Treasure Island Resort Fiji
Readers Reviews
Cliff Stephens
May 2008
Stayed 6 days mid May 2008
Booked through Qantas Holidays – not very impressed with their service in Australia. Had to remind them to send us itinerary and e tickets and transfers details were confused. Rang transfer operators from Oz to confirm details. Resort had a construction program scheduled during our stay (not revealed when we made advanced booking) and they put all the details on their web site. They offered a discount and free trips etc. Qantas advised us of the construction program but had only sketchy detail. A quick visit to resort web site revealed the details and discount etc and emails to resort were answered promptly. In the end disruption was minimal.
Holiday package included red-eye flight leaving Melbourne at about midnight and arriving Nadi 6 am (4 am Melbourne time). This was a bit exhausting especially as we had to wait until 8 to be transported to the port for the boat transfer. Would look at paying extra next time for better flight time or overnight stay at Nadi.
Transfer Airport to Port Denaru with Coral Sun Tours (office in airport) via car OK. They provided vouchers for transfers to Port and to Island via South Sea Cruises
Bit of confusion and milling around at the Port with the boat charter people but sorted out OK
Transfer on large Ocean going catamaran OK
Stopped at a couple of islands before Treasure – whole thing about an hour.
Stopped off Treasure and workboat picked us up incl luggage.
Met at shore with singing welcome party and first shock was the need to wade ashore – well not really wade but step off boat into wet sand at the shore (wot no jetty?). This was the beginning of adjusting to a relaxed and wonderful stay at Treasure.
Because of the construction going on – new pools, kids bure and works shed we had asked for a bure (room) at the East end of island (Chapel end). Sure enough that was exactly what was arranged (bure 30)
The whole island is beautiful with snorkeling amazing straight off the beach (and even better out at the edge of the reef). Although I would not want to stay in the bures on the west side (near managers residence) as beach is rocky.
Some confusion over meal plan – we ended up buying day by day, Breakfast and dinner every second day was all we could cope with. We took some snacks from Oz (cheese, crackers, tinned oysters and cashew nuts) and of course had some duty free alcohol. (Plenty of free ice at laundry). Declared all to customs and in spite of signs to bin it they waved us through with our goodies.
Weather was warm and sunny except for one day when it rained all day and all night with fierce winds. Weather on the islands seems much better than on the mainland which is wetter due to the mountain range.
Staff were extremely friendly, respectful and helpful. Unfortunately some guests were not so well mannered and considerate of others. There were lots of kids but they have child minding and activities so it did not effect our stay. This compared with Bounty Island (free trip to visit because of construction on Treasure) where not one child was seen. Accomm more rudimentary than Treasure. Staff serviced bure daily with fresh towels etc. Equipment for sailing, kayaks, snorkeling etc was all OK and beach towels were supplied.
We could not think of anything to complain about (except for the noise of some other inconsiderate guests) although a little wind to allow sailing would have been good. We are planning to return for another wonderful holiday.
On the return we took a cab to Lutoka (second biggest city in Fiji) to look around and do some shopping. This is not very inspiring (although Botanical gardens which we did not get to seemed worth a visit). Shopping for usual touristy things probably just as good at airport or Nandi.
Unfortunately our 6 pm flight was initially delayed until 9 pm. Air Pacific gave us $20 each meal voucher but the facilities at the airport are not good for getting a decent meal. Then advised via PA system that flight further delayed until 3 am. Passengers were offered to stay at airport which would stay open until flight left or a hotel room. We opted for a short trip to a very good hotel and a dinner voucher. Not much sleep however as bus rerurn to airport was 1.30 am. Delay was reported as industrial action by airport staff in Melbourne. Departure was timed to get to Melbourne at 6 am when new shift of airport staff would be available. Generally Air Pacific service is good) especially complimentary alcohol
Would we go back to Treasure Island? Can’t wait!
Amanda Williams
June 2007
We took our family to Fiji in June 2007. We stayed at two great family resorts and I'd like to pass on our handy hints.
First landings beach resort.
This was a lovely relaxed resort. It was very hot even in June so be prepared for 30 degrees. It has good food. It's cheaper not to do the meal plan. We also made our own sandwiches etc for lunch.
There is a resort shop for snacks and a small general store nearby at the marina where you can get bread, butter, cheese, spreads, tinned food and some fresh food as well as icecreams and drinks.
You can get a basic bure or upgrade to one with a full kitchen and washing machine. I didn't find a washing machine anywhere else. Baby sitting is F$5.00 per hour with six hours notice.
The resort has a superb pool. It is the huge. The kids wanted to swim at least twice a day. We took inflatable rings, balls and other toys which were great fun. We found we needed to be in the pool too as the biting insects are the only negative comment I have about the resort. Prepare ahead and take plenty of insect repellent as well as anti-itch cream and antihistamines!
There is a Rosie tour desk at the resort so you can do tours from there. We rented a ten seater van from the airport at F$620 for four days. This gave us the freedom to go to the tourist places on our own itinerary. It saved lots on tour costs, not to mention the cost to transfer eight of us to First Landings from the airport one way would have been NZ$204.
