The Best Yoga View Ever ?

How's this for a view from your early morning Yoga matt ?

The front deck at Matava Eco-Adventure Resort on Kadavu Island, Fiji Islands.

Asia Pacific’s first PADI Green Star Award awarded to Matava

We’re pleased to announce that Matava – Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort has received the first PADI Green Star award in the Asia Pacific region in November 2011 for our sustainable and eco-conscious environmental activities and business practices.

The program helps PADI Dive Centers and Resorts identify practical actions they can take to protect and preserve the environment. Because they choose which conservation actions they would like to implement, PADI Dive Centers and Resorts can completely customize the program for their businesses.

“There’s more to going green than simply jumping on the eco bandwagon,” says Bob Coleman, Vice President of Sales, Retailer and Resort Association, PADI Americas, Latin America and Canada. “Well-organized conservation initiatives can reduce costs while strengthening your brand, especially when you strategically introduce them into your overall business plan.

Earning the PADI Green Star Award shows customers that you care about the environment and are taking action to protect it. With today’s environmentally-conscious divers, going green can be an important competitive advantage.”

Richard Akhtar of Matava and Mike Holme of PADI Asia Pacific

The PADI Green Star award requires dive operators and resorts to conduct an objective audit of their facility and business practices and assesses performance in water and energy use, transportation, waste management and conservation leadership.

“We hope other dive operations and tourism providers in the Asia Pacific region follow our example and help to protect their local environment and achieve sustainable business practises in a green and clean manner!” said Mr Stuart Gow, one of Matava’s Directors.

“We are extremely proud to win this award. We have been lucky to win overseas and global awards for our environmental policy in the past year, but it is especially gratifying to be recognised at home by our colleagues in Fiji.” he continued .

Richard Akhtar, Managing Director of Matava -- Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort said “At Matava, we are of course both happy and proud to receive this prestigious award. We find it even more important that the industry, by rewarding environmental efforts, choose to take a stand for the environment we depend on. We also see it as an important continuing signal to the community which at the same time can serve to inspire the numerous individuals and companies who have been doing so much, and continue to do even more in the field of environmental enlightenment and conservation. This award has highlighted Fiji’s leading role and efforts in this regard especially.”

PADI Green Star Award presented to Stuart Gow of Matava by Drew Richardson, President of PADI at DEMA 2012 (Danny Dwyer, Drew Richardson, Stuart Gow, Hendrick Nimb, Mike Holme)

“At Matava, we are of course both happy and proud to receive this prestigious global award. We find it even more important that the industry, by rewarding similar efforts, choose to take a stand for the environment we depend on. We also see it as an important continuing signal to the community which at the same time can serve to inspire the numerous individuals and companies who have been doing so much, and continue to do even more in the field of environmental enlightenment and conservation. This award has highlighted Fiji’s leading role and efforts in this regard especially in our our region of the South Pacific.”

Mr Akhtar finished by saying “Matava -- Fiji’s Premier Eco-Adventure Resort has again proved that it is indeed among the leaders in environmentally sensitive resorts worldwide, and this latest award solidifies our position as an example of how resorts can operate AND help maintain and improve the surrounding environment”

The Green Star award was presented to us during DEMA week in November 2011 by PADI’s Project Aware and PADI President Mr Drew Richardson.

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Notes to editors

About Matava -- Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava -- Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort, is an eco adventure getaway offering you a fun and unique blend of cultural experiences and adventure activities in the environmentally pristine and remote island of Kadavu in the Fiji Islands. Matava -- Fiji Premier Eco Adventure Resort is a PADI Dive Resort as well as a Project AWARE GoEco Operator. With more than 12 years experience in the Fiji Islands, Matava is recognized as a leading educational dive centre. Matava offers accommodation for up to 22 guests in lush tropical surroundings in traditional thatched Fijian ‘bures’ with hardwood polished floors, louvre windows and private decks offering privacy, comfort and superb ocean views.

For interviews, images or further information please contact Stuart Gow, Stuart@Matava.com, t: 679-997-5416

About PADI Green Star Awards:

PADI Dive Centers and Resorts have a powerful new tool to help organize and implement environmental conservation programs -- and be recognized for their efforts -- with the PADI Green Star Award. The program helps PADI Dive Centers and Resorts identify practical actions they can take to protect and preserve the environment. Because they choose which conservation actions they would like to implement, PADI Dive Centers and Resorts can completely customize the program for their businesses. For additional information, contact Roger Josselyn at 800 729 7234 (US and Canada) or +1 949 858 7234 ext. 2519.

