Botaira Resort, Yasawas--overpriced

We stayed at Botaira Resort in the Yasawas for three days in September 2007.

The bad: the food was a 2 out of 10 and the mixed drinks were just as bad. The beers were warm. The beachfront bures were "all right" if you had a new one (as we did) but those in our group who had the older bures were very uncomfortable: their accommodations were small, dark, hot, with no ventilation or fans. All the bures had minimal amenities, towels, or even lights.

The good: the people were very friendly and helpful, and the show on Saturday night was a treat.

We met some people from New Zealand there who had stayed at Botaira in 2006, and they said the food had deteriorated dramatically in 2007 from 2006.

Another person we met at Botaira (a young woman on her honeymoon!) said Botaira was like "summer camp in Fiji"

In contrast, we also stayed three days at Nanuya Island Resort, where the food was excellent--some of the best meals we've ever had--all meals. In addition, the hillside bures at Nanuya were ideal--just what you'd imagine for a romantic Fiji holiday. Nanuya was professional, expert, luxurious; Botaira was "summer camp." Yet Botaira cost more!

For $300 a day, Botaira was dramatically overpriced. I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Yes, the beach was pretty, but we dreaded going to meals, and we felt bad for the others in our party who were paying as much as we and who had uncomfortable bures

I visited Botaira in April 2006 and our entire group had a fantastic holiday so I was surprised to read the comments here. True, the food then was not sophisticated cuisine but we all found the food to be fresh and tasty so it would be disappointing if the quality of meals had deteriorated.

I also beg to differ on the bures - we thought they were charming, very comfortable and also extremely spacious! Yes, there are no fans or a/c but we didn't find it onerous, maybe due to us staying in a cooler month. The bures are kept scrupulously clean, towels are provided, and there ARE lights, but as it says on the website, the power is locally generated so the power is shut down in the early hours.

So yes, Botaira is not a five-star luxury resort but I do not think it is priced at that level either, so maybe my expectations weren't as high. Ok, it may not, at times, be as slickly run as other places, but I love the fact that the resort is locally owned and managed so what it may lack in 'sophistication' and 'luxury', I think Botaira more than makes up for it in offering a very genuine cultural experience and the people there are wonderful. It's just my opinion but for me, this is what makes a memorable holiday, not the meals you eat or the amenities provided.

We stayed at Nanuya Island Resort and were very disappointed. The rooms were very nice, but full of mosquitoes. The management was rude and the dinner menu overpriced and the food very strange. The nicest part of the beach is off limits, because it's owned by a cruise ship company.
We liked it a lot more on the opposite island Tavewa at Otto&Fannys for half the money. The view of the blue lagoon is also a lot better from here. The food there was exceptional.

We loved Nanuya Island Resort. ALL windows in the beautiful beachside bures were fitted with screens so we had NO mosquito problems. We found no real problem outside either, and we have just returned from there, so it was the 'wet' season when we were there, which is the time you would expect most mosquitos. The bure were spacious and modern with two ceiling fans and a lovely outdoor feel to the bathroom. The bathrooms are now screened in, however I believe they were open before, so maybe that is where the mossie problem used to come from - not now though.

We found staff friendly and management friendly, easy-going and polite. We thought the snorkeling at Oarsmans was better, until we had a snorkel off the beach at Nanuya when the tide was low - it was then easy for us nervous nellies to reach interesting coral and beautiful fish right infront of the resort.

I agree with the first writer that the food at Nanuya is sensational! I had fresh fish every night and I have never enjoy seafood more. The chef is a magician with the sauces he creates for fish like Red Emperer and more.

Try a massage from Linda, privately screened but outdoors by the sea....lovely