Awesome Adventures and the Yasawas

I've just spent over a month visiting various resorts and villages in the Yasawas and had a great time. The islands are beautiful and the villagers friendly. Part of why I had such a good time is because I sailed there on my own boat and did not rely on a packaged trip put together by Awesome Adventures.

Awesome Adventures has a monopoly on these islands like I have never witnessed anywhere else. They have NO competition which means you see the Yasawas the way they want you to see them. With no other way to hop between islands, no places to stay other than their sponsored resorts and nowhere to buy or eat food except at their resorts, you can see what happens... Most backpackers on a budget who were travelling long term as opposed to the short term traveler on holiday complained about how much worse a deal it was compared to places in Southeast Asia and some even regretted having come. The main complaint is not just about the higher cost but that you don't get what you pay for. As a "yachtie" I stayed on my boat but ate meals at the resorts. At the most basic resorts, dinner cost around $10 to $15 dollars. The typical meals were heavy on starch consisting of a lot of cassava, rice, instant noodles, etc. Locally caught fish was the main protein source in the meals which was fine, but once again, should have been priced accordingly. Fish doesn't cost anything but a half an hour of fishing which I could easily do myself... If the same meal was served on mainland Fiji the price would have been about $2 to $3. Some resorts that are independent of the Awesome Adventures monopoly (i.e. Octopus) are a better value. My advice would be to do your research on where to stay very carefully and try and direct book where possible.

Thanks for that. I was a bit put off by the flashiness of that gaudy yellow boat. You are kind of echoing what I was already feeling.
Will take this into consideration.

I must say I have been really suprised by how many of my bookings - for activities, transfers, accommodation all at different places - have been met by responses from the same company!!

I always organize things on my own (don't use a company for making bookings of any sort, although I might have a chat now and then with an independent travel agent) .. and I wasn't even aware of Awesome Adventures and the extent of their 'monopoly' in the Yasawas.

I don't know if this confirms or contradicts the posting.

lucidsalt-Thanks for posting this.

What do you mean by organising it independently? Because I’m doing my own bookings, and I e-mail the hotels, boats (for transfers) and activity providers separately on their own e-mails and seem to get all of my e-mails back from Beautiful Pacific Ltd