Beqa Lagoon Resort (BLR) & Sandy Beach Resort (SBR) - Aug 2024 (Sandy + Griffin)
BLR is an old school Fijian resort and I mean this in a very good way - warm, hospitable with a genuine feeling of belonging in a no frills, but certainly comfortable atmosphere. Upon arrival, you immediately forget what day it is and ease into island time. The vibe is peaceful and relaxing, but don’t get too lazy as there’s much to do. We spent 3 nights on Beqa in a lovely oceanfront bure which was just right for our needs. Our first morning was the famous Shark Dive and this did not disappoint. We followed the line down due to the stiff current, then nestled ourselves on the bottom just a short distance (10 ft or so) from the ‘shark handlers’. From a steel box of shark treats, mainly tuna heads, many curious and hungry fish created a frenzy around the feeder and our protectors. There was a chaos of circling nurse, lemon, reef and bull sharks milling about and then a few massive tiger sharks came in to show us who’s truly the boss. We crouched behind a shallow wall made from coral rocks and marveled at the scene. At one point, a protector re-directed a pesky tiger shark our way. I will never forget being face to face with this magnificent creature which glided just over our heads and yes I did squeal like a little girl. If I was really crazy, I could have tickled her chin, but I’m not that nuts. Our 2nd dive day was a more traditional reef dive with a wreck thrown in for fun. The warming of the earth’s oceans has indeed had an impact on Fiji, but we still enjoyed the colorful soft and hard corals that were home to some very pretty marine life. Highlights were a very cool swim through and a curious young white tip.
There’s so much to do on Beqa besides diving which made me sad that we didn’t stay 7 nights, but we did our best to experience as much as possible. There are village & school visits, snorkeling expeditions, waterfall hikes, island tours, daily arts + crafts and cultural shows, plus kayaks, paddle boards, volleyball, corn hole and cooking classes. The entire staff of Beqa could not have been more accommodating and welcoming, we truly felt part of this Fijian family and were so sad to leave. But, Tonga awaits!
It has long been a bucket list item of mine to swim with Humpback Whales. Ha’apai Tonga is THE place to do this. Tonga is still slowly recovering from the triple whammy thrown at them not long ago…volcano, tsunami and Covid. We were in Tonga about 25 years ago when Griffin was about 3 and things haven’t really changed all that much. We spent 6 nights at Sandy Beach Resort which we really loved. Our oceanfront cottage reminded me of my Grandma’s summer beach cottage on Lake Erie. Just perfect for a casual beach holiday with gorgeous views of the reef and whales spouts just beyond. The scene at SBR is super chill and it’s really up to you to occupy your time and figure out what to do. There’s decent cruiser bikes for the taking and even a mini cooper named Alice that you can rent for half a day to explore the island. There’s decent snorkeling over near the Matafonua Lodge part of the beach as well as some kayaks to borrow. On Sunday, nothing happens on Tonga as this is serious church day. Whether you are into that activity or not, it’s pretty miraculous the volume level emanating from the little churches dotting the island.
The main event here is the whale swimming which is best Jul-Oct. Moms cruise up from cool Antarctic waters to have their babies and breed. Our first whale day, we were just about to hop on the boat when a 6.9 earthquake rumbled through. We were instructed to motor out to deep sea and await commands about whether a tsunami was happening. Thankfully, we were clear to go and had just incredible whale encounters both above and below the sea. We’ve all marveled at the photos/videos of whale swims and I can’t even convey to you how magical this experience is. I was literally crying with the sheer beauty of mother and calve interacting. Amazing! We were out for 5 hours with our great guide and captain and it got quite chilly when out of the water. So, do bring a good windbreaker for cloudy/rainy days. How could days 2 and 3 of whale swimming beat day 1? They did! So, many whales and not only mothers and calves but escorts and males showing off to have a bit of fun with the females. Our last hour on the water was observing a very handsome and frisky male breaching, rolling and slapping fins to have a little afternoon delight. Finally, she did give the fins up and that was the end of that spectacular show.
The owners and staff of SBR/Matafonua are true whale lovers and conservationists. Whale swims are quite regulated so the whales are not stressed or harassed. Every time we went out, we were the only boat to be seen. This is not the case on other islands where some operators have been reported to send several boats out with multiple swimmers in the water with the whales. Because of this, more whales than ever are heading to Ha’apai over other atolls to get some peace and quiet.
One other thing I must mention about these resorts is the quality of the food — incredible! In such a remote setting, it truly is astounding the level of cuisine here. Kudos to the chefs and bakers! Now if the breakfast time flies would just disappear, the place would be paradise indeed. Both the Tongan and international kids who work for the season, were wonderful and a delight to get to know. The guests were really great as well and it’s a bit of a relief for me to hang with fellow travelers who are not influencer/glued to their phones types. Just saying… It was also special to have this time together with my son Griffin, who’s an excellent and fun travel mate. We’re already plotting our next adventure.
Getting back and forth to Tonga/Fiji is a feat in itself with long flights, forced layover overnights here and there, unpredictable inter-island flights, etc. etc. but it is truly worth it to have this life-changing experience in the water and top side with incredible island hosts.
