Yasawa Island Resort & Spa

This was our first trip to Fiji, and we were concerned that it wouldn't live up to our previous vacations in Bora Bora and Hawaii. Those concerns were forgotten within the first day. This trip exceeded all of our expectations and Fiji is our new favorite destination. This is solely due to the incredible experience that we had at Yasawa Island Resort & Spa. The flight to the resort is absolutely breathtaking and surprisingly smooth for such a small plane. After landing on a grass runway, there is a brief ride to the resort during which you learn all about the island and the people that call it home. Upon arrival at the resort, the staff greets you with a song and fresh drink before you are shown to your bure. The bure is spacious, comfortable and quiet. With so few people at the resort, you rarely see or hear other guests outside of the common areas. Having your own designated beach chairs and hammock is such a nice perk! It would be nice if the outdoor shower was a little more private, though. Every member of the staff is amazing. From the first day, everyone knows you by name and treats you like family. Starting each morning with the joyful smiles of Manasa and Wati is a blessing that sets the mood for the rest of the day. We celebrated my husband's birthday our first night at the resort and the staff arranged for a special birthday cake and song. So thoughtful! Special thanks to Sai for taking such great care of us all week and to Pedro, Smiga and the rest of the crew at the activities center. You can find fantastic snorkeling just in front of the resort and there are many activities that you can participate in throughout the week. Highly recommend signing up for a couple of private beach picnics. Don't forget to take your snorkeling gear with you! Be warned that the walk to the lookout is not a relaxing stroll. It's quite a climb with a beautiful view as a reward. If you visit the Sawa-I-Lau (Blue Lagoon) caves, be sure to check out the goods from the local villagers. We didn't bring money with us, so they let us charge our purchases to our room. If you're interested in the seafood platter, then make sure to request it early in your trip as availability is limited. Don't forget to attend happy hour each evening to sign up for the next day's activities. If you're looking for a luxurious resort with modern amenities and a bustling nightlife, then this is not the resort for you. However, if you're looking to unwind in paradise and escape reality for a bit surrounded by the most amazing people, then this is definitely the right place. We were already planning our next visit before we left the resort. Can't wait to return!

We haven't written a review in many years but we were so touched by our visit that we had to post this one. We actually had tears in our eyes during our farewell song. We spent a wonderful 7 nights at the resort with the Costco vacation package (we added the spa package). We were treated so well from the time we arrived until we left and the staff is so friendly. Each day we heard the greeting song for new arrivals and each day we heard the goodbye song, as new friends were leaving. There is a bit of confusion about this being a 5 star resort. The resort is 5 stars for atmosphere authenticity and friendliness. If you want to stay at the Ritz or 4 seasons, this is not the resort for you. The Yasawa Island Resort is so much more enjoyable than that. The key is to slow down and relax (this took me a day and half, lol). And as everyone says you're on Fiji time. To start, the resort is remote. The choices of arrival are by plane or for an additional cost by helicopter. There is an option to arrive by boat but a 5 1/2 hour trip was too long for us. The resort was constructed in the late 80's using mainly local labor by a local Fijian named Manasa. (We were so lucky to meet Manasa one day at the resort). The resort is nicely laid out and each bure is nicely separated from each other. The resort is small with just 18 bures and is so peaceful and beautiful, with each bure having beach front views and their own access trail to the ocean. The bures are large and while they can be warm, an A/C unit directed over the bed made for a very comfortable sleep. The restaurant food and service was very good and had a changing menu each day (ask for the off menu seafood platter). The snack menu is also available during day. The pool area was fantastic, and very relaxing. Wifi is only available in the common areas which is the front desk, pool, bar and restaurant area. For us this was perfect, we could enjoy the beautiful beach and surroundings and we were always within a short walk to get on the internet if we needed it. Activities Connecting with the local culture was very enriching. It seemed like we had some kind of cultural event happening every day! At the resort the visiting village choir, Lovo feast and Kava ceremony were fantastic.Visiting Manasa's village, the school and attending a church service in Bukama were wonderful. Everyday we had activity options, spa treatments and hours of peacful relaxation! I can't express how friendly the people at the resort are. Every person greeted us with a "Bula" and a smile. We made connections with many of the staff and a special bond with Sai and Smiga! We look forward to returning!

This resort is very remote so quiet and beautiful. The friendly staff are absolutely wonderful and will do anything to make your stay great. The bure's are large and all have direct access to the beach. As there are only 18 of them, the number of people on the island is limited, which is great. There are activities available every day or just lay by the lovely pool or in your own private sunshade on the beach. There is plenty of food available as there are 3 course lunches and dinners every day and a large choice of breakfast options. We especially liked sitting in bed every morning with a cup of tea and watching the waves on our own beach. The beds and pillows are beautiful to sleep on. If you want to stay on an island that is not crowded and has unspoilt nature and still has a primitive feel then this is the place for you. In addition to the island costs you will have to add in the cost of the chartered flights to and from, but this was a lovely experience of flying over the coral beaches. Lovely relaxing stay.

The room with the bed overlooking the ocean was the highlight of the stay. The staff were amazing. The food was poor at best. A couple of meals we couldn’t even eat. The food did not even meet a 3 star resort, much less a 5 star resort. This was our fourth resort in Fiji and it was by far the worst. The others were Nanuku, Navutu Stars and Likuliku with Likuliku being the best, but the others were great, too, with wonderful food, even though they were all far less expensive. This was so disappointing.

Pristine beaches - snorkeling , private beach picnics, sublime massages and an eco conscious ethos. Newly renovated bures with aircon that works , and incredible meals and wonderful staff. Perfection if you don’t want the big resort experience.