Yasawa Island Resort

Bull! I love remote islands and tropical get aways. We switched our days of stay because the hotel was undergoing renovations. We hoped that going at the tail end of the rainy season we would be ok. Unfortunately we arrived during a weeklong storm that caused the main island to flood, and flights to be cancelled. We had to spend a night by the main airport before taking a long boat ride to the island. Helicopter was another option discussed (at a $250/pp surcharge), unfortunately its departure was not guaranteed. We arrived a bit wet, but happy to have finally landed in paradise. Though I wouldn't say the rooms were 5 stars, they were nice. Staff was amazing, in particular Wati who has a "mother of the island" loving smile and makes the best latte (some other waiters are still learning the process and I'm picky). Our first encounter was with the warm smile of Wanka , we referred to as "smiling boat guy" until we got his name. Also kiddos to Jope (ops director), and Marcy (activities director) for being present and attentive to guests needs. Sami for making great drinks at the bar. The food was good, and I highly recommend reserving the large seafood platter if you love seafood, it looked incredible (my partner is allergic so it would have been a waste for us to get). However I was hoping for a more local based menu vs the curry based one they had. The Blue Lagoon is at an additional cost, what's included by the hotel is the boat ride out there. It is a beautiful ride and the lagoon is worth the trip. I would absolutely go on. at least one of the snorkel trips. We got to see dolphins, and the coral reefs are better than ones I've seen in Hawaii, Honduras, Corsica...... The lookout hike you can do on your own. It is very short and the trail is right off the road at the honeymoon sweet street. Worth the steep hike up. Shoes not flip-flops. They had coffee and a French press in the room, however due to the humidity the coffee was a bit rancid, hopefully they found some air tight containers to store the coffee packs in by the time you visit. All in all it was quite the adventure, and with all the updates and renovations, the hotel will only continue to get better, Manager Carley was very authentic in her response to our suggestions while there. She clearly loves the island, the hotel, and the workers that are there. We look forward to returning one day to see all the updates. Vinaka.

BULA VINAKA! Our family (ages 48-16; 6 of us, 3 separate bures) just returned from Yasawa Island Resort. Yasawa Island Resort exceeded our expectations on every level. From the moment we arrived we were welcomed as family, and made instant connections with the staff and guests. The resort has 18 bures, with a maximum occupancy of less than 40 guests, which made for the most authentic, intimate and most amazing experience we could’ve ever dreamed of. I am a travel agent and have been fortunate to travel to many amazing places the last 25 years. (It is worth mentioning that I was not paid, nor encouraged to write this review, and in fact I paid for our stay, it was not comped, so please don't think I am being biased on my review). Fiji, specifically Yasawa, has become my new favorite destination. What makes Fiji so special is their people and their genuine happiness. I have never met such amazingly beautiful people as I have in the islands. Yasawa Island Resort is authentic, rustic, and a true Fijian experience. They are not the Four Seasons, nor should they be, nor should other people on here be comparing them to chain resorts. If that is what you are looking for, don't stay here, you are not the right fit to experience this magical place. They are a small family run resort that employs people from the surrounding villages. Prior to Yasawa, our family stayed at a resort in the Coral Coast...it was massive, had great accommodations, yet tons of people, and felt like we were at a mega resort in a typical destination like Hawaii. Once we arrived to Yasawa it truly felt like we were in Fiji...finally! The resort is on a remote island in the middle of the south Pacific that feels like you may be the only people staying at the resort. The bures are large, clean and comfortable, and just steps away from the beach. I will suggest booking or upgrading to the deluxe beachfront bure if you can. The bure suite category was great, but the deluxe is even better and worth the splurge. The a/c in all bures works well, but you are in the tropics, and it is hot and humid so don't expect it to be something impossible to achieve. We ran the fans and also requested an additional fan, which helped. There are geckos and a spider or two in the bures...they don't bother you if you don't bother them. If these critters, or lack of a blasting a/c unit are going to ruin your trip, I suggest not going to a tropical destination. Bring mosquito spray and use it. We were there after big rain storms and the mosquitos were prevalent. Definitely didn't damper our experience, but it's worth mentioning. The staff at Yasawa are AMAZING! I could go on and on about the connections we made with each person. The meals were great, we never had a bad meal. The seafood platter was incredible. The cappuccinos at breakfast were dreamy. Manasa and his wife (I could cry) worked tirelessly to make sure our family of 6 was taken care morning to night. We have a pic

