Plantation Island Resort Fiji

The Bell Family
July 2007

Have just returned from 5 nights at Plantation Resort along with our children aged 8 and 10 years. We enjoyed a beachfront bure which was roomy and comfortable, right on the beach, and benefited from gentle offshore breezes. The temperature in July was a comfortable hot - we ran the ceiling fans day and night but they weren't noisy. We took light sweatshirts for the evenings but never wore them. We noticed it was hotter away from the beach. It did not rain, and we never saw a single mosquito in July.

The setting is exquisite. There is nothing as wonderful as relaxing in a hammock right in front of our unit watching a colourful sunset, before going out for dinner (yay, I didn't have to cook).

The food was adequate, but not great. The meal packages were not good value for our family. We found the food at Anandas (by the airport) better than the resort and slightly cheaper, also their service was better, and my children preferred their food.

We found the staff to be incredibly friendly, but that didn't really make up for their continual inefficiency. Repeatedly they gave us inadequate information for activities, or ignored us while they did something else before helping us, their guests. We were given a booklet about activities etc at the resort, but it proved worse than useless and highly inaccurate, sometimes directly contradicting itself.

We loved the snorkelling trip, a five-minute boat ride from the resort. The first time the tide was low, we could rest on the sandbar, and the children were safe snorkelling in knee-deep water. Our second trip out (had to book two days in advance) the tide was high, the sandbar covered, and the water too deep and too rough for the children to snorkel. It would have been good if the staff had warned us about that.

My son loved the kids club, but I can't figure out why. Perhaps it was just the TV. Once I looked into the creche where the children were watching the TV and there were three staff asleep on the floor.

The beach is tidal and muddy at the airport end, but in front of the beachfront bures the water didn't go out too far. It was lovely watching the children hunting for crabs when the tide did go out. They paddled in the sea as much as the pool.

The equipment was in good order. The tennis gear was new. The minigolf gear was okay, but the course pretty useless. The snorkelling gear was good and fairly new, but there was not enough and they ran out before everyone on the snorkelling trip was fitted out. There were not enough paddles for the boats - the staff told us to search the beach, but guests had put them in their rooms so they could use them when they wanted instead of sharing them.

Our transfers went smoothly and were at good times. We had a night at each end of the trip at Tokatoka in Nadi - it was awful and basic but we weren't there long, and the food at Tokatoka was horribly expensive and inadequate ($17 for a Continental breakfast with a poor selection of food).

Despite the problems I would return tomorrow if I could. The beauty and peace at Plantation more than makes up for the inefficiencies and we had a wonderful holiday.

Kevin
March 2007

I read reviews on Plantation and we went expecting basic accommodation and bland food etc. Well from the moment we arrived we thought we'd gone to a different island. Those who write negative reviews obviously have their noses in the air!

We have a 6yr/5yr and 2yr old. This is a great family resort.

HOTEL ROOM – is the basic lead in room. If you can get an ocean front on the ground floor this would be best. They have 2 single beds in 1 room and a king bed in the second room with the bathroom at the back. They are airconditioned and very comfortable.

2 BEDROOM GARDEN BURE – is probably the best room, but some are are located a 2-3 minute walk from reception/restaurants. (No big deal but it’s a pain when you forget something) These rooms have a room at the front with lounges – the next room is huge for children 2 single beds and a cot – the next room has a king bed with a bathroom of it and then a room out the back where the fridge is and another lounge leading to the back door.

STUDIO POOL BURE – this is where I would recommend for those who like to be next to a pool. This is situated around the 3rd pool which is fantastic as if the kids fall asleep you can still go for a swim and not be too far away. There is a raised section in the middle of this pool for the little ones to run on. When you walk in there is a lounge and small table. You then walk into the main room which is huge with a king bed and 2 single beds and ample room for a cot. These rooms had a separate toilet and a bathroom. These rooms are probably about 1 – 1.1/2 minute walk to reception/restaurants.

The kids pool with the slide is very popular with a separate baby section.

I wouldn’t stay in a beachfront bure as although it’s nice to wake up to a beach outside your front door. Realistically you spend more time in the pool with kids remember the tides so it’s not like you can swim in the ocean in low tide without having to go out far.

The reviews we read on food didn’t get too much of a good note, however, we were shocked. I guess everyone expects different things. Childrens meals are great. For the whole 10 days that we were there they had hot chips on the menu twice. There’s plenty of vegetables and not much other fried crap. Although they do have ice cream for the children every night…but hey they have it for the adults too.

The adults menu is superb. We had a full buffet/continental breakfast and full buffet/chefs special as part of our package and this worked well. We find that it is too hot during the day to eat. You can buy hamburgers etc at the snack bar.

The Fijian woman absolutely adore children. So babysitting for $3.00FJD who can complain. If you have a stroller – take it with you. You can hire them but it’s $10.00FJD a day. The kids club is also great. Our children opted to stay with us as we did activities during the day. After their dinner they were happy to run around with their new found friends and then watch a movie.

Take plenty of aeroguard if going during rainy season.

We took our own snorkeling gear which worked out great, although I noticed that there gear is quite new (not what the reviews said).

Overall Plantation Island is definately somewhere where we will be visiting in the near future. Forget the upmarket resorts Plantation is comfortable, affordable and best of all a child friendly family resort.

Thank you to all who made our holiday a memorable one.

Megan
May 2007

We have just returned from our wonderful holiday in fiji. Our party was 6 adults, 2 six year olds, and 2 three year olds. We all flew out of Sydney airport on the 8.10am Virgin flight which took just over 3 hours. Virgin has mini T.V's that you can hire for $15 per flight which keep the kids amused for a time. To get to Plantation we had organised a plane transfer so that we didn't have to spend the night in Nadi and to also get to the island asap. We stayed for 4 nights.

Our bure's, 3 altogether were right on the beach, we had bure 209 which was absolutely beach front whilst the other two bure's were slightly set back. The bure's were huge, our 2 boys slept together in the same room, single beds, and we had a very comfortable queen size. The bure also had a seating area with a small lounge and 2 single chairs. It was also airconditioned, which we could've lived without as they also had ceiling fans.

The grounds of the resort were beautiful, very well maintained. The three pools were great, our kids loved all 3, but the kids pool slide was their favourite. Taking the kids swimming goggles was one of the best things that we brought with us, so don't forget those.

The food was average, not bad but not spectacular, remember it's a 3 star resort. The kids meals weren't that crash hot for dinner but breakfast and lunch were pretty good. The service is typical fiji style, nothing comes in a hurry so you just have to sit back and relax, which is why we all go there right?

