The Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort
Monday, January 19th, 2009
The award-winning, five-star Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is one of the most renowned vacation destinations in the South Pacific. Located on the island of Vanua Levu on 17 acres of a coconut plantation, the accommodations overlook the peaceful waters of Savusavu Bay. The acclaimed resort is an international favorite for romance, honeymoons and weddings; scuba diving; and families, who want to combine heavenly surroundings and exceptional dining with an unsurpassed range of eco-friendly activities.
Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands resort is the only resort that employs a full-time marine biologist to help visitors appreciate the underwater world of Fiji.
The award-winning, five-star Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is one of the most renowned vacation destinations in the South Pacific. Located on the island of Vanua Levu on 17 acres of a coconut plantation, the accommodations overlook the peaceful waters of Savusavu Bay. The acclaimed resort is an international favorite for romance, honeymoons and weddings; scuba diving; and families, who want to combine heavenly surroundings and exceptional dining with an unsurpassed range of eco-friendly activities.
Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands resort is the only resort that employs a full-time marine biologist to help visitors appreciate the underwater world of Fiji.
The Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is an island resort, which means there are no televisions, phones, wireless internet access, etc.
If you need these things to have a great vacation then choose another resort.
On the other hand if you are happy in the company of friends and the wonderful people of Fiji, then this is the place for you.
The layout and the accommodation at the resort were both upscale and luxurious, much better than the photographs led us to believe.
We stayed in a garden bure, which was 30ft behind the Beach-front bure. The bure was large and breezy with an overhead fan. If you need air conditioning then you are in the wrong resort!! You will find a number of bug repellents in the bure, and you will need them for there is a mosquito problem.
The bathroom was quite spacious and well supplied with thick towels. There was a mini-bar and all sorts of drinks that were replenished daily. There were also a coffee and tea makers with different varieties of tea.
I’d opt for a Garden Bure, if only because there isn’t much of a beach at the beachfront, and it is a lot windier.
If you’re into beaches then go somewhere else.
The beach is poor, in fact all you will find are rock pools and mangroves, and significantly the small beach there is did not have any sunbathers on it. It is more of a sandy strip full of shells that leads into a coral tide area. This tide pools are great for studying local wild life. The best entry into the water is from the pier.
The staff were some of the best I’ve encountered and everyone was very friendly and accommodating.
The food was exquisite and gourmet with lots of fresh fish, probably best described as light island fare.
One could order a second helping of anything.
Everyday brought a new menu both at lunch and dinner.
There is a good wine list, but the wines by the glass were not so good.
There was a wide choice at breakfast.
There are two major shortfalls here, apart from the lack of beach in a Pacific Ocean Island paradise!!
The facilities for small children are superb, with the all encompassing Bula Club, however if your children are slightly older but not old enough to scuba dive, there are all sorts of rules and regulations for them to keep them out of adult vision and hearing.
The Children’s food was somewhat of the fast food variety, and I found it intolerable that children could not use the adult salt water pool at certain times.
In addition the scuba diving was not all it might have been.
Finally - beware falling coconuts, you will be asked to sign a waiver clause in case you get hit!!
