Yasawa Islands Fiji - All You Need to Know: Island Hopping, Bula pass, Awsome pass and Best resorts where to stay in the Yasawa Islands (Fiji)
- Barbara
- Jul 3
- 10 min read
Fiji is made up of more than 300 islands, and it really is a dream destination. For many travellers, the first stop is Nadi, located on the island of Viti Levu, as this is where the international airport is. This is also where we landed from Sydney, and we used Nadi as our base for flights to other Pacific islands, including French Polynesia, Tonga and Samoa.
If you are visiting Fiji, I always recommend adding the Yasawa Islands to your itinerary. The Yasawa are an archipelago of volcanic islands not too far from Viti Levu, and they are exactly what you imagine when you think of Fiji: turquoise water, coral reefs, white sand beaches and peaceful island resorts.
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We had been to Fiji a few times (sometimes just inbetween flights), and the Yasawa is my favourite part of Fiji.
How to Visit the Yasawa Islands
The best way to explore the Yasawa Islands is by using the Yasawa Flyer ferry, operated by South Sea Cruises. With a Bula Pass, you can island-hop by boat across the different Yasawa Islands.
The Bula Pass also gives access to resorts on these islands, including Mantaray Island Resort, Octopus Resort and Coconut Beach Resort.
One important thing to know is that you must have your accommodation booked on the island where you are getting off the ferry. You can check the hotels on the islands you want to stop at and book them yourself, or, if you prefer a pass that also includes accommodation, you can look at the Awesome Pass.
You can choose the duration of your pass, from 5 days up to 15 days. The ferry leaves from Port Denarau, on Viti Levu. Just keep in mind that returning to Denarau before the end date of your pass makes the pass invalid for further use.
Bula Pass Fiji
The Bula Pass is ideal if you want flexibility and prefer to book your own accommodation.
With the Bula Pass:
You can choose a 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 or 15-day island-hopping pass
The catamaran/ferry leaves from Denarau
You must have accommodation reserved at least 24 hours before disembarking
The Yasawa Flyer leaves daily from Denarau Marina at 08:45 AM and returns at approximately 6PM (but returning to Denarau before the end date of the pass will make it invalid for future use).
You can book online here: Book Bula Pass
Awesome Pass Fiji
The Awesome Pass is a good option if you want island hopping and accommodation included together.
With the Awesome Pass:
Island hopping is included
Accommodation is included
You can book online here: Book Awesome Pass
What is the difference between the Bula Pass and the Awesome Pass?
Basically the only difference is that the Awesome Pass includes acomodation, while the Bula Pass only the ferry between the islands.
Which Yasawa Island Should You Visit?
The Yasawa Islands have different types of accommodation for different budgets and travel styles. You can find everything from hostels and shared dorms to family-friendly resorts, boutique island stays and adults-only luxury resorts.
For all the accommodation in the Yasawa Islands, you will need to book a compulsory meal plan, which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is something to keep in mind when planning your Fiji budget.
Below are some of the best Yasawa Islands resorts to consider.
Yasawa Islands, Fiji: Where to stay? Best resorts
So which are the best resorts whete to stay while in the Yasawa islands in Fiji? Here you can find the most popular one ordered by adults only, family friendly, backpackers/budget friendly and other resorts in general. Scroll to the bottom for my reccomendation of the best ones!
Adults-Only Resorts in the Yasawa Islands
Yasawa Island Resort and Spa (Adults only)
Yasawa Island Resort and Spa is an adults-only resort for most of the year, although they do offer family weeks a few times a year. All bures have ocean views, and the resort includes various activities such as cave visits, snorkelling trips, village visits and cooking demonstrations.
You can also reach this resort by daily flights between Nadi and Yasawa. Website: Yasawa Island Resort and Spa
Turtle Island (Adults only)
Turtle Island is an exclusive luxury resort with only 14 villas available. It offers turtle tagging and has a five-acre eco sanctuary.
The resort is adults-only for most of the year, with a few family weeks throughout the year. There is a small saltwater pool, and many activities are included, such as snorkelling, fishing, scuba diving and horseback riding.
You can reach Turtle Island by seaplane, speedboat or catamaran ferry.
Website: Turtle Island Resort
Other Yasawa Islands Resorts
Oarsman’s Bay Lodge
Located on Nacula Island, Oarsman’s Bay Lodge is a resort offering activities such as kayaking, a sunset climb to Neisau Peak and snorkelling.
Website: Oarsman's Bay Lodge
Navutu Stars Resort
Navutu Stars Resort has only 10 villas, making it a great choice if you are looking for a more secluded experience in the Yasawa Islands. You can explore the local village, snorkel the coral reef or use the kayaks.
Website: Navutu Stars Resort
Coconut Beach Resort (Great for couples)
Coconut Beach Resort gets its name from the high density of coconut trees around the property. Here, you can enjoy fresh coconut juice, snorkelling and a peaceful island atmosphere.
There are plenty of activities available, including scuba diving for an extra charge. The resort has only 11 bures, which makes it feel like a truly exclusive experience. You can reach Coconut Beach Resort by catamaran on the Yasawa Flyer, by seaplane or by helicopter.
We loved swimming in the coral garden in front of the hotel, where there is also a friendly reef shark, which we managed to see! There was also a friendly dog called Dua.
We also joined a tasty food cooking class and did a lovely walk to the top of the hill, where we could see the whole island. Website: Coconut Beach Resort
Family-Friendly Resorts in the Yasawa Islands
Paradise Cove Resort (Family friendly)
Paradise Cove Resort is a luxury resort with three pools, various restaurants and a champagne bar. If you visit during manta ray season, you can swim with manta rays, snorkel off the coast and enjoy the resort’s beautiful beach setting.
It is also a great option for families, as there is a free kids’ club.
Website: Paradise Cove Resort
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort (Backpackers and family friendly)
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort is a beautiful beach resort in the Yasawa Islands and a good option for families, couples and budget travellers.
You can choose between different room types, including garden villas, beachfront villas, family rooms or a bed in a 12-bed Charlie’s hostel dorm if you are travelling on a budget.
It is ideal for families, as there is a Tumba Kids Club and additional babysitting available if needed, giving parents time to relax.
For an extra $279, you can snorkel with manta rays on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. You can also join many other organised activities, including snorkelling trips, a village visit, the Sawa-i-Lau Caves or a hike to Neisau Peak.
Website: Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
Octopus Resort (Family friendly)
Octopus Resort is another great family-friendly resort in the Yasawa Islands. It has a kids’ club, which is ideal for children, as well as many activities for adults.
There is also a coral reef just as you step out from the beach, making it a lovely place for