Outstanding staff and accommodation. Great food, lots of variety. The sea at times was a little rough making the boat rides challenging. Make sure to take a few drinks up to the peak for sunset and take in the view, don’t forget the insect repellent. Plunge pool was perfect to cool off in and relax looking at the sea.
We never return to a vacation destination but we recently returned to The Remote Resort for a second time. The second trip was even more extraordinary than our first trip 3 years ago. The resort balances first-class service and food with a relaxed, casual atmosphere. The staff- even groundskeepers and housekeeping staff- greeted us by first name throughout our stay and were eager to share their lives and culture with us when asked. They accommodated every request, including modifying menu items and extending meal times when we returned late from dive or snorkel excursions. The house reef and nearby snorkel spots are all fantastic and the staff are excellent guides, pointing out interesting coral and fish. The villas are modern, clean and spacious. There are plenty of meal selections and the meat dishes are just as delicious as the abundant fish options.…
We did not know a lot about Fiji before this trip. There are lots of islands and resorts to choose from. A travel agent recommended the Remote Resort, and after some research we booked a week there. The resort exceeded our expectations. We are an active couple, so we pre-booked the "Ultimate Experience" package. The resort runs daily activities such as snorkeling trips, beach picnics, a village visit, a coastal hike on Taveuni, and a waterfall hike on Taveuni. Their website lists the activities and their costs. If you plan to do more than one or two, then pay for the Ultimate Experience package, which will save you money. We did all the activities. We especially liked the snorkel trip to the Rainbow Reef, the coastal hike and the waterfall hike. We also booked one day of SCUBA diving with Dive Academy Fiji to dive on the famous Rainbow Reef. The Dive Academy sent a boat to pick us up from the Remote Resort's pier. We did a brief refresher dive, followed by two incredible dives. Since the resort calls their local reef the "house reef" I was not expecting much. To my surprise, about 50 feet from their pier is some of the best coral I've ever seen. The snorkeling right off the pier is world-class. There are stairs off the pier for easy access to and from the water. There are only eight villas so the number of guests is small and intimate. Ours had an outdoor sink and shower (all very private). Our room did not have air conditioning, but had a ceiling and a floor fan which kept us nice and cool. There are a wall of windows facing the ocean. The food is amazing. You get to select from a menu for all meals. There are also great vegetarian and vegan options. Dinners, to our surprise, are all at individual tables either right next to the beach or one at the end of the pier. The tables are surrounded by lanterns. Overall this may have been one of my favorite stays of my life. It is a bit pricey, but everything is done to perfection. The staff all know your name and will gladly meet any needs you have. If there is a downside, most of the activities require a boat ride. For example, the waterfall hike and coastal hikes are on the next door island of Taveuni, about a 30 - 40 minute boat ride. I would highly recommend The Remote Resort!…
My friend and I enjoyed nine luxurious days of relaxation and pampering last month at The Remote Resort. Of all the places we have stayed in the past thirty years, this was by far our favorite, offering a sublime blend of privacy, sophistication, service, delectable dining, coupled with convenient access to one of the South Pacific’s foremost reefs. Our villa had two spacious rooms, which were appointed with indoor/outdoor showers, individual seating areas, tea kettles, French press coffee - in short, everything a holiday-maker could wish for. Outside, on the deck between our rooms, we loved lazing on the comfortable sofa, savoring breakfast at our dining table and dipping in the plunge pool, all whilst gazing out at the coconut palms and pristine blue waters (which by the way, have a bevy of beautiful, pasted-hued, hard corals and fish to see while snorkeling). The Remote Resort offers a variety of excursions for the more adventurous as well as partnering with local dive operators. Dive Academy Fiji picked us up at the dock every morning for a private dive, spiriting us to Rainbow Reef, a treasure trove of hard and soft corals only a short fifteen-minute boat ride away. Our dives were breath-taking, each day filled with stunning new vistas and copious, vibrant marine life. My travel companion also unwound with a daily afternoon massage on the deck of our villa. In the evenings, we enjoyed dinner either in the restaurant or one of the locations set up by the staff by the water, which couldn’t have been a more spectacular setting to enjoy an exquisitely prepared three-course meal. With three full meals a day, including decadent desserts at lunch and dinner, I happily put on a kilo during my stay. It was worth every scrumptious bite. What made our vacation so special was how well the staff took care of us, from the general manager, Charmayne, who made sure every detail and need was taken care of, to the bartender, Bola, who fulfilled all our special cocktail orders with grace and an ever-present smile. It is rare to have such exceptional, warm service. If you need a place to retreat to and recharge your batteries, where you feel special and catered to, The Remote Resort is it. We could not recommend it more highly. This is an exceptional holiday experience, which will leave you wanting to come back for more.…
