IMPORTANT UPDATE: THIS PROPERTY HAS JUST UNDERGONE MAJOR RENOVATIONS IN 2024 Papageno Resort, on the untouched island of Kadavu in Fiji, blends world-class scuba diving, fishing, cultural activities and an array of other adventure experiences (snorkeling, free diving, spearfishing, waterfall hiking, kayaking, stand-up-paddle, surfing, etc.) all within a secluded, tranquil and unique oceanfront hideaway with a lush, tropical rainforest backyard setting. Papageno Resort is truly a one-of-a-kind getaway spot that caters to both those looking for a peaceful and relaxing stay or those looking for a bundle of adventure-level water and land experiences, whilst making Papageno feel like your home away from home.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
We stayed at Papageno for 5 nights for our honeymoon in July 2024, and it was the absolute best honeymoon we could ask for. From the beautiful scenery, to the wonderful staff, amazing food, incredible snorkeling/scuba diving, and friendly dogs, it provided everything we hoped it would. Our bure was comfortable and ocean-facing, with a lovely screened in porch. We really enjoyed being unplugged (wifi is only available in the club house building) but having access to wifi to check every now and then if needed. We went on the snorkel trip to see manta rays, and it did not disappoint! We saw some huge manta rays, and then Chef Jim made a wonderful lunch of smoked fish and cassava on the beach — probably the highlight of the trip. We also went on the waterfall hike, which was so amazing, and the village visit to Daku village — highly recommend. The village welcomed us with open arms and shared their way of life and kava with us.
Papageno is certainly a bit more rustic and Kadavu as a whole is off the beaten path but it is well worth the trip for a unique and authentic Fijian experience!
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Absolute heaven on earth from the moment I arrived. This resort is something special. Private access by boat means undisturbed snorkelling and scuba. The water is pristine. The staff are such amazing, talented and kind people and the owners make you feel super welcome. This is not a 5* resort with all the chaos you would get at a sofitel. It is remote, no wifi, hand crafted and local produce. The Bure's are stunning, beds and linen top range.
Vo, the dive master took me on some of the best dives I've ever been on (unmarked and local to the island).
Food cooked by chef Jim every night was amazing.
They will arrange activities if you want to or you can simply lay in a hammock all day.
10/10
Will definitely return.
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Â Great for solo travel
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Team Papageno, Other at Papageno Resort & Dive
Responded Jul 30, 2024
Hi Rachel. Thanks for your amazing feedback and so glad you enjoyed your dives and time spent with us. Best regards Team Papageno
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Two couples, no children. We spent a delightful week at Papageno. Three attributes stood out. First the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Meal times were full of infectious laughter. Second, the location was exquisite. Yellow sand and blue sea on the one hand and unspoilt tree covered hills on the other. Hills which are home to four bird species endemic to Kandavu, including the Kandavu Parrot. Third, the food was delicious and varied making full use of locally produced vegetables and eggs. The bures were spacious and clean, but insect repellent is needed, unsurprisingly for a resort with strong environmental credentials. In the aftermath of COVID, PADI diving instruction was not available, but the kayaking, swimming ( in the sea) and snorkelling were good. For non swimmers table tennis and pool are available. Many thanks to Johnny and all the staff at Papageno for a most enjoyable and restful week
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Incredible resort with great excursions and great people. Fishing, snorkeling, hiking, kayaking just to name a few Any kind of adventure you could want is available. Staff was so kind, and great with the kids. Food was amazing. A perfect way to disconnect and reset. Can't wait to go back