We stayed here for 3 nights on our 7 night Fiji holiday. The resort itself is set along the beach with each Bure having direct beach front access. The beach is great although you need to be selective where you swim as most areas have strong waves and rips. The location is remote but beautiful. Access is by small single or twin engine 8-10 seater planes assuming the grass air***** is not too wet or muddy. The return plane trip was my favorite part of the stay! The room we had was large and spacious, except the tiny single toilet, clearly the designer forgot this and it went in as an afterthought. The room was clean tidy and nicely decorated. Daily cleaning and turndown service very good. Indoor and outdoor showers a nice touch. The rooms do not have internet, and 3g barely works either. For internet you need to be near the pool or restaurant. This is meant to be a selling point so you disconnect! The rooms are hot, the wind Dora’s not help there is one small air on unit in the room which is way too small to cool the massive room (70+ SQM). This meant 3 sleepless nights just sweating. The other main issue is the food. The selection is poor 2 starters and 2 deserts and 3 mains. Plus traditional long table Fiji night on a Tuesday which had the best tasting food of our stay. The limited menu is all you have as this is a full service catered resort there are no other options. Local staff are pleasant but forgetful. So the price charged is excessive and the service especially food is poor.

Luxurious resort . Amazing location. Warm waters wonderful snorkeling and water sports. Bure accommodation you couldn’t fault. Food and staff tremendous. A treasure highly recommend. We went at monsoon time but still found that we could do most things but I’m sure it would be even better during the high season.

Paradise on earth

I love Fiji!!! This was my 7th trip to Fiji and each time I like to visit a different island and am never disappointed. We had been wanting to get to the Yasawa Islands for a few years and it was well worth the wait. To fly over this tropical paradise and arrive at a remote island set the scene with the very unique air*****. We were greeted with the usual infectious smiles, cool towel and flowers as we were driven to the resort. Here it felt like the entire team came out and welcomed us which was lovely. The setting is a visual delight and the resort is relaxed and intimate with such low numbers of guests. We loved our bure which was so spacious, surrounded by Frangipani trees (my favorite) and views of the ocean. We instantly felt relaxed and wasted no time exploring our home for the next week. I cannot fault anything about this gorgeous resort. The food was delicious and so much at each meal with the freshest seafood. There were enough activities to keep us busy, from stunning private beach picnics, a Blue Lagoon excursion, spa treatments, snorkeling, village visits, walks to look outs, volleyball etc. but you could do as much or as little as you liked. It took a cyclone to slow us down as it approached the island and we loved this. The Yasawa Island resort team took every safety precaution and were incredibly professional in their approach to this weather event and we never felt worried. This is their home and they have lived through this many times and know what they are doing. They still managed a high level of service during this time. It was wonderful to meet all the team and have a chat about the history of the resort especially Manasa and Wati and what they created. Even meeting the current owner and the management made our stay feel even more personal with a real connection. This fabulous holiday just didn't seem long enough as I wanted this dream state I was in to continue but we were happy with the 9 nights we were lucky enough to enjoy. It was then time to say goodbye and as the team at Yasawa Island resort gathered to sing Isa Lei I cried at the beauty of their voices and the longing for this incredibly happy feeling to continue. I loved this wonderful resort and all the awesome people we met. Thank you thank you thank you Vinaka Vakulevu and we hope one day to return to your beautiful Island.

Yasawa Island Resort is remote and offers all of the luxury you would expect on a beach vacation, we don't normally stay at all-inclusive resorts, but this resort is truly an exception, the meals were very good, the seafood platter is out of this world and the private beach get-a-ways were the highlight of our trip! The staff cannot be more accommodating to your needs! The open air spa is a real treat, ask about their entire stay special for daily services at fixed price. The Bula's are very spacious and both my wife and I loved the outdoor shower! This is not the Ritz or Four Seasons, but if you want to really unplug and enjoy the beauty of Fiji and its people than this resort should be your choice.

What can you say about this place....one wod, Perfect. Treated so well from the time we arrived until we left. Staff are so friendly and helpful, dining and drinking was top notch. Byres really good as well, albeit no internet or tv in them - that means you have to turn off and relax. Can not fault this place, will be back.