Yasawa Island Resort and Spa — Hotel in Yasawa Island

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 picky eater in the family who wanted pancakes each morning and fish and chips for all other meals...I am sure it was a pain for them to oblige, but they never said "no" nor did they make a big deal about it...they just made it happen with the biggest smiles on their faces. Our friend Charles at the bar...we love you, buddy! Keep working hard and doing your thing. :) Smiga...oh, Smiga...we miss you and your funky and fun spirit...never change buddy! I saw a comment on here about the staff being forgetful...did you happen to ask again for whatever you were requesting? The staff here work their tails off to make sure everyone is taken care of. They are human, not always perfect (who is?) and they do their absolute best...stop being petty and pretentious. If you are a constant complainer or don't find the joy and appreciation in travel and new experiences, please don't stay here, you ruin it for the rest of us who think it's heaven. So many of the outlandish "complaints" had me laughing out loud at the nonsense of them.||Each day there are unique excursions to participate in, or private island beach picnics to enjoy. We did a day trip to The Blue Lagoon caves (where the movie was filmed). The boat ride to the caves was absolutely breathtaking to see all of the islands along the way. Take Fijian dollars so you can support the local ladies and make a purchase on the beach before the caves. We experienced a private beach picnic on the most beautiful beach we have ever seen (go to the one on the website - absolutely gorgeous!). The beach had massive amounts of intact seashells to collect. We did a village visit, which included taking supplies to a small school and interacting with Fijian children and teachers. Take Fijian dollars and donate to their school fund if you can. Take school supplies and or toys and other items for the children to enjoy. Going to the school was heartwarming and so very special. The resort did a lovo dinner where local staff and villagers come to dance and sing for the guests. It was lovely and very special. Lastly, we got to experience a traditional kava ceremony. Each day was so memorable and special that it’s impossible to pick which day was our favorite. Aku, the everything Yasawa guru, was a joy to be around and made our experience fun. The entire activities staff was exceptional. They are all on Fiji time, which made it even better. ||The beach in front of the resort is massive. Each morning my daughter and I got up for sunrise which was beautiful; and each evening, we made sure to be by the bar around 5 p.m. to mingle with other like minded guests for happy hour and watch the out of this world sunset before dinner. There is great snorkeling near the rocks/activities desk, and fabulous mini waves and a perfect sandy bottom beach over past the spa...just keep walking, you can't miss it.||In order to get to the resort, you fly from Nadi to Yasawa on a private 10 seater plane, which I will admit was a bit unnerving at first. Take meds if you are claustrophobic or have anxiety, it helps tremendously - ha ha! Herman, the pilot, made sure we were comfortable and content, and made a fun trip out of the quick 30 minute flight. The day we arrived was the first day the plane was able to fly due to massive amounts of uncharacteristic rain the last 2 months, so we were grateful for sunny days and beautiful weather during our stay at Yasawa for sure. I highly recommend having travel insurance in case you need to take the helicopter transportation (if the plane isn't able to fly due to weather). The day we were scheduled to depart, weather had other plans, and the rain came back, along with thunder and lightning, and the helicopter transport we were booked on couldn't fly for safety reasons. It was chaotic for me trying to get the logistics of rebooking flights figured out, but the staff at Yasawa (Daniel, Lindsey, Jopet, James and Erin) took care of us and went above and beyond to make us comfortable and calm. Our bonus night was a huge blessing. More family time, more time with our newfound friends and family at Yasawa, it was very special and meant to be. I could go on and on about how amazing and authentic this resort is. It stole our hearts, which was evident as we said goodbye. I cry each time I leave Maui or the Tahitian islands, simply because they are so special to me. I was bawling, not crying, leaving Yasawa…as was the rest of our family. A piece of our hearts will forever be there. ||To those of you who gave this resort a 1 or 3 star review (aka perpetual complainers)...do us all a favor and please never travel again, it would be best for you to stay home in your happy little bubble. You are what is wrong with the world these days. Find the beauty in life, soak it all up, and for Pete's sake appreciate each day and new experience you have been given. To those of you who gave this resort a 5 star, well deserved review...I see you and agree with your comments. I am going to be ultra picky on who I am willing to share this piece of heaven with. It will take special people to truly embrace the uniqueness and authenticity of this place. It's not for everyone, but only those that desire a true Fijian escape and experience.||Yasawa is in the process of updating and rebranding the resort to make sure people know exactly who they are, who they will continue to be, and make little minor adjustments along the way. Renee, Lindsey, James and Erin, and so many others are working tirelessly to make it happen...kudos to all of you! I trust that the essence of Yasawa will remain as it is and should be forever. :)||It would be my dream for every person who would embrace and appreciate the authenticity of Yasawa to be able to go. It’s imperative that you go with respect and an open heart, and be open to be immersed in the Fijian culture to experience this amazing place. It was unlike any place we’ve ever been to; our most memorable and favorite family vacation ever, and we will without a doubt go back as often as we can. My only regret is not booking our family for more time there. I will know better for next time for sure. ||Heaven on Earth does exist…it’s Yasawa Island Resort.||Bula and Vinaka to you all at YIR and especially all of the friends we met from the US and other parts of the world. We loved connecting with each of you. Let's all plan to meet up at YIR very soon! :) |With full and grateful hearts...Gretchen, Jake, Easton, Cadence,...

