Fiji was on my bucket list for 25 years! I found Yasawa Island Resort and Spa in the Costco Travel brochure. When I read “unlimited daily picnics on a private beach,” I was almost sold. But it was my research on the resort and the reviews that solidified my choice. The owner James McCaan replies to every single review (he may have missed a few, but that’s it, a few) regardless of the comments. That shows that he’s involved, and that’s vital. With 25 years of expectations, there was a lot to live up to. Imagine my delight when the entire trip exceeded my best dreams. My stay was October 31-November 7. Dealing with Costco was smooth, and I had a good sense of comfort which made everything easier and worry-free. From the moment I landed on Yasawa Island, I knew I’d made the right choice. Stepping off the little plane, we were greeted by resort staff and adorned in a plumeria necklace. Just a few minutes later when we arrived at the resort, more staff members greeted us in song. The words were in Fijian, but everyone was clapping and smiling and swaying, so it was clearly a happy tune. Check-in was quick and thorough, but I wish I’d taken notes because I forgot a couple of things that were important later. The food at the resort was wonderful! Breakfast each day features a full menu and one awesome daily special in addition to a plate of cut fruit and pasties. Lunch and dinner each offer a first plate with two options, a main course with three options, and two dessert choices. One option each meal was vegan or vegetarian, and tho I am neither, I did opt for that selection multiple times. Portion sizes were just right, where I was neither stuffed nor still hungry after eating. The restaurant is open air and lovely. Dinner tables are set up poolside and some are located on the beach. The staff will direct you to your table at each meal, so don’t just go take any seat. I stayed in a Deluxe Bure Suite. It’s big, about 1250 square feet, with three double doors to the big deck and a door from the indoor shower to the outdoor private shower. Steps from the deck led to my hammock and covered lounge chairs and then a bit further to the beach and water, visible from the room. A small water spigot is set by the steps to clean your feet before reentering the Bure. The bedroom area (not enclosed) has an air conditioner and overhead bed lights for reading. The king sized bed was very comfortable. The living area has a comfy couch and two or three chairs plus two more day bed style couches near the front door. Even tho it was just me, I made a point to sit everywhere to get full measure! The bathroom is huge with double sinks, a closet for hanging, and closets with shelves. The shower is also very big, but I didn’t ever use it. Right outside the inside shower was an outdoor shower, and I could not force myself inside after the first shower. There was always a pitcher of water in the mini fridge. I ordered a few things for the mini-bar at check-in but the only thing I drank was the water and then used tap water. I didn’t spend enough time in the room and wished I’d not ordered anything at all. The tap water was perfect. Manasa’s Bar in the main area is wonderful. There are plenty of bar stools plus seating on couches, comfy chairs, and bar tables and chairs high and low top. I tried several different cocktails and purchased a few bottles of champagne and a bottle of wine. I did not go with the drinks package and likely spent more by not doing so, but some of the drinks are not included in the package, and I wanted full bottles of French Champagne, so I knew what was coming. Drink prices are consistent with what we pay in the US, about $13 for a craft or premium cocktail. Full bottles of wine started at about $40 and Champagne ranged from $80 to $275. They had Moet, Veuve, and Dom Perignon. Activities for the next day are scheduled at 630PM at the bar, so don’t forget to do that! We also got a daily schedule of activities as well as who arrived that day, who had to go home the next day, and special celebrations for any guests. The beach picnics are free unless you add alcohol and aren’t on the alcohol plan. The meals are light but filling and include bread, fruit, a main item, and dessert. The activities director will work with your schedule if you’re participating in multiple activities on the same day. The spa does the same, and if you can get the package, do so!! It’s about $225 and includes one treatment every single day. EVERY DAY! I had two massages, a pedicure, and some sort of coconut body thing and all of them were freaking AWESOME. There are snorkeling trips, tho you can also get fins and a mask and snorkel just off the beach. There is a trip to the Bukama village that includes the opportunity to buy handmade items from the women of the village, and you can also attend a church service at the village. You can take a walk across the island and “walk” to the lookout. That “walk” is really a vertical climb of about 300 feet or more. I still laugh. Walk. HA HA. I did a deep sea fishing trip with two other guests. The trip was two hours and was about $100. There is a trip to the Blue Lagoon Caves. That is about $15 or maybe that’s 15FJ$, and the money goes to the village that keeps it up. Ladies from that village are present to