THANKSGIVING SCUBA DIVING IN FIJI

LET’S SPEND THANKSGIVING DOING THE BEST SHARK DIVES AT THE SOFT CORAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!

Dates: November 23-30, 2025

Price: $2,395

Deposit: $450

Physical Level: Scuba. All Levels.

Group Leader: Eduardo

Spots Available: 2 of 16

UPLIFT FINANCING AVAILABLE

FOR THE LAND VERSION (NON-SCUBA), CLICK HERE

Overview

Keeping up with our tradition of spending Thanksgiving scuba diving in a tropical place, this year we’re going to Fiji — the soft coral capital of the world, and home to the best shark dive in the world!

As always, we’re taking advantage of the holiday and weekends, so you only have to take three days off work, but get to enjoy an eight-day diving vacation in one of the greatest places to dive on Earth.

Our base will be the Coral Coast, close to Beqa Lagoon, where you’ll find some of the best dives on the planet! November is considered one of the best months for diving in Fiji — it’s the transition between the dry and wet seasons, so water temperatures are warmer (low 80s!), visibility is excellent (often over 100 feet), and although we might get a little passing rain, we’re likely to have sun most of the day, every day. So, this will be perfect!

We’ll do six days of diving, with at least two morning dives each day. Afternoon dives in the area are weather dependent, so we couldn’t list them as guaranteed, but we’ll likely be able to do them most days. So, we’ll for sure do 12 dives, and will likely do as many as 16 dives!

We’ll be staying at Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa, which has a dive operator on site. The local dive sites are no more than 10 minutes away, meaning we can even go back to the resort between dives!

The Coral Coast sites are fantastic, and we’ll do many dives there. However, the crown jewel is Beqa Lagoon, which has been called the best shark dive in the world. Check this out!

We’ll also do soft coral dives at Beqa Lagoon. Jacques Cousteau famously called Fiji the “Soft Coral Capital of the World”, and Beqa Lagoon offers some of the best soft coral dives in the country.

And of course — we’ll have the chance to do a few night dives as well.

Easy dives, the best shark dive in the world, the best soft coral dives, night dives… Sounds like the perfect dive trip to me!

If you’re bringing someone who doesn’t dive — your spouse, partner, kids, friends, whoever — we’ve got an out-of-this-world non-scuba itinerary, too. So while you’re diving until late afternoon, they’ll be out doing amazing things as well.

Itinerary

DAY 1 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 - ARRIVE IN FIJI |

Bula! Welcome to Fiji, one of the most beautiful places in the world!

All the U.S. flights arrive at Nadi Airport between 5:00 am and 5:40 am. We’ll all meet at the airport and hop on our shuttle to the resort, about 2 hours away.

We should arrive at the resort around 9:00 am. Our rooms won’t be ready yet, but we can store our luggage securely, change into our bathing suits, go lay by the pool or the beach, and grab something to eat.

At 11:00 am, we’ll go on a snorkeling tour at Naidiri Marine Biodiversity Park (included). Nothing like starting a fun trip snorkeling at a marine park. 🙂

We should be back by 3:00 pm, when we can check in to our rooms and once again hang out by the pool, head to the beach, walk around the village, or just rest. Hard life…

At 7:00 pm, we’ll meet at the lobby to go have dinner together in the village.

Accommodations: Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa

Meals: N/A

DAY 2 - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24 - CORAL COAST: RAS BULA | THE MAZE

Ras Bula – The Soft Coral Spectacle
If you’re into vibrant color and jaw-dropping reefscapes, Ras Bula is the kind of dive you’ll be talking about for years. This site is all about Fiji’s famous soft corals—think huge fan corals, walls painted in pinks, purples, and yellows, and swarms of reef fish dancing in and out of view. Located along the outer edge of Beqa Lagoon, Ras Bula offers a mix of gentle drift and wall diving, with visibility that can make you forget you’re underwater and not flying through a technicolor dream. A must-do for photographers and coral lovers alike!

The Maze – A Coral Playground with a Twist
Get ready to weave through one of Beqa Lagoon’s most playful dive sites. The Maze lives up to its name with a network of coral bommies, tunnels, swim-throughs, and hidden nooks just waiting to be explored. It’s like nature built an underwater obstacle course and stocked it with vibrant reef life, curious critters, and bursts of soft coral color. Whether you’re gliding through passages or peeking under ledges for lionfish and nudis, this site is pure fun from start to finish.

