Waya Lailai Eco Haven

No fan or aircon in room so quite warm at night

Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing accommodation experiences I’ve had during my travels. I’ve visited almost 60 countries, and I came here with an open mind, knowing that it was a locally run homestay. I wasn’t expecting luxury or high standards of accommodation. Quite the opposite — I wanted to experience the local Fijian culture.
The accommodation itself is very basic, which I wouldn’t normally mind. However, there were some practical issues that would have been good to know in advance. There was only cold water, which wasn’t mentioned in the information. The food was homemade but quite average.
The biggest disappointment was the organisation of activities and the lack of consideration for guests. After dinner on the first evening, I spent some time chatting and playing cards with a few local people, and I thought this was going to be a lovely experience.
The next morning, another guest and I booked a guided sunrise hike. We were told we couldn’t do it independently and had to pay for a guide, which I found quite expensive. We arrived at the starting point at 4:30 am, and the guide was late, but at least he eventually showed up. The hike itself was genuinely beautiful, with amazing views over the surrounding islands. This was the highlight of my stay. However, we later realised that it was possible to do the hike independently.
During breakfast, the locals invited us to join them for a picnic, and we were actually happy to go along, as we wanted to experience local life. However, we also wanted to do the village tour. When we asked if it was possible to do both, we were told that we had to choose just one. We therefore decided to skip the picnic and go with the village tour instead.
The village tour was scheduled for 1 pm, and we were assured that the guides would be back in time. However, they went to the picnic. By around 1:20 pm, nobody could tell us when they would be back.

Dorms are clean but need pest treatment

Spiaggia non troppo grande.

Absolutely nothing

UPON BOOKING We should’ve been informed of these issues so we could plan accordingly. We booked several places in the Yasawas and this was the only one that did not give any advance notice besides “bring cash.” 1. NO Connectivity. WiFi is basically nonfunctional, and both vodaphone and digicel do not get service. 2. Very limited electricity on a sporadic, undefined timeline. “A couple hours in morning, a couple at night.” We had none for 2 days when generator was installed and not offered alternative until a guest pointed out that at times a charging station is available, hours undefined. 3. Cabins are run down (broken mirrors and tiles, shower often not enough pressure to work) with mold in ceilings and bathrooms, screens have caked dust. 4. No water provided outside meals and limited water during meals. Bring your own or pay. 5. Water issues in cabin meant ongoing muddy tap water that was cut off for 2 days with no notice as pipes were worked on. It would’ve been easy to tell us ahead of time and offer other arrangements instead of waiting until I’m walking around camp in a towel looking for a shower to wash off salt water. We did receive a discount at the end for it which was greatly appreciated. 6. No lock on door that always swings open, use your own. 7. No separate living room as specified in booking but did have large porch. 8. Sadly tourists participate in activities that involve feeding sharks here. Feeding marine life damages the ecosystem and changes marine animals typical behavior to ensure a healthy reef. Please don’t support it.

Hot water after a snorkel