My wife and I just enjoyed a one-week stay at the Yasawa Island Resort. Our experience was entirely favorable from start to finish.||The first thing I will say is that I am in complete disbelief that there are reviews here that complain about the food and the service. Our experience with the food and the service was stellar in every way.||The food was excellent without exception, with three meals per day provided at this all-inclusive resort. The breakfast was standard fare, eggs, omelets, avocado toast, oatmeal, yogurt, and sides such as bacon or hash browns or smoked salmon. There were numerous menu choices and a daily breakfast special available. ||Lunch was a two course meal with a main and a dessert. The menu only had three items for the main course and two items for the dessert, but the menu changed daily so that there was always something new to try and never any repeats on the menus throughout the week. The mains always included a seafood dish, a different protein dish - either beef or chicken or pork, or a vegetarian dish. The dessert choices were always delicious. ||Dinner was a three course meal with two choices for appetizer, three choices for the main, and two choices for dessert. Again, the menu rotated every day so we never had the same offerings twice. The presentation and plating of the meals was very impressive, what one might expect in a very upscale restaurant. The food was delicious and we found ourselves often trading plates halfway through in order to enjoy the other meal option. We can't make enough positive comments about the food. The service at the restaurant was leisurely paced. Some might say slow but I would disagree. It was a leisurely pace that allowed us to enjoy every bite and totally enjoy the surroundings and the view.||The service was most outstanding. This is a small resort with only about 18 rooms, and the staff made every effort to learn our names and call us by name. Whether it was the servers for the meals, the activities coordinators, the support staff, the front desk staff, the housekeeping staff, the groundskeepers or the baristas, we always had a warm hello and often a delightful conversation with the staff taking personal interest in us and our family back home. We have enjoyed the hospitality at many other resorts in the past, but the hospitality at the Yasawa Island Resort was clearly second to none. We even had nearly daily visits with the General Manager, who circulated during meal times and relax-by-the-pool times and happy hour, and she was always attentive and always asked if there was anything we needed in our room or otherwise. She was never intrusive, however, and a delight to talk with. ||The pool, by the way, was beautiful and the pool furniture was updated and well-kept.||The activities were great and the activities staff was always helpful and kind and attentive, and genuinely concerned about our experience and our safety. We had several beach picnics with the whole beach to ourselves, a lovely snorkeling activity with access by boat to a wonderful coral setting, several visits to local villages, church at a village on Sunday (which was very uplifting), a nice hike through the tropical foliage, and a visit to a cave which is partially under water and which made for interesting swimming. We also had several very impressive areas of coral right off the beaches at the resort. There was no end to the available activities each day.||Access to the resort from the Nadi International Airport is by a small 10 person (including pilot and second in command and up to 8 passengers) single engine turboprop aircraft and the landing strip on the island was a grass strip. Very unique way to get to and from the resort. Our trip was in May, and the weather was great. Warm and humid as expected, but not much rain. The rainy season is from October to April, so be aware that weather is more likely to affect travel and activities during those months.||The accommodations were pleasant and spacious. Our room was very well-kept and the furniture was in great shape. These are wooden structures in an area of moisture and humidity, so you won't be staying at the Waldorf-Astoria, but the room was exactly what we would expect in a resort that is so secluded and far from city life. No complaints at all with the room. The housekeeping staff did a wonderful job with our room care and we always found it freshened and tidy, with two housekeeping visits per day. The housekeepers were also very personable and we enjoyed talking to them when we happened to see them||Be aware that you might find bugs in your room, and maybe a lizard or two, but this is Fiji. There were a few hornets that came in through open doors but just explored and then left. They were never a bother or aggressive toward us -- just tooling around in their environment. The room had a plug-in insect repellent device, spray on insect repellent and also a can of Raid. There were a few bugs here and there but we never had to use any of the bug sprays. We did use the plug-in repellent device and it worked well.||The water is clean and drinkable right out of the tap. There was an outdoor foot wash station for sandy feet and an outdoor shower to rinse off the ocean water. The indoor shower was immaculate and spacious.||Back to the beginning of this post, we can't make enough positive comments about this resort. It was awesome without exception. We will definitely be going back. We arrived with a couple who were there for their fourth visit. Seemed strange to us when the said that. Then, within two days we totally understood why they had visited so many times. Definitely worth a repeat visit. Once again, you will be in Fiji in the tropics, so there may be a few bugs here and their and some weather wear on the structures, but that is to be expected in a place like this. Don't let that keep you from giving this resort a try. We were uniformly pleased, dare I even say thrilled, with our visit. We'll take this place over a crowded touristy city...