Accommodations: Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa or similar

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 3 - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 - CORAL COAST: CASBAH | BORDELLO

Casbah – A Coral Kingdom Worth Getting Lost In

Rock the Casbah! Casbah is virtually underneath the surf break directly in front of the Hideaway, allowing for a very short boat trip and our traditional quick trip back to the resort for a coffee in between dives. Casbah is one of those dives that feels like stepping into an underwater palace. Winding passages, towering coral bommies, and hidden corners make this site feel like a real adventure. Soft corals sway with the current while schools of fish move in perfect sync, giving the whole place a magical, almost hypnotic feel. It’s a favorite for good reason—color, life, and just the right touch of mystery.

Bordello – Where the Reefs Get a Little Wild
With a name like Bordello, you know you’re in for something bold. This site is a riot of color and life, packed with soft corals in shades that look almost too vivid to be real. It’s a bit of a sensory overload—in the best way possible. Expect darting anthias, schools of snapper, and the occasional reef shark cruising through like it owns the place. Between the coral bommies and the playful vibe, this dive is pure underwater eye candy.

Accommodations: Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa or similar

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4 - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26 - BEQA LAGOON SHARK DIVE!

This is it! Today we do the best shark dive in the world! What else is there to say? Two dives into sharks paradise!

This will be us!

Accommodations: Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa or similar

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27 - BEQA LAGOON: BIGFOOT AND SUNDANCE | TATSU 2 WRECK

Bigfoot & Sundance – Twin Reefs, Double the Magic
These two neighboring sites are like the dynamic duo of Beqa Lagoon diving. Bigfoot is known for its dramatic coral formations and bold topography, while Sundance brings the color with lush soft corals and clouds of anthias flickering in the current. Together, they deliver the best of both worlds—structure and spectacle, all in one dive. Keep your eyes peeled for reef sharks cruising by and turtles making a casual appearance. It’s a vibrant, high-energy dive that’s hard to top.

Tatsu 2 Wreck – A Sunken Surprise
This purpose-sunk fishing vessel has become a favorite among wreck lovers and critter hunters alike. Now an artificial reef, the Tatsu 2 sits peacefully on the sandy bottom, blanketed in soft corals and swarmed by curious reef fish. It’s the kind of site where you’ll find nudibranchs tucked into corners, lionfish hovering like ghosts, and maybe even a moray poking its head out to say hello. Easy depth, great viz, and loads to explore—what more could you ask for?

Accommodations: Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa or similar

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 6 - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 - CORAL COAST: STINGRAY | GUNBARREL

Stingray – Chill Vibes and Close Encounters

Perfect for beginners, great for the experienced diver, Stingray includes what must be one of the shortest boat rides to a dive site anywhere in the world – under 20 seconds at low tide! (High tide does add an exhausting 15 second extension to the trip). Starting very shallow, there is a resident school of barracuda in the bay, so many lion fish spotting and stalking their prey that after a while you can start ignoring them and concentrate more on the snapper, trevally, angels, butterflies, goat fish, flash coral and white tips.

Gunbarrel – Drift Into the Action
Gunbarrel is all about movement and energy. This site usually has a nice current running through it, making it a fun drift dive with tons of life along the way. The coral formations here are long and narrow—like underwater ridgelines—lined with colorful soft corals and teeming with reef fish. Keep your eyes open for trevally, barracuda, and maybe even a few cruising reef sharks. It’s a fast-paced ride through some seriously beautiful terrain.

Accommodations: Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa or similar

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7 - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 - CORAL COAST: FANNY HILL | THE EDGE

Fanny Hill – Curves, Color, and Coral Galore
Fanny Hill is one of those sites that keeps you smiling the whole dive. With its gently sloping coral-covered ridges and soft coral gardens that just pop with color, it’s a feast for the eyes from start to finish. The topography is fun and easy to navigate, with plenty of nooks for critter spotting and wide open views for cruising pelagics. It’s laid-back, beautiful, and packed with that signature Beqa charm.

The Edge – Where the Reef Meets the Deep
This site lives up to its name—The Edge is a dramatic drop-off where the vibrant reef suddenly plunges into the blue. It’s the perfect blend of beauty and adrenaline. One minute you’re drifting past soft corals and swarms of reef fish, the next you’re staring into the open ocean, watching for eagle rays, reef sharks, or even the occasional pelagic cruising by. It’s wild, it’s bold, and it’s one of those dives that sticks with you.