Asia Pacific’s first PADI Green Star Award awarded to Matava, Fiji | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Take a Friend to Fiji for 50% off Matava package: 2nd Person Half Price on Land and Air! | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava Summer Special

2nd Person 50% off

Escape to Fiji to Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort and the Second Person stays Half Price !

Valid for travel between 1st December 2011 – 29th February 2012

Details:

• valid for double / twin share
• ANY Matava Dive, Romance or Adventure Package
• 5 nights stay or longer
• All meals and airport transfers included
• Complimentary Snorkelling on Critter Junction
• Waterfall hike and village afternoon
• Lovo feast and kava ceremony

Additions:

• Extra night – 2nd person half price (based on double occupancy)
• Extra days diving – 2nd person half price
• Single Supplement – Waived
• Based on published package and add on rates
• Excludes gamefishing and kayaking packages
• Travel through 29th February 2011 subject to availability
• Blackout period: travel Between 23rd December 2011 and 29th December 2011 excluded

Air Pacific Special

Take a Friend to Fiji for Half Price Air special.

Discover the wonders of Matava in Fiji and save money on the second person.

For a limited time, 2nd passenger gets 50 % off airfare from Los Angeles on Air Pacific.

From now until March 31, 2012 travel to fabulous Fiji and the second passenger travels for 50% off airfare!

TRAVEL DATES: valid 1 Oct 2011 through 31 March 2012
Sale ends Dec. 31

(No travel on the special airfare permitted during the blackout of 15-Dec-11 to 15-Jan-12)

—

Book your Escape to Fiji to Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort and the Second Person stays Half Price !

Click here to book your private haven in a Honeymoon Bure today and see the panoramas and vista for yourself from your own private deck in Kadavu, Fiji!!

Book Now by Contacting Us!

Take a Friend to Fiji for 50% off Matava package: 2nd Person Half Price on Land and Air!

Anusara Yoga Retreat @ Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort with Susan Wiens

The turquoise waters of the South Pacific in The Fiji Islands are your backdrop for a week of yoga, play, and relaxation. Susan Wiens, one of California's most loved and respected teachers, guides you into a magical, healing, and life-changing retreat.

Journey deeper into alignment, pranayama, and meditation while enjoying the company of like-minded hearts.

You will emerge refreshed, rejuvenated, and primed ready for the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas season ahead!

Enjoy two yoga sessions daily, long walks on the beach and in the pristine rainforest, waterfalls, traditional Fijian culture, and the Pure Fiji spa experience.

Savor delicious, organic (and healthy!) cuisine as you share laughter and life stories with your fellow yogis, even as you drop more easily into your true self.

We welcome yogis from everywhere and all levels to join us as we return to this extraordinary paradise.

Date

Saturday Oct 22^nd to Saturday Oct 29^th, 2011

We leave Los Angeles on Thursday 20^th October for an overnight flight to Nadi in Fiji, crossing the date line and landing on Saturday morning. Then a short flight across to the island of Kadavu.

Investment

US$ 1,650 dbl occ
US$ 500 single supplement
Includes 7 nights and 6 days of yoga, adventure, and nourishing cuisine

Daily Schedule

Remember ALL activities are optional—this is your retreat!

• 7:00am: coffee, tea, yogurt, granola, delicious fresh tropical fruit.
  
  • Morning meditation on the deck or in the Main Bure
    
• 9:00-11:00am: Yoga
  
• 11:00am: Incredible brunch/lunch with fresh organic salad from the Retreat's gardens.
  
• 12:00-5:00pm: Free Time! The beautiful ocean and amazing waterfall treks beckon.
  
  • Scuba Dive on the Great Astrolabe Reef,
    
  • snorkel in the marine reserve
    
  • trek to see the native parrots and bird life and more
    
  • or pamper yourself with a spa treatment!
    
• 5:00-6:30pm Yoga
  
• 7pm- Dinner featuring local specialities, including fresh local fish and produce and the tastiest Matava Mojitos in the South Pacific!
  
• 10:00ish - fall asleep to the sound of the ocean right outside your door….
  

Susan Wiens

Professional Background

I stepped into my first yoga class twelve years ago and fell in love with the playfulness of it. I had no idea what I was doing. I continued to practice, found an Anusara class and everything changed. I was so inspired six years ago I took my immersion and teachers' training with Noah Maze and Naime Jezzeny. The rest is history. I am hooked on teaching, watching yogis of all ages find the same happiness I did. I continue to study with Noah and now Dr. Douglas Brooks who has opened my eyes to the philosophy side and has helped me become a better practitioner and teacher.

Yoga Background

I have been an Anusara Inspired teacher since 2006. I enjoy teaching in the Pasadena area. I have met so many wonder yogis along the way. Everyone in some way has contributed to my teachings. What a great job I have.

