Renata G. Just returned from a wonderful vacation in Fiji. Stayed four nights at Matangi Resort. If anyone wants to feel like they are visiting family, this is the place for you. Great accommodations (small --- only ten bures), perfect grounds, great food, an amazing, helpful staff. And, as a goodwill ambassador, a very friendly kitty that would visit everybody and loved the attention. We will be back!
Getting there: From LAX, non stop on Fiji Airways Airbus is 11 hours. Then a 1 hour domestic flight to Taveuni, a 15 minute van ride, and a 45 minute boat ride to Matangi, where the staff greets you in song. The Resort: elegant, with about 10 well spaced beautiful bures ( some on the beach, others designated as treehouse). A short walk to the open air dining area, and a lovely pool next to it. During our stay, not more than 10 guests were there at a time, so the staff learns your names The food and service are excellent. Three course meals ( you make your choices at breakfast) are elegant. They will also modify some of the choices on request Massages are available every day in a private spa. Yoga mats are available. Activities: I didn’t dive this trip; however, the dive operation seems professional and well organized. They do 2 and 3 tank trips. Of course, the famous soft coral sites are not far. The snorkeling is not great, but they take you out twice a day. The water during December was 84 degrees F. Lots to do: the pearl farm; waterfalls and rock slide on Taveuni; church service in a nearby settlement conducted in Fijian with beautiful hymns in Fijian; hike around the island ( our guide, Tom, shimmied up a coconut tree and got fresh coconuts for us); an add-on trip to private Horseshoe Bay); kava demonstration; coconut demonstration; and lots of relaxing Probably the best part is the people: not just the staff, but Fijians in general are truly friendly and welcoming…
Pros: Beautiful island, tranquil, staff generally very friendly and usually really good food, loved our Horseshoe Bay excursion. Cons: We were unfortunately very disappointed with the service overall. For how much this place costs, as well as the excellent reviews we saw, we were expecting near perfect service, with one or two minor hiccups given that we’re all human and nobody’s perfect. Perhaps that was too much to ask for. It felt like a five-star location and five-star prices, but two-star service. To start, I had emailed the resort more than three weeks before arrival to let them know our special dietary needs, and someone emailed back to say that wouldn’t be a problem. We arrived and the chef was totally taken by surprise, said he hadn’t been informed we were coming, and that if he had been, he could have been prepared and made some special orders from their suppliers. I’m not sure if it was a language barrier, cultural misunderstanding, or something else, but there were various mistakes at almost every one of our meals to the point where we pretty much gave up trying. They didn’t seem to understand the two of us had different wants and needs. The staff even complained to us that they were unhappy with the way we were ordering our meals (!). At one point at the end of a dinner, three waitresses were chatting with each other for 15-20 minutes with not even a glance our way as we sat there bored and waiting for them to bring us the rest of our meal, and I eventually had to walk up to them to ask us to bring the dessert we had ordered that they still hadn’t brought. It wasn’t rare we had to ask multiple times for the same thing, and then it still wasn’t done or wasn’t done right. We also didn’t love how there was no door between the bathroom and bedroom, there was only an outdoor shower (no indoor shower), and the door handle to get to the outdoor shower was strangely low, like 2.5 feet off the ground. Attention to detail in our rooms wasn’t great. Towels and minibar items were sometimes not replaced, robes left on the floor, coffee maker sometimes not cleaned out, and at one point a maid must have left her snack bag of gummy bears and nuts on our table, which sat there for a day before disappearing again. I once asked for help with a maintenance issue and for a minibar item that hadn’t been replaced. These weren’t done when we came back to our room several hours later. I had to walk through the rain to tell a supervisor to correct this, and he claimed staff told him they had already resolved the issues, which clearly wasn’t the case. Finally when checking out, the office staff member almost drastically overcharged us on the credit card fee – should have been maybe $30, but instead she was about to charge over $200 (!). Any reasonable person working with numbers in any capacity should have immediately seen that was a major mistake and way off the mark, but I had to point this out to her to get her to fix it. All I can say is that I sincerely hope it was a mistake and not intentional.…