(TLDR) ... and there is no better sentiment to express the core of the Remote Resort. Its magic boils down to its true-to-name remote location, the modesty of what the resort offers, and the staff’s warm humility as they share their home. A perfect hybrid for those who want that pampered release without the expense of cultural authenticity. Not only immersed in a former coconut plantation, and you truly feel transported to a private and honest corner of this gorgeous country and people. COVID NOTE (for US-travellers): Resort Managers onsite have been trained as certified medical professionals and are qualified to witness and supply RAT negative tests. Feel free to leverage their resort-provided RAT tests or bring your own to save on costs, and you should be in the clear to make your journey back to the US. (ADD’L THOUGHTS) Highlights: - The omnipresent soft sound of the ocean, as everything building sits at the water’s edge. Of note are the massages held on the porch of your private villa, with the nearby waves and coastal breeze as ambiance. - Meals are deliciously earnest and homefelt that far exceed any buffet one might expect from a typical resort. You taste the authenticity and purity of local flavors in every dish (most, if not all, grown right on property). - The accessibility to snorkel off the house reef and to snorkel/dive at the world-renowned Rainbow Reef. Pro-tip to request a non-advertised picnic excursion, dropping you off on a private island and boat away so you may enjoy a picnic lunch on an exclusive beach. - The assurance that you will have personalized attention during your stay. You’ll foster deep relationships with the staff, given how often paths cross and the multiple roles each staff member serves. The conversation is not merely transactional but something integral to the renowned Fijian hospitality that is so often spoken of. - Location. The landscaping strikes the perfect balance between preservation and maintenance of this former coconut plantation. Fruit gardens are interspersed across the grounds (shower beneath the papayas you’ll eat at breakfast; the pineapple garden beneath your deck will supply the pina coladas; etc), and the topography frames the jaw-dropping views from every vista of the resort. It’s an honest 360 immersion. This resort is best suited for: 1) Adventurer-Seekers: reiterating the key off-resort attraction is its proximity to the Rainbow Reef, let alone the in-house reef and local bays to keep any watersport enthusiast entertained. Though you certainly will enjoy the serenity and simplicity of remaining onsite, it’d be a missed opportunity to not take advantage of this unique accessibility. 2) Romantics: the innate privacy, intimacy, and serenity cultivated by the Remote Resort team cannot be understated. You will never feel encroached upon by other guests or lose the staff’s personalized attendance. And though the excursions and public amenities are limited (and wifi access very minimal), you are left only to breathe and take in the landscape, your partner, and the serendipity of being present together in the moment. 3) Off-the-beaten-path: the journey to the resort is long but well worth it. Not every resort-goer will be willing to make the journey, which is a unique insight to the types of guests who may or may not self-filter away from visiting this location (should the disposition of the other guests might be a factor). This is NOT for you if: a) You are seeking the traditional all-inclusive/around-the-clock resort experience. The staff and facilities shut down at 8:00p, and the nightlife will be whatever you bring into your private villa. b) You are a party-animal or thrive amongst a mass of people to get to know. There will only be so many guests and staff to fraternize with; if you prefer to network by volume, then you will be left unfulfilled. c) Nature makes you squeamish. Bugs accumulate in the pool. Small lizards climb along bedroom walls. Toads litter the pathways. And the warning of falling coconuts should carefully be heeded. This is not a sterile environment, but the trade-off is a deeper authenticity to the Fijian way of life. d) Your beach dreams include miles of white sand. There is a beautiful reef just steps off the beach (note the accessibility!), which results in the resort beach being filled with broken coral and rocky residue. Though there are certainly patches of sand and lounge chairs available, this isn’t quite the same beach experience one might see in the postcards. The Remote Resort experience is none of these things, and that is what makes it beautifully unique. We cannot wait to return with friends and book out a corner of the resort, not just to share the Resort’s success and beauty with our community from home, but also to introduce them to the community of the Remote Resort and spread the honesty, earnestness, and care that their team has worked so hard to build and share with the world.…