When the tide is in it looks spectacular!!!! When it's out though it does look a little ugly, but it's only for a little while, and it's a good opportunity for the kids to explore like our kids did. There was great snorkeling just outside our bure, plenty of star fish, and lots of coral fish, just beautiful The kids club was pretty average. We only really used it at night time so that us adults could dine in peace. y 2 boys took a while to warm up to going to kids club but my 2 nieces seemed to love it. There wasn't that many cultural things that they did in kids club, and watching a movie from 7.30pm at night didn't inspire them much. We didn't go to fiji to put our kids in kids club all day though. After we all put our kids to bed we were able to sit outside our bure's for a few drinks and a chat or if you wanted to there was always something happening in the lounge, like frog and crab racing.

The staff were friendly enough, but you could tell that they didn't love the place. When we were there apparently out of 600 there was only roughly 150 people staying there, so we got the full menu choice at dinner. We purchased breakfast and dinner only, as there was a few different places to get food. There is a shop that you can buy nibbles, soft drink and beers from at resort prices. So bring your own aerogard and sunsceen and drink you duty free before and after dinner to cut down on your beverage bill. $17 for a cocktail!! I don't think that i would like to stay there at full capacity, the resort is big but i personally don't want to be at a resort with that many people.

So would i go back? Yes, but only after i had been to other resorts. It's great for families, great beach front bure's, beautifully close snorkelling and spectacular sand and water.

The Rose Family
May 2007

We have just returned from our fantastic family holiday to Fiji. My husband and I have travelled extensively (before children) and found Plantation Island Resort to be a wonderful piece of paradise. I was very impressed with the resort. It exceeded my expectations. I wasn't expecting too much as it is rated 3 star & I had read a few negative reviews. I really feel once renovations are complete, this resort will be re-rated and the 3 star days will be gone. Renovations did not disrupt our holiday. Work on the new Kids Club is extensive, but all fenced off, and away from the main resort area. It will take approx. 2 years from now to finish, but will have a kids car track, playground and waterslides, adjacent to a new restaurant and conference area. Reception and shops are all complete and look very professional. Walk into reception and it feels very 5 star. Our room - Studio Garden Bure was beautiful. Large enough for us. A queen bed with two singles for the kids. Lounge and coffee table, bar fridge and tea and coffee facilities. The bathroom was a good design and the tiles looked modern and new, but there were a few cracked. That didn't bother us at all. The shower was good. The little balcony had two chairs and a coffee table, and looking off to the side, you could see the beach. The bure was perfect for us, we weren't in it a lot though. I was expecting the room just to be fan cooled, but we did have air conditioning which we used in the evenings. The room also had a safe. Clothes line is strung outside the bure as well, so you can do a load of washing in the laundry and hang it out and it will be dry in a couple of hours. Mossies were pretty bad (as we were in the tropics) but we came prepared with Aeroguard, our own mosquito coils and a plug in Mortein burner. We burned a mosquito coil while we were at dinner, and we used Aeroguard from 5pm, and we only received a couple of bites. Some people though, were covered in bites. They burn mosquito coils in the restaurant under ! each table which is good.

Water activities were plentyful, and if it cost, it was priced reasonably. The kids loved the banana boat ride (F$9). My husband went scuba diving (F$150/2 dive sites) and he said it was the best he had ever done anywhere in the world. He also went deep sea fishing (F$95) and caught some huge Yellow Fin Tuna, which you can then have the restaurant cook you for dinner. Snorkelling off the pontoon was beautiful, and there were also free snorkelling trips twice daily. We took our own snorkelling gear.

Our kids are 12 and 10. The Coconut Kids Club was great. The kids participated in a lot of activities, and played table tennis and air hockey. They also loved the waterslide pool. Our daughter celebrated her 12th birthday while we were there. We made sure we left while she was 11, as the package on offer was kids under 12 stay free and eat free. On the night of her birthday, the restaurant staff sang her a birthday song, and presented her with a cake. You can arrange this the day before with the restaurant. All the guests in the restaurant joined in singing happy birthday. The food was fine. The kids were getting a little tired of buffets, but there was always something there for them. We had a few buffets, then ordered from the set menu which changed nightly. On the second day we purchased a couple of Adult 3 meal vouchers (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and a few 2 meal vouchers (breakfast/dinner) and found these to be great value. We had a change one day and walked up to the supermarket near the airport and bought a loaf of bread (which stayed fresh for 3 days), a bottle of softdrink and went to the beach snack bar and bought some chips. We had a picnic lunch right on the beach. I also took snacks from home and declared them on arrival in Fiji. That saved the kids buying packets of chips etc through the day as they are expensive from the resort store. I was worried about the price of water, as we stayed at the Raffles Gateway in Nadi (basic but fine for overnight) on our first night, and paid $4 for a 1 litre bottle. We then purchased water at the Denarau Wharf for $2.95, and then found it was the same price at the supermarket near the airport on Plantation Island. We didn't need to carry it from Nadi after all. Each day, a big 10 litre container of water is delivered to the rooms, so we didn't end up buying any more after we had the water in our room. The staff were all lovely, some more reserved than others, but they did their job wonderfully and you could tell they enjoyed being there!

We cant wait to go back again (before our son turns 12)!

The Jeffery Family
March 2007

We have just returned from Fiji, where we had a very relaxing time. Firstly, we stayed at the Tokatoka Resort for one night, which is very basic but if you are only there one night it is okay. The children thought the pool was great but because our flight from Sydney, got in too late the slide had already closed for the evening. We sat near the pool and watched the children but we were eaten alive by mosquitos, so had to go back to our room. There didn't seem to be many people staying at the resort.

We had a mix up the next morning with our transfer to Denarau for the 1030am launch. I had booked a coach transfer with our travel agent but when I reconfirmed with the Coral Sun representative at Nadi Airport, she told me to be ready by 745am. We thought this was a bit early but did it anyway. It turned out that they had organised a private car transfer for us, that our family of four and all our luggage had to squeeze into, with one of my daughters having to sit on my lap. Anyway, when we got to Denarau we had to wait for 2 hours till the boat departed and there is nothing to do at the Port! I would have preferred to have slept in.

We had a beach bure (no 203) on Plantation Island and it was right near the water, which was beautiful. This was definitely the better end of the resort. The Bure's are pretty simple but okay, although the bathroom could do with a renovation. There were heaps of mosquitos on the island due to the rainy season, so make sure you take your own Aerogard, as we had to pay $FJ9 for a small can that only lasted two days. My sister had a garden bure, because they had a family of five and although it was pretty spacious, the mosquitos were 10 times worse in the garden area. They also had a lot of holes in the fly screens and were annoyed by the insects all night. They did not have air conditioning. We had air conditioning in our bure and it ran all day and all night. Make sure you get air conditioning.

