Outrigger On The Lagoon Fiji
Readers Reviews
Stephen & Emma
November 2006
We haven't been to many "5 star resorts" so not trying to be experts on this, but from our experience the Outrigger was fantastic. We spent 8 nights there for our 10 yr wedding anniversary and took our 3.5 and 6.5 year old kids because we heard the the place had good kids club. And it did, indigenous Fijians are such beautiful, friendly people and they love kids. They wanted to take out little boy back to their village !
The food was lovely. Other reviews we read before going there noted how expensive it was...yes it is, but if you do your homework and budget for this, you shouldn't complain but rather expect it as part of the holiday.
We checked out meal prices at the various restaurants via our travel agent before we went over, comparing as to whether better off prepurchasing meal vouchers. In the end we decided to not get meal vouchers so we wouldn't be locked in to having to get meals from certain places.
If you like stir-fries, the wok fried, poolside, choose your own ingredients/sauce lunch is great.
Also recommend the Asian Buffet in the main restaurant...again costs a lot ($46FJ) but recommend it if you like asian, just make sure you go there on an empty stomach.
For us it was a fabulous, relaxing, get away from the world resort. As well as the staff, we met many other families from Australia and NZ, esp with kids around
similar ages to our kids.
The pool is large enough for both adults and kids with a number of safe shallow areas. There are the usual snorkelling, canoeing activities...but we were too lazy !!
We stayed in a deluxe ocean view room, but with the palm trees was only really slight glimpse of the ocean...next time we would stay in the standard cost room on the lower floors. The more expensive "bures" looked good, but you'd want one with a bit of privacy, ie not in the main walkway path where people could easily look in.
We went to the local town Sigatoka for shopping and for a bit of experience different to the resort. Caught a cab from Johnny's for $12FJ return. Johnny's is next to the resort, it's a separate cab service and shop...can buy bread & chips there if want to have cheap eats.
In summary we would not hesitate to go back to the Outrigger. It was safe, beautiful, just about all we could ask for as a relaxing spoil yourself holiday.
Yvette & Lenny
March 2006
We recently returned March 2006, from 9 days at the Outrigger on the
Lagoon. We were a family of three (two adults and 1.5 year old). Firstly
let me say that we stayed in the Bure and it was absolutely lovely. It
was conveniently located near the food and pool and I could not have
asked for a better standard of accommodation and location.
That in my view ends the positive aspects of the Outrigger: The
negatives however are plenty
(i) My child was to young for the clubs and therefore could not
participate. I did hire a baby sitter and when I arrived back to the
bure, my child was awake and the sitter was asleep.
(ii) The food was absolutely disgusting. There was very limited
amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables and in my view a diet of pasta,
pizza and chips were not up to the standard that is expected from a 5
star resort. I thought strongly suggest that you don't eat at the
resort, but walk up the beach to the other establishments. This however
is difficult with a small toddler.
(iii) I felt that this resort was not for a family with a small child
and was so boring that I will not be going back.
Selwood
2005
WE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM FIJI WITH OUR 15 & 13
YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS. CAN I JUST SAY THAT THE OUTRIGGER MAY BE A 5 STAR RESORT BUT
WE HAD THE MOST BORING TIME THERE EVER. THE GARDENS ARE 5 STAR, THE ROOMS 3 STAR
AND THE FOOD VERY ORDINARY & RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE. $30 FD FOR A BREAKFAST? THE
13 YEAR OLD HAD 1 EGG & A SLICE OF TOAST AND WAS CHARGED $30. DON'T EVEN BOTHER
ORDERING PIZZA. WE COME FROM THE PIZZA CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA & KNOW OUR PIZZA BUT
$25.00 FOR A PIZZA THAT IS REALLY BREAD DOUGH WITH A TOPPING IS CRAZY. DO
YOURSELF A FAVOUR : EITHER STAY SOMEWHERE ELSE OR WALK TO THE BEACH, TURN RIGHT,
WALK 50 METRES AND YOU CAN GET YOUR HAIR BRAIDED FOR $0.80 PER BRAID ($2.00 IN
OUTRIGGER) EAT BREAKFAST FOR $7.00 AT LE CAFE OR THE BEACH SIDE RESTAURANT AND
DRINK WINE AND BEER WITHOUT FEELING LIKE YOU'VE JUST BOUGHT SHARES IN THE
BREWERY. JOHNNY'S TAXIS WILL TAKE YOU TO SIGATOKA FOR $5 EACH WAY, OR HE WILL
ALSO ORGANISE A TAXI TOUR TO SUVA, COMPLETE WITH VERY INFORMED DRIVER FOR $130.
