Royal Davui Island Resort

Despite a miserable start to our trip to Royal Davui due to weather problems and am unfortunate delay to our arrival time…And despite some poor communication skills from management, in my opinion, this resort is simply overwhelming. Meaning in the best possible way of that words definition. The islands beauty is stunning. The food provided was outstanding. The activities on offer were sublime. The public facilities like the pool, restaurant, and relaxation areas were all five star. However, for us, the Fijian staff were the most overwhelming element to our stay. Their kindness, smiles and truly sincere wishes to make our vacation the best possible experience has once again shown us how incomparable Fiji is as a a culture, and how amazing its people are to visitors. Bula, Vinaka, and Bravo to La, Mela, Vincent, Paul, Joe, Sparky, Ben, Pex, Tom, Su, and the rest of the entire staff. Thank you for your love, and attention, “Chief Dan and Aunti Laura”. We hope it’s sooner than 13 years before we visit again.

My wife and I visited Royal Davui in mid-March, 2025 for our 25th wedding anniversary. We loved the island, the activities, the food, and the pace of the place. While it was a very laid-back resort, the quality of the staff, the accommodation, and food was outstanding. They even managed to surprise us on our anniversary, which was a really nice touch! Service: We can’t say enough about the friendly Fijian staff and their genuine hospitality. When you arrive, they welcome you to their family and they really do mean it unlike other places, that say the same, but don’t follow up with deeds and action. For example, I don’t know how they did it, but they seemed to know and recall my wife and my name within 5 minutes of our arrival! I am sure we missed a few people, but those that really stood out to us with their charm and enthusiasm were: • Dining/Bar: Paul and David kept us entertained with drinks while La, Mele, Lydia, Ben, and Ivamere were always ready in the dining area with smiles and suggestions. • Guest Relations/Mgmt: Vincent, Nimi, and Grant were always helpful and checked in periodically to ensure we had everything we needed for a memorable vacation. • Waterfront: We took advantage of paddleboards, kayaks, the Hobie cat, and reef snorkel trips as well as a breakfast at Sandy Cay. Su, Bex, and Juanny were terrific—attentive and helpful. We know there were many others in the kitchen, cleaning the rooms, and maintaining the grounds, that go unrecognized but are essential to such a well-run operation. We know from reading prior reviews that the staff has been here for many years. Keeping great people who are so focused on their visitors is a credit to the entire group. The Villa: We stayed in the Sunset plunge pool villa (#5). This is an amazing villa with spectacular view and comfortable, private accommodations. There was no reason to leave! I am sure though that all of the villas have their own unique perspective and you can always catch the sunset at the bar, which is a 3 minute walk from anywhere. Weather: We were worried about the weather since we saw rain in the forecast every day and most days we did have some rain. However, it really didn’t impact us in the least as they amounted to passing storms that were short in duration and only added to the experience. Who doesn’t like to sit outside under cover reading a book or eating homemade cookies with warm temperatures, a brief downpour, and thunder/lightning! Even out at Sandy Cay, we had a 15-minute deluge and kept cover under a large umbrella that was provided. The sun came out soon after and within 45 minutes, everything was dry. One piece of feedback and awareness: When paying for incidentals with a credit card, the resort charges a 3.5% bank fee. We didn't find this clearly stated on the website/FAQ so it was a surprise. More surprising, we were not offered an alternative of paying by bank transfer and even US dollars had to be pristine as they told us banks don't accept used US dollars. We don't like to pay these surcharges to banks and we always plan ahead to not do so and to be surprised at the end of our trip wasn't great. We had stayed at Matangi Private Island and thoroughly enjoyed it but when a very well-traveled couple recommended Royal Davui to us it was a no brainer to visit. This was a great recommendation, and we would love to return!

Yes, it's beautiful. But the negatives substantially make it not worth the effort to get there. The first thing upon arrival is a lengthy registration process, which is the last thing you want after traveling halfway around the world to get there. Making choices about meals days away (for the picnic which we elected to not do @ 7am), and signing waivers for all activities that we may or may not do in the future, etc. It's crazy. Just get me to my villa and pool please. Then every morning, before I've had a chance to have my first cup of coffee, I had to make lunch and dinner meal selections for the day. The transfer from Nadi airport was OK. The 8 passengers 30 minute flight to Pacific Harbor was fine. The 30 minute boat ride to the Island was rough and not pleasant. Our villa showed signs of needing maintenance. The bedroom has AC, but the rest of the villa doesn't, which means its too hot during the day, and too many mosquitos at night to let in the fresh air with open windows and doors. The staff was friendly. The food was average to good. Management was not accommodating at all. We booked a private dinner one night and it was brightly lit, and bug infested so we returned to the main dining area. We were told that there would be music some evenings, and none was provided We booked the picnic on Sandy Cay months in advance, but upon arrival we were told that the only one we could do was at 7am (who does a picnic at dawn?). Others got a later time. So we didn't take this unique side trip. On our last day we elected to not do the full breakfast, just opting for a smoothie (which was included with the included full breakfast). But since we didn't order the full free breakfast, we were charged for the smoothie. How crazy is that? Appeals on this surcharge were denied "thats the rule" Overall, not a 5 star, maybe 3.5 star with an attitude.

