Yasawa Islands, Western Division hotel rooms at the Independent

"NIR has an old-school Fiji vibe in the best way … warm, friendly, professional staff, lots of singing, dancing, and instrument playing, upscale and nice but not pretentious. They put the B in Bula. Location is beautiful, good snorkeling down the beach and great snorkeling excursions. We thought the food could have been better and the WiFi is a frustrating experience but other than that, 5 stars. Hot tip … a cruise ship comes in down the beach a ways on Monday for a 2 night (?) stay over, so the beach at the far end becomes inaccessible. We loved that part of the beach so something to know about. Still great without that section but better with it ;-)"

"We enjoyed our stay. The staff was super friendly and always happy the help. The food options were nice, I felt like I was always full! The beachside Bure was a highlight. Being steps away from the water was so nice! Beach walks were or favorite! There were maybe 40 guests and it felt like we had the beach to ourselves most times! Lots of space to spread out and enjoy!Everyday at 6:30 pm you can book your excursions or massages for the remaining days. They also have an option for private picnics. With the picnics don’t expect the same lunch you would get at the resort it’s more of a quick packed lunch. I only loved the picnics for the private beach and crystal waters! I want to add a WARNING. For the Yasawa caves excursion done on Fridays and Tuesdays. Please use caution. They don’t have any safety warnings about people who don’t know how to swim. We sadly went though a very very tragic accident. A man drowned in the dark cave portion. He, along with his wife, were the only two wearing life vest initially and were told they could not wear them for the dark cave portion. The fact that there are no CPR trained professionals at this location really angers me. This death could have been preventable. It left us with heavy hearts. This is not for kids. Not for elder people (steps to get in and out are sooo steep and slippery). Not for claustrophobic people. Not for people who are afraid of the dark. They really aren’t that beautiful anyways. I would not recommend that activity."

"This was our second visit to Nabua and we feel and are greeted like family. The food is great and so is the service. It’s a great family location. The only downside was the wind. Our next visit will be a month or more earlier. "

"The staff is what makes this place great! everyone is so friendly, commited to your time there. The location is awesome with 360 fijian water views and the onep lace that offers mantaray swims. The swims however can be packed with people and it does feel odd to have 20 people in the water to look for 1 to 2 manta rays for about 30 mins to an hour. not sure if thats the experience you would want. Its also located in a place where its quite windy with current that when you snorkel it can be difficult but overall with the abundance of coral and fish its beautiful. I think the place can also do more on consveration and eco tourism esp saw tons of coral bleacing and destruction and even i had a hard time with my fins with the current to not hit the coral at the shallower end. Things like suggesting ot use reef safe only sun screen, some dos and dont about the coral to protect can help. another thing to note is everything here is an add on in terms of $$, your meal plan only includes so much and if you want to eat at differnt ime or want something else, its extra money, the snorkels and dives are extra money etc. that said id definitely stay here again and overall fiji is great."

"We had a lovely 5 day stay at Mai Sunset. The food was delicious, the views are phenomenal, the bed was comfortable and the people make this experience truly unique. What more could you ask for? We hope to be back with the whole family someday soon! "

"We had a garden villa room which was right beside the pool and restaurant. Very clean and comfortable with air con. The food was amazing and snorkelling right out the front of the resort. Would definitely stay again. The staff were amazing and so friendly and helpful. Highly recommend."

"Super friendy staff, great home made food. "

"Location is perfect with nice beach. Food to plain. Need to be more fresh fruit and fish. Very basic accommodation. Simple updates can make it much better. Fiji people very nice and try to help you is worth the stay. "

"Our favourite stay in Fiji. Gorgeous bure on the beach surrounded by gardens to make it private. But the best part of this resort is the amazing coral gardens surrounding it. I've snorkelled all around the world and this was probably the best I've done. The resort has resident marine scientists doing conservation, so you can learn and even get involved while you are there. As a Marine biologist myself, I was impressed with what they are doing. Snorkelling with the mantas was incredible, but what made it even better is the ethical, sustainability procedures they have in place to ensure the mantas are not impacted. Well organised and such a friendly Fijian atmosphere. Big hi to Kuini! "