MUCH CHEAPER, SAFER, MORE INFORMATIVE AND MORE RELAXING THAN HIRING YOUR OWN
VEHICLE. EXCESS CAN BE $3000 - $5000 ON HIRE CARS. DON'T TAKE THE RISK.
ON THE OTHER HAND, BLUE LAGOON CRUISES. WE DID
THE 3 NIGHT/4 DAY GOLD CRUISE ABOARD THE MYSTIQUE PRINCESS. ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!
FOOD WAS MAGNIFICENT (THEY FEED YOU 5 TIMES A DAY), THE CREW WERE HYSTERICALLY
FUNNY, VERY PROFESSIONAL, EXTREMELY ORGANISED AND THEY MADE US ALL CRY WHEN THEY
SANG GOODBYE TO US. THE BEACHES ARE WHITE, THE WATER IS BLUE AND THE POSTCARDS
DO NOT DO THE CRUISE JUSTICE. NO BODY WANTED TO GET OFF THE SHIP AND I KNOW WE
HAVE MADE LIFELONG FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING THE CREW. SPECIAL
MENTIONS TO CAPTAIN SIMI, ALFIE FOR BEING SO ORGANISED AND INCREDIBLY FUNNY AND
FOR THE BEST COMMENTARY ON THE INTER-SHIP VOLLEY-BALL MATCH, MINI FOR BEING ONE
OF THE LOVLIEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET AND WHO LAUGHS LIKE A KOOKABURRA, TUI FOR
KEEPING US FED AND WATERED, MANELLI FOR RUNNING THE MOBILE BAR AND FOR
ENTERTAINING LAUREN (OR WAS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND), FRANCIS FOR THE
UNFORGETTABLE FISH FEEDING FOOD FIGHT AND JOE FOR HIS CALMING PRESENCE AND
KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA. THEY WILL CERTAINLY SEE OUR FACES AGAIN. WOULD GO BACK
TOMORROW.
Fleur Goulding
2005
We have just returned from 10 glorious days at
the Outrigger on the Lagoon. We were a group of three families, six adults and
five kids (3 x nearly 4-year olds, 1 x 2-year old and 1 x 14 month old). The
Outrigger suited all kids really well. The pool is perfect for young (and older
kids) as it is lagoon style complete with a special ‘river’ section for the
toddlers and pre-schoolers. We could relax by the pool and know that the kids
weren’t about to jump into deep water as the perimeter of the pool along one
side is only knee deep. Our 4 year olds went to at least one session of the Kids
Club each day and really seemed to enjoy it. We went during school term time, so
most of the kids seemed to be under 5’s and only about ten in each session.
Activities ranged from games like ‘poison ball’, treasure hunts and drawing
competitions to beach walks, paper boat races and ball games. In the evenings
both the Kids Clubs (Little Riggers for younger kids and Beach Riggers for the
older kids) are together and the activities include things like a Disco, Talent
Quests, Costume Making and ball games.
The kids all eat free from the Kids Menu at any
of the Restaurants (Vale Ni Kana, Sundowner Pizza Bar and Baravi Bar – by the
pool). If your kids like to eat early (ie before 6 pm), then the best bet is to
pre-order their dinner with the Kids Club. Kids Club lunch is at 12:30 and
dinner at 5:30 in the main Vale Ni Kana area. This way their meals will arrive
promptly. If you wait and order directly from any of the restaurants with your
meals you can expect at least a half hour wait before their meals arrive. The
same goes for lunch if you order at the Pool Bar. Order about half an hour
before your kids will want to eat, don’t wait until they say they are hungry.