Bula, My wife and I stayed in at Royal Davui for 7 nights for our honeymoon in the Sunset Villa and it was absolute bliss. Service: The people are extremely friendly and courteous. They call you by name and they made us feel like VIPs the whole time we were there. One of our favorite parts is you can have all your food and drinks delivered to your Villa and we took advantage of that. If something was forgotten when they delivered, they fixed it immediately. They are all so wonderful, but a big shoutout to David and Vincent and bigger shoutout to Paul! We miss you all already which tells you how great the service is. Villa: We specifically stayed in Sunset Villa 5 which was our main reason we picked this resort and it exceeded our expectations. The views are unbelievable, the plunge pool was perfect for the hot days, the multiple seating areas were perfect, the outdoor shower was refreshing, the bath was relaxing, and the roof that opens inside was a cool tough. My wife and I really didn't leave the Villa for the first 2 days because of how nice it was and how private they are. You won't see or hear your neighbors. Also our villa had some fun animals stop by, like hermit crabs, regular crabs, birds, and a few fruit bats in the distance. There's air condition in bedroom and bathroom and all the doors/windows open so make the Villa an outdoor/indoor space. Food: The food is delicious and fun. You pick your meals at the beginning of the day, with lunch and dinner being 3 courses and different each day. Breakfast has multiple options and you get to pick a few each morning. The presentation of each dish is always exquisite. If you're a picky eater, you may not like everything, but they do give multiple options. If you love food, you'll have no problem with the menu. Activities: The free activities we did were snorkeling around the island, which was amazing! There are so many fish, star fish, a giant clam, coral, and a shark that we saw and swam with. We did some kayaking, paddle boards, and went on the hobie cat! They have crab races on some evenings which are really fun, the coconut class and cooking class were great and we learned so much about the culture. The Kava Ceremony was super unique and fun. That is very big in the Fiji culture which we're glad we experiences. Paid Activities: We did a few massages which were wonderful. We went the town visit on Beqa island and loved meeting the students and the locals there. We also did the Bega island snorkeling which was amazing. Our guides on both trips were wonderful and brought us to see one the giant clams (the size of a beach ball) which are endangered. I highly recommend that trip. But by far the best part and you need to do is the Sand Cay Picnic. Unbelievable! They take you out to this small sand island and set up a picnic area with chairs, umbrellas, food and drinks and leave you out there for 3 hours. Make sure to bring your snorkeling gear because the water there is better than the pictures. For transfers we did the plane ride to get there and then the car on the way back. We're glad we did that so we got to experience both and our driver was wonderful to talk to. Overall, if you're looking for privacy, beautiful views, and wonderful service then this will be the resort for you. The must is the Sand Cay Picnic and snorkeling!

Wife and I returned from 7-night stay at Royal Davui Island Resort. Maximum stars allowed across all criteria at this adult only island. Spacious but cozy villas with plunge pool. Decadent food and mixology. Relaxing, professional spa services. Attentive butlers and room service. Expansive resort activity menu including scuba diving. But you can find these qualities at most high-end resorts. The Royal Davui Island competitive advantage is its people. From reception to kitchen to wait staff to porters to activity desk to spa services everyone knew our name from the first day and greeted us with a sincere smile. We've been very lucky to have traveled the globe and never before witnessed this kind of attention to personal detail consistent every day through all resort activities. This is the place to be in Fiji if you're looking to be pampered in a private villa with breath-taking ocean views, served gourmet meals, and enjoy lounging in the sun, fishing, snorkeling/scuba on a small private island. To Paul, Su, David, Pex, Joe, Iliesa, Nimi, Vincent, La, Mela, Iva, Lydia, Meme (x 2), and Lo. We already miss you! Much love to you all! (Travel Tip - Charter the private helicopter from Nadi).