Taveuni Island Resort & Spa

Shhh, don’t tell anybody. Or OK, tell everybody. This a piece of paradise!. Ric and Dorothy built this property from the ground / jungle up. Sitting on a bluff above 2 small beaches with a reef that invites an easy snorkel, kayak or SUP. The resort features 10 Bures and 1 large Villa with its own plunge pool. All have ocean views and the majority have ocean front views. The main building houses a large living room to gather in and enjoy evening entertainment. Often local musicians are featured as well as the traditional Kava ceremony. The adjacent Bar crafts cocktails to order and offers a drink of the day. There is a large Day room that has games, a small library, and plenty of seating. The open air restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy the all inclusive breakfast, lunch and dinner with views that are gorgeous. The owners, Ric and Dorothy, are often there mixing and mingling with the guests. As the “first couple” of diving in Fiji they are a wealth of information for divers. They have a stunning resume of awards and lots of adventures to share. Let’s talk about the food. Many all inclusive resorts have food that’s just ok. The TIR was a delightful surprise. The husband and wife chefs created menus that were inventive and showcased the local meats, fish and produce. The fish was so fresh and the various preparations were delicious. Dessert never disappointed. 3 courses of yum. And the plating and presentation was beautiful. The real highlight of the resort is its staff. Greeted by Storm in the front office on arrival. She gave us a tour of the facilities including an infinity edge pool and showed us to our Villa. The dining room staff were superb. So friendly. They gave activity advice, cultural information, excellent service, all with smiles. Ima, Mila, William to name a few of the staff made breakfast lunch and dinner a joy. From the gardeners to the housekeeping staff, everyone offered a hearty “Bula” often calling us by name too. When was the last time that happened at a big hotel. Thats the beauty of a small resort. But back to Storm. .. Welcoming committee, tour guide, concierge, cultural attache’, she juggles all the guests inquires with a smile. She is a treasure. There are no tv’s (except in the bar), the internet can be finicky, but it really makes you relax and be in the moment. Feeling the gentle breeze, listening to the ocean, watching the birds, and talking to people from around the world. Again, the bonus of a small retreat. I highly recommend the Taveuni Island Resort.

The place is so beautiful. The service was great. Food was fantastic. They treated me great . Greatest place I have ever stayed. I even meet the owners of the place and they were very friendly. I will go back there to stay the next time I visit Fiji.

My partner and I just returned from spending 8 days at Taveuni Island Resort. Right from the start, communicating with them was easy and efficient. Our villa was more beautiful and spacious than I expected, 3 sides completely opened during the day and easily closed up at night. The food was wonderful and fresh and served by lovely people. We snorkeled the rainbow reef with a dive company 10 minutes away but also totally enjoyed snorkeling right out in front of our resort. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The only negative thing that I will say is that the owners have several dogs and occasionally we had to be careful where we were walking as we didn't want to step in dog poop!! Also, on one occasion, one of the dogs went in the pool and I believe peed in the pool just as I was about to go in. The dogs are the only downside but even so, we had a wonderful time there and enjoyed meeting fellow guests and the very friendly people who worked there.

The ocean front villa (and Taveuni Island) exceed all our expectations. After staying at a Fijian resorts at Denarau and in the Mamanuca Islands we can say that Taveuni “the Garden Island” is the best place to come for rest, exciting experiences, great snorkelling and an exposure to authentic Fiji life. The resort is perfectly situated for getting to/from the airport; accessing the jungle rainforest and waterfall walks on the east coast and the snorkelling/diving on the west coast– the Resort will happily assist with arranging your activities and transport. To top this off the resort comes with a million dollar private sand beach – and the ocean fron villa’s private lounge and deck boasts expansive views of the ocean, islands and sunset. The staff were so lovely and accommodating. The resort owners have established a transparent and amazing scheme of helping the staff and their families with education and schooling etc drawing from generous donations from satisfied visitors. We were very happy with the pricing for the quality of food and meals served at the resort – cocktails were excellent too!. For those reading this I hope you get an opportunity to make this your next home away from home when visiting Fiji.

My wife and I had stayed here about 10 years ago. We were very impressed and a bit concerned that our repeat visit would not be as delightful. Was I ever wrong! It was just as beautiful and wonderful as we remembered it. No doubt, some of the finest cuisine and the friendliest, yet non-intrusive staff. World class snorkeling/diving and hiking (to waterfalls). And so glad to see Ric and Do again; such wonderful people.

I would like to thank the hosts for the truly unique atmosphere of the resort. The level of guest care was outstanding. The resort is lovely. The cottages are very comfortable. In fact, you can enjoy the views and especially the sunset throughout your stay. There is, of course, plenty to do. The dive centre recommended by the hotel was extremely professional. The reef is beautiful. Costal walk and waterfalls extremely interesting. It was my best experience in Fiji. I spent 12 days on the island and my aim was to dive and explore.Many thanks to the owners their family and wonderful staff:)

We had the BEST time at your resort. The ambiance, staff, chef, lovely conversations with Do & Ric, immaculate grounds, infinity pool & our bure well exceeded our expectations. I have not been so relaxed in a very long time. We can't wait to visit again soon. We also loved the dogs & cats on the property. Thank you all so much for making such a wonderful place & experience. It was like a most fabulous dream with food that was absolutely off the charts.

We stayed at TIR for just over a week, early Jan24 and it was a magical experience. The local staff were so welcoming & friendly. The grounds are immaculate tropical gardens very well maintained on the cliff top with awesome views. We were particularly lucky to be looked after by the ‘June’s’ in the Matalau Bure where all our meals were provided. Both Chef June & our host June were just amazing. June’s cooking was outstanding using locally grown produce, cooked fresh daily. We miss her warm fresh morning muffins. We caught a Yellow Fin Tuna and she made several delicious dinners with it, including Sashimi. Each meal was 3 courses and we had to reduce lunch to 1 course as we were eating too much. No request was too difficult and her understanding of our dietary requirements was very much appreciated. Our hosts June & Raymond (for a few days) were wonderful. Always ensuring we had everything we needed and happy to enjoy a laugh with us. The rooms were always kept clean and they were serviced daily including turn down every night to turn the air con on to ensure a comfy sleep. Matalau also included a private beach which we used daily for snorkelling & swimming. Lots of coral and fish only a few metres off the shore. It was special to meet the owners Do & Ric (& all the puppies & birds). They take great pride in their piece of paradise and ensured we were being well looked after. We were very sad to leave and the staff all sang us a farewell song to wish us well.