We payed for our food before we left and we thought this was a good idea. We had bfast and dinner included. The children could eat free from the buffet for all meals. We didn't think that the meals were very good. You had to order from a menu for hot food and the only other food available from the buffet was very limited cereals and pastries and toast. There was also some fruit. I have been to other islands and resorts and I always enjoy the large range of food available at the buffets, Plantation Island need to change their buffet, especially since you pay a lot of money for it. You could have dinner on the sand in front of the water, which we did on our first night but never again. The whole time we were scratching our feet and legs because of the mozzies or sand flies. I couldn't wait to finish dinner and leave. The next night they opened a new section that had a concrete floor and although the mozzies were still pretty bad, I had sprayed the Aerogard on before dinner and that kept them at bay. If the children wanted to eat from the free buffet they had to have taken their dinner by 6.30pm because that's when the staff pack it away. This always meant rushing down to the restaurant, when I would rather be lying in the hammock reading my book and getting them fed and off to kids club, so that we could eat. If they didn't go to kids club they had to sit and wait for us to have our dinner.

The children loved the water slide into the childrens pool. They couldn't get enough of it. Every day for hours they would play in it. The other pools were okay but nothing special.

I enjoyed going out for the free snorkelling trips. The reef is damaged but the range of fish is amazing. They only go out for 45 minutes and we would have liked it to be a bit longer. The girls (aged 7 & 9) loved the banana boat ride and kept asking if they could do it again. It cost FJ$10 each. Take your own snorkelling gear. Some days they didn't have any available and when you did get it, it was usually faulty.

The kids club was okay but I felt that they spent too many hours watching the TV. I only put them in when they had an activity to do.

The staff were not as friendly as we have found at other resorts, which was a shame because it makes your stay memorable when you get to know them. There were also a lot of renovations going on when we were there but most of the restaurants had reopened.

Overall, our stay was pretty good. I tried to look past the problems with food, etc because I knew that the resort was only rated 3 stars. The best part was the position of the Bure we stayed in and that you could really relax. Nobody cared if you had bare feet at dinner time!

Lastly, we stayed at the Sofitel Resort at Denarau Island. It was really nice. The girls had bunk beds in the family room and the room was well kept. The pool was nice and the food at the restaurants was great. The girls loved that they had their own little childrens food section at the buffet! The staff were friendly and the Bula bus was a great way to have a look around the island at the other resorts. Again, the mosquitos were really bad at sunset, it's a shame that they don't do more to control their breeding. I would like to say that it is much nicer if you go out to the islands to stay. The beaches are better and you get a bit more of the Fiji experience.

Sandra
February 2007

This is by far the worst resort that I have ever stayed at...and I have traveled a lot! All the bad reviews about Plantation are true, and even though I read them, I still decided to go anyway thinking that the bad reviews were exaggerated. THEY WEREN'T! We went in February, which is the rainy season in Fiji. The weather was perfect...not a drop of rain the whole week, but Plantation and surrounding restaurants and markets decided that because it was the off season, that this would be a good time to close down, or do construction or maintenance work on the resort. Not a day went by that we didn't hear construction crews working. All the restaurants were closed except for Plantation's and Dick' Place at Muskot Cove Resort. Don't they realize that off-season for them is peak travel time for the North when people want to travel to a warm place like Fiji?? Also, rainy season equals mosquito season so be prepared to be harassed by mosquitoes all day and night.

The food at Plantation was terrible!!! There was no selection at dinnertime. There was a set buffet that had one option for the main course with 4 or 5 options as side dishes. Even dessert was awful and it's very hard to screw up dessert, but they did! At lunch, forget trying to order something a little different than what was on the menu. Something as simple as asking for a salad on the side meant that I and my friends had to return our orders to the kitchen three times because my special request caused all their orders to be completely mixed up...I got no salad, my friend got only salad, my other friend got only the burger. The food is much, much better at Dick's Place, but also much more expensive and it's quite a walk in the heat and sun to get there.

There is no lagoon. That's right, NO LAGOON! Don't let anyone tell you that there is a lagoon. All that happens is that the tide goes out and leaves patches of muddy, ugly exposed ocean behind. The tide goes out at 1pm, so that means that if you truly want to enjoy the beautiful turquoise ocean, you need to get up early and get your day's worth of swimming in before 1pm. It is the ugliest beach I ever seen after 1pm. If you're more of a pool person anyway, there are three pools to choose from. There is a tiny kiddie pool that must be terribly busy and full during high season. There is a deeper pool that is so overly chlorinated that it stings your eyes and makes your nose burn after a short swim. There is a shallow, but large pool that is nice, but wear water shoes...the bottom is made from tile mosaic that is sharp and will cut up your feet.

If you’ve visited their website, then you’ve surely been impressed by the selection of activities that you can choose from. There are a lot of activities, but be prepared to be bored out of your mind after 5pm. Everything closes at 5pm and all activities where equipment is borrowed must be returned by then. Worst of all, if you want to borrow something at 4pm, they won’t give it to you because it’s too close to closing time. After 5pm, the resort is a ghost town. As for the free snorkeling…waste of time. The reef where you’re taken looks exactly the same as the reef that is just off the shore. And the free fishing trip is a joke, literally! My husband and others on the boat were handed an old, ruined, empty water bottle with fishing line wrapped around its body to be used as a reel. All the equipment is old and worn and unsafe…to think of brining children to this resort is frightening.

We stayed in a garden bure. We chose one without air conditioning, a big, big mistake on our part. The heat is intolerable, but not more so than the constant sound of three fans turning over your head. The bures are infested with geckos and cockroaches the size of the palm of your hand. They come with only a mini refrigerator and a kettle. Not even a microwave or toaster oven was included. Not even a TV! And yes, you think you don’t need a TV when you’re in paradise, but when everything shuts down at 5pm, and you can’t swim in the ugly muddy water, and your skin can’t take any more chlorine from the pool, you really want a TV. You can’t drink the water out of the tap and you definitely don’t want to drink the water they provide in a cooler either…it tastes like it came from the overly chlorinated pool I mentioned above.

I can’t say much about the staff except to say that they don’t say much either. They’re not unpleasant, but no attempts are made to be pleasant either. The staff at Musket Cove is much nicer.

