Waya Lailai Eco Haven

I cried when we left, because we felt so welcomed and at home in this beautiful place, even though we only stayed two nights! From the moment we walked through the village to get to our beachfront bure, we knew this was going to be a special experience, and overall we LOVED it. We found it to be the perfect compromise between a resort stay and a homestay. You get all the organized activities and socialization of a resort, but you also get the feeling of being in the midst of a real Fijian community, with children and dogs running around, and the chance to have conversations with friendly villagers who are all lending a hand with the resort in various ways. And perhaps more importantly: here your money is directly supporting the local economy (rather than going to rich resort-owning foreigners) because the resort is uniquely owned and operated by the village. We also appreciated the way they organized their activities each day, with so many things to do! Snorkeling with reef sharks was a highlight, as well as hiking to the top of the rock on the island (a difficult hike, but SO worth it!). The meals were excellent, with lots of options -- they are buffet style with family-style seating, which we loved, because it gave us an organic chance to chat with fellow travelers. We also LOVED that there was live music (from villagers) at almost every meal. What a musically talented village! Now, a note about the "vibe": definitely make sure you go into your stay with realistic expectations! This is not a "luxury" resort, and the beachfront bures are a little rustic, with cold-water showers and more of a glamping vibe, but it is priced accordingly and we found it overall to be an amazing deal. The location is gorgeous, the staff is lovely, and you will feel perfectly comfortable falling asleep with the sea breeze and the sound of ocean waves right outside your door. We miss Waya Lailai already, and would absolutely stay here again!

Due giorni meravigliosi in questo resort semplice ed accogliente gestito dai locali che abitano nel villaggio adiacente, incredibilmente gentili ed ospitali.
Anche la cucina offerta è semplice ma ottima.

Staff and food was the best of all the yasawa islands we stayed before. Food is served as a buffet and it is yummy. You have a big coral reef right in front of the beach, you can hike up the mountain and they organise plenty of activities around. We’ve done the reef shark snorkelling there and we say about 10 sharks at once. Rooms are clean and with space enough. They make you feel like at home, really friendly people and welcoming.

Amazing staff! Room was very clean and the food was good.

Very relaxing place, you feel like at home !
View from our bula and the noise of waives.
Food was fantastic.

Nous avons passé trois jours dans cet endroit et nous avons été merveilleusement bien accueillis. Dès notre arrivée, nous nous sommes sentis comme chez nous. La chambre était impeccable, très propre et confortable.
Le séjour en pension complète est proposé à 80 $ fidjiens par personne et, franchement, ça les vaut largement ! Les repas sont tout simplement exceptionnels. Au petit-déjeuner, il y a énormément de choix : œufs, pancakes, beignets, fruits… Tout est fait maison et vraiment délicieux.
Le déjeuner est toujours varié et copieux, avec à chaque fois une viande ou du poisson, accompagné de riz ou de pâtes et de légumes. Les petits pains faits maison sont absolument délicieux ! Vers 15 heures, une petite collation est également proposée, avec des pancakes, des beignets ou d’autres gourmandises. Et bien sûr, le dîner est tout aussi généreux. On ne manque absolument jamais de rien !
Le personnel est adorable, toujours souriant, attentionné et disponible. Des excursions sont proposées chaque jour à des prix très abordables, ce qui permet de découvrir les environs sans se ruiner.
L’endroit est magnifique. On peut se promener le long de la plage, admirer les cocotiers, ramasser de jolis coquillages, se baigner et même faire du snorkeling. Lors de certaines excursions à proximité, il est également possible d’observer des requins de récif. Une expérience incroyable !
Il y a aussi parfois de petits marchés où l’on peut acheter des bijoux et des souvenirs. J’ai notamment eu la chance de fabriquer un collier de perles avec l’une des filles de l’établissement. C’était un moment vraiment convivial et très agréable.
Tout est parfaitement organisé et l’ambiance est tellement chaleureuse qu’on se sent rapidement comme en famille. Au moment de notre départ, le personnel nous a même chanté une chanson. C’était un moment très émouvant que nous n’oublierons jamais.
Franchement, nous n’avons absolument rien à redire : tout était parfait !

Good food
Friendly staff
Great snorkeling just off the beach in front of the resort

The staff made our stay so special! We loved Waya Lailai. The room was very clean and tidy, also super spacious. The common areas were great, and I liked the dining area where you get to meet new travelers. The food was amazing every day. Having a buffet means picking and choosing what you like and having plenty of food. Our stay was so special. The reef is amazing. We did a snorkeling trip where we got to see some reef sharks and that was so much fun. The staff invited us after dinner for kava which was very special.
Big thanks to everyone at Waya Lailai!

Staff super disponibile e gentile. Cibo buono e a buffet, ottimo rapporto qualità prezzo. Il resiste è un luogo di incontro per stringere nuove amicizie e condividere. Consigliatissimo!

The Coral Garden reef just off the beach was spectacular and the staff were very accommodating to our two young children (2 and 4). The rooms are basic, but we expected that. It felt like a very safe environment for our kids to run around. The food was varied although my young picky eaters ended up eating a lot of rice. Overall, great place to stay, very relaxing and great value for money.

Wayalailai Ecohaven truly feels like a little piece of paradise. From the moment I arrived, the staff were so warm, welcoming and friendly — they genuinely make you feel like you’re part of the family rather than just a guest.

The resort itself is beautiful and gives you a real feeling of living in an authentic Fijian village. There’s great snorkelling straight off the beach, and they organise loads of activities throughout your stay, including a hike to the highest point of the island to watch the sunset and visits to the local village.

One of my favourite parts was meeting the local children, who were so excited to meet us and loved playing and spending time with everyone. It made the whole experience feel so genuine and special.

The staff were also incredibly kind and took us to another island specifically to snorkel with manta rays, which was absolutely stunning and definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Seeing them up close in such beautiful water was unforgettable!

As a solo traveller, I was a little nervous about coming here alone, but I ended up making some really good friends and never felt lonely. The combination of the beautiful surroundings, amazing people, activities and authentic Fijian atmosphere made this place really special.

If you’re looking for somewhere to slow down, connect with nature, meet wonderful people and experience a more authentic side of Fiji, I couldn’t recommend Wayalailai Ecohaven enough.

The location is stunning just on the beach.
The Bure is very comfortable, clean and very good value we loved hanging out on the front porch or in the hammocks.
The food is delicious and the meal plan is also very good value, make sure to try everything.
There is heaps to do with activities we really enjoyed the medicine walk and getting massages.
Finally the staff are amazing, friendly, knowledgeable. This place is run by the community so it has a very authentic real feel to it, it is very special.
I wouldn’t hesitate to stay again, it was so very relaxing.

The people here are so lovely

Loved the environment, friendly helpful staff. There was a variety of food to choose from and it was expertly cooked by the local village women and men.

The staff were incredibly friendly, the location was excellent.