HIRING KAYAKS FROM TURTLE BAY LODGE
Turtle Bay has around 10 double and single Kayaks available for both guests and visitors to the resort. Kayaks and Stand up paddleboards are free to in house guests when using around the resort and in the bay. There is a hire fee when going up the river to the blueholes out of which we pay the entrance fees to the custom land owners.
There are 2 delightful blue holes within kayaking distance of Turtle Bay Lodge.
Matevulu Blue Hole is nearest to Turtle Bay Lodge and has a spectacular rope swing accessed by a ladder up an enormous banyan tree. You can kayak to this blue hole from Turtle Bay Lodge. Hire a single kayak for 1500VT or a double for 2500VT and allow half a day to get there and back and enjoy the blue hole itself.
First cross Peterson Bay, then make your way up the stunning Matevulu River, where the water is so clear you can see right to the bottom. Feel yourself suspended as if by magic as fish swim below.
Ri Ri Blue Hole is a little further south of Matevulu Blue Hole. You can also kayak to this one but you’ll spend more time on Peterson Bay and less time in the river as it’s a much shorter river. Some days the bay is glassy but on other days the wind can make it a tougher trip! The Ri Ri Blue Hole has a nice selection of wooden decks and seats. The owners also offer a custom experience where you can travel up the river in a dugout canoe – you’ll see the canoes stored near the bridge as you pass on your way to Turtle Bay Lodge.
All the blue holes are lovely and well worth visiting. Take your goggles and snorkels as there are freshwater fish in each of them. Most days you’ll have the blue holes to yourself.
Turtle Island is the little island pictured above that you can see when you look out to sea from Turtle Bay Lodge. It features a delightful sandy beach with sheltered swimming on the side closest to land, and stunning snorkelling and free-diving off to the side. It’s a great place to spend a few hours and if you’re lucky you might even find the ‘butterfly tree’ (you’ll know it when you see it, at certain times of the year it is absolutely covered in butterflies).