In summary, considering we paid over $2000 Canadian for the bure (food not included…about $500 more) for our 6-night stay, it wasn’t worth even half of that amount. Please read this and the other bad reviews and believe that they are real and not exaggerated in the least. Those who thought it was great obviously haven’t stayed in any better a place and have low expectations to start with. Go to Fiji, but don’t stay at Plantation Island Resort…no matter what! TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY!

The Bragg Family
January 2007

Bula - We just returned from Plantation Island resort in Fiji where we spent 13 days in total. It was paradise for us!! We have two children aged 6 and 13 and the kids enjoyed all the activities the resort offered, and there was always something happening for them. We stayed in a studio Bure right on the beach which was magic! We found the staff to be friendly, but we got to know a few really well and were great with the kids which made the stay even more special. Meals were ok, and the meal plan seems to be the way to go versus paying on the day which can be expensive.

Kids club was good, they had a range of activities on offer each day, as well as in the evening (limbo competition, cultural dancing etc.. and finishing with a movie each night) great way to have kids finish the night while you have a meal and a cocktail:) The kids pool is great, has a water slide and was popular with all kids and adults. There are two other pools which are good, but one has to be retiled to fix loose tiles.

There are a couple of other restaurants on the island which offer a different menu and both accept some of the meal vouchers from plantation. Adult activities were really good, snorkeling, parasailing, banana boat rides, fishing, shell village trip, cooking lessons to name a few. Few tips-take your own snorkeling gear as some of the gear is not in good shape and you are sharing the gear with other guests. You can purchase new snorkeling gear from Plantation for $20.

Buy some duty free grog and drinks for kids as well as snack items to cut down on your bill as these items are expensive to purchase ($3.50 for a can of coke). If you have a family this is the place to go, reasonably priced, and beautiful beaches a place to relax:) January is a great time to go as it is between peak periods, and less crowded (700 plus people in December) while they were down to 200 in Jan. We will be heading back next year in 2008:)

The Taylor Family
March 2006

We went there with our 3 year old in March 06 and what a wonderful place. The island is what you always hope for. White sands and Crystal clear water. The kids club looked great. Although we didn’t use it as you need to be 4 and up it looked great. The other kids always seemed to want to be there. Cheap for baby sitting. The kids room for kids club was great and you are welcome to use it if you go there as well ( having a under 4 year old). Had a ball room and blow up castle. OK it wasn’t 5 star quality but hey kids don’t care.

The island itself was great. Once again not 5 star but we loved it. Would definitely go back there again. The accommodation suited us . It didn’t have air con but hey heat is what it is all about. The food was great. It had a 2 little shops too buy things from and we would buy bread and fruit for lunch. Breakky was in our package and dinner was more than reasonable at about $16 per person. Had free snorkelling and fishing morning and afternoon which the snorkelling was just great. We were there for 10 days and didn't even have time to do island activities.

We loved it and would go back.

Bec
January 2006

Wow! time flies so fast! Plantation Island was the best holiday place i have ever been to. It has friendly staff and a great atmosphere! Everything was perfect, we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves whilst taking our time and doing whatever we wanted at any time.

We stayed for 5 nights ( 3 of us) in a beachfornt bure and we were literally on the beach! with the sand all around us!. The bure was beautiful and we a had fully air conditioned room. It was cleaned every day (fabulous!) and we had great sleeps! It was also very close to everything. The water was beautiful and quite warm! there were many colourful fish and we got to experience many of the beautiful coral on a semi sub boat!

The food was to die for! Every night we ate the buffet theme and they were very satisfying!!!!!! Nightly entertainment was great and the staff were very laid back and helpful. The rooms were decorated very nicely and i enjoyed laying in the hammock every day! We spent most of our time on the beach, but I warn you wear sunscreen (the island is very humid & hot!) The island was very clean and tidy and was decorated very nicely.

I would definitely go back to plantation Island again and If your looking for an Island to stay at definitely pick Plantation!

Chris & Emma
September 2006

This was my fifth time to Fiji but the first time with my children so choosing a resort with a kids club was top priority for my husband and myself. My children are 7 and 9 years of age. We departed on the 11.30pm flight out of Melbourne. It was delayed 2 hours which was great as my kids had some sleep at home before we departed. They slept on the flight and seem to cope well with the full day in Fiji including time in the kids club. We arrived at the Shangri-La hotel at 10.00am greeted with music and a tropical juice. Our room was ready on arrival, but not all people had their rooms ready as some people had to wait until 2.00pm. We stayed in an Oceanview family room which we just loved if you don't mind walking distance to get to everything. If you like being close to the action then the the Lagoonview rooms are better. If you have young children and particularly a pram then I would recommend the lagoon view rooms and ground floor. They are near the main pool, beach, restaurants and kids club. We not believe how many people travel with prams and young babies.

The kids club was great, well supervised, great activities and organised. Breakfast was full of variety, from yoghurt, fresh fruits, pastries to hot food. The kids had free lunchboxes at lunchtime at the Lagoon terrace between 12-2pm. These were supplied in takeaway boxes then could be eaten whereever. We like our kids to eat a balanced diet and we found the choices here great. Everyday they got a container of watermelon and pineapple. Other choices were ham and salad sandwiches, fried rice, vegetables, crumbed fish, chips, spaghetti....and it meant our kids had healthy choices.

Our next stay was Plantation Island in a beach bure....which if you can afford it is the best choice for a family of four. The weather was warmer than we thought and having the sea breeze was great. The 2 bedroom family bures looked ok too but I would request one on the same side as the beach bures. The resort was busy with lots of families and I would not recommend it for a couple looking for quiet romance.

Considering it was an island resort the food was great with a different buffet choice everynight. I would strongly recommend buying the breakfast and dinner package before you go. Make sure the breakfast one includes hot food for all the family and that the children can eat with you at the buffet. We met many people with different food vouchers and some were told their children could only eat between 5-6.30pm for kids dinner. Our kids ate with us everynight then at 7.00pm they disappeared into the kids club (next to restaurant) and would pick them up about 9.00pm. All in all a good experience. There is a shop at Plantation too that sells fresh bread, cheese, yoghurt etc at good prices so you don't need to have lunch in the restaurant after a big breakfast. We enjoyed our stay and combining mainland with island was a good option. With the late flights from Melbourne, I would advise doing mainland first then finishing off with an island. We would do the same trip again tomorrow and did not have any bad experiences at all. "Vinaka" thankyou in Fijian.

