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Reviews of Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat

2.5 out of 5
Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat
20 Minutes off Taveuni on Vanua Levu, Viani Bay

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 11 out of 21 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 21 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 21 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 21 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 21 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Cheryl

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We were surprised that the property only consisted of one unit. It was a little more rustic than expected. However the owner shared meals with us at his home & the food was unique & delicious. As a dive master he took us snorkeling & was a great guide. He showed us around his property & the construction he has been working on for three additional units. The location is great. Made up for the rustic accommodations.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Response from vk on 19 Sept,2022
Thank you Cheryl. We appreciate your feed back and are glad you enjoyed the diving and your stay. There is only one unit listed on EP and we are trying to change the location with them, however, they have not responded to our many requests to do so. Keep on diving! Viola

10/10 Excellent

Josephine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Remote and unique area and experience away from civilisation with only the noises of the nature and wildlife. Super friendly and hospitable family who really take care of you and provide a unique experience. Very convenient and close location for diving the amazing rainbow reef!!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Viola on 27 Jul,2022
Thank you Josephine! We really enjoyed having you and are happy you had a good time. Hopefully we shall see you back sometime.

10/10 Excellent

Barbara/Dale, Arlington, Washington, USA

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved our stay at Dolphin Bay! The staff made the visit perfect. The location is wonderful, the beach is 'right there', and we had our own little baby shark visit us each day when the tide was out. My husband enjoyed his dives very much. I went snorkeling one day with Roland and another couple and it was the most amazing snorkel trip I've ever had. The reef was stunning and there were so many fish.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Zoe on 24 Oct,2019
Bula Barbara and Dale Thank you for your kind review! We loved having you here and that you enjoyed your diving and snorkelling. Best wishes from us all at Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
We had a great stay at Dolphin Bay! Service, food, diving, location and views were all amazing! Remote location was beautiful. Accommodations were as described, basic/cabin campground feel. We loved Dolphin Bay and would highly recommend! We hope to visit again soon!
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat on 8 Sept,2019
Bula! Thank you for your kind review - hopefully we'll see you again one day. Best wishes from everyone at Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat!

8/10 Good

Maria, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It's an excellent location, the staff was wonderful and very helpful. As a non diver I loved just chilling out, relax leaving work behind. Great to wake up in front of the ocean. Go swimming or snorkeling the reef right there.
Stayed 6 nights in Apr 2019
Response from vk on 15 May,2019
Bula Maria, Great that you liked it and were able to chill. Thanks for visiting our little magic place! Dolphin Bay Divers Team

10/10 Excellent

ViS, Sweden / NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Overall Excellence
Dolphin Bay was a tremendously great place for me and my girl! The food was maybe a little pricey but it was made up by being very very tasty and a lot more varied than other places we stayed at during our time in Fiji. Attention to detail in all areas was what really made Dolphin bay stand out. The staff and owner was super friendly and competent. I would recommend this to everyone! Cheers and many thanks from Johanna and Victor :)
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2017
Response from Viola on 14 Nov,2017
Bula Johanna, Thank you for taking the time to do a review. Thanks for the comments, very much appreciated! I am sorry I missed you, but happy you had a great time! Viola

8/10 Good

james

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Great place, great staff, great food, great snorkelling, great walks with the Great dogs, some great diving but you don't get any say about what dives you do which I think is unfair. It's like going to a restaurant , being shown the menu but then not having any choice.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2017
Bula vinaka, Your review and comments are very much appreciated. I do feel the need to comment on the dive sites. We exclusively dive the Rainbow Reef which is famous for the soft corals, also called the soft coral capital of the world. This means that we sometimes have STRONG currents. The Somosomo Strait is not very predictable. So we chose the dive sites in the morning depending on weather, currents and divers capabilities. We have 20+ dive sites and if you want to dive a particular one, you need to let us know, if at all possible we will accommodate you.. We are located in a bay were it is usually very calm and you only see the weather conditions once you are out of the bay, so the final decision is with the captain and dive crew.We are sorry you did not get to dive whichever dive site you wanted to see but safety is our number one priority and hopefully you enjoyed the dives anyway! Viola

8/10 Good

Ruediger

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
nice and quiet place, best for couples
nice staff, everything well arranged, but the food was too expensive and the diving far away from what I expected, so that I did just 2 dives.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Simple accommodation, fun diving & great staff
Imagine you're a castaway on a remotes Fiji island, except with three square meals a day, fun fellow travelers and attentive staff. Don't imagine your going to have is an AC unit cranking all night and long showers. Hopefully you will have a cool breeze as you're laying in your Bure (or tent). I stayed in Turtle Bure, had a hot water shower (keep in brief), small bed fan, mosquito net over my bed and the relaxing sound of waves 50ft from my window all night! For me Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat offered great diving and plenty of time in-between to lay in my hammock, sleep & read my book. These rooms are basic - but by far my favorite place on this trip!! Thanks Viola and Team for making it special ;)

