Paradise Taveuni

We went well beyond our usual budget limits for this holiday and it did not disappoint. An absolute gem of a place to stay, beautiful surroundings, wananavu food, wonderful friendly staff and great snorkelling on the house reef. We love wildlife and as well as the great snorkelling there were interesting birds, lizards, butterflies and spiders in the beautifully kept grounds.

We travelled from the UK to Los Angeles and stayed over-night before heading off to Fiji, to break up the journey. The transfer from Nadi to Fiji was really easy – leave the international arrivals and walk towards international departures and then cross the road to the Domestic check in – less than 5 minutes. The flight to Taveuni was about 1 hour 20 minutes – over some beautiful landscapes and the view of Rainbow Reef from above was stunning. After arriving at the airport at Taveuni (very small) and being met for the transfer we headed to the resort, along some interesting roads, but with very beautiful scenery. We stopped off in Somosomo at the supermarket and bought some snacks and tonic (the gin came from duty free), and then continued on our journey – it takes just over an hour to the resort. On arrival we couldn’t have been made more welcome, and that lasted for the whole holiday. We were greeted and given refreshments, an introductory talk, and a foot massage, very refreshing and much needed after our long flight, before being shown to our room, an Oceanfront Vale. The room was spacious, with a sofa, and included indoor and outdoor shower (shower gel, shampoo and conditioner) provided. A fridge with water, replenished daily, or just pop to the bar and they will refill the bottles for you. Tea and coffee making facilities were also provided. We bought the 7 day wi-fi packages from the hotel reception and this worked well. The food was really nice, lots to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dress is casual for all meals, if you are unsure what to take with you. There is a laundry service, which came back the same day if you handed it in early in the morning. The resort is not big, and the grounds are beautiful and well kept. There is an infinity pool, which has sun loungers and umbrellas, and the palm trees also act as sun shades. I went to the spa several times and the massages were amazing, so relaxing, I could have stayed there all day! The ‘events’ during the day are a little hit and miss, but it’s Fijian time and a holiday so didn’t really matter, but if you get the chance to take part in the Lovo afternoon – do it – it is well worth it. It is then followed by the Fijian night (once a week) which gets everybody together and taking part – a really lovely evening. The resort was recommended for the diving, especially The White Wall – which bloomed whilst we were there - which was amazing, and the corals were really colourful along with the really big shoals of small fish. The dive staff could not do enough for you and were so friendly and helpful it made diving a dream. The trips to the dive sites took about an hour each way and the other divers that we dove with were incredibly friendly, making the trips to the dive sites pass quickly. The dive staff set up your equipment for you for both dives – you just had to check that you had everything and that everything was working and set up as you wanted. Each dive gr

I often find that when going back to places after a great experience, second time around is not as good. That was not the case here and with 7 years between visits, my second visit was just as good as the first. This is a resort for divers, in fact all of Taveuni probably is as there is not a lot to do on land. If you are not a diver, stick to the bigger Fiji islands. Diving was mainly on the spectacular Rainbow Reef, each day the dive guides choose the site based on the weather, sea conditions and the tide. Over 5 days of diving, most had an element of gentle drift diving, with no fierce currents to worry about. 18-20 metre visibility on every dive. We only dived one site twice, sand that was the world famous white wall, so all divers were happy with that. On land, the food and service is excellent, rooms of a high standard, and the staff are great. From your arrival to departure, all the staff you interact with know your name without fail. A highlight was Fiji night, which involved meats cooked in the traditional way in an earth oven, kava ceremony, singing and dancing with the staff. It felt like a group of friends having a party and we had been invited along. I will go back again, hopefully not another 7 years before my next visit.

The Upside: The grounds here were beautiful and everything you could imagine about a Fijian resort. Lush greens, grass, tropical plants, and stunning views. The staff was welcoming and friendly. The Fijian hospitality is awesome. You get 15 minutes of free wifi each day at 1 mbps only available in the restaurant. If you want more data, the “premium” wifi for a fee is still at 1 mbps, but it’s unlimited. This is a remote island, so poor connection is expected. French-pressed coffee, hot tea (not iced), and water are free all day long. Sodas and alcohol are quite expensive, $4 for a can of Coke and $12-$15 for cocktails. It's best if you stop at a local market before arrival to stock up on your favorite snacks and drinks. Some of the food was very good and some not so good. The portions were a nice size. The service was a bit slow at breakfast when all the divers are eating at once. It's best to get breakfast between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. The Downsides: They fouled up my reservation and put me in a different room on arrival than what I booked because they oversold my room category. After three days in the substitute room, I had to then move to the other room, which meant I couldn’t really unpack everything. I made this booking one year in advance and it was poor planning on their part. The accommodation has a lack of plugs. You’ll need Australian adapters. The A/C was barely able to keep up with the heat and I had to keep the bathroom door shut just to get the room cool enough to sleep at night. There are no glass windows, just screens with wooden shutters, which is not very energy efficient and explains why the room never completely cooled off. They run off a generator and 24-hour power is provided. There was plenty of hot water for a shower with good water pressure. The power was lost multiple times during my stay. The room was clean and well supplied, except the mattress was very old and uncomfortable, soft and soggy in the middle. Cyclone Winston hit the island in 2016 and wiped out the resort and the reef. They rebuilt the resort, so the mattresses have not been replaced since then. My back was sore every morning. When I pulled the sheets back, what I saw was a mattress that was filthy and falling apart. Thankfully, I did not get any bed bug bites. See the attached photos. I came here to dive, and the dive guides were masters at finding the small stuff. They were great! I confirmed with the owner before my arrival that the dive groups were no bigger than 6 divers per guide, but sometimes there were 7-8 divers per guide. I'm a very experienced diver and don't book anywhere where there are large dive groups. They only have two boats, a smaller dive boat and a bigger boat that has a rack of chairs in several rows on the top deck for the non-diving excursions but also used as a dive boat. The bigger boat was chartered for a group, so everyone else was on the smaller boat. That was 13-15 divers, plus 5-6 staff.

I miss being there. Need I say more. The staff are what make this place. Food is very good ,drinks are very good, rooms are very good, diving is very good. Did I mention the staff? They are amazing. It is the staff! Like family. Sota tale. Vinaka Q.

Wonderful 5 night stay on the garden island of Taveuni. This small resort goes above and beyond to welcome you to their slice of paradise. Knowing your name upon arrival to remembering your preferences, the entire staff was fabulous. The food was fresh and delicious, most fruits and vegetables are from their own farm attached to the resort (you can go on a tour too!) and had a good variety of choices. Lots of seating areas overlooking the ocean and around the pool to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Our 2 bedroom ocean view worked great for 3 adults and the outside shower was amazing. The dive shop has a great team and were so accommodating to everyone!