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â It's pretty remote so don't count on going to the store, but that's kind of the point. Staff...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A hidden gem in Fiji! Papageno is everything you want and more - beautiful beach, delicious food, kind staff and no-fuss accomodation. On our dive trip, we were lucky enough to see manta rays and turtles. The perfect spot for an off the beaten track holiday.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here in Jan 06 (I thought that I had posted the review right when we got back). This place was absolutely mis-represented, by the travel agent and it's own web-site. - We had booked a beach front, room w/ A/C (and paid extra). when we arrived, they tried to put us in a garden room w/ no view. After an hour of arguing, they gave us a beach front bure. NO A/C, They also explained that there was none. I'm not sure whose fault this was. - Although there was a celing fan, there was only a slow speed, and the generator was off a good part of the night so there was very minimal air movement in the room, it was quite hot, and there were no screens on the windows. So it was MISQUITO FEAST, and guess who was the feast ?? Some of the other guests decided to sleep on the beach 1 night, and were literally eaten alive. - FOOD: Again misrepresentation through the web site. We've stayed in ECO resorts before and had a great time. These folks are hard core about sustainable eco development: there really was not really enough served for the quantity of people at the resort (about 1/2 full when we were there) . Always, when during any food provision time, you had this feeling that they were rationing. You could tell in the response from the servers, and cook. It was weird. The guests even would talk a little about it. For example: there was no real 'juice' in any form, unless you bought an alcholic drink. Instead juice was water w/ a few lemon/orange slices in it; and all meals had a heavy quantity of starches (for an eco spa resort ???). Breakfast was mostly starches and some fruit. Because everything was several family style around a large table, if you came 5 min. late for breakfast you missed the fruit. By the 3rd day, we noticed a bit of hording going on. For dinner, 2 nights was chicken, 1 night was fish they had caught. Nothing like the photos on the web site! - BEACH/WATER: We are advanced divers and snorkelers. The beach was really a mud tidal beach, no snorkeling from the beach. The diving however, was excellent.
Overall while the diving was excellent, the accomodations were horrible given the price that we paid. There are much better places in Fiji. BTW, we had planned on 5 days, but got our flights changed and left after 3.
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Date of stay: January 2006
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Business service (e.g., internet access)
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sonyo, General Manager at Papageno Resort & Dive
Responded Jul 6, 2015
wrong resort
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We stayed at Papageno Resort for two weeks in October 2011 with our 2 children aged 8 and 5. All the positive reviews on this site are accurate. The guy who said there wasn't enough food must be joking. On to the highlights: 1) The stand-in managers Don and Anne were superb and I couldn't think of two better people to run such a resort. They ran things perfectly, in a low key but organised way, and their mealtime conversation was scintillating. You will be lucky indeed to come to the resort while they are there over the next few months. 2) The staff are extremely friendly, with a great joie de vivre. They were especially great with the kids. Sakariah was an excellent dive instructor and fisherman for us beginners, and a competitive ping pong player. Sivo mixes a mean cocktail. 3) The food is 10/10. Great variety in the cooking, mostly in Fiji-style - unfussy but delicious. The cooks are highly skilled. We could not think of one average meal after two weeks. Most of the fruit and veggies are grown on site. The fish is freshly caught, eggs hatched daily, and we even had roast pork from an unfortunate piggy who learnt about Newton's laws the hard way via a falling coconut. 4) The activities are all described well by others. All exceeded or met our expectations, and we did most of the ones on offer. The day trip to see the manta rays followed by a picnic on a small deserted island was probably the highlight.
No negatives at all - make sure you bring repellent to keep the mozzies away. The Bures have flywire which is mostly effective (a few holes needed patching in ours).
3 tips if you come: 1) Bring pencils, stationery, clothes and books for the local kids, and books for the adult villagers - all appreciated. 2) Don't bring younger kids if they are hyperactive and demanding. Not the place for them. Take them to a big resort with a kids' club. 3) Tip the staff generously, they deserve it.
