Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort

Our stay at Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort was nothing short of extraordinary. From paddleboarding at sunrise and diving with sharks to kayaking to private islands, Kava nights, and golden sunsets, every moment felt like a scene from a movie. The staff made this trip unforgettable. They not only anticipated our group’s passion for diving—taking us to breathtaking marine preserves and vibrant reefs teeming with sharks—but also ensured we experienced the full magic of the island. Every interaction was warm and thoughtful. Our boys were constantly invited to explore and play—whether it was building crab traps, kayaking, or joining in on local adventures. The joy on their faces said it all. To the entire team at Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort: thank you for every detail, every smile, and every unforgettable memory. We can't wait to return.

This place combines the comforts of a high end luxury resort with cultural and educational enrichment. The facilities are beautiful and situated right on a spectacular reef. They have a marine biologist on site, and have a full schedule of cultural experiences from basket making to dancing. The food is fabulous. They grow all of their amazing food on the organic farm in the back. Their pastry chef is remarkable – the chocolate is sourced from the cacao farm up the road and is some of the best chocolate confections I’ve had in my life. Dive sites are fantastic. But you don't need to be a diver to enjoy this trip. They go out of their way to ensure the trip is relaxing and restoring but also enriching. While I came as a solo traveler, I could see that this is also a phenomenal option for families with kids – they have the equivalent of a fiji day camp for the kids while the parents are off adventuring or relaxing. I want to return for a multi-generational family vacation. But it was also amazing as a solo traveler, since the resort staff went out of their way to include me in dinners and activities, so I felt like I was traveling with my favorite friends!

Bula! My family (3 teenagers in high school, my wife & I) spent our Christmas & New Year Holiday at the JMC Resort. It was amazing. We appreciate that the resort facilitates the local Fijian culture and communities- instead of corporately stamping the local Fijian culture and communities out. This resort allows the local Fijians to bring their cultures into the resort and the locals love sharing about their unique villages and about their families. My wife became friends with Camamari who was super kind to our entire family and made us feel like home. We got to know about her amazing children and about her village. If you enjoy fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, SUPs, kayaking, hiking & exploring - then this is the place for you! The locals went out of their way for us on New Years with a party at the bar, pool and fireworks at the pier - ending up in the pool after midnight - so fun! My son and I caught amazing yellowfin tunas with Bait. Bait is not only the best skipper/fish guide we know - he is one of the kindest and nicest people we have ever met. We love Bait. We stayed in Bure No. 8 for a few nights - it is spacious with two bathrooms and is right in the beach. The A/C units worked fine. Then we spent the rest of our stay in Bure No. 23 - which is nice but smaller with 1 bathroom. However, it is right on the Point with amazing views! Okay - the food here is outstanding- and we have been to three star Michelin restaurants! The selection/options were dynamic - well thought out and super tasty. Even the coffee was fantastic! The bar has plenty of options and even makes non-alcoholic drinks (somehow) fun! Just keep in mind the service is always with smiles and kindness and on Fijian Time. You will spend a long time at lunch and dinner. My kids and I enjoyed the Hobie sailboats and SUPs. Leo was our dive master, even at our dives at the Namena Reserve - he is professional, safe & solid - making for an amazing fun time! Gabby took us to a local geothermal pool with warm mud - mud baths - my first and so fun! We had a blast tubing down the river too and saw hot water shoot up from a geothermal hotspot beneath the river. Wow. And the hike to the local water fall is worth it. Try to swim up to the falls and climb through the falls to the cave on the other side. So cool. Again - not corporate at all - just enjoying the local mud pool, river and water fall. Learning about the local villages was interesting and eye opening too. The Fijians are wonderful and their love and friendliness is infectious! Thank you to everyone at JMC Resort! Huge Vinaka vaka levu to Bait, Camamri, Gabby & Leo!

Incredible place, never wanted to leave. This review is long overdue (Sept 2023) never realized I hadn't posted it. It is very tricky to put into words the feelings that we have about JMC. To say that it feels like true Fiji but also a world class resort just doesn’t really capture the magic that has been created here. We love Fiji, and have been lucky enough to visit many times, however none of our visits have compared to JMC. From the moment we arrived we were welcomed and felt instantly relaxed and at home. Nothing was too much trouble. The facilities and the activities were amazing, but it is Kitty and the people that truly makes JMC so special. Kitty's warmth, the management of the team and very clever observation and intuition skills are something to be admired. From Rennie and Milly that made our girls feel so safe and happy, to Masalina who brought us in some aloe-vera plant from her home for our sunburn, to all of the team that made sure we had everything we didn’t even know we needed, helped us, taught us more Fijian culture, talked with us (especially Elijah) and just seemed to know everything about us. There is such a skill in being able to deliver that kind of service and warmth. Aside from the stunning scenery, crystal clear water, gorgeous bure, gardens, pool and fabulous snorkeling right off the beach (and we are told incredible diving) some highlights for us were the beautiful choir, the local school, the meke and lovo, the absolutely amazing surprise evening pier dinner (do this if you get the chance), the private island picnic and the mangrove planting. There were a multitude of activities we could choose to do. We sadly didn’t have enough time to do them all. And the food! Such a variety and quality and the service for all the meals was absolutely excellent, with the team even remembering the girls favorite drinks. Our ocean view bure was spacious for four of us (2 x adults 2 x kids) and perfectly located with gorgeous views, frangipani breezes and very peaceful. We also splurged and stayed a couple of nights in the premier Villa which was amazing, especially the alfresco shower & plunge bath. In all of our visits to Fiji, we have never utilized kids clubs or nanny services; we go away together to be together as a family, however, after the first few days, we could not get our youngest (10yrs) out of there! JMC has a buddy program for kids & teens if they would like to participate and we were lucky enough to meet Rennie who was incredibly kind, caring and so much fun that our daughter never wanted to leave. For our teenager (14) , who is very reserved and definitely would not spend time with strangers, she happily spent time with Milly, even seeking her out on many occasions to see what was on for the day with her, and happily walking from the village back to JMC with her, with hardly a backwards glance. This is testament to the kindness and friendliness of these two lovely people. There were many tears when we left, mine included; our youngest begging us at the airport to turn around and get back on the next flight out. We weren't even allowed to wash her special tee-shirt she was given in case we “washed the memories off” We all agree that JMC is the best holiday we have ever had. For a place to have that impact on all of us in just 8 days is incredible. We all still say that it feels like a bit of a dream.

Holidays with the accountants. This is a expensive holiday, in my mind unnecessarily expensive. They charge the very top western prices, while paying local expenses and wages. Evidence of cost cutting popped up everywhere. The lovely local workers were clearly strained. Sadly, I think you can do a lot better for such significant spend.