayakers not married to "the finer things" will find this ecofriendly resort a worthy base camp. The resort dives nearly 30 sites on the famed Astrolabe Reef, including one known for its enormous manta rays. A nice sand beach within view is a long swim or one-minute boat ride away. Remodeled in mid-2008, the studio-style bure are well-spaced on a steep hillside and have simple, white-tiled bathrooms and excellent, unobstructed views of the ocean. Honeymoon bure, commanding even better views from near the top, are a bit roomier with king-size beds. A new waterfront deck with daybeds provides a tranquil spot to while away an hour with a book in the shade. The included meals are very good though not exceptional and feature vegetables from an extensive organic garden and the occasional yellowfin tuna caught that day.

Adventure-meets-intimacy-meets-science at Kadavu's latest resort, opened on Ono Island. Practically surrounded by the Astrolabe Reef, the six-bure all-inclusive resort includes honeymoon bure with king-size beds, dual sinks, outdoor showers; one also has an indoor shower, and a TV with VCR. The cuisine is a fusion of traditional Fijian fare and Italian classics made with ingredients including organic vegetables and homegrown chicken and pork.

Kadavu's most stylish bure and a carefully crafted ambience set this extremely ecofriendly resort apart as the island's finest. Its generous white-sand beach is dotted with hammocks and edged by the five Ocean Bure designed for families with teenagers. There are bure for everyone—including a 12-capacity Royal Bure for corporate retreats and a "Kinder House" with a kitchen for very young families—and four Garden Rooms sharing a deck, each with a double and two single beds. All bure are furnished with beautiful Pacific Green–brand leather furniture, lavish bed spreads, and pretty bathrooms. Among the most popular activities are a day trip to Mt. Nabukelevu including fishing and diving at the volcano's base, and a picnic. A village tour with a kava ceremony and a day-cruise around the northern Astrolabe Reef are also guest-favorites. Meals in the comfortable main bure are designed for guests' preferences; lunch and dinner are communal.