View back to the island (with a little Scissortail Sergeant in the foreground)
W9 with Nippy, his hermit crab
The smaller boat that passengers are transferred to from the Yasawa Flyer
Sand floor restaurant and bar
View from our room
View from the top of a steep climb on the island hike
Fishing expedition - looks like some sort of Squirrelfish (poor thing...BTW - the restaurant cooked it for W9 the next day)
The resident dog, Charlie who was recovering from a stingray barb in his leg. Guess that's what happens when you put your head in the water and try to chase stingrays.
In brief
Where we stayed
1. The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa (Wotif) - 1 night
2. Blue Lagoon Resort, Nacula Island, Yasawas, Fiji - 8 nights
http://www.bluelagoonbeachresort.com.fj/
Pros:
* really relaxing holiday on a 'perfect' remote island
* snorkeling straight off the beach (we could sit on our balcony and watch the kids in the water)
* sandy white beach - great swimming and playing for the kids
* lovely corals and fish
* nice food + loved the sand-floor restaurant
* fantastic vibe - loved the fact that there is a big cross section of people (backpackers, lots of different nationalities, families, couples)
* great island hike
Cons:
* hassle of getting there - having to stay overnight near Nadi (although in my opinion it beats the other places we have been in Fiji hands down)
* limited range of things to do (although I wasn't bored...and I get bored easily)
* having to watch out for boats when you are snorkeling (especially if you are way out on the reef)
For kids:
* snorkeling (nice easy snorkeling for the kids)
* island hike for older or active kids
* hermit crab races
* kayaks
* playing on the beach (our kids met other kids who they played with a lot)
* cave tour (some kids might find this really scary - both of our kids did)
* reef fishing
For the adults:
* all of the above but the island hike is well worth it (hilly but beautiful)
* cave tour - although this really wasn't my favourite thing. I found it crowded and noisy - but could imagine on a quieter day that it could have been amazing
* snorkelling right out along the reef along to beautiful unspoilt coral gardens
* relaxing, reading, glass of wine in hand in a hammock while the kids play in the water
* meeting interesting and varied people at the common tables at dinner (some people wouldn't like this but we did)
* good place for ocean swimming training (important feature for me) - although I need to watch for boats which was a bit annoying
Accommodation at Blue Lagoon
Basic but nice bungalow (we stayed in Premium Beachfront Villa) right on the beach or very stylish and roomy Deluxe Villa (we looked inside these and they were really beautiful). Great outdoor bathroom.
Food
One restaurant only. Food is a bit more expensive than Sydney prices but quite nice (much nicer than the food we have had at other major islands in the Mamanucas (Mana Island, Treasure Island).
Travel from Sydney
1. Fly Syd to Nadi, Fiji (3 1/2 - 4 hrs)
2. Taxi to Denarau (20 mins) then stay over night
3. Yasawa Flyer to Nacula Island (Blue Lagoon Resort) 5hrs + small boat (10 mins)
* You can get a seaplane with Turtle Airways
What we would do differently?
* Get the seaplane (one way at least). If you can do this in one day the money you spend on accommodation and food on your overnight stay would almost be equal to the difference between the Yasawa Flyer and the seaplane. That said, we enjoyed the Yasawa Flyer....but maybe one way only.
* Probably would stay in the posher accommodation - Deluxe (then the kids would be in a separate room)
* Would remember that booking on Wotif means that you stay in a posh hotel for virtually nothing, but spend at least double your room cost on food in the hotel. One option is to jump in a taxi and go to a restaurant in town.
Other comments
You can probably gather that we loved this place! We had been to Blue Lagoon's 'sister' resort - Octopus on Waya Island and loved it. We were keen to go somewhere that didn't have 90% Australians, a kids club and heaps of motorised water sports (honestly not judging this....just not our cup of tea). We were aware that there was no pool (Octopus Resort has a pool) and wondered whether the kids would be bored (and therefore annoying). Our kids linked up with the owners boys and played a lot + played at the edge of the water quite a bit. So the lack of pool really didn't matter at all. There was a good number of planned activities - one or two a day...and very low key. The snorkeling was good with a wide variety of fish - and we also saw stingrays, a banded sea snake and a turtle (although this is very unusual). I'm a harsh critic of snorkeling spots - and I'd say that this is pretty snorkeling and fairly unspoilt, but not mind-blowingly stunning. There is one reef that you can follow along for probably 600 metres, but not really any 'adventure' snorkels with massive drop-offs, sharks etc. For those who are swimming enthusiasts, the swim along the reef is great - do a few laps and you'll clock up a couple of km - a beautiful place to swim!
