Look Who's planting Mangroves!

Source.

And if Ben can do it, so can you!

All you need to do is to get in contact with Projects Abroad or the Uprising Beach Resort, and they will show you how to offset the carbon footprint you've incurred when coming to Fiji.

But if you're diving with us, worry not - we're already doing it for you!

Vinaka Ratu Peni!

The Uprising Beach Resort joins Mangroves for Fiji!

Exemplary cooperation: Projects Abroad volunteers and staff of the Uprising Beach Resort.

Behold!

I must say that I'm very happy indeed.

Right from its inception, MFF was always meant to grow beyond merely being our vehicle for becoming completely carbon neutral - but we're not an NGO but just a Shark diving operator, and have frankly never had the manpower, time, or energy to go and do much outreach with other potential candidates.

So kudos to Projects Abroad's mangrove project.

Not only have they established a whole host of whopping mangrove nurseries and planted squillions of mangroves, but their continuous advocacy has finally convinced the Uprising under the leadership of James to do the right thing, ultimately very much also to the benefit of their reputation of being forward-thinking and eco-friendly. 

The mangroves will be grown at PA's headquarters in Pacific Harbour and planted by the volunteers in cooperation with the village of Navola.

At the same time, the Uprising will be establishing a small nursery in the resort, and educate their clients and invite them to partake in the project. To this effect, they have already installed fabulous signage, and also trained their own staff.

The signpost features individual carbon footprints incurred by the tourists when traveling to Fiji.

Way to go, very well done everybody!

Uprising 2015 - Video!

Source.

Well done!

This is really nice.

Not only the images and the editing, once again courtesy of David Emery - but it's also really good of manger James to have included images of all of his staff!

Enjoy!

Onward and Upward!

Behold Beqa Island Trips!

Yes the website needs alot more work, but we have finally opened our second office at the Pearl South Pacific and as of September 1^st, we are running trips to Beqa Lagoon. Once again, our newest ecotourism venture originates with our wish to provide for sustainable livelihoods in cooperation with local stakeholders at the grassroots level.

Our flagship product is Beqa Magic.
This trip takes our customers to Lawaki Beach House on Beqa Island for a day of cultural immersion and marine ecotourism.
The resort is located on the fringes of Naceva Village and sister village Naiseuseu who have reserved a substantial portion of their qoliqoli, or traditional fishing grounds for a Marine Protected Area, for which they will now be able to collect a marine park levy like the one for accessing the SRMR. Much like she has done in Waitabu Marine Park, our friend Helen Sykes of Marine Ecology Consulting has graciously donated her time to train several village youth as snorkeling guides who will take the guests around the MPA and earn an income in the process. Nani has worked with the community who will sell local handicrafts and perform the traditional Fijian meke, whereas Lawaki will serve a delicious lovo and copious amounts of Beqa kava. Like in the SRMR, preserving and defending the MPA will henceforth always generate more income than going fishing there.
I must say, we're mighty proud of this venture and really want to thank the villages, Helen but also Christine and Sam of Lawaki for their wonderful cooperation in making this happen!
Vinaka Vakalevu!

Yanuca Beachcomber is a typical beach picnic & BBQ.
It takes our guests to the pristine beach of Batiluva Beach Resort on Yanuca Island and is ideal for families and the Suva weekend crowd.

Finally, a big thank you to the Uprising family!
The MV Forty Freedom is theirs and trusting us to run her is a testament to years of excellent cooperation and personal friendship.
Vinaka, you shall not be disappointed!


Please click to enlarge.

Mind-Altering!

For once, something positive!

I just had a look at the Fiji page of Concierge.com, the online home of Condé Nast Traveler.

Apart from many friends like the incomparable Uprising Beach Resort, the luxurious Royal Davui and Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Island Resort, one of the Regional Representatives of the Fiji Shark Conservation and Awareness Project, I found a funny feature under "Mind-Altering Vacations". The author sure did her stoned work homework! Globally!
Titled "Drunk and dreamy in Fiji", it extols the virtue of our home brew Yaqona. I can only agree, you should not leave Fiji without having sampled some Grog!

And then, there's the "Editor's Pick" page and Lo! : Our very own Shark Dive!
Trust me: that, too, is a "Mind-Altering" experience!

As I said, they sure did their homework!

Test!

Talking of Shark Infested Waters...

There are obviously other, and I may add: way more exciting ways of using Sharks to test food besides throwing turkeys and hams at them!

Incidentally, this reminds me of the fact that the Uprising never rose to our Challenge - but that's another story altogether!

Anyway - Enjoy!

Challenging the Uprising

According to a local blog, Pacific Harbour is the "Adventure Capital Of Fiji Brotha! Need We Say More?"

What was once a quaint and tired residential development built around an equally tired golf course is experiencing a veritable renaissance, this in no small measure owing to the selfless efforts of our landlord Jim and his co-conspirators from the Pacific Harbour Business Association.

Want to try out some crazy Adventure?
Look no further than The Uprising, Fiji's coolest Beach Resort and go check out the latest funky inventions of our hyperactive friends and creative geniuses Rene and Alfie! Their ever-growing Activities page brims with unusual and fun propositions, not least of which that of joining Fiji's very own BAD Boys and Girls on the Best Shark Dive in the World.
Obviously, all personally tried and tested. For the benefit of Tourism and not, as some would say, merely developed in order to continue attracting the creme-de-la-creme of shapely talent, local and foreign alike!

Everybody is now waiting with bated breath for the next big Grog session and subsequent rolling out of creative folly.
But: how on earth will they manage to top such iconic pastimes as Horse Boarding and Quad Bike Surf Skiing?

Quads? Horses? - Bah!
Now how about THIS for a challenge, guys!
Tell you what: you provide for the beach setting and the guy with the cojones, we throw in the bait and the critter!

Set?