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Fiji’s Coral Coast is a stretch of land on Fiji’s largest island of Viti Levu renowned for its technicolor corals, healthy shark population, and countless top-notch dive and surf spots.
Overview of Waidroka Bay Resort
Tucked away in a little bay is Waidroka Bay Resort, a haven for adventure addicts who are looking for a resort that will foster their aquatic adventures — without costing a fortune. Waidroka Bay Resort houses a handful of private bungalows that overlook the ocean. The resort also has a pool, bar, communal dining area, and hammocks strewn between palms throughout the property. Kayaks and standup paddleboards are free for guest use. It’s a great option for those wanting a mid-range home base for aquatic excursions.
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Waidroka Bay Resort has a staff that fosters a strong sense of community and will treat you like family. Though we didn’t get a chance to experience it, the resort can arrange kava ceremonies and hikes into the nearby village.
The Bures
Simple and clean, visitors at Waidroka Bay Resort enjoy the privacy of a bungalow with a small porch and sling-style hammock out front. The bungalows sleep one to six people, depending on your group. The rooms are basic, but have air conditioning, a mini-fridge, a fan, and small table. The windows are lined with mesh to keep critters out. The interior of the rooms are a rustic, but they’re comfortable enough to sleep in after a long day out on the water.
The Property
The first thing you’ll notice about the resort is its beautiful landscaping. Bordering the grass lawns are shrubs The resort also has a volleyball net, a pool, a large dining room with space for reading (tens of surf magazines and books), a small bar, hammocks, and a covered lounge area near the pool.
The resort sits alongside of a small bay that is perfect for paddling, kayaking, and snorkeling. If you’re on a budget and only wanting to do the free activities at Waidroka Bay Resort, you could easily spend a weekend paddling around the bay, swimming, and hiking.
Surfing with Waidroka Bay Resort
Waidroka Bay Resort offers boat surf excursions that can be catered to your ability level and surf style. The resort has a boat that will take you to some of the many nearby surf breaks or Frigates, a world class break that’s further away, if you have at least four people.
Our guide, Paul, is the type of person who instantly befriends anyone he meets. We were lucky enough to get the two surf breaks we ventured to all to ourselves. We asked to surf at some of the more mellow breaks in the region because I tend to get anxious at heavy reef breaks. Paul and our boat driver, James, happily obliged and seemed to know the waves well despite Paul being new to the area.
We felt safe, comfortable, and couldn’t have asked for anything more during our surf trip with Waidroka.
(Note that the area does not have any surf breaks suitable for those just learning how to surf.)
Diving with Waidroka Bay Resort
Diving with with Waidroka Bay Resort was the highlight of my stay. On our first dive off of the reef at Frigates, we saw white tip reef sharks, three zebra sharks, colorful corals, titan triggerfish, and more. Our second dive at a turtle cleaning station was slightly shallower and we witnessed turtles getting a refreshing scrub-down from a handful of cleaner fish.
If you’re renting, the gear is well-maintained and they have all sizes. If you have small feet, bring a pair of neoprene socks or else you might find yourself slipping on a pair of children’s fins!
Paul, the surf guide, accompanied us on our boat ride and surfed with us at Frigates during the surface interval! So, if your dive boat is planning to go to Frigates, it’s worth a shot to see if there’s room for a board, too. We surfed while the others completed their third dive. I always appreciate a resort that can accommodate different skills and activities.
Room for improvement
It’s rare that anything is perfect. God knows I’ve encountered some truly terrible dive resorts. That being said, Waidroka Bay Resort comes pretty close — especially when it comes to how they run their dive and surf trips. Safety, friendliness, and professionalism are the top traits I look for when reviewing a dive resort, and Waidroka Bay Resort scores high marks.
But, we’d love more vegetarian food options. Waidroka Bay Resort claims to be environmentally conscious. Some of the main CO2 polluters are the meat and dairy industries. Vegetarianism and veganism is gaining popularity around the globe, especially among conservationists. During our visit to Waidroka Bay Resort, two of the few vegetarian options on the menu were unavailable. During the first communal dinner, we were served the meat meal without the meat — eating sides which were not as satiating as the main meat dishes.
Once we brought this issue up to Waidroka Bay Resort staff, they cooked delicious vegetarian meals from then on out. The chefs even followed-up and checked to see that our future meals were satisfying enough for us. If you’re vegetarian, tell the staff in advance, before your arrival, so they can ensure that their vegetarian food ingredients are in stock.
This is not an improvement for the dive resort but rather a general note. Waidroka Bay Resort does not have a sandy beach to lounge on. It’s probably not the resort to choose if you’re not a surfer, diver, kayaker, or into adventure sports. If you just want to post up on the sand with a cocktail and a book for a few days, consider checking into The Beachouse.
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This post was not sponsored by Waidroka Bay Resort. All opinions are our own. The Salt Sirens is a participant in the Booking.com affiliate program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Booking.com.