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Date of stay: October 2011
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I need 24 hour electricity to power the fans. Many of the resorts in Kadavu such as Matava, Matana, Waisalima has a restricted window period where the power is on. Even if the bures are right on the water, there is no assurance that sea breezes will blow. At comparable rates, Papageno gives better value for money. I stayed 8 nights at Papageno which I consider too long. I would recommend 5 nights for future guests. The location is close to Kadavu airport, in between the eastern end of the island where Nagigia island resort is and the western end of the island where Waisalima is or the northwestern end where Ono resort is located. I was able to travel to Nagigia island resort for 1 day to enjoy the breathtaking views and dived at a site called Nabukelevu. This is at the base of a volcano and experienced to the surf conditions but the fish life is very good with shoals of trevallies and barracudas; but the size of these shoals is still smaller compared to the ones I have seen in the Vatu-i-ra passage and Madang resort (PNG). Nonetheless, I would recommend a dive at Nabukelevu. The dive at a site called Cabbage patch is average. I also spent 1 day at the Naqoro passage: fast currents and unpredictable fish life. Another day was spent diving near Ono island and snorkelling with the mantas. Please note that this is not a hardcore dive resort. The true blue dive resorts are Matana, Matava, Waisalima, Mai Dive. If you stay at Matava, you are not close to Nabukelevu and also a distance from Naqoro/Ono dive sites. Matana and Papageno are centrally located which allows you to travel in either direction. I also spent 1 day hiking to the Naikorokoro waterfall. The treks are slippery and the fall was not as nice/majestic as those in Taveuni. Regretted that outing. I was given a West facing room in the Royal Bure. If you can, choose an East facing room as it will not get hot in the afternoon. Bring a torch light with you to walk to the dining area at night as the compounds are not very well lit. Because there are so many plants between bures/buildings, it does cut off quite a fair bit of light especially in the dining area and also makes drying of clothes challenging. Also note that the bay does not get sunset views from the beach. The food on offer is mostly delicious, home-cooked and sufficient. Most memorable for me are the pineapple, guava, berry jams all home-made. The website indicates that juices are available the whole day but these are mainly garden-derived lemon juice. Previous reviews commented that it is difficult to swim during low tides. I disagree. During low tide, you simply walk farther out. If you are kayaking in front of the resort early in the morning when the tide is slow, you may come across a resident turtle that feeds on the sponges. Just pay attention to splashing sounds. A tip when staying at Kadavu. Make sure that you do not have an international flight on the same day when you fly out from Kadavu to Nadi/Suva. The domestic connections can be unreliable. I would recommend that resort staff ensure that their guests are checked into flights before leaving them at the airport.
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Date of stay: April 2011
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Â Stay longer and get an upgrade.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I recently stayed at this resort for 3 days and 2 nights. First impression was that the resort is beautiful in a beautiful location. Our accommodations were very nice and clean. The food was very good! There are two ladies that run the resort, Elizabeth and Lidia (sp?). Lidia was very pleasant and even took my family on a tour through the gardens. That is where the positive ends. Elizabeth appears to be the one in charge and she was very difficult to deal with. Every time I asked a question it was like I was a bother--she was very difficult to work with and not accommodating at all. She did not even wave good bye when we got on the boat to leave. She treated the staff horribly and it was apparent they did not like working for her. I spent way too much money to feel like I was a bother and see that she did not appreciate the Fijian natives that worked for her. My advice is to stay at one of the other resorts on Kadavu--all of the others are better than this option.
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Date of stay: August 2015
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sonyo, General Manager at Papageno Resort & Dive
Responded Aug 20, 2015
We welcomed Mr. Odocolleus with his Mormon student group with open arms late Saturday afternoon on the beach. They all seemed exhausted as they had spent all of their previous nights in the villages on our island of Kadavu. For previous groups similar to this group, the stay in our resort has always been the highlight of their trip. They came their own kayak tour guide, 2 boats and 5 total staff members who are not employees of Papageno Resort. Before they arrived we were informed that this group only wanted a quiet Sunday with a room provided for their Sunday prayers. To our surprise, after they arrived they requested scuba diving for 8-10 inexperienced divers. Many of the potential divers have never experienced ocean condition.With such short notice we had only one dive master available. We simple could not accommodate all of their requests due SAFETY reasons. We were able to accommodate some of their divers. There was also a request from Mr Odocolleus to go fishing. Most of our staff was of for the weekend as we had anticipated a quiet Sunday. We are not sure why his own staff could not take him fishing on their boats. Mr. Odocolleus only met our waiters and perhaps our housekeeper, all of them have been employed at Papageno for years. Perhaps Mr. Odocolleus confused his tour group staff with Papageno's staff. Some of our staff have an alternative life style. We never intended to upset any of the group members with our way of life. May God Bless YOU
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Papageno resort is awesome. We would go back. We enjoyed ourselves here very much. The resort is so relaxing and peaceful. The rooms are spacious... are beds left us we sore backs the first two nights. The meals were amazing, and the staff was great. Kind of felt like they nickeled and dimed you on things like $10 US per 30 minutes of internet. We get there and they ask you if you would like a soda. We said yes, "Ok, here you go, we will put that on your tab"... We were disappointed because we were looking forward to the fijian luau and it turned out we had it the first night. We didn't know we were having it when we were having it and the other group didn't know either. So that was kind of funny. When we left they had a wonderful Fijian send off... Singing to us a cool fijian song... Then they put us in the smallest cheapest boat to run us to the airport, so we were trenched by the time we got to the airport. We were very surprised they didn't put us in the boat they said they were going to put us in for the ride to the airport. It sounds like a horrible stay, but these are just the things that rubbed us the wrong way. But it really was a nice place to stay...