The variety on the kids’ menus is good and even after ten days of lunches and
dinners we hadn’t exhausted all the menu options.
In terms of adults dinning, you can either buy
vouchers or just pay as you go (charge it to your room). We found that the
servings are pretty big and so the vouchers were a good option as we could share
a lunch or dinner at the Mongolian BBQ/Pasta Bar or at the Sundowner. On many of
the days if we’d had a full breakfast we wouldn’t each lunch. Just outside the
hotel (along the beach), there are a couple of places to eat and you can also
buy fruit from one of the roadside stalls. A pineapple or paw paw might cost you
a couple a dollars and, after a big breakfast, is plenty to keep you going until
dinner. The Bedarra Inn is also along the beach in walking distance and has a
pleasant restaurant. Continental breakfast is $10 at the Bedarra and lunch will
set you back about the same, which is much cheaper than at the Outrigger
(although the choices are not as extensive). At dinner time the prices are about
the same. There’s a little eating place called Le Café just outside the resort,
which does breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mains at dinner time are about $12 for a
curry or rice dish or they do a set three course meal for about $20. They also
have a cheap happy hour with local beer and spirits for $2.
Here’s a tip with the water. If you buy a
bottle of water, you can have it refilled with filtered water at the Vale Ni
Kana for free.
This time we did a couple of tours, including a
great day tour with Captain Cook cruises to ‘Mystery Island’. Highly recommended
as you get a terrific boat cruise on an old sailing boat (our son ran around
pretending he was Captain Feathersword) and then plenty of time for swimming,
snorkelling or just relaxing on the island. They are a bit disorganised though
(Fiji time), so make sure you get on the first snorkelling trip, otherwise you
might find yourself without a mask or flippers.
We chose to have a Resort View Room with a king
bed and a fold out sofa bed. We spent so little time in our room we didn’t need
to fold it away. If you have one child and a baby or toddler who still sleeps in
a cot, go for this room configuration (otherwise it’s a bit of squeeze with two
queen beds and a cot). While the bures are lovely (and you get a nightly glass
of champagne and nibbles), we didn’t think it was worth the extra cost as it’s
still just one room.
All in all this is a top class resort, the
staff are fabulous (do get a baby sitter they are just wonderful and kind), the
facilities are first rate and the food’s great (although not cheap). Also make
sure you treat yourself to dinner at the IVI at least once. Fabulous!
Margaret
April 2005
Our family of 5, including 3 children aged 7,10, 12 have just returned from
10 wonderful days in Fiji, staying 7 nights at Outrigger Resort, 2 nights at
Plantation Island and 1 night at Tokatoka Resort. The combination of staying on
the mainland and an island was perfect and would definitely recommend it, it was
a great fun relaxing holiday for everybody.
The Outrigger Resort is beautiful, well organised, has lots of activities,
Fijian entertainment and very friendly staff. It catered well for all of us with
a great pool and kids club for older children that had fun games and
competitions. Take swimming goggles for the children as the pool is highly
chlorinated. We had 2 interconnecting hotel rooms and were told when we arrived
that because of this our children all ate free. This was not advertised or
mentioned when we booked thru our travel agent so it was a real bonus. The adult
meal deals were available but are no cheaper than just buying the meals
individually when you felt like them. Food was all great. There is a small shop
and taxi stand along the beach front to the right where transport is cheaper
than going thru the hotel lobby. The nearby town of Sigatoka is pretty quiet
with really only 2 souvenir shops worth looking at, a couple of supermarkets and
a money exchange.
Plantation Island is a beautiful spot with sandy beaches and clear blue water
but the resort is a bit basic, disorganised and should have more air
conditioning. Our room had a dripping, leaking shower, smelly septic toilet and
was too hot to sleep with fans full on even in April. The resort advertises free
snorkelling trips and fishing trips twice a day which weren't always on and were
usually booked out, a bit disappointing. The children still had a great time,
kayaking, swimming and snorkelling on the beachfront with all the other
children. The food was ok and sitting on the beachfront at dinner was lovely but
the staff were not very friendly.