Kate
May 2006

We stayed on Plantation Island with our children aged 6 & 8 for 9 nights in May. I booked our flights so that we didn't have to overnight in Nadi (it is possible - you can check the airlines timetables & then tell your travel agent!). We stayed in a garden bure which was 20metres from the beach and nothing between us and the ocean except a few palm trees. I thought the room was great - I especially loved the fact that it was cleaned daily, and even our sheets changed daily! We found the food great - our kids ate free and we were surprised at the relatively healthy food on offer- things like chow mein, cottage pie, chicken legs - not a nugget in sight! We adults took our own cereal and just bought lunch from the store (fresh bread). We bought some meal plans (breakfast & dinner) on a daily basis, as we needed them. It was cheaper to purchase them from the resort than our travel agent. We were really disappointed with Kids Club - a dark room with a bouncy castle and TV going. The kids wanted to go on a handline fishing trip and my husband decided to tag along. There were 2 Fijian girls and the boatman taking approx 25 kids. The kids were wearing life jackets, but only half of them had them done up - it could've been a real disaster. Another time the kids just left kids club and came to find us because they weren't enjoying themselves. You sign them in, but no-one takes any notice if they wander off! We did however, find the evening activities excellent, with Joe taking them for games, and then the airconditioned movie theatre showing Narnia & Harry Potter! The new pool by the tennis courts was fantastic. Overall, we would go back - just wouldn't use Kids Club.

Jenny
August 2006

Sigh.. tis all but a distant memory now !... We travelled with Pacific Air who were wonderful. Great food and the kids ( 8 & 4 ) were kept entertained with the inflight movie and the kids pack. Plantation Island was absolutely wonderful (albiet) we had a couple of "yucky" days in the middle. We stayed for 5 nights but felt we could have easily had another 2 or 3 to fit in all the things they have to offer. We didnt do enough just blobbing out ! We had a 2 bedroom garden bure which was opposite the jetty so very close to everything. The staff were amazing, meals brilliant and services wonderful. We cant wait to go again.

Rial
August 2006

We have just returned from 6 nights at Plantation Island. It was a wonderful resort - kept very clean and a nice surprise to have the rooms serviced each day. We had a studio bure which easily housed the 5 of us - 2 adults and kids 5, 3 and 1. After reading the reviews I was worried about the highchairs and cots provided but found them to be more than adequate, perhaps not meet Australian standards. The studio bures were great - more separate that the hotel rooms (great for noisy kids) and ours was right overlooking the beach!

It was a walk to the resort restaurants but that was ok considering all the food you seemed to eat with the 'prepurchased meal deals'. Next time I wouldn't purchase the lunch as well as you do tend to get enough food with breakfast and dinner provided and there is facilities to buy bread, etc on the island.

The kids club was mainly activities and we found that our kids were not quite up to joining in so much with the older ones, even though they both attend creche, kindergarten, etc. I thought we would use it more to spend time together but found that we paid a babysitter for those times and each night. They tend to keep sending the same babysitter each night (if possible) which is great for familiarity for the kids.

My only advice is take cash as there is no ATM facilities (limited to cash advances on the credit card of max $100 with a 10% commission) and we met a number of people who had been caught out. The nearest ATM is on the mainland. You can book most stuff to your room however you need to pay the babysitter cash and any other small items etc. If you want to take wine buy it before you get to the island as you can not buy it anywhere. We read a review to buy Fiji beer before you leave the mainland and did that and it saved a lot of money!

Overall, very good, relaxing, helpful and beautiful water and resort. The meal deals make if affordable and the food is suprisingly good considering the mass production - especially the mongolian stirfry cooked on the beach under the stars! Enjoy

Lisa
July 2006

Our family has just returned from 8 nights at Plantation Island and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We are a large family, my husband and I have 5 kids between us; two 16 year olds, 15 yrs, 13yrs and a nearly 12 yr old. (all girls so they shared a bure, there was adequate room)

We were accommodated in two bures down at the farther end of the beach near Anandas restaurant and the mini-mart and they were spacious and clean, serviced daily, with a large bathroom with a great hot shower.

We opted for the meal plans as a large family can certainly mean $$$$ for the food bill, and took the breakfast and dinner only. The food was great...plentiful with loads to choose from and we all had the feasts mostly as you could eat as much as you want. You could also choose from another menu which offered a choice of soup, 2 mains and dessert. We had that one night and it was lovely. Don't know what the al-acarte menu was like but it seemed plentiful but expensive.

The kids adored the full breakfasts. cereal, fruit, croissants, muffins, doughnuts etc, then a large selection of cooked breakfasts. We were stuffed full.

Obviously you don't feel like a full lunch after a huge breakfast, so we would daily go at 8am to the minimart and purchase fresh baked pizza bread, or rolls or bread and the first day we purchased peanut butter, jam, vegemite etc and made sandwiches. The fresh baked goods were delicious, if you go at 8 am they are still hot from the oven. This saved MAJOR $$$ on lunches. The snack bar down by the restaurant was shocking and extremely overpriced. We also took across from NZ meusli bars, bags of potato chips, pretzels, biscuits etc and just declared them on the way in. This saves heaps as well as all the swimming and activities makes kids hungrier then usual.

Most of the staff were lovely, especially some in the restaurant! Very friendly, but some were down right rude and sullen. We just avoided them! Don't take beach towels, you just swap them daily.

I was a bit worried before we went to Plantation based on some of the negative reviews and the fact that we have stayed over the past three years at Shang-ri-la, Matamatoa Island Resort and Sheraton Denerau (no kids) and they have been of a high standard.

Well, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, there was heaps to do, food plentiful, the surroundings lovely..we were right on the beach in our bures, it was lovely weather! They are constantly refurbishing it, there were new bures being built, and now 3 swimming pools. Brilliant for families!!!!! We will be back for sure!!!

Tracey
July 2006

Our family holidayed in Fiji a few weeks ago. We travelled 'Air Pacific' - and they were alright. We stayed at Raffles at Nadi (which is literally a 5 minute walk across the road from the airport!) for the first night - and also the last night. It was very nice - but meals weren't cheap - pretty much what you would expect over here though. Food was good though!

We stayed 5 nights at Plantation Island Resort in one of the hotel rooms. The room was so much better than what I expected. It had plantation shutters that you could keep open - and we were upstairs and could look straight out over the beach. You could close the kids room off if you wanted a bit of privacy - as it has a divider in the middle. There is a fridge and plenty of cupboards and powerpoints. The rooms got serviced everyday.

