Namolevu Beach Bures

The restaurant service and kindness made for a very good night. We called near the end of May, when it starts getting cooler, and they told us to come down and they’d make us dinner. We had a little deck table to ourselves facing the ocean. The cook, who I think may be the owner, was incredibly hospitable and willing to do so much for us. The food itself wasn’t mind-blowing, and we’ve never had unforgettable food in Fiji, but it was a lovely experience. The bungalows looked dated and a bit lacking from outside. I didn’t go in one, but if I’d driven up to stay, I might have felt uneasy. Four stars for the restaurant and service. The bungalows are an unknown, though I’d be a bit hesitant.

If you’re after somewhere quiet and relaxing, Namolevu is ideal. It’s right on the beach, with a beautiful setting and amazing staff who make you feel nothing is too much trouble. The food is really good and very reasonably priced compared with other resorts. Highly recommend giving it a go 😎

The chef and front office lady were nice, like most Fijians, but the included breakfast was a joke: fruit, cornflakes, and a drink. We paid extra, 5 FJD, for one egg and some bacon. The chef could bake bread instead of watching TV all day, since there were no guests, and they should buy a nice coffee machine. The bed was comfortable, but bring your own mosquito net. There were no mosquito screens on guest bures, though all the other buildings had them. The room even had an iron, if you need one. The place is only two years old but looked ten years old, with cheap construction, poor build quality, and an outdated feel. It’s a total ripoff. The website looked nice and the reviews were excellent, but the reality was disappointing for what we paid, which is a lot for local Fijians. This isn’t a professional business, and management should get help from people who know how to run one. We booked four nights directly through the website because we wanted to support local owners and avoid fees from platforms like Booking or Agoda. We’re a Swiss couple in our 30s. We paid for all four nights but left after one. Out of curiosity, I checked online and saw the place on Agoda for half what we’d paid, advertised as “only few left.” We were the only guests, with seven bures empty. We felt betrayed and raised it with staff. They tried to find the person responsible for online bookings instead of apologizing. We thought we’d get a refund or an honest apology. Instead, we waited almost an hour and a half for something they could have sorted in ten minutes. We had paid 1100 FJD and they offered 325 FJD even though we’d stayed one night. The “manager,” or whoever he was, arrived, parked, didn’t look at us, and went into a house. He spoke to a woman on staff, who relayed things to us and back to him. He never spoke to us directly. We first thought maybe it was a cultural difference, but it just felt rude and unprofessional. If they want to serve international guests, they should behave differently, or run a homestay instead. We gave up talking and left. Hopefully they spend our money wisely, though probably not. Our idea of supporting local businesses ended there. If you want to experience Fiji, go to homestays like we did before; they’re the better choice.

The restaurant is open to everyone, and we loved the ocean view. We spoke directly with the chef about our meals. Everything we tried was excellent: Asian beef stir fry, lentil soup, cassava fries, a beef burger, and mahi mahi. Portions were generous, and prices very reasonable.