TokaToka resort was ok, there is a huge water slide for the children and is a
great location for the airport and early flights.
David, Janiene, Madison and Lachlan
December 2004
We recently took our 7 yr old girl and 4 yr old boy to The Outrigger on the
Lagoon in Fiji. It was a last minute decision since our daughter finished school
earlier than most and we chose Fiji for the proximity to Australia - only about
3 1/2 hour flight. Our arrival into Fiji was very smooth and the transition to
our private car transfer (thankyou to those for the tip) was also very smooth. I
must say I was very pleasantly surprised to be travelling down in a recent model
Mercedes Benz - beats the bus anytime.
We arrived at the resort early evening and quickly settled into the routine -
eat, drink and relax. Our ocean view room (complimenatry upgrade from resort
view) was spacious enough to have the sofa bed open at all times for the kids
and still be able to move around. Even though it was located at the top of the
resort, the walk isn't far to the pool and restaurants and is covered if it
rains. The beach front bures will be the go next time though - great position
and a sea breeze.
We decided not to do the meal plans but eat as we needed to. Since the kids
stayed and ate for free off the kids menu (which they loved), we filled up at
breakfast and then shared a meal at the pool for lunch. In general, the meals
weren't cheap, but you could definitely eat your moneys worth as the food is
fabulous, especially the traditional salads. Day 1 was spent collecting supplies
in Sigatoka: water, Coke, chips, bread, butter and vegemite for quick, easy and
cheap snacks. Not a lot to see and do in Sigatoka apart from a quick walk around
the markets - taxi fare from the resort is $18 round trip, but only pay the
driver $9 for one way and pick up another taxi in town - this one will only be
$5.
The kids went to kids club every day for at least one session and had an
absolutely great time - the staff love the kids. The rest of the time they swam
in the pool. We were very surprised at the lack of people at the resort this
time of year. The restaurants, pool and pool chairs and the kids club were NEVER
full and don't believe everything you read about "Fiji time". We never
experienced it once. There are plenty of daily activities organised by the staff
- aqua aerobics, pool volleyball, beach volleyball, complementary scuba dives in
the resort pool every day at 1:00pm are just some.
Babysitting is cheap -$5 per hour and they will do whatever you want. We had
them get our kids dressed and take to breakfast then drop at kids club while we
went diving one morning. If you have a baby with you, it won't be long before
they are taken from you at dinner and carried around while you eat - they love
kids.
The best hair braiding we found is done just outside the resort - head along
the beach to the right, then along the road for about 50 metres.
The only negative is the early flight back to Sydney resulting in a 5:00 am
pick up, but at least the car is comfortable and you can catch some zzzz's on
the way.
Would I recommend this resort to couples - yes, families - definitely. Would
I go back - can't wait!!
Diane
Bula, Have just arrived back from 17 days in Fiji my 3rd trip since march 2003
as you can see I am addicted. I took my 12 and 15 year old. We spent the first 4
days at the outrigger as I won the accommodation for free -I found it very
expensive as my kids have adult appetites so were unable to eat off the kids
menu which would have been free. We had breakfast daily one lunch and one dinner
at the resort only for a cost of $421.00. This included one soft drink each for
the lunch and dinner. I found the place to big and the staff not as friendly as
previous visits. No night time entertainment either.
Next stop the Naviti we
have been there twice before what a change familiar staff with big hugs and
extra warm Bula to greet us it felt like coming home.
The resort has had some changes in the last 12 months they have added a pool
bistro and refurbished the restaurant and opened another restaurant next to the
golf course Asian cuisine the all inclusive package is still the best deal in
Fiji and the nightly shows were a welcome as was the nightly disco for my kids.