Matava – The Retreat

Matava is the genuine eco-adventure lodge, beautifully set off the beaten track, minutes from the Great Astrolabe Reef on Kadavu Island.
Our intimate Retreat has beautiful, comfortable bures, outstanding cuisine and offers a full range of adventure and cultural activities.
Dive or take a course with our PADI dive professionals. Experience fantastic fish, pristine corals, Mantas and sharks. Try fishing, snorkeling, sailing, sea kayaking, trekking, and join in authentic cultural and village events!
No roads, solar power, low carbon footprint make Matava the ideal and environmentally responsible location to host this Yoga Retreat with Susan.

The Island

Fiji’s fourth largest island, Kadavu is situated 60 miles south of the main island Viti Levu and is one of the few remaining undeveloped islands in Fiji today.
Having maintained its strong cultural values the general population leads fairly subsistent lifestyles in sleepy coastal villages dwarfed by mountainous jungles and waterfalls plummeting from the hilltops. The islands deeply indented bays, fringed by coral reefs and mangrove forest provide habitat to a host of birds including the endemic Kadavu musk parrot. Forest openings reveal lizards basking on rocks, and butterflies spiraling skyward in a lazy dance.
The striking Astrolabe Reef and the Kadavu group of islands have both been created by past volcanic activity and tectonic movements. Matava is right on the doorstep of this magnificent living organism, home to an abundance of marine life unequalled in Fiji. Divers and snorkellers can expect a diversity of fish life and corals of every conceivable colour and hue.

Anusara Yoga

Anusara Yoga® is a powerful method of hatha yoga which integrates biomechanical principles of alignment with the celebration of the heart and spirit.
Developed by John Friend in 1996, Anusara Yoga® offers a dynamic synthesis of asana technique, yoga philosophy, and the celebration of good company.
Anusara Yoga invites students to explore all aspects of themselves: their bodies, their minds, and their hearts. By tapping into the best in ourselves, we simultaneously open the pathways to connect to others and to the world around us.
Restoring hatha yoga to its roots in Tantric philosophy, Anusara teaches that we need not turn our backs on our worldly existence in our search for Spirit. Indeed, this life is the ground of any spiritual journey. Human life is a gift of Grace, an opportunity to discover the divine within us and around us.
As we cultivate our bodies through yoga postures, our breath through pranayama, and our minds through meditation, we grow our ability to see the good and to celebrate. This “yoga from the inside out” begins with an intention to open one’s heart and allow Grace to flow in. Anusara Yoga’s Universal Principles of Alignment, the result of years of study of modern biomechanics and kinesiology, restore health and prevent injuries.
This fusion of heart and body distinguishes Anusara Yoga from all other styles, and explains why Anusara has attracted thousands of students worldwide since its creation in 1997.
For more on Anusara Yoga, please visit the following website:

• www.Anusara.com: information on Anusara Yoga worldwide
  

THE DEAL

This life-changing retreat comes in 3 sizes—you choose the one that’s right for you!
All 3 programs include:

• 7 nights accommodations
  
• All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, unlimited tea/coffee)
  
• Traditional Fijian lovo feast and kava ceremony
  
• snorkelling and kayaking
  
• guided waterfall hike
  
• 1 spa treatment
  
• airport transfers
  
• all taxes and service fees
  

Round-trip airfare to Fiji and Kadavu not included but easily booked through our own travel agent.

YOGA VACATION

Includes 12 yoga classes, practice and study of Anusara Yoga ideas, breathwork and meditation.

Double US$ 1,650 per person for 7 nights

Single Supplement US$ 500

The Ultimate Guide to Yoga Travel: 100 Essential Tips

While you might think a vacation means seeing tourist sites and sipping drinks on the beach, adding yoga into the mix can make it a life-changing and spiritual experience you'll never forget. There are many ways to engage in travel yoga from structured retreats to scenic trips with a little yoga thrown in and just as many resources online to help make sure you plan a trip that suits your needs and desires. Here are a few great tips and resources to help you get well on your way to embracing a healthy, yoga-filled vacation in a destination that engages your body and spirit.

The Ultimate Guide to Yoga Travel: 100 Essential Tips, Tools, & Links

Absolutely Brilliant Adventure - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

"Everything was just perfect & the experience exactly what we were after. The eco-retreat is definitely in a wilderness part of Fiji. The accommodation very comfortable with unbelievable views over an Island. Definitely pay a little more for the Honeymoon Burres. All the staff are brilliant, friendly, warm & helpful. I can’t praise Maggie high enough for looking after us so well & being so entertaining. Food was excellent every day/night, tasty & abundant.