This review is loooong overdue, but this resort came up again when we began planning another vacation. We are not normally the type to re-visit a destination so soon because there are so many places on our list to go see, but Fiji and everyone at the Remote Resort blew our minds away - we haven't stopped thinking about it since. We went on our couple's trip in September 2019 (not 2021 - TripAdvisor wouldn't let me pick a date further back) and stayed in the Kioa Villa. The weather was gorgeous, not an ounce of rain in the sky. From pickup at the airport to saying goodbye on the jetty, our stay was remarkable. As mentioned in a multitude of reviews, the staff truly becomes family. We've been to many other countries since Fiji and no accommodations (including other all-inclusives) have compared to the hospitality and warmth we received here. Kata is the brightest soul, Rico is so encouraging when out on excursions, Lai is a jack of all trades, PK is the absolute FUNNIEST, and Katoni is incredibly hospitable and thorough, making sure all of our needs were taken care of. They served us popcorn one night before dinner, in the middle of our week-long stay, and it was so tasty that I kept asking for it as a snack. After the third request within a day, PK just preemptively began walking up to our villa with popcorn and cocktails in hand almost every hour on the hour whenever we were there for the rest of our stay - they just know what you need before you do! Some excursions we loved: seeing the waterfalls on Taveuni, swimming with the manta rays, night snorkeling, castaway beach picnic, snorkeling on the Rainbow and house reef, lounging on the pontoon, and best of all - the village visit to Vunikura. An incredibly humbling and heartwarming experience that just motivates you to love life to its fullest. Another strong recommendation is the all-inclusive package. The food and cocktails are the best we have had on any vacation to this day and definitely take advantage of experiencing all the dishes if you can! All in all, there's so much more I could say about The Remote Resort but nothing would do it justice. JUST GO!…
A great place to stay needs to have a wonderful setting, but also a excellent team that takes care of the resort and the guests. The Remote Resort has both, resulting in one of the best vacations we've had, and the best stay I've had in Fiji (it was my 3rd time there). Location: Nomen est omen - the Remote Resort is truly remote, you can only get there by boat. You can either fly from Nadi into Savusavu, or - as we did - into Taveuni. The resort arranged for the transfer, we were picked up at the airport by taxi and taken to a small marina. From where it is a mere 20 minute boat ride to the resort. Resort: The Remote Resort has 8 standalone villas, each with its own small pool and deck, overlooking the beach and the ocean. Villas are very comfortable, Food is offered at a restaurant, but you can always decide to either eat at your villa, or – in the evening – at one of the individual tables that are located close the beach or on the jetty for a more private and dining experience. Food is amazing, all dishes were well prepared and tasty. We tried to stick with local Fijian dishes or dishes with a Fijian twist whenever possible. My favorite dish was Kokoda, a cold dish of white fish marinated in lemon juice and chopped vegetables. Activities: The resort has its own reef which you can access from the beach, snorkeling equipment is provided in each villa. There are various activities you can do from the resort (snorkeling, small walk to the top of a hill, standup paddle boarding, kayaking), but the resort also offers daily activities. If you add the "Ultimate Experience" package to your reservation, all daily activities are included, as most of them are offered for a charge. Activities include snorkeling at various sites, a visit to a nearby village (complementary), hikes on Taveuni island, and cooking demonstrations. The Remote Resort also offers in-villa spa treatments, and the messages by Ili’s hands were magical. Diving and Snorkeling: The resort does not offer diving directly, but they partner with several dive companies that provide the full gear for you. I was considering going on a dive (I'm a certified scuba diver), but as I went there outside the days the White Wall is open for diving, I ended up sticking with snorkeling only; the variety of fish, hard and soft corals you see while snorkeling is already fascinating. Staff: As mentioned in the introduction, a great place to stay also has great staff, and the team at the Remote Resort is outstanding! When we left we had tears in our eyes, as Charmayne, Ili, Luey, Jim, Pecs, PK, Eli, Vilisi, Sova, and all the other staff members took such good care of us. The team is very personal and welcoming, and we had so many nice talks with the team, as well as the owner (Dan). We never felt like “just another guest”, but more like being part of a large family.…
