Where To Snorkel With Reef Sharks in Fiji

For my last trip to Fiji, I chose to stay at Barefoot Kuata Island just to get the chance to snorkel with reef sharks and scuba dive with bull sharks. After an amazing morning dive with the bull sharks, I arrived back on the island and had just enough time to get ready for the reef shark snorkelling activity.

I wrote a full review of Barefoot Kuata Island below if you are thinking of visiting.

Barefoot Kuata Island

A serene getaway in the Yasawa Islands surrounded by sharks.

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Reef Shark Tour

The tour starts at 11 am but unfortunately that's also the time that the ferry stops at the island so plan accordingly because you won't have enough time if you need to take the ferry on the same day to go to another resort. You can sign up at the dive shop located on the beach. You can’t miss it, you will see it when arriving on the Island.

After a short boat ride from the resort, we arrived at the snorkelling site. Equipment (masks, fins and lifejackets) were provided by the friendly crew. The water is deep here so you need to be a comfortable in deep water. There were several families with young kids on the tour and it looked like they enjoyed it so it not that difficult but just keep in mind if it’s your first time in deep water (you can see the ocean bottom here). One dressed, we all jumped in the water and spotted the sharks right away. You can observe the sharks from the surface but they tend to keep their distance from humans so they are usually several meters below.

This is an awesome place for freediving as you can descend to around 20m or so in some areas and come face to face with the sharks as you explore the area. Keep in mind that if you went scuba diving earlier in the morning then you shouldn't be mixing freediving right after.

In total, I saw around 5 reef sharks. There were both white tip and black tip reef sharks. In case you are wondering, reef sharks are not dangerous to humans. They hunt mostly fish and keep our oceans healthy. I highly recommend bringing a waterproof camera if you have one, I used my Akaso EK7000 for all the pictures in this blog post that I bought for less than $100.

After everyone had a great time snorkelling, we headed back on the boat. This was also a great time to speak to the crew who live and work on the island and are often from nearby villages. We headed back to the resort and with a big smile on our faces. If you love sharks, I think this is a must do when visiting Fiji!

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Mantaray Island Resort Review - Fiji

Mantaray Island is part of the Yasawa chain of islands off of Fiji’s coast. The island is uninhabited except for the Mantaray Island resort located here. To reach the island, the easiest way is to take the high speed ferry from Port Denarau known as the Yasawa Flyer. You can prebook your tickets online and they conveniently also offer airport pickups to the port.

After boarding the ferry, get comfortable because it will take around 2.5 hours to reach Mantaray Island. During that time, you can move around the cabin and also sit on the deck up front to work on your tan. As you arrive, the resort will send a smaller boat to transfer you and your luggage over to the island.

The Resort

Mango Trees

The sunset views are unmatched here!

The Rooms

We stayed in the Family Reef Bure which was located right on the beach. The room was very comfortable albeit a bit small. The beach bungalows (Reef Bure) felt private and they had their own little slice of beach just in front. During my time here, I barely saw anyone else on the beach and never had to fight anyone for a beach chair. The tropical outdoor bathroom was gorgeous!! It was surrounded by lush plants and beautiful walls. After having stayed at the Barefoot Kuata Island, I was so thankful that the rooms here had AC to beat the heat and humidity. The rooms had a wrap around deck with a comfortable outdoor sofa.

The outdoor shower was gorgeous!

There was a little bucket of water outside the bungalow to wash the sand off your feet before entering

While the Reef Bures all featured private bedrooms and bathrooms, the hotel also had some dorm style accomodations available at a more budget friendly price.

Food and Dining

Since there is no other restaurant on the island, the resort’s restaurant is the only place to dine. You will need to pay for the mandatory meal plan which includes 3 meals per day. Food was generally pretty good both in quantity and quality. The breakfast included eggs, which was a welcome improvement after coming from the Barefoot Kuata Resort. The menu for lunch and dinner were written on the blackboard at the entrance of the restaurant and varied frequently. I'd suggest bringing some trail mix and granola bars to snack on in between meals if you get tend to get hungry after a swim. Alcoholic drinks are not included in the meal plan.