Most guests were divers but we scheduled an activity every day. Medicine man walk, village visit, snorkel trips, remote picnic on deserted beach & an exciting adventure kayaking from Ono Island across the channel back to Matava. In fact the adventure starts as soon as you leave Nadi. Small plane flight, truck across Island & then 1 hr open boat trip to the retreat.

Thank you so much guys for everything. We will definitely be returning & have such fond happy memories that we will cherish for a lifetime. "

Absolutely Brilliant Adventure - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Matava wins Environment/Local Sustainability Award at AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2010

Matava wins AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Award 2011

Matava has been awarded the Environment/Local Sustainability Award at the AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards

KADAVU, FIJI ISLANDS – 26th February 2011 – Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco-Adventure Resort is proud to be announced as the winner of the Environment/Local Sustainability Award at the AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2010 for its policies on environmental sustainability and the environment.

The annual Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards night sponsored by AON was held at the The Warwick Resort and Spa on the Coral Coast on Friday 26th February 2011, and attended by Matava Director, Stuart Gow. Many local tourism operators and business people attended the evening presentations. This year there were over a thousand nominees in the 12 categories. This glamourous event was Red Sea Rig & Cocktail theme, welcoming guests with a 3 course dinner, an awards ceremony & fantastic live entertainment with a turn out of over 400 guests.

The Environment/Local Sustainability Award recognises efforts to preserve the environment & local communities for the benefits of locals & visitors alike in developing & fostering both environmental & national conservation. It also assesses efforts to support cultural initiatives and promote public awareness and education in support of “Fiji Made” products by reducing their carbon footprint.

Matava was proud to be nominated in 3 categories, and was chosen as a finalist in all nominated categories at this year’s AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards. Bite Me Gamefishing Charters and Mad Fish Dive Centre were recognised as finalist in the Fiji Experience Award, and Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort was a finalist in the Quality Accommodation Award as well as winning the Environment/Local Sustainability Award.

“We are extremely proud to win this award. We have been lucky to win overseas and global awards for our environmental policy in the past year, but it is especially gratifying to be recognised at home by our colleagues in Fiji.” said Mr Stuart Gow, one of Matava’s Directors.

Richard Akhtar, Managing Director of Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort said “At Matava, we are of course both happy and proud to receive this prestigious award. We find it even more important that the industry, by rewarding environmental efforts, choose to take a stand for the environment we depend on. We also see it as an important continuing signal to the community which at the same time can serve to inspire the numerous individuals and companies who have been doing so much, and continue to do even more in the field of environmental enlightenment and conservation. This award has highlighted Fiji’s leading role and efforts in this regard especially.”

About Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort:

Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort, is an eco adventure getaway offering you a fun and unique blend of cultural experiences and adventure activities in the environmentally pristine and remote island of Kadavu in the Fiji Islands. Matava – Fiji Premier Eco Adventure Resort is a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort as well as a Project AWARE GoEco Operator. With more than 14 years experience in the Fiji Islands, Matava is recognized as a leading educational dive centre. Matava offers accommodation for up to 22 guests in lush tropical surroundings in traditional thatched Fijian ‘bures’ with hardwood polished floors, louvre windows and private decks offering privacy, comfort and superb ocean views.

About AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards:

The awards which have been in existence for 14 years, honour those who have made a significant input to Fiji’s most important industry. The prestigious awards are given to individuals, groups and companies in a broad range of categories; covering accommodation, restaurant and dining, tours and transportation, environmental and local sustainability. Winners were chosen as part of a nomination process which began late last year and closed in January. Recipients of the various awards have proven dedication, active participation and innovation in their fields of speciality, and have thus merited the esteem of the industry. Over the years, the AON Excellence in Tourism Awards has grown in prestige and now not only bestows recognition but serves as an incentive for individuals and companies to aspire to greatness in the sector.

www.Matava.com

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Matava wins Environment/Local Sustainability Award at AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2010

Yoga in Fiji

Practice Yoga in Fiji!

Below you can find a list of Yoga Holidays, Instructors and Schools, and popular Retreat and Yoga Centers in Fiji.

You can use the map of Fiji given on the right to zoom in on your destination province or state. Find and compare the services you are looking for or get your own services listed:

Yoga in Fiji

Unexpected paradise!! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

My boyfriend and I, admitted city slickers, were looking for an off the beaten path experience when you stopped in FIji for a week last summer on our way to Australia. A friend recommended Matava and we couldn't be happier with our experience.