The car gave us the freedom to drive around the sights and to Nadi. Be warned though. The roads are awful. You need to be a confident driver to drive on them as they are full of holes and sudden surprises. It's particularly hard work driving at night.
We recommend the superb pizza at "Mama's pizza" half way between Nadi & First Landings at Colonial Plaza Namaka.
We also drove to Lautoka to see their market which was a good experience. Try the pineapple cut ready to eat. There is a huge playground over the road from the Lautoka botanic gardens. It had plenty of play equipment and was surrounded by mature trees for plenty of shade. There is also an icecream shop there too.
Treasure Island Resort
This is a superb place to take the children. We have been to Fiji with the kids twice before so have some points of comparison. The other places were Plantation Island and Mana Island. Treasure Island was far better in all areas where we found the others to be lacking. OK so if you pay full price, then you pay more than the others, but look for good prices. We got our accommodation half price in the January sales. However, having experienced this island I honestly would say it is worth paying the extra.
The meals at all levels were really great with beautiful tasty food. Usually Fijian food is the disappointing thing about a Fijian holiday, but not at Treasure. Every meal was delicious.
The children's dinner is from 5.30 to 6.30pm and costs F$17. It's a buffet with some nice dishes changing daily and other popular ones there each day. Every day there was spag bol, fries, salad(s), bread. the veges rotated with the choice of several each day. The meats could be chops, steak, sausages, chicken, fish etc - usually a choice of two. And of course pudding. There was always fruit and icecream with jelly or chocolate cake, or other old favourites. This was food you'd be happy with your kids eating for a week, not just fries & nuggets as we've previously experienced.
The kids club was excellent. It was fully supervised by Sala who is a trained child educator. She kept the kids busy and happy with age appropriate activities which changed daily. Sometimes she arrange for the older ones to go on trips. She and Lessi even put the smaller ones (4 - 8 years) in life jackets and taught them to snorkel then took them on a catamaran. Their supervision skills were excellent, (unlike previous experiences on Plantation Island in 2003 where it seemed to be "stay if you want to" and Mana in 2005 where they were bored watching videos as the activity)! We were happy to leave the kids with them and no matter when we came across them the children were all busy and safe.
Baby sitting is fairly compulsory. Adults dinner does not start until 7pm. Kids can eat with you at half price but very few do. At $5.00 per hour book a sitter for 7 - 7.30pm. Aim to have the kids in bed so you can go to dinner and watch the evening entertainment as late as you wish. Take cash in small amounts to pay the ladies directly.
Drinks are expensive on the island. Eg F$8 for soft drink, F$10 for spirits, $15 for cocktail. Buy drinks during the half price happy hours. They're during the kids dinner hour from 6pm but Monday was earlier.
Buy some mixers to go with your duty free on the mainland before you go to Treasure. There is a general store near the marina which sells drinks. We also got bread, crackers, spreads, cheese etc to make cheap lunches. The bread lasts about three days only. Buy a familiar brand of crackers. Avoid some called "breakfast crackers". They're like cabin bread. Buy a pack or two only for feeding the fish which is great fun! Take some large zip lock bags so crackers and bread etc last longer. Also take picnic or disposable plates, knives and a sharp knife, plastic cups. detergent and a tea towel for making your own food and tidying up afterwards.
Do not buy the meal plans. It is the same price as ordering the average price on every meal with three courses at dinner. You simply can't eat that much food. Enjoy a breakfast (F$20-F$25 with kids half price) with the huge range of foods available with dishes changing daily. Make a sandwich for lunch with some fruit kept from breakfast, and order a main (F$25-F$30) for dinner. On the buffet nights it's F$50 where you can eat those entrees and desserts.
The shop really only has icecreams and chips. So do bring enough snacks for your kids. And the bigger your kids are the more substantial the food you need to bring. Apparently this is where things can get really expensive if you don't make your teenager eat at meal times, especially breakfast!
Our family had the best holiday we've ever had at Treasure Island. The staff were so friendly. The island although small had so many activities and was safe for the kids to roam. The snorking is superb. The food delicious. I definitely want to go back there again!
Marina
October 2005
We have just got back from the best holiday we have ever had. We spent one week on
Treasure Island in Fiji. This was a beautiful island where the staff are
fantastic and there is so much to do. Our son is 5 and he spent the entire day
snorkelling in the beautiful crystal clear water where you can see a myriad of
fish as it is on a coral attol. He only went to kids club in the evening so we
could eat in peace. All the kids had a separate eating time and then were taken
away from 7 till 9 so adults could eat .There is a show on every evening from
singing to kava ceremonies etc. As the island is only 14.5 acres it is
impossible to loose your children and the kids club is well run. Do the meal
plan as it saves you so much money and the water here is save to drink. We did
an island hopping tour on one of the days and we were so glad we choose Treasure
island. We spoke to some people who were staying at Plantation and they were
really disappointed with it. If you want a fantastic holiday please try Treasure
Island you will not be disappointed. We have booked our next holiday there next
year.