3-star mediocre hotel that falsely advertise themselves as 5-star resort. Quite disappointing. Unfortunately, this has been my worst experience in the past 15 years of traveling. This review will be useful to those accustomed to 5-star resorts who expect a certain standards to be met. Majority of guests are either retires who tend to like everything in a hotel, or young people who are overly satisfied with their parents' provided trip. Let's start with the pros: the hotel does serve tasty food that meets expectations, albeit with an extremely limited selection of only 2 starters, 2-3 main courses, and 2 desserts. Now, onto the cons, which are the most significant and completely unacceptable: Lack of functioning air conditioning: Although the hotel claims to have air conditioning, it does nothing to cool the Bures. These rooms are poorly constructed with flimsy boards and cracks that allow the outside temperature to permeate inside. In fact, the temperature inside is equivalent to the temperature outside. There are no glass windows, only window openings covered with mosquito nets and flimsy blinds that fail to block out daylight properly. I found myself constantly suffering from the high temperatures and sought refuge in the library, the only room on the island with air conditioning. Given its small size of 16 square meters, it often becomes crowded with up to eight guests attempting to cool down and access the internet simultaneously. Unreliable transportation: The promised plane from Nadi to Yasava is merely a matter of luck. I was fortunate only one way. Unfortunately, the plane does not fly even with minimal rainfall due to the slippery dirt landing field. As an alternative, they offer a nearly five-hour ferry ride followed by an additional 30-minute journey from the ferry to Yasawa Resort on a speed boat. In my case, the speed boat was shared by eight people even though it could comfortably accommodate only four. Seating arrangements were inadequate, and we endured 30 minutes of being tossed around on the waves, sitting on an uncomfortable iron storage box. To make matters worse, the boat had no roof, leaving us fully exposed and susceptible to getting completely drenched in rainy weather. The flimsy plastic covers provided were useless against the wind and constant shaking, making it impossible to hold them steady. Passengers ended up with bruises from the constant jostling. Lack of Wi-Fi in rooms: Surprisingly, the hotel intentionally does not provide Wi-Fi in the rooms, despite charging premium prices. As an IT specialist myself, I can confidently say that installing Wi-Fi in the 14-16 Bure rooms would require a mere 3-4 days and cost around $5000-$6000 USD. Considering I paid $1000 USD per day for my Bure, it is disappointing that the hotel manager does not see the value in providing internet access. We bought SIM card in the airport. It did not work in the room either. If you need to stay connected due to work obligations this hotel is definitely not for you. Now, onto the smaller-scale disadvantages: The Bures are cheaply built structures that resemble barns. The white washbasin in my Bure number 14 was broken and poorly repaired with yellow glue, reminiscent of a public toilet. Bures are infested with an abundance of beetles, ants, flies, and spiders. I even encountered what appeared to be rat droppings. The pool, which is shared by all guests, is disappointingly small. Furthermore, it is filled with salt water containing micro algae particles. Astonishingly, there is no shower available near the pool, leaving guests with no means of rinsing off the saltwater without returning to their rooms. Even a simple provision like a jug and cup to wash off the sand is absent. It is hard to fathom how this oversight is possible in a 3-star hotel, let alone a 5-star one. The service at the hotel varies greatly. Female staff attitude suggests that they are doing you a favour.

It is truly bewildering why we were charged $960 USD per night for such abysmal conditions. It feels like a...