The staff were really friendly and we (and the kids) had our favourites! Plenty of free activities - snorkelling, kayaking, swimming. You signed off on a 20.00 deposit per towel (you're not actually handing over any money) if you wanted beach towels. You could just exchange them then whenever you wanted - and as long as you returned the slip on your last day with the amount of towels you took out - all was well.

Plenty of fun activities of a night. Everyone had a great laugh with the frog racing and "Mr Plantation". Each night we dined outside on the beachside with the big lamps lighting up the area - it was just gorgeous! The kids loved it each night as soon as they heard the drums thumping - as that meant it was the time for the "Fire Man" to come and light up all the lamps along the beach - and they'd all run along with him.

We got the meal package so our breakfasts, lunches and dinners were all covered. We were very impressed with the meals - and the desserts and fruits were delicious!!

One thing - if you are going in school holiday time - Book your activities AS SOON AS YOU GET THERE! (if not - I would even try by email BEFORE you get there). Everything gets booked out and you'll end up only being able to do a few things in the last few days. We ended up walking over to Musket Cove (only about 10 minute walk) to the Beauty Parlour over there to get my daughter's hair braided (great girls by the way!).

As one of the other reviews said - the water is just how you see it. I am not an ocean person myself (country girl afraid of getting eaten by sharks!) - but the ocean over there is protected by reefs - so you don't have the waves crashing in. It was the first time I enjoyed being in the ocean! The sand is gorgeous and white - and the ocean is the most pretty blue I have ever seen - and is crystal clear!! You can be standing in there with the tropical fish swimming around you!! My 12 year old daughter loved the snorkelling, and it was safe enough for my 5 year old son to wander right out and dog paddle around in - ducking down into the water with his goggles on to look at the fish and blue star fish that lay over the ocean floor.

Overall we had such a ball at Plantation. Once we got rid of the 'uptightness' we carry around with us and got used to 'Fiji time', it was one of the most relaxing holidays we have ever had.

Will we go back again? You bet!!
Tracey :-)
PS: There is a small laundry there to do your washing with 3 machines and 2 industrial dryers.

The Oaten Family
June 2006

We had a wonderful time at Plantation Island our daughters are aged between 10 and 14 and they loved it. The staff are very friendly, and loved the kids. The food was excellent, a different theme each night. The snorkelling and fishing trips are fabulous and they are free twice a day. My husband and I loved the hammocks on the beach whilst the girls loved the action of the motorised sports. We stayed in a garden burre which was moderately comfortable, but hey u just sleep there. The island was clean the pools sparkling. We are already planning our next trip. When we left we really did feel that we would be missed by the staff. If you have kids its a great place to visit. Bothi (bye)

The Cherrington Family
June 2006

Well we just returned from 9 days in Fiji. After reading previous reviews I was very weary about what to expect especially this being our first time. We had 3 children with us 15, 9, & 16 mths. We flew with Pacific Blue so we get there early & we arrived at 2pm fiji time our transfer to the Toka Toka hotel was there waiting for us. The TokaToka was an adequate hotel we were lucky to have had connecting rooms as one toilet never worked. No major hassle as the staff friendliness made up for it. Our taxi driver to Nadi was good don't go expecting anything flash as your not going to get it.... he was there to pick us up on the dot when we asked him to. After visiting Nadi town our transfers to Denarau Marina showed up on time as did our transfer to Plantation Island.

Plantation Island is a family orientated resort the staff were excellent they were friendly helpful and especially attentive to our 16 mth old daughter. Our 9 yr old son enjoyed the kids club so much so he couldn't be bothered joining us on the snorkling trip and we had to force him to come island hopping. Our 15 yr old we let roam and do his own thing. As did all the kids there, and to us they never seemed to get in the way of the staff who had time to smile and play with them all. Don't take towels as they have a swapping system going on. Once you get used to their system you will have no problems. We stayed in a beachfront hotel room which couldn't have been more than 5 metres from the bar and restaurant area. I was a bit concerned at first with it being so close especially with all the noise but we never heard a thing our 16 mth old slept peacefully.

It was air-conditioned with ceiling fans the main bedroom was screened off from the lounge the rooms were cleaned everyday we had the breakfast and dinner vouchers which were adequate as our vouchers covered the continental as well as a hot breakfast, the dinner voucher covered buffet or chefs choice but we only had the buffet which is all u can eat the food selection was fantastic yes we had wobbly tables but who cares, considering the amount of people that goes through that resort the facilities and staff are very good. The water activities are adequate and are dependent on the weather the tide and the wind.

Overall our experience in Fiji was fantastic and we are glad we chose Plantation Island as our first trip. If your on a budget this is the place just watch out as everything can be charged to your room. Ok the drinks are expensive and so is the food if you order a la carte or at the snack bar but there is a mini supermarket on the island. If you expect or want 5 star then look somewhere else.

Matthew
June 2006

We have just returned from Plantation Island Fiji. My husband and I took our two daughters aged 10 and 14, we had a wonderful time. The food was great. The Fijian people are so lovely and sincere that we felt like we were with family. We stayed in a garden burre which is basic but spacious and cleaned every day. After a couple of days we realized it was safe enough for the girls to wander around by themselves during the day because there was always a waiter or waitress talking to them and laughing with them. There is a saying that they do things in "Fijian time" and this is very true, if something is said to be happening at 9am arrive at 8.30am and you may see it happen at 9.30am, but you also get used to that casual attitude. We went over totally stressed and came back saying who cares. We cant wait to go again. The water is exactly how it looks in the brochure and they are renovating and updating all the time.

Helen
August 2005

We have just returned from Plantation Island and regarded it as a perfect family holiday. I was a bit nervous after reading the other reviews but absolutely loved everything about it. We had three children 8, 6 and 18 months, and stayed in a two bedroom bure. The children's meals were all included so not only did we not have to cook but we did not have to think about where to eat (it doesn't get much easier than that). We were also impressed as it wasn't the usual kid's menu items of nuggets and chips but a good range, lots of fresh fruit and the only chip to be seen is if you ordered it separately. The cot would not have passed Australian Standards and the high chairs were rare and of the same quality so if you are particularly anal take your own. There is a new pool, absolutely fabulous, not too deep so the kids could stand up anywhere. Snorkeling was excellent. The flight times were a pain but next time we would catch the air transfer to save a stopover in Nadi. Our only problem was our baby is very timid and did not take to the friendly Fijian nature. It definitely takes a couple of days to unwind and more into Fijian time but with no TV, newspapers, phone (although there is access to the internet), we were able to discover each other again. The island also felt and was very safe, our normally shy children had the confidence to move again by themselves, and when we had some poor behavior one night our six year old was given the key and told to go to bed, which he did with no problems and not ruining the evening for everyone else. So we feel that it was the perfect holiday for everyone, we ate everynight by ourselves or with other couples we meet while the kids were either watching a movie in kids club, (the baby with a babysitter), or playing on the beach just in front of us. The only thing is remember you are going to a foreign country. There are loose tiles on the old pool, the equipment may not be of the highest standards, but if that is what you want go 5 star, or stay in Australia.