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Turtle Haven beachfront Bure.
Highly recommend for a nature getaway. We stayed in Jan & the weather was amazing. Staff all helpful & friendly. Diving outstanding. Plenty of time to read a book & relax on the beach.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We went specifically to go diving. The staff of the hotel and the dive boat work seamlessly togwther. Wonderful personal service

10/10 Excellent

holly, Anchorage

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Paradise and eco friendly
We loved this place! It is very simple but very nicely done. The staff gives phenomenal service and are so friendly and nice I felt like I had gained friendships with each of them. The food is awesome. The tents and rooms are clean and comfortable. I love the solar lighting in the "room." I love the cheap tent option (even though we were upgraded!)and the well maintained natural setting. It feels like being far away from everything but with as many amenities as possible. The beach is right in front of the property and the snorkeling is good even right off the beach but the diving and snorkeling 10-20 minutes by boat on Rainbow Reef is amazing. Roland and Viola have offered travelers a great way to visit their awesome piece of paradise with very little impact on the environment.

10/10 Excellent

Karen, San Jose, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly, casual dive retreat with resident cats!
A typical day includes waking up for a generous breakfast including coffee, tea, fresh tropical fruit, toast, and eggs cooked-to-order. The first dive boat leaves at about 8:30am after breakfast. The dive staff take care of your equipment and, because of "dolphin time", we are usually the first and only divers at the dive site. Diving the rainbow reef is beautiful but can be challenging due to strong currents and the tides. For best results, plan to visit around the half moon--not at full moon or new moon! After the first dive, tea and cookies are served during the surface interval. After the second morning dive, go back to your bure or tent for a quick, military-style shower (to conserve water) and head to the dining area for a wonderful lunch (with dessert!). Example lunches included chili con carne, club sandwiches, and pasta dishes. After lunch, everyone settles in for a siesta (I preferred an oceanfront hammock for mine) until about 4:30pm, when the electricity and Internet turn on for the evening. After a happy hour snack (e.g., rice balls and other fried goodies), an evening activity might occur like coconut bowling, kava, or crab races. Dinner is a 3-course experience including appetizer, main, and dessert (again!). The dishes are varied and typically include pork, chicken, or beef excellently prepared and served. Lovo night is not to be missed! Sunday is low-key (no dives) and the spa is excellent! A great staff that welcomes guests!

10/10 Excellent

Senrab, Auckland, NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly stay
Had a great time, nice managers and staff. Great location and diving. Easy to get to know other guests with group dining tables. Brought back memories of when we were younger and camping out on the beach but with all the necessaries, toilet, comfy bed etc. A lot of thought had been put into the little extras like pegs and clothes line, beach bag etc.

10/10 Excellent

Leonie, Australia - TAS - Hobart

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Facilities: Distinctive; Value: Economical; Service: Go the extra mile; Cleanliness: Lovely; The water is pristine and warm.

8/10 Good

Kari

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019
Response from divefox on 5 Feb,2019
Bula vinaka Kari, Thank you for the review. We loved having you with us.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
素敵な人達が集まるアットホームなリゾート
リゾートの人達は親切、ご飯も美味しい。でも部屋のクオリティーはかなりの覚悟が必要。清潔好きな日本人には難しいかもしれませんが、覚悟持って来てくれれば大自然の中を楽しめるかもしれません。

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
sehr schön
hotelservice ist klasse, sehr freundlich und immer hilfsbereit.. wer erholung und ruhe braucht ist hier gut aufgehoben.. sehr familiäre atmosphäre, das essen ist lecker
Response from Viola on 26 Nov,2016
Danke fuer den review, ich werde es weiterleiten:-) Viola

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
ein kleines Paradies
mal abgesehen das die Bungalows schon ein wenig in die Jahre gekommen sind war es eine sehr schöne Zeit in der Delfin Bay. Die Menschen dort sind sehr herzlich immer aufmerksam und hilfsbereit, jeder Wunsch konnte geäußert werden und wurde nach Möglichkeit erfüllt. Da wir nur geschnorchelt sind fühlten auch wir uns wohl, waren zweimal auch mit dem Tauchboot draußen und fühlten uns sehr gut betreut. Die Küche ist sehr gut, schon erstaunlich was dort alles gezaubert wird und das gemeinsame Essen am Abend ist ein schöner Abschluss vom Tag.