We just returned from our 1-year anniversary trip to Matangi Private Island Resort, and I highly recommend for anyone looking for max relaxation, tons of nature and amazing food. We stayed for 10 nights and were still sad to leave when our trip ended. The travel is a LOT to get there from America, but so worth it and fun to be somewhere so remote. We had to take 3 flights and then a boat to the resort, so we were exhausted when we arrived, but were greeted warmly with a welcome song and a fresh meal. Our entire stay was incredible. All of the staff were so warm and friendly - it was so sad to say goodbye at the end of our trip. The island is full of natural beauty and you have plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature being right on the beach, the open dining room, the bure, etc. Our bure was extremely comfortable. We slept so well every night - the bed had a unit AC that kept us nice and cool. During the days, we'd open the windows and the bure would be nice and breezy. We loved relaxing on our porch in the swinging day bed. This resort is definitely for you if you want to relax and not worry about a full schedule of activities. We felt there was plenty to do, with daily snorkeling, water activities, cultural activities, hiking, and different excursions offered regularly. We did do plenty of the activities at the resort, but mainly stayed by the pool and enjoyed the breeze most days. We also visited the spa twice and I received the best massage I have ever gotten. The spa is right on the water, so you can hear the ocean the entire time. I would've gone every day if I could have! I recommend adding the romance package, which is a good value and includes a private picnic in the Horseshoe Bay, a massage at the spa, and a candlelight dinner. We loved each of these experiences. Probably the best part was the food. It was AMAZING. Everything was so fresh and delicious. I already miss the fresh juices and fresh bread we had every day. Usually on vacation I'm tired of the food by the end of the trip and ready to get home, but everything we had was wonderful. Plenty of adventurous choices, but also safer choices if you are a picky eater. I am not and enjoyed lots of seafood, curries, etc. There wasn't a meal I didn't love the entire time. The bartenders were also so friendly, made delicious drinks, and would make pretty much anything you asked for - and it was all delicious. The entire trip overall was as close to perfect as you can get in a vacation. We cannot wait to hopefully visit again one day. Thank you for the best trip of our lives, Matangi!…
We came here for the second week of our honeymoon - it was fabulous. The staff were just amazing - especially in the spa, the treatments were divine. Food, atmosphere, accommodation - all 5 star. Excellent cocktails and horseshoe bay is just a dream. Paradise.
Toto’a! Awesome and beautiful! Well, it’s all been said before: absolutely wonderful staff, superb service, fabulous food, stunning accommodation, lush gardens, and truly amazing snorkelling. Add to that a sense of being completely looked after and a real feeling of luxury, all in a clean, quiet, peaceful, intimate, and beautiful setting. We truly enjoyed everything about our 8 night stay in bure #4. For us though, the twice-daily guided snorkelling tours were absolute highlights. We went fourteen (!) times and were never disappointed; with something new to see or experience every time. Vina’a va’a levu (Vinaka vaka levu) - thank you very, very much to Paulini, Mereoni, John, Betty, Olive, Mary, Bibi Sireli, Tim, Eric, Jack “Sparrow”, Josh “Shakespeare”, Tom, Horace, and all the others whose names we forgot or missed - especially to those working hard behind the scenes, cooking, cleaning, and gardening! You have all given us an absolutely wonderful holiday.…
Few superlatives do this island and its people justice, but magical is one! From the setting, including our magnificent bure and the bar / dining room, to the friendly and helpful people, the snorkeling and diving, the food and the sunsets. My wife and I decided to have a special overseas holiday following our 'freedom' from the Melbourne lock downs and we were delighted. Given our experience, It also made perfect sense that a number of the other guests had chosen it as their honeymoon destination. Being passionate about wildlife I was always on the lookout for new creatures, both marine and terrestrial. Over the five nights of our stay we were always discovering new things including an array of fish at dusk and the beautiful local parrots. The icing on the cake for me was a diving trip to the spectacular Rainbow Reef. One of the dives covered the Great White Wall, something truly unforgettable, while the other two dives introduced marine-life so plentiful that at times it was impossible to take it all in. We could have easily stayed longer as there were plenty of other things to check out, but we simply ran out of time. Needless to say we've already decided to come back for a significant anniversary, and I cant wait!…