Incredible resort, highlighted by fantastic staff, a beautiful and remote setting, and top-notch food. It’s particularly good for those who want to get further off the beaten path than many large resorts, and stay somewhere intimate (there are 8 villas) where everyone will know your name and what you like. The excursions and activities are also top-notch, highlighted by incredible snorkeling and the ability to explore the area. Can’t recommend the people and the experience here highly enough! In terms of specifics: -The room (we had an oceanfront villa) was great, with beautiful modern finishings made from local wood, a comfortable king bed, a one-of-a-kind outdoor bathroom, our own plunge pool, and incredible views from everywhere you go. The only downside here, which was really the only downside of our entire stay, was that sometimes we would have (friendly!) uninvited visitors in the evenings--mostly bugs and lizards. There are also toads on the paths at night. It wasn't enough to really bother us at all, and probably wouldn't bother most, but it is worth mentioning in case this type of thing is a huge worry/phobia. -The amenities and grounds are beautiful, and exactly what you want from a small but high-end boutique. The main area has a great view of the reef and the beach, and also a great place to hang and play games. It is a great place to meet the other people staying at the resort, and get to know the fantastic staff better. -The activities are plentiful, but not overwhelming. Snorkeling is the main highlight here, both the free snorkeling available anytime on the house reef as well as the excursions you can do nearby. Beyond that, there are lots of other great activities including hiking, kayaking in the mangroves, paddleboarding, and more. They also have fun activities like a cooking demonstration and a coconut show, which are a great way to meet the staff and learn about the area. There is also a village visit and the option to do a guided hike and day trip to Taveuni, both of which are worthwhile. -The food truly is fantastic. Everything was fresh, plentiful, and delicious. It features lots of local ingredients and flavors but there are options for all palates. We came in with very high expectations, but the team surpassed them all! -The staff, more than anything, are what makes Remote great. I couldn't possibly name them all, but Ili, Vilisi, Charmayne, Eli, Dan, Jim, Luey, and so many of the other great people who work here are the thing that really set this apart from your standard, high-end boutique resort. Because it is small, they all know you and what you like. They are incredibly warm, welcoming, accommodating, and thoughtful. And they genuinely want you to have a great time.…
Remote is very remote, very special and very one of a kind. The facilities are wonderful - private plunge pools, spacious rooms, amazing food. The location is phenomenal - watching sunrise and moon rise over the water, the Rainbow reef so spectacular and so close. The best part though was the people. We were so beautifully looked after by Sopa, Villisi, Ili, Jim, Charmayne, Chio, PK, Wani, Pecs, Luey, Kalara, Joanne, Arieta, Bola and so many more that we felt like we really got to know them. The village visit is a very special and a must do - I only wish I'd brought things from home to leave there. Very very very special.
We had the great fortune to come to the Remote Resort right after Fiji reopened its borders in late 2021. The resort - and the nation - had been closed down for nearly two years for the pandemic. We wish we could spend all of 2022 there. It truly is remote in the best sense of the word - seemingly distant from all the problems of the world. It's like a magical refuge. Even the coral reefs in front of the resort filled us with so much hope. These are the healthiest, most colorful, abundant coral reefs we have seen in more than a decade! The praise absolutely must begin with the wonderful people there. Everyone was a delight from the resort managers Ili, Jim, and Vilisi to the people in charge of guest services, Arieta and Bola. The service is phenomenal; the meals are delicious; everything is perfect. And in the rare event that anything needed improvement, the owner Dan and the general manager Charmayne were devoted to making it right. We could write pages about all the great experiences, but it might be better if it's a surprise for you. Suffice to say, the resort is spectacular beyond belief. The colors there are brighter and more electric than we could have imagined. (Ever since returning home, everything here seems so drab and grey!) We regret ever leaving! If you have the opportunity to go there, you can believe all the 5-star reviews and just book it now! You are destined to have a wonderful time!…
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