Happy Holidays

The Mitchell Family
August 2005

We have just returned from a wonderful trip to Fiji – we had 8 nights on Plantation Island and 5 nights at the Shangri-La Fijian – traveling with hubby, and two girls aged 2 and 6yrs.

We caught the 1:20am flight from Melb and arrived in Nadi at 7am. Pretty horrendous but it enabled us to get the 10:30 cat to Plantation Island straight away without having a night in Nadi first (which would be quite disruptive for the 2yr old anyway). We organized private car transfers which was great but the ‘baby seat issue’ arose again! (as it did last year). The one on the way to the marina was strapped in with an okky strap and looked like a converted baby bouncer! So if you are fussy about the babyseat for the car, take your own! (and given the way the Fijians drive you may like to consider it especially if traveling with a younger infant).

Plantation was great. If you can afford it book an oceanfront bure, there are only 10 so you will need to book early. Our bure was about 10 steps from the water, with palm trees and a hammock right outside the front door. The bure was large with a separate room with two single beds and a cot (we had pre-booked the cot but one which is definitely NOT Australian Standards approved – it was a wooden contraption of some sort that Bessie could easily climb out of – take your porta-cot and cot sheets with you, it is hard to make up a cot with two single bed sheets), as well as a king size bed, a large bathroom and sitting room as well with a lounge and two chairs. There was also a little fridge, ceiling fans and plenty of storage. There is no tv and the phone did not work in our room. The room was comfortable and not stuffy at all. Plantation is not a 5 star resort, so no hairdryer (but who cares) , and every day we had a different amount of towels, sometimes 4 with two bathmats, sometimes only 3! You can borrow beachtowels from the resort– so don’t waste space taking your own. When they get dirty you just swap them for new ones.

The food was pretty average at Plantation. It is worth walking to Lomani’s restaurant in the adjacent Resort for a ‘date’ (no children allowed so it is very quiet and they serve great cocktails but be prepared to pay a bit more!) There are also two shops at Plantation with various snacks etc and there is a larger shop at the marina at Musket Cove resort (about 15 min walk) that has cheese and bacon rolls, fresh bread etc. It caters for the yachties so has a huge range of stuff. The babysitting at Plantation was a little unsettling; a babysitter only costs F$3 ph and off duty staff are used. I was not really confident with their responsibility and professionalism; on the last night we had a young guy babysit (my husband had met him playing golf so I was a little reassured he was OK) but when we told him that the girls would be asleep he asked whether it was OK for him to do the Cultural Dance Show seeing as they would be asleep anyway! AND he ate 5 TimTams out of the fridge!!!! When we came home he was so sound asleep we had difficulty waking him. My advice, screen the babysitter! We also had a babysitter to look after the girls one morning and she was much better. They went to the Creche which was pretty ordinary (it consists of a ball room and jumping castle sort of thing and it is dark and a bit dingy) but they enjoyed painting their T-shirt. Kids under the age of 4 need a babysitter at the crèche.

We spent our days snorkeling (you can borrow the snorkel/masks for free but check they are OK before you get in the water! One mask fell apart and my husband mask leaked) the free snorkeling boat trip is worthwhile but for the more experienced swimmer – it would be difficult with small kids. We took two ‘noodles’ (the floating tube things) and these were great for snorkeling as the kids can hang on to them and still put their head and mask under water. It worked great with the 6 year old and meant she could stay in the water much longer. The noodles can be squashed into the suitcase and are light and so cheap you can even leave them behind if you can not fit them in your suitcase on the way home!

The Fijian was a very different experience from Plantation. We booked a groundfloor room in the Coral wing which is a good 10 min walk from the main beach/pool/restaurant area. So don’t forget the stroller. The Coral Wing is a very quiet part of the Resort with its own infinity pool which is lovely and a lot quieter than the main pool. We booked a family room which was large and comfortable with a beautiful bathroom, lovely sheets and pillows etc. Food was divine, breakfast enormous and the kids eat free deal excellent. We spent a lot of money on fine dining and had a babysitter every night. We used the same babysitter as last time (we wrote to each other a few times during the year) which was nice; she is much more professional and capable than the staff at Plantation and we could really relax and have fun at F$20 for the first 3 hrs then F$5 ph after that. The minimum is 3 hours. We also booked her for one morning as the little one is still very little; even though the kids club take them from 2. The new kids club building is purpose built and is more like a well equipped Kindergarten, the attached playground is also excellent.

There are plenty of activities but they will cost; to hire a bike is F$20 per hour and the bikes are quite old! (it feels strange paying 4x as much for using an old bike than a babysitter to look after your children!!) Cycling through the local villages etc is interesting though and well worth it.

Overall we had a great holiday! We stayed at quite different places; Plantation was beautiful, but at times very disorganized, the Fijian glamorous but more hectic and expensive. We have come home relaxed and happy and would like to go again next year if we can afford it! Probably would stay at Plantation for longer and maybe only 4 nights at the Fijian.

Andrew
August 2005

My family of two adults and two children aged 6 and 8 have just returned from spending 7 days at the Naviti resort and 7 days at Plantation Island. August is a great time to go as the weather was fine except for only two days of rain. It can get a little windy some afternoons but not enough to cause problems.

To avoid the dreaded midnight flight from Melbourne, we flew domestic to Sydney which I would recommend with kids, due to the cheap one way flights available. It avoids arriving in Fiji in the early hours of the morning. We flew out of Melbourne at 10.00 am which arrived at 11.00 am and then flew out of Sydney at 1.10 pm, arriving in Fiji at around 7.15 pm local time. This was perfect timing as it provided time to check out the duty free in Sydney before the main flight. This also avoids having to collect and re check your bags as they are forwarded on from the domestic flight. Our bags were first of the plane in Fiji which helped.

If you are flying with children make sure that you ring the airline and order children's meals as this makes a big difference. Our travel agent told us that the airline knows how many children's meals to provide by the ages on the tickets. This is not true. There were only 5 or 6 children's meals which had been booked. The rest of the children had to make do with adult meals. It only takes a short phone call to Qantas and it's done.

