Reef Resort Vava'u

Incredibly welcoming host and joyful staff. Fabulous meals prepared by a truly talented and experienced chef. An opportunity to experience an evening of Tongan music and dance. Our bungalow, situated on the hill overlooking the dining area provided an expansive view of the ocean and the associated breezes. The small island, just offshore, had the best snorkeling - abundant colorful fish, morey eel - we found on Tonga. And just over the hill, a sheltered white sand beach!

We are now back in Sydney after 12 days in Tonga and have been reflecting on our amazing trip to Vavaú and our time at the Reef Resort. From the moment we were greeted by Herwig on arrival at the jetty, to the time we finally had to say goodbye (the second time), we felt part of the Reef family. With our days filled with whale swims & diving which had effortlessly been arranged, or kayaking and snorkelling at Port Maurelle and Japanese Coral Garden with the turtles and vast array of tropical fish, we always looked forward to our afternoons at the resort, to sit on the deck enjoying the conversation along with the anticipation of the afternoon “Survival Cake”. Knowing dinner would be served at 7pm and having our “private chef" provide a daily mystery box, 3 course dinner was highlight of our stay at the Reef. The relaxed, friendly atmosphere created by you Herwig and the rest of the team, in one of the most amazing parts of the world is something they can all be immensely proud of and we will always remember and would love to experience again.  Thank you all for a fantastic holiday…

We just had the most magical experience dining at the Reef Resort. We are traveling by sailboat and heard from other cruisers that they had an amazing dinner at the resort so we decided to try it for our wedding anniversary. When we reached out to the resort the owner, Herwig, shared that the restaurant was closed because they were in between resort guests but they would open it for just for us in honor of our anniversary. From that initial email, to the welcome we received at their dock, the beautiful dining room and place settings, the service throughout our meal and the quality of their innovative and sublime 4 course meal prepared with only freshest ingredients, we felt like celebrities. As an additional note, though my husband is an omnivore I am vegan. Chef Jürgen clearly went out of his way to accommodate my diet by preparing a special meal that anyone would rate as 5 star. If this is the way the Reef Resort treats 2 drenched sailors (our evening out coincided with a very wet and windy weather pattern) we can only imagine how they treat resort guests! Heartfelt thanks to Herwig, Ana and Chef Jürgen for an unforgettable evening with truly amazing food in a warm and romantic setting.

We spent a week here and it proved to be the perfect place for the boat operator to pick us up and drop us off. The rooms are clean and very spacious. The resort is small and intimate, and Herwig is a congenial host. This was our fourth time to Tonga, and its important to understand Tonga is not Hawaii nor Fiji in terms of being a sophisticated tourist destination. But what it does have is the sort of gobsmacking natural beauty that places like Bora Bora have (not that Vava'u looks like Bora Bora, just that they both seem to have been allocated a disproportionate amount of natural beauty compared to many places in the world). The remoteness of Tonga can make sourcing of food items a bit of a challenge, and Herwig addresses this by employing a European chef for the season, who creates innovate meals based on the ingredients available. The three course dinners were the best quality food we have ever had in Tonga, by a long margin. The daily afternoon cake was sublime.

I thank Herwig, his family and team for making sure my recent trip to Tonga was just fantastic. Herwig made everything easy including pick up from airport, a very warm welcome, easy pick ups for tours ie scuba diving and whale swimming and of course, anything you may need was delivered with a smile. I was sick while I was there and Herwig and daughter could not do more for me: hot water bottle, herbal teas, water, check-ins etc and food just perfect such as soups. The team was very caring and couldn't do enough for me. Mattijs, the Chef, was brilliant, his four course meals for dinner could not be faulted and every night something completely different. Very creative! and Yum! The rooms are large with a big four-post bed, the mattresses so comfortable - so easy sleeping. Large dining/lounge area for drinks by the water and relaxation while watching for the whales. Access to good quality snorkelling right in front of the resort, the Japanese Garden was just beautiful. Kayaks and Paddle-boards available as part of the room rate. A gorgeous lagoon just a 10-15 minutes walk up through village and along the road/forest, was also very convenient. Overall, a high quality but authentic experience. You feel like you are in Tonga but with home comforts.

This recently reopened resort after years closed (because of Covid, etc.) it’s a gem in this paradisiac area. Thanks to Herwig for his efforts to continue his activity. The place is fantastic. It still miss some small improvement in the rooms to reach 5 stars but it will reach it thanks to Herwig capability. A special mention for Jochen the best chef of all South Pacific area