Wifi is technically available but the signal is so weak and cuts out often that it's really only useful for occasionally sending messages. When I visited, the only place the Wifi was available was at the restaurant. In a way this is nice because it adds to that remote feeling and really helped me disconnect and fully enjoy my vacation. Forget about working remotely from here through or uploading or watching videos.

Activities

Mantarays

I visited this island mainly for the chance to snorkel with the Manta Ray but unfortunately I did not see any. The trips are run whenever Mantas are spotted in the channel between the nearby island so you never have any advance notice or schedule for this trip. Just alert the staff that you are interested in the trip and they will notify you if they plan to go.

Village Visit

I signed up to visit a local Fijian Village which I think was well worth the trip. We got to speak to the local Fijians, learn a bit about their way of life and sustainable practices, learn how the resort and community work together. I also visited a school and brought some colouring books and crayons which was much appreciated by the teachers. If you are planning to visit, I highly recommend bringing some presents. I had read that while candy is highly appreciated, it's recommended not to bring any due to the high rates of diabetes.

Snorkelling

Snorkelling from the beach is the best snorkelling I have ever experienced, easily rivalling the Great Barrier Reef given that you can just walk off the beach and the corals were stunning and full of life. I recommend bringing your own mask and snorkel. Although they were available from the dive shop, they were out when Felix wanted some. Since then, we always travel with at least our own masks and it's also better to wear your own mask as you’ll be more comfortable and it’s less likely to leak water and give you trouble in the water. I always bring my own fins as well as they are light enough and work well for both snorkelling and scuba diving.

No snorkelling is allowed in the afternoons

Low tide is during the afternoon and they put out a sign that no snorkelling is allowed because it's too easy to damage the corals. I loved seeing them taking care of their island and heritage. During my recent trip to Mauritius, I saw tourists standing on the corals without anyone giving it a second though.
Unfortunately a lot of the activities take place in the morning and given that snorkelling is forbidden in the afternoon, you'll need to plan your day accordingly to ensure you have lots to do! I also wanted to go scuba diving but it didn’t fit into my schedule. Make sure you check the ferry’s schedule as they only pass by once per day to pick up guests so you often have to fit all your activities in the mornings.

I very much enjoyed my visit to the Mantaray Island resort and Fiji in general and I cannot wait to visit again. I think they have done an amazing job at preserving their reefs.

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Fiji Marriott Momi Bay Review - A Tranquil Beachfront Haven

When it comes to seeking out a slice of paradise far from the crowds, Fiji is the ultimate destination. Located in a remote area of the Pacific, you have several resorts to choose.

Arrival and Transportation

The adventure begins at the Ferry Terminal in Port Denarau, where I arrived after spending a week at Barefoot Kuata Island Resort and diving with Bull sharks. However, you might be coming straight from the Airport in which case I have linked my flight review of Fiji Airways above. If that is the case, you can contact the hotel directly to arrange a shuttle from the Airport.

As we arrived at Port Denarau by boat from Mantaray Island, we were greeted by a plethora of cab drivers all eager to find customers. If you're planning to visit Marriott Momi Bay, remember that this resort is located far out in the middle of nowhere, making it essential to arrange transportation. We approached one of the cab drivers and negotiated a price that left us both content. In my experience, everyone in Fiji spoke perfect English so many tourists will feel at ease here without the language barrier. The cab driver will likely quote you a higher price initially so remember to haggle a little. If you can't agree on a price, look for another cab driver (of course, this depends on the time of day and how many drivers are around). It's wise to negotiate a return fare upfront as well so that the cab driver will come pick you up at the end of your stay, otherwise you are dependent on the resort to call you a cab at their inflated prices. This is exactly what we did and our driver was punctual and showed up at the lobby ready to take us directly to the airport on our departure date at the exact time that we agreed upon. As always when travelling, get their Whatsapp number so you can always keep in contact in case plans change and also send them a confirmation the day before. Some North Americans might not be familiar with Whatsapp but it's basically a messaging and calling app that uses WiFi or Data to stay connected. It's like iMessage but better and works with all smartphones. It is ubiquitous is most countries outside of North America.