Accommodations: Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa or similar

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 8 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30 - FREE FULL DAY BEFORE LEAVING LATE IN THE EVENING

Well, our trip to paradise has come to an end.

However, we still have an entire day to enjoy Fiji one last time. All the flights to the U.S. leave late in the evening, so although we have to check out from the hotel, they can store our luggage, and we can still enjoy the pool, the beach, the village, and have the chance to see one last sunset right before we get on our shuttle to the airport to say “ni sa moce” to Fiji.

Accommodations: N/A

Meals: Breakfast

Inclusions

All hotel stays at double occupancy (single supplement available).
Meals: Breakfast every morning
Transportation to and from the airport (if you arrive within the flight guidelines)
12 guided dives (8 local dives, 2 shark dives, 2 soft coral dives)

Exclusions

Flights to and from Fiji (see flight guidelines below)
Any activity listed as optional or not specifically listed as included in the itinerary
Any meal not specifically listed in the itinerary
Travel insurance (required no later than 7 days after final payment)
Dive insurance (required 7 days before the beginning of the trip)
Gratuities to guides, drivers, staff, etc.
Dive gear rental
Souvenirs or anything you’d like to purchase

Occupancy

– Double-Occupancy: If you join the trip by yourself, you will be paired up with someone of the same gender as a roommate at no extra cost. The last people to RSVP and pay the deposit MAY have to be put in triple-occupancy rooms (if we end up with an odd number of men or women).

– Single supplement (your own room throughout the trip): $800.00 (depending on availability).

Flights

Shuttles will be provided if you meet the flight guidelines below:

Arrival: Arrive at Nadi International Airport (NAN) on Sunday, November 23, between 5:00 am and 5:40 am. Fiji Airways flights from the U.S. arrive at those times. Check-in at the hotel is at 3:00 PM.
Departure: Leave Nadi International Airport (NAN) on Sunday, November 30, between 9:40 pm and 10:15 pm. Fiji Airways flights to the U.S. leave at those times. Check-out from the hotel is at 11:00 AM.

Fiji Airways direct flights from the U.S. depart from LAX or SFO at 10:05 pm or 10:45 pm. The flight is only about 11 hours long, but we cross the International Date Line, so we leave on Friday night and arrive on Sunday morning at either 5:00 or 5:40 am. (Yep, we lose a day on the way there!)

The good news? The return flights leave at 9:40 pm or 10:15 pm, which means we get a true full day on our last Sunday — and we still arrive back in the U.S. on Sunday, around noon. We actually land earlier than we left!

Fiji Airways direct flights from the U.S. depart from LAX or SFO at 10:05 pm or 10:45 pm. The flight is only about 11 hours long, but we cross the International Date Line, so we leave on Friday night and arrive on Sunday morning at either 5:00 or 5:40 am. (Yep, we lose a day on the way there!)

The good news? The return flights leave at 9:40 pm or 10:15 pm, which means we get a true full day on our last Sunday — and we still arrive back in the U.S. on Sunday, around noon. We actually land earlier than we left!

Additional Information

IMPORTANT MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:

All trips are governed by our comprehensive contract. You should familiarize yourself with it before signing up. Click here to view the contract — it’s also linked at the bottom of every page on our website under “CONTRACT.”
Travel insurance is required. You must provide a copy of your insurance policy to 1000 Leagues Travel no later than seven (7) days after your final payment for the trip.
Dive insurance is also required. You will need to provide proof of dive insurance, such as DAN at least seven (7) days before the first day of the trip.
Proof of scuba certification is also required. You will need to provide a copy of your certification card at least seven (7) days before the first day of the trip.
Some countries impose taxes such as VAT, hotel taxes, city taxes, etc. While they’re usually small, they can pop up unexpectedly and must be paid on the spot. These are the traveler’s responsibility.
Because of the adventurous nature of our trips, we sometimes need to make changes to the itinerary, schedule, accommodations, amenities, or transportation. These changes are rare but do happen, and when they do, we’ll do our best to maintain the integrity of the trip.
VISA: As of now, American citizens don’t need a visa for Fiji as long as the stay is under 30 days. If you have a foreign passport, you might need one. Here’s the Fiji Embassy website to check.

We also recommend everyone — regardless of citizenship — periodically verify that visa requirements haven’t changed, as 1000 Treks is not responsible for any updates in visa policies.