Paradise Taveuni

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!

A beautiful somewhat remote resort poised on the rocky shoreline of south Taveuni Island, Fiji, an hour and a half flight from Nadi, Fiji. Taveuni is the "Garden Island" of Fiji, and is green and covered in tropical jungle. This resort is extremely well kept, green lawns stretching to the low rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. Palm trees, flowering plants, carefully kept gardens, an infinity pool and lounges and cabanas along the oceanfront. The Bures, or "cabins" are large, many feature private outdoor showers and baths, air conditioning, large living spaces and large outdoor private patios. The food is very good and the bar is well stocked. Snorkeling and diving tours to the famous "White Wall" are available every day directly from the resort. The staff are all Fijian and very friendly and helpful and often entertain guests. Special dinners are served some nights including a Fijian night with food singing and dancing and the Kava ceremony. We highly recommend it as a unique and beautiful place.

What a wonderful holiday my wife and I had! The resort was brilliantl!Friendly staff, beautifully appointed rooms, great food and fantastic location. The diving was superb (Rainbow reef)with some of the healthiest coral I have seen in my 30 years + diving and prolific fish life. Many thanks to Manasa and the dive team for all those great dives.Well done Terri and Alan- we will be back. Steve and Robyn Grigoleit Australia