We had a truly wonderful stay in all aspects. The bure was private, spacious and beautifully serviced by housekeeping. The beds and pillows were perfect for a good night's sleep and rest. I loved the swing double chair on the front verandah and appreciated the petite tripocal garden beside it. The food is superb and appropriately sized with wonderful flavours. The options were hard to choose between. The restaurant staff were simply the best. The guided snorkeling tours happen twice daily and were interesting and fun. You can also snorkel off the beach, but I didn't need to. Diving was expertly managed and you can arrange a trip to the White Wall too. The coconut preparation display was entertaining and useful. For the last day, we were kept well-informed of the checkout process, transfer times and day room availability. I could go on and on about how wonderful it was here.…
This was our third visit to Matangi Private Island Resort and I can honestly say that we still want to go back again. The staff always welcomes guests coming to this beautiful paradise as the boat brings you closer to the island. Matangi is unique in that you don’t get lost in a crowd of 100-200 guests like other resorts (been there, done that). If you are looking for a place to relax as much as you want or to be active as much as you want, Matangi is that place. Daybeds and lounges around the swimming pool for the times you want to relax or places to hike, snorkel, scuba dive, excursions, etc. for the times you want to be active The dining was extraordinary. Each meal had multiple options (including vegan) to choose from and were always exceptionally prepared and presented so beautifully. We got the romance package which included a couples massage. If you don’t do anything else, this is a must. The package also includes a private dinner (we had a great time watching the crabs racing around on the beach from the private dining area) and a morning at Horseshoe Bay (Listed in ‘1,000 Places To See Before You Die) Last, but certainly not least, this was our 51st anniversary and we decided to have a vow renewal ceremony. The staff took care of everything so we didn’t have to do a thing except show up A BIG Thank You to Sireli, Serena, Tim, Bibi, Betty, Paulini, Olive, Jon, Mary, Tom, Sotia, and to any others if I forgot your name. You gave us another wonderful experience!…
A dry eye is hard to find as you depart Matangi Private Island Resort. (to be fair, the arrival song might be even more tear inspiring) The warmth, kindness, and genuine nature of the Fijians comes through in their voices and will captivate you! Many of the staff remembered us from our visit 10 years ago. The family that owns Matangi, lives on the resort. Nothing is remotely “corporate'' on this pristine volcanic island above or below the surface of the sea. Everyone wants you to feel as at-home as they do. Tree@BeyondBoraBora.com perfectly dialed in our incredible recent trip to Fiji. Foodies beware! There are mouthwatering choices to be made at every meal. Pick just one? Absolute torture! Today’s Fresh catch, NZ beef and lamb, Fijian Curry, lobster, etc. etc. The saving grace is the wine list. Let’s face it, a real vintage wine list is rare as whales teeth in most tropical destinations. Not so at Matangi! Their wine list will bring out the enophile in you. Plenty of home baked choices for starting breakfast on the continental buffet, but read my lips. “YES! Eggs Benedict today again Please!” The breakfast menu is long and all delicious for those who can inexplicably pass on the lovingly and perfectly poached Benedicts. Did someone say “champagne breakfast in bed”? Just ask. Go back to skipping breakfast when you get home. Divers! Do you prefer crowded dive sites? Do you like a full dive boat with several dive groups? Two divers left just before me and two more showed up the following week when we left. It was just me and the dive master all week! Bose was attentive and had an incredible ability to find all manner of large and small reef critters, most of which I’d never seen before. Matangi is a “Private Island Resort”. We joked every day about our “private ocean”. We never spotted another dive boat, nor diver all week. The spa is well appointed and definitely worth your time. Maybe some time every Day! Water people like me simply should not pass on my favorite, what I call the “shower table”. Absolute wet indulgence, followed by the hot stone massage. A master brewer was asked, “what makes a good beer”? His answer, “one that makes me want another.” Matangi is the one resort I want to revisit again.…
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