Before visiting Fiji, you can purchase your esim on the Airalo App so you're connected as soon as you land and can call your Uber, use Google Maps and Whatsapp without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first purchase!

Marriott Momi Bay Resort

The lobby as you arrive at Marriot Momi Bay

The road to the resort is very poorly paved and it was a bumpy ride. After about an hour drive through endless fields with no civilization in sight, we finally arrived. This resort is absolutely stunning! The lobby had very high ceilings and everything is designed so it feels very open and airy. You could see the beaches from several areas of the resort. The different sections are connected by overwater bridges, adding to the feel that you’re really on the coast here.

The gorgeous overwater bungalows

One of the beaches at Momi Bay

Felix going for a little morning stroll in the bay

Beach Bungalow

Our beach bungalow was directly on the beach and I never saw another person there during my stay!

After visiting the overwater bungalows, we decided it was not worth it to pay for the upgrade of $500 USD per night to stay there. It's important to note that while the lagoon may look turquoise and inviting in the photos, the water was actually murky while we visited, possibly due to the lagoon being an artificial manmade bay. This murky water did not make us want to jump in the water directly from the overwater villa as not being able to see through the water made us uneasy. We preferred going to the beach where the water was clear. The sand also felt peculiar, being compacted and dense in certain areas. We stayed in the beach bungalows, which were nothing short of remarkable with stunning open-concept architecture that open up to reveal breathtaking views of the beach and lagoon.

The bungalow featured the bed in the middle, with the living room on the side that opened out to a deck. The deck faced the lagoon and it felt like you had your own private beach as there was never anyone there. The bathroom was gorgeous with a tub in the centre. The toilet and shower were located all the way in the back with separate doors.

The gorgeous beach bungalow

The curved ceiling and use of wood made the bungalow feel unique and warm

Complimentary Toiletries

Note that the beach bungalows are semi-detached so each “hut” is actually divided into 2 units as you can see below. The balcony outside had a separator between the two sides. While I never experienced any noise from the neighbours, your mileage may vary.

The Secluded Oasis

During our stay, we found ourselves virtually alone on the beach, giving us the sensation that the entire hotel was ours to enjoy. It's a true testament to the luxury and exclusivity of this destination. The service was generally good but we did find room service to be a bit slow at times. For example, we had to call several times for some extra towels and bottles of water.

Food and Dining

The resort's dining options were varied, with a massive breakfast spread at Goji Kitchen that included crab omelettes, dumplings, fresh fruits and smoothies, a pastry and bread station coupled with a view overlooking the lagoon. The restaurant itself was located over the water, just like the bungalows. We opted for the breakfast meal plan and did a la carte for the rest of the meals and snacks. Keep in mind that there is nothing around the resort so you don’t have other options for dining other than the hotel’s restaurants. If you take a taxi to go to town, that’s a different story.

Breakfast of smoked salmon and crab omelette made fresh to order

The breakfast restaurant was located over water

Dinner at Fish Bar did not disappoint with their Fish Steaks. The chef also sent over an amuse bouche before the meal.

Activities

The hotel’s activities were available at the front desk in the form of a brochure. I’ve added it below. There’s plenty to keep you busy.

As our departure date approached, our taxi driver arrived on time to take us back to the ferry terminal. However, it's crucial to have enough cash in Fijian dollars with you, preferably in small bills. We learned this the hard way when we had a $100 bill and struggled to pay the driver at the airport. It's advisable to prepare smaller denominations to avoid any inconvenience.

Note: it's essential to exchange your Fijian dollars back into another own currency before departing. Fijian dollars aren't really accepted outside Fiji, and you may find yourself holding onto them for years without an opportunity to exchange them elsewhere. I am still holding on to $70 Fijian dollars years later.

Conclusion

Our journey to the Fiji Marriott Momi Bay Resort was a remarkable experience that left us rejuvenated and yearning for more. Although I personally enjoyed the authentic Yasawa Islands where I got to swim with sharks more. If you're seeking a secluded paradise with luxury accommodations, this remote Fijian gem should be on your travel list.

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