Some staff have left and gone to other resorts but we caught up with all of them
which was great. Ma (blue house opposite the main gates) still has the best and
cheapest braids compared to the resort or the hut on the beach, they also do a
laundry service $10.00 for a bag wash/iron compared to the Naviti $25.00 or the
beach hut wash only for $10.00 also since the free massage was taken out of the
all inclusive package they are doing massages now for $10.00 per half hour at
that price I had one every 2nd day. Once again my time went all to quickly so I
hope the next year goes just as fast until I return again. Bula Vinaka
Kate and Pirimai Te Rure
We recently returned from a holiday at the Outrigger Reef Fiji and wanted to
share our great experience. My 6 year old daughter Pirimai was in the Little
Riggers Club and she had the time of her life. The staff are fantastic. They
really like children and were brilliant with all of them. I got the impression
that they went the extra mile to make sure the children had fun. Pirimai
definitely did. She slept better at the resort than she ever has, she was so
tired and happy at the end of every day. The activities are well planned and
there's just the right mix to keep things interesting. I would absolutely
recommend the Outrigger Resort Fiji for a holiday. If you have children this is
the place to go.
Shana Fercher
I recently arrived home after visiting
the outrigger Resort in Fiji and the Le Lagon in Vanuatu.
We cannot praise the outrigger high
enough. It has a fabulous kids club. The food in the resort was
wonderful. The breakfast probably our favourite also the pizza cafe
was the best pizzas our family had tasted in our lives.
We stayed in a deluxe ocean view
room. Probably next time would stay in a bungalow as you do do a lot
of walking each day up and down to your room.
The highlight was our walk each day
to the village about 800m away where our kids had more fun than kids
club, playing games with the local children.
The Le Lagon was also great in
Vanuatu. The all inclusive meal plan was probably not quite as good
as Fiji food. We found Vanuatu also easier to get around on a local
bus, and a lot better shopping than Fiji. Also the Markets in
Vanuatu are a pleasant experience unlike Fiji. All in all both are highly
recommended for a very cultural experience that your family would
never forget.
Stephen Goulding
2003
We have just returned
from a Fiji holiday with our 22 month old and another couple with their 6 month
old. All up we really enjoyed our holiday and highly recommend the Outrigger
Reef Resort. Fiji truly is a great family destination, no worries about the
water, its clean and the Fijians are genuinely welcoming. We did learn a thing
or two about holidaying in Fiji though:
1. Don't try to do
anything out of the ordinary and expect it to go off without a hitch. Instead of
taking the coach transfer from Nadi to the Outrigger we decided to hire a car
with two child seats and drive ourselves. Save stopping at all the other resorts
along the way, a good idea in theory, however we arrived at Nadi after no sleep
to find that Budget did not only not have the car we booked and had a
confirmation note for, but had no baby seats at all. In the end after waiting
around for 2 hours at the airport trying to negotiate something we took two
smaller cars and our son (22 months) had to go without a restraint. The other
baby seat that they 'found' did not have a bolt attachment and was filthy. The
moral - catch the bus or organise a private car transfer.
2. The Outrigger is a
fantastic resort, the staff are wonderful and the restaurants are a good mix of
casual wood fired pizza and really good fine dining (get a babysitter and
enjoy!!). The pool is also the best style for young children as it has lots of
shallow areas with rocks to climb on and water jets to play with. A couple of
hints though if you have small children. Request a room with a king bed and sofa
bed if you staying in the 'hotel' style rooms, as our room had two doubles and
we had to push the beds together so we could just squeeze in the port-a-cot. The
king bed room has much more room. The bures are probably a better option for
small children, as you can lay outside in the hammock while they have a nap and
the room is more spacious. It's also probably a good idea to take some plastic
bowls/plates and spoons/forks. As the resort only has china crockery and adult
size cutlery. Saves having to worry about the inevitable accidents. It is also a
good idea to purchase your meal plan before you go, as this is the best value
for money. The moral - I can't recommend Outrigger highly enough.
3. I am unable to
comment on Musket Cove, as although we had booked and paid for 3 nights, they
rang the night before we were supposed to leave the Outrigger saying that they
had no room for us as they were over booked. In the end we negotiated to stay at
the Outrigger and be upgraded to a ocean front bure, which was just wonderful.
The moral - beware of Musket Cove, it may be a really nice resort but their
booking practices are a bit dicey.
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