sell their handmade goods. You can request the seafood platter for dinner (dependent on successful fishing by the villagers). I think you can request a romantic oceanside dinner, but I don’t know that for sure. One night I was seated oceanside tho I didn’t request it. It was fabulous. The pool is huge and the water was a perfect temp. There is an umbrella per two lounge chairs (plenty of chairs!), and there is a hammock poolside. There is always a jar of fresh orange water which I loved! There are chairs on the beach that hang from a large tree. The breeze at the pool, bar, and restaurant was exquisite. There is a small library in the main area (it’s air conditioned) with various paperback books for you to take and replace, and there were a LOT of Stephen King books! In there you will find “the book!” It’s a picture book scrapbook style of the history of the resort, and it’s fascinating!! There is a small shop of necessities and souvenirs. The staff, every single staff member, was simply the best in every single way. They all were smiling and friendly, greeting me with a bright, “Bula!” (hello) and always saying “Vinaka!” (thank you). They whistled and sang and laughed all the time. And they were just nice. Like, really, really nice. They greeted me by name all the time, stopping to introduce themselves and ask how I was doing, where was I from. I loved it, and I loved meeting every single person I saw. I truly enjoyed meeting the guests! It was a constant rotation, but I still had the chance to visit with all of them and share meals with many of them. About half of the guests were from Australia and New Zealand, and most of the other half were from the US and Canada. I’d guess this is consistent, with a couple people from other places (Spain and China while I was there). The visitors were all really kind and it seemed there was always someone to make sure people met each other. I loved that part! I was so lucky to be on the island when the owner came to stay. She is a wonderful woman and in her telling of the story of how she and her husband came to own this resort, I was taken by the passion in her voice. Yasawa Island Resort and Spa is a labor of love, and that is patently clear as I listened to Erin regale me with history. I was at the resort to celebrate a milestone birthday, and my visit with her lent itself to one of the best celebrations I’ve ever experienced (and there have been many)! If you’ve gotten this far, I hope you will just go. Just go because it’s that good. It’s that great. A few things to know or expect: Prices I’ve listed are in USD. The dollar was particularly strong while I was there, and as a result, everything was very affordable. You are on a tropical island, and there are ants and geckos and other small island creatures that will sometimes get into your room. So don’t leave food out and clean up spills. The ants are tiny and don’t leave the walls too much and the little geckos stayed on the walls and overhead “somewhere.” Neither will bother you. There are mosquitoes at night. Believe me on this. Use bug spray or come home looking like you have chicken pox. (I look like I have chicken pox, but hey, I brought some of Fiji home with me. Is that a win?) The staff will take care of you. Some things can’t be fixed in a hurry. Remember that you’re on an island and there is no store to run to in case you need something or if something breaks. Overall, everything was in good order. I did find one broken thing and wondered about the type of person who would break something instead of wondering why it wasn’t repaired. Buy trip insurance. Protect your investment. Buy the insurance. If you need a power converter, get the Australian converter. Phones charge SUPER SLOWLY, more quickly when powered off. Consider a wireless charger. My internal charging port got moisture and couldn’t charge for several hours. A wireless charger would have worked and would have relieved a ton of anxiety. They are not kidding about the no wi-fi or TV in the rooms. It is always available in the main area tho you’re asked to not be on your device in the restaurant (fair). Wi-fi was strong. If you don’t have an international plan with your phone, you can buy a data plan at the Nadi airport. Make sure your phone is unlocked or the SIM won’t work. Everyone speaks American English. The tap water is desalinated and fine to drink. You’ll get an insulated water bottle in your room. Use it, refill from the carafe of water in your room or the orange water in the main area, and save resources. Seriously consider buying from the ladies that sell their hand-made goods. There are some nice Fijian pieces, the prices are good, and the money is well-used. Budget for the Christmas box which is used instead of tips. The money is for staff bonuses. They earn it and deserve it. The people of Yasawa have invited us to their home. This is the only resort and many of the villagers work here to make sure our stay is everything we expect. I’m not sure if they go out of their way, or if this is just who they are. I reminded myself each day how lucky it was that I was able to be there. I never felt the other way around. If you love the resort, tell everyone. If you have a problem, tell the manager, privately. Yasawa Island Resort and Spa is a gift. …