Where we stayed
1. The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa (Wotif) - 1 night
2. Blue Lagoon Resort, Nacula Island, Yasawas, Fiji - 8 nights
http://www.bluelagoonbeachresort.com.fj/
3. Novotel Nadi (Wotif) - 1 night
When we traveled
September-October, 2011Pros:
* really relaxing holiday on a 'perfect' remote island
* snorkeling straight off the beach (we could sit on our balcony and watch the kids in the water)
* sandy white beach - great swimming and playing for the kids
* lovely corals and fish
* nice food + loved the sand-floor restaurant
* fantastic vibe - loved the fact that there is a big cross section of people (backpackers, lots of different nationalities, families, couples)
* great island hike
Cons:
* hassle of getting there - having to stay overnight near Nadi (although in my opinion it beats the other places we have been in Fiji hands down)
* limited range of things to do (although I wasn't bored...and I get bored easily)
* having to watch out for boats when you are snorkeling (especially if you are way out on the reef)
For kids:
* snorkeling (nice easy snorkeling for the kids)
* island hike for older or active kids
* hermit crab races
* kayaks
* playing on the beach (our kids met other kids who they played with a lot)
* cave tour (some kids might find this really scary - both of our kids did)
* reef fishing
For the adults:
* all of the above but the island hike is well worth it (hilly but beautiful)
* cave tour - although this really wasn't my favourite thing. I found it crowded and noisy - but could imagine on a quieter day that it could have been amazing
* snorkelling right out along the reef along to beautiful unspoilt coral gardens
* relaxing, reading, glass of wine in hand in a hammock while the kids play in the water
* meeting interesting and varied people at the common tables at dinner (some people wouldn't like this but we did)
* good place for ocean swimming training (important feature for me) - although I need to watch for boats which was a bit annoying
Accommodation at Blue Lagoon
Basic but nice bungalow (we stayed in Premium Beachfront Villa) right on the beach or very stylish and roomy Deluxe Villa (we looked inside these and they were really beautiful). Great outdoor bathroom.
Food
One restaurant only. Food is a bit more expensive than Sydney prices but quite nice (much nicer than the food we have had at other major islands in the Mamanucas (Mana Island, Treasure Island).
Travel from Sydney
1. Fly Syd to Nadi, Fiji (3 1/2 - 4 hrs)
2. Taxi to Denarau (20 mins) then stay over night
3. Yasawa Flyer to Nacula Island (Blue Lagoon Resort) 5hrs + small boat (10 mins)
* You can get a seaplane with Turtle Airways
What we would do differently?
* Get the seaplane (one way at least). If you can do this in one day the money you spend on accommodation and food on your overnight stay would almost be equal to the difference between the Yasawa Flyer and the seaplane. That said, we enjoyed the Yasawa Flyer....but maybe one way only.
* Probably would stay in the posher accommodation - Deluxe (then the kids would be in a separate room)
* Would remember that booking on Wotif means that you stay in a posh hotel for virtually nothing, but spend at least double your room cost on food in the hotel. One option is to jump in a taxi and go to a restaurant in town.
Other comments
You can probably gather that we loved this place! We had been to Blue Lagoon's 'sister' resort - Octopus on Waya Island and loved it. We were keen to go somewhere that didn't have 90% Australians, a kids club and heaps of motorised water sports (honestly not judging this....just not our cup of tea). We were aware that there was no pool (Octopus Resort has a pool) and wondered whether the kids would be bored (and therefore annoying). Our kids linked up with the owners boys and played a lot + played at the edge of the water quite a bit. So the lack of pool really didn't matter at all. There was a good number of planned activities - one or two a day...and very low key. The snorkeling was good with a wide variety of fish - and we also saw stingrays, a banded sea snake and a turtle (although this is very unusual). I'm a harsh critic of snorkeling spots - and I'd say that this is pretty snorkeling and fairly unspoilt, but not mind-blowingly stunning. There is one reef that you can follow along for probably 600 metres, but not really any 'adventure' snorkels with massive drop-offs, sharks etc. For those who are swimming enthusiasts, the swim along the reef is great - do a few laps and you'll clock up a couple of km - a beautiful place to swim!
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