Murray and Karina
2005
Our family of 2 adults and 3 children aged 7, 9 and 11 have just returned from an 8 day holiday to Fiji.
We spent 6 nights on Treasure Island and one night either side at the Tokotoka
Resort Hotel.
At the Tokotoka we had a 1 bedroom villa, with one of the children on a rollaway.
The villa is plenty big enough to fit in the rollaway. The bedroom is
air-conditioned but the lounge/kitchen area is not, so it can be rather warm
for the children as they sleep in the lounge area (only fan-cooled). We have
stayed at the Tokotoka before and both times it has been rather noisy,
either with lots of comings and goings at all hours or music from the band.
Having said that the staff are very accommodating and although we had to
chase up the rollaway both times, they were quick in bringing it to us. If
you have more than 2 children it is probably one of the only places near the
airport that can accommodate you and is affordable for a family. The
Tokatoka is very clean and spacious, just be aware you need to boil the
water before you drink it.
We travelled out to Treasure Island on South Sea Cruises, they have 3 trips to
the Mamanuca Islands a day, we caught the 12.15 boat, getting picked up from
the Tokatoka at 10.50 (Tokatoka is virtually the first pick-up, so you
travel around about 14 hotels, getting to the Denaru Marina about 12.00). A
lovely 30min ride on the catamaran to Treasure Island. We were met with
singing and a beautiful fruit cocktail for us all. We had a duplex bure,
which is basically 2 bures with a door in the middle. It was great, the
kids in one bure and the parents in the other. The bures were clean,
spacious and air-conditioned and each night we’d arrive back from dinner to
turned down beds and a sheet with the next day’s activities. Treasure
Island is also one of the few islands where water is piped from the mainland
and unlike the Tokatoka the water is safe to drink.
Our children had a ball at the kids club, they learnt basket weaving, coconut
husking, all about the coral and fish and got to feed the iguanas and
turtles everyday. I have a cool picture of our second son Nathan with an
iguana sitting on his head. At night the kids loved playing games on the
beach. Suka and Wati were just awesome our kids loved them. Our kids were
just the right age for the kids club, the kids are free to come and go as
they please, so if your kids are little, it might not work as well.
When not at the kids club the kids spent time with us either snorkelling, kayaking or
swimming in the pool. The snorkelling is amazing, heaps of colourful fish
and coral. The snorkelling trips to the sand bar or the reef behind
Beachcomber are well worth the $10 cost. We chose
to have the ˝ meal plan (breakfast and dinner) for everyone, well worth the
cost; you could basically eat as much as you wanted at both. The children
ate dinner between 5.30 & 6.30pm. The kid’s food was basic, but plenty of
it and enough variety so the children didn’t get tired of the same thing.
Also on the night of the lovo feast, the boys ate with us as they wanted to
try the island food, at no extra cost.
After the kids have had their meal, they go to kids club at 7-9pm and we got to eat in
peace. We wondered how the kids would cope eating without us as we normally
always eat together.The first night they kept coming into the restaurant
but after that we never saw them. Each night they’d go to bed exhausted and
wake the next morning rearing to go.
We thoroughly recommend Treasure Island, an awesome place to take a family. My
only tips would be, travel out to Treasure on Beachcomber Cruises; they go
straight out to the island and straight back to the mainland. The trip back
on South Seas took forever you pick up and drop off at other islands. Make
sure you take insect repellent (tropical strength) the mossies can be a pain
and get the meal plan, saves heaps. Also watch the drinks they are very
expensive $17 for 3 fizzies one night.
Sharon & Paul McCarthy
We spent seven fantastic days on treasure island with an 8 and
12 year old. The staff were fantastic, food was amazing and the place itself was
spectacular. The kids were kept occupied and we rarely saw them other than at
the nightly entertainment after we had eaten in peace. They ate earlier at
night, then went out with Wonderful Wattie, while we had a relaxing meal before
the nightly entertainment. There is nowhere the kids can get lost or wander off
to because of the size of the island, not that they wanted to anyway. We
snorkelled, scuba dived and had plenty of water sports to keep everyone amused.
If you wanted to relax we each had a sun bed to lay on the glorious beach, which
they even rake every morning incase coral washes up!Or you could lay under a palm tree in front of your
airconditioned bure in a hammock and read a book.
We then left and went to the Fijian which was great but not
the true fiji experience. After being on a small island we found this place a
little bit like you could be in surfers paradise. While it has a kids club for
the smaller tots ours were to old and had to rely on the infrequent kids events
or they would play in the huge pool. Unfortunately because of the size of the
place kids would wander off with newly made friends and you had to try and find
them as if you missed the designated meal times they missed out. At least on the
island if they were busy during meals times they could still get a kids meal
later. Great place for adults, plenty to do, or for families with very small
children they could sign into the little chiefs club and then relax. Make sure
if you go that you venture out the front gate to Ghekos for dinner, cheaper than
the resort and better quality and atmosphere to eat.
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