Yasawa Island Resort

I rate this a five star couple retreat experience from beginning to end. The 8 seater Island Hoppers flight in from Nadi is an experience in itself with incredible views of the beautiful Yasawas and surrounding reefs whetting the appetite for arrival. The airstrip transfer and check in process was smooth and professional by resort AM Jope, Sikeli and their team. The welcome we and fellow arrivals received from Kaydee the resort GM was heartfelt, informative and refreshing, complete with a lovely welcome song from staff. The arrival in our room was spectacular, we had the double bure on the hill at the southern end of the resort, a luxurious 2br 2 bth villa with a large balcony, and were greeted with sweeping views of the coastline and cliffs, jungle, beach, ocean and reefs. My wife was impressed with the champagne I had pre-organised for our arrival. Complete with the stocked mini bar and Fijian sunshine this made for a relaxing afternoon at the bure, reading and sunbathing on the day bed and cooling off in the private outdoor shower (there were 2 of these at our bure). 6:30 was nightly cocktail hour, and as we arrived on a Sunday, there was a magnificent staff gospel singing choir on the beach. It was obvious from the speech by resort owner Erin, that the local culture is respected with Sunday being a quiet day at the resort with minimal staffing so local villager staff who make up the majority of staff can participate in village religious and cultural festivities. Sai and Sami had the cocktails down pat, by the end of the stay we had tried all the local specials!! Meals were always a highlight, with plenty of variety on offer and often featuring local cuisine. The local fresh caught seafood platter was spectacular. The service from all waitstaff including Kara, Jerry and led by Manasa and Wati was outstanding, friendly and attentive. Despite all this, the highlights for me were the day activities, private picnics at amazing private white sandy beach and snorkelling spots, and a private diving trip to a couple of the most outstanding coral reef dive spots I have seen, healthy and vibrant with beautiful coral and fish specimens. These were ably organised by activities and dive master Pedro, and we felt safe and looked after by all activities staff including captains Bale, Vuni, Apo and Smiga. Our 4 night stay was great but would have loved to have stayed longer, there was heaps more to do we didn’t get to. Thanks again for a great time, we will be back again!

My wife and I were looking for a honeymoon getaway via Costco Travel. Considering how far from home it is and the cost, we were a little hesitant about choosing Yasawa Island Resort. However, after 7 days of pure bliss, we now have a core memory of a place we previously only thought existed in dreams. Located in the heart of Fiji's archipelago, Yasawa Island Resort is nestled away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. Arriving at the resort by charter plane was an experience on its own. On the way, you get to see how clear the turquoise waters are. How gorgeous the beach sands are. And just how many islands Fiji has to offer. A breathtaking backdrop that feels almost surreal. Prior to landing, we were already greeted by the stunning and lush greenery, inviting us to trust in nature. Even the airstrip itself is green. As soon as we landed, we were welcomed by song and Salusalu (Fijian Lei). After a bumpy but short van ride, we arrived at the resort itself. Once again, welcomed by song, but this time, to include the entire staff! All the while being handed a fresh coconut to drink and a vibe to soak in. This was the commitment stage. The promise to fully immerse ourselves in this. The promise to disconnect from our technology driven society and embrace the experience the resort has so carefully preserved and curated for the guests. The exceptional service provided by the staff is what truly sets Yasawa Island Resort apart. Every day, we felt genuine warmth and hospitality. The staff's attention to detail and commitment to ensuring our stay was perfect was evident in every interaction. Whether it was organizing a special excursion (daily private beach picnics), accommodating dietary preferences, or simply offering a friendly smile, the team at Yasawa Island Resort went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. And it was. We stayed in the Deluxe Beachfront Bure. To us, it was perfect. A beautiful living room, a comfortable bed, and an outside shower that’s simply to die for. Since there are no TVs or wifi in the rooms (the purpose is to disconnect from technology, remember?), we were falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean waves gracefully crashing onto the shore every night. We were fortunate enough to have a full moon one night, so we walked the beach, and it was breathtaking. The moonlight lit up everything around us and with the ocean right there, everything was a shade of blue. A sight I will never forget. We saw a few people in the reviews complaining about the food, so we didn’t know what to expect. Glad we didn’t listen. The food was incredible!!! You have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast, you have a bunch of choices, with every day having a new ‘breakfast special’. For lunch and dinner, the chef gives you two options to choose from. Suffice to say, me thinking I was going to lose weight while on vacation was a complete pipe dream. Especially with that dessert always doing what it was supposed to do. The activiti

Let me begin by saying the location is beautiful with wonderful beaches, although coming from the US the trip was a trial with a long wait on the mainland before the flight over to the resort. But, and it’s a big but , it fell far below our expectations in many other respects. We were put in Bure #2, a so called beachfront bure. It was a distance from the beach and you could only see the ocean when standing ( not sitting) on the deck. The bure was in very shabby condition; cracks and stains on the walls, dirt in the corners, inadequate A/C , broken shutters and screens. I have seen better toilet rooms in gas stations! We have stayed in other small Fijian resorts on outer islands and never been in such poor accommodation. We did not expect or want a chain style hotel with icy A/C but we did expect a clean , comfortable and pleasant room with the promised view. We did ask to be moved immediately but were told the resort was fully booked. ( An online search suggested there was another room available). We had our last 3 days in bure SubZero which was a huge improvement. It really is beachfront! This was the first boutique adult-only resort that also fell short in the restaurant. The breakfast has no buffet where you can choose what fruit or pastries you want. A fruit plate is brought to your table and had very little tropical fruits. I asked for papaya and only got it once in 9 days! The breakfast menu is the same every day except for a daily special. Lunch and dinner are a choice of two starters, three main courses and two desserts. Fish was often spoiled by too much salt. The seafood platter was good but we were told we could only have it once even for a 9 day stay. The lovo feast night on Tuesday was family style seating and again no buffet style food presentation. Our beach picnic on Yawini was lovely but did need to be booked ahead of time which is understandable. But, even the snorkeling trips had to be signed up for the night before. Unlike other places we’ve stayed these were not offered every day. Snorkeling off the resort beach was limited. The village visit seemed to be a means for the locals to sell their goods . We didn’t go to the school and hear any singing because the children had tests that day! Why not reschedule the visit? Sadly there was quite a bit of trash there and it was frankly boring sitting waiting for the bus to pick us up. As always the Fijian staff were wonderful but that could not compensate for the other failings of this expensive resort.