Scuba Diving. Now this was something I would think twice about. We are fairly new scuba divers and looking for some professionalism and support. The dive master didn't say two words to us the whole time. Never spoke to us about our abilities, our experience, or anything. He never spoke about the dive, how we would enter the water from the boat, how we would get back in the boat (gear on or off), who would get in the water first (I had to gesture to him to go first)... When we would end the dive... In the water he was very very very attentive to us, he almost never took his eye off us. This was great. We told him that we needed 10 pounds and 14 pounds. He gave us 9 KG and 14 KG. That is like 20 pounds and 30 pounds... We both sank like rocks... My friend didn't have his own gear so they first tried to give him a BC and wanted him to stick the weights in the pockets with no quick release. We refused that. So they tried to put a BC together for him with quick releases. They had weight integrated BC's but that had weights for a weight belt. When we were about to go in the water, the dive master did look at everyones computer to see that their air was on. So if you are experienced and have your own gear. Then you not really care about this stuff, but if you are some what new and you want someone to assist you, and make sure you are doing things right. I would make other dive arrangements.
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Date of stay: October 2014
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sonyo, Manager at Papageno Resort & Dive
Responded Dec 11, 2014
Our rates incl. 3meals/day, welcome drinks, tea, coffee, lemonade, afternoon cake, all taxes ,transport from the airport in Kadavu and the free use of our kayaks and snorkel equipment. All other drinks are available on our full bar. Internet is also available in our Lounge area for a charge. Our internet service is provided by satellite and very expensive. Keep in mind that Kadavu is still a very remote Island and there are no roads on our side of the island. All transport is done by boats, so on low tide small and flat boats are used to reach the beach to avoid long wading in the water. Papageno provides rain coats. This gentleman arrived with their own guides from a paddle tour company.(not a part of Papageno) This might explain their sore backs. Some misunderstandings between the guides, guest and our staff might have happen about the lovo. Somehow they missed the Kava party. About the dive. Their tour guide chose a dive site we usually never go to and our dive master went diving with them. The dive master read their signed dive waver and knew about their dive experience, however he did not know the dive site. It was not chosen by him and therefor his briefing was sparse. On of them rented a BCD with quick release pockets. One pocket hold 2 weights - our weights are each 1 kg - so he had a total of 4 kg in his BCD. It is also very hard to imagine that someone could string 14 weights on one weight belt. (the other gentleman had a weight belt). We are sorry for any inconvenience and misunderstandings that occurred during their stay.
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Bula Ed
Wow we would love for you to come back and share some stories of Papageno's past. This is the same place!! It is as beautiful as ever. See you soon. Vinaka vakalevu from Papageno @ Malawai Bay
Hi CKmedtech
Papageno, on the island of Kadavu, is at coordinates:
18°57'59.88"S
178°14'43.23"E
It is a magical spot, easy to get to, you won't want to leave.
A 40 minute plane ride from Nadi or Suva (daily services), you will be met by the resort staff for the then 40 minute boat trip along the coast to the resort.
The closest village is Naivakarauniniu, which you should see on Google Earth. See you soon.
There are more places to choose from in the Kadavu Island area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
papageno resort fiji hotel kadavu island, papageno hotel fiji
LOCATION
FijiKadavu ArchipelagoKadavu Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
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