If you are planning on drinking your duty free whilst on your holiday you can buy it in Fiji at the airport before you go through customs. It was the same price as in Australia but in Fiji dollars, so it works out a little cheaper. We would also recommend the private car transfers with Coral Sun from the airport to the Naviti as it saves a lot of time. Older style but air conditioned Mercedes on both trips. Beware. They are mad drivers. The bus transfers stop at every hotel on the way and take time.

The Naviti resort was fine. The rooms are small but perfectly adequate considering you only sleep in them. The room was cleaned daily and fresh towels provided. They are also air conditioned. Don't take beach towels as they are provided at the resort. The resort has a large room extension and pool under construction. It should be impressive when the new pool is finished. The construction went on from am till around 7 pm but it was not a problem at all.

The meals at the Naviti are fine on a mass produced scale. It is a bit confusing at first but once you work out where and when to eat there is no problem. We were on the all inclusive package which is worth doing. You can eat of the buffet or the al a carte menu, or both if you are hungry. The staff sometimes asked our rooms numbers and sometimes didn't. We were not charged any extra on check out so there slightly unorganised system works fine.

The resort has a children's dinner time which consisted of nuggets, pizza and fried fish with as many chips as they can eat. The children can also eat of the adults menu at any time.

The pool is getting a little old and is fed by a spring which meant it was a little cold. This didn't stop the kids spending hours in there. The snorkelling is a little walk out from the lagoon which fronts the resort but well worth doing. The lagoon is tidal and very murky as the tide goes in and out. Not really worth swimming in unless you go out a bit further. I would recommend doing the resort scuba dive which involved swimming with turtles. Fantastic. If you plan on doing a lot of snorkelling take your own gear as the resorts are a bit tired.

Our daughter had her hair braided at Ma blues across the road from the resort for $35 FJ. On Plantation they charged between $3 and $5 per braid. Our daughter has very fine hair and still had 56 braids done. Get it done on the mainland. They also did a load of washing for $15 FJ compared to the $25 at the resort.

In general we had a great time. You cannot possibly eat all the food that they provide, there is so much of it. They are not shy with the drinks either.

We then spent 7 days at Plantation Island which we loved. We payed for a two bedroom garden bure but were upgraded to a beach front bure which was only 9 steps from the crystal clear water. Fantastic. The bure was huge. They have several fans and a big bar fridge. We did not need air conditioning in August but around Christmas this may be a problem. The Island is also tidal which meant a small walk out into the sea for a swim at low tide. If you are at the airport end of the island you cannot swim out from you room because of the low tide. You only need a short walk up to the resort so its not really a problem. The water is very warm, 25 degrees and perfect for snorkelling. We had clown fish living in shallow water about 10 metres out from the beach. The kids were very impressed.

The food at Plantation was better than the Naviti. It seemed fresher and there was a bit more variety. I would recommend the meal plan for part of your stay. Cooked breakfasts were $16FJ, Lunches around $20 FJ and Dinners $25 plus. This can add up. Check what your meal plan offers. The kids ate free anyway but ours only included a cold breakfast and buffet lunch and buffet dinner. You could also eat of the chefs special menu for dinner but not the al a carte menu. The kids have an early dinner time and a no chips policy. The food for them was much better than at the Naviti. Our children liked to eat early and then go to the kids club. Their choice. We got to eat dinner in peace which was nice. Try and find a table at Plantation that doesn’t wobble. Good luck.

We ate for the last two nights at the restaurant Amanda's which is down away from the resort towards the airport. The meals were excellent and good value. $25 for New Zealand eye fillet and excellent curries. You were able to charge meals and drinks back to your room. We would recommend the meal plan for only part of your stay or just do breakfast and lunch only. There were another two restaurants away from the resort that we didn't have time to try but heard they were good.

There are three pools at Plantation, one new and two older ones. The kids one has a water slide. The water in these pools was a lot warmer than the Naviti. Overall the buildings at the Naviti were nicer but you cant beat a table on the beach next to the water at Plantation.

If you are a beer drinker I would recommend stopping of at a bottle shop in Nadi on your way the airport if you can. The resort does not seem to have a problem with this. I spoke to several people who go to Plantation on a regular basis and they do this without a problem. A slab of Fiji bitter is $35 FJ. Because the fridges in the room are so big you can save a lot of money. Beers, wine and local spirits were $4.50 each. This adds up quickly. Cocktails were $12 to $15 dollars.

Take fly spray and insect repellent as there are a lot of mosquitoes in Fiji.

Overall Fiji is a great place for a family holiday. I would probably stay at Plantation before the Naviti but both resorts have there pluses. We cant wait to go back.

The Evans Family
June 2005

My family and I had the most fantastic time, in the most beautiful part of the Fiji Islands. Plantation Island Resort is big enough to offer lots of different actives, but even though it was fully booked, we didn't feel, at any time it was over crowed. The food was great, and lots of it. We had the pre-paid meal plan, but next time we wont pay for lunches, because we all had big Breakfasts and there is a well stocked snack bar and small supermarket with drinks, biscuits, chips and ice-cream. The kids were very well looked after at the Coconut Kids Club. We'll be going back.

Brendan
2005

We were in a party of 15 (8 adults and kids ranging from 5 to 19). We enjoyed our stay and found it to be comfortable. Their weren’t many ‘planned activities but what there was was good. Our accommodation was a studio bure and it was great! Don’t get the hotel accommodation as it is near the bar and restaurant and can get noisy and is definitely NOT what you think!.

Perfect safe location for swimming and snorkeling. July/august is certainly the best time to go as the temp is great. Fiji is expensive so get a meal plan. We got brekky and dinner which was enough. Get the full Buffet breakfast. Mains are about $28-30. Don’t expect too much emphasis on safety as there isn't any unless you want it and that’s not because they are careless, it’s just the Fijian way. Resort is a little tired but we found it comfortable. If you're used to the Sheraton, this is not for you. Kids club could be a little more entertaining as the kids got bored. If you play Bingo ($200 to win) wait for the jackpot round to buy extra tickets. They go for $1 and all the staff buy them. Also make sure your travel agent times the bus and boat pick-up right. We were sitting in the airport from 5am to 9am waiting for our bus(which was in the carpark) and then from 10 to 12 for our Malolo cat to the Island. In summary, the people were fun and friendly, the resort was great for what we wanted and the position was perfect. We would go back again if on a budget. Shopping is terrible in Nandi. The place is dirty and expensive. Save your dollars. Oh and there is definitely such a thing as Island time!!

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