Unlike most people who visit Matava, we arrived as non-divers. We were thrilled with all the non-dive options, like the waterfall hike, beach picnic, kayaking and just general relaxing! We did decide to try our hand at diving one day and had expert instruction and a fantastic time.

The staff at Matava is so genuine, friendly and competent. While the activities offered at Matava are a great draw, by far our favorite take-away from the experience was the people. We loved to gather with the other guests each evening and talk and laugh about the day by candle/lantern light.

We can't wait to come back!!

• Date of stay: June 2010
• Visit was for: Leisure
• Traveled with: With Spouse/Partner
• Member since: February 15, 2011

• Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes!

Unexpected paradise!! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Help Pack For A Purpose make a difference in the lives of children in Fiji | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava has committed to being part of the Pack For A Purpose initiative. Click here to find our exact requests…

Help Pack For A Purpose make a difference in the lives of children around the world. Use available space in your luggage to provide supplies to the communities you visit. If just 500 individuals pack 5 lbs (2.27 kgs) each, we can provide 1.25 tons of Supplies!

The genesis of the idea:

During our first trip to Africa, my husband Scott and I learned that while we were limited to 40 pounds (18.14 kgs) of luggage on safari, the airline had an allowance of 100 pounds (45 kgs) of checked luggage plus a 40 pound (18.14 kg) carry-on. In making plans for a second trip, we looked into visiting a school near the lodge we would visit in Botswana. We contacted our safari company, Wilderness Safaris, to see if we could determine any specific needs of that school. Armed with that information, we were able to deliver 140 pounds (64 kgs) of school supplies, including soccer balls, to the school. It was enormously rewarding to be able to help the people in the community that had given us such a life-changing experience. Since then, we and a few of our fellow-travelers have made several trips to other countries in Africa and have been able to deliver an estimated 1,000 pounds (453 kgs) in donations of clothing, school and medical supplies. I asked a travel agent why other travelers did not use their luggage allowances this way. “Because nobody thinks about it,” he said. That was our “aha” moment.

Scott and I knew from our experiences that taking large amounts of supplies required a great deal of time and close logistical cooperation with the touring company. We felt we needed to come up with a simpler and more direct way for travelers to take supplies where they were going.

By asking travelers to pack 5 lbs (2.27 kgs) of supplies, we felt we would be able to involve everyone who wanted to add value to his or her trip by participating. By delivering the supplies directly to the traveler’s accommodation, it would be possible for every traveler to contribute and require no logistical support. That amount would take only a small space, require little effort and still make a big impact.

I realized that to make my idea a reality, I would need the assistance and skills of many other talented people. It is with gratitude that I would like to acknowledge and thank the people below as well as those who have agreed to serve on our Board. They have given generously and freely of their time and expertise.

Ann Cramer, Keith Dokho, Dinda Elliot, Jenny Knott Gilbert, Debbie Goldberg, Eric Goldberg, Sharon Goldberg, Hazel Gooding, Mona Hall, Marcia Harris, Angela Bendorf Jamison, Rob Karn, Kilara Little, Robert Mungo, Bert Du Plessis, Michelle Pudu, Benji Rabhan, Sid Strauss, Laura Thompson, Dianna Upton, Michael Vidal and Cindy Wittmer.

Extra special thanks go to Erik Macenas who designed our Logo and our Website with unending patience and an amazing ability to work with a team.

Rebecca Rothney

Who We Are

The Members of the Board are experienced travelers and active members of their communities. Collectively they have travelled to all 7 continents and have a cumulative life experience of 346 years. The Members of the Board are actively involved with many other non-profits and committed to enhancing the global community in which they live. Additionally, the Board Members are entrepreneurs and work in corporate America.

Click here to find Matava’s requests for the villages in Kadavu…

Help Pack For A Purpose make a difference in the lives of children in Fiji | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Fiji Yoga Retreat - Retreats and Holidays Byron Bay Yoga

We will practice yoga, meditation, pranayama, yoga nidra daily in an open pavilion just a few meters from the ocean. What is unique here is that the beautiful sounds of the sea make people so relaxed it's a perfect environment for retreating into your own space and focusing on your practice. There will be plenty of free time to take in the beauty of the island and various activities if you wish. All equipment is supplied but if you prefer your own mat then bring it with you. The retreat will be suitable for beginners to general levels.

In addition to the yoga activities, there are beautiful coral reefs all around for diving and snorkelling, Fijian massage to rejuvenate and replenish, plus an excellent range of tropical, cultural and nature activities ie. fishing, sea kayaking, hiking, waterfall trip and Karva party! Treat yourself to a rejuvenating massage or simply relax and unwind on the beach. This is the perfect way to replenish and enjoy your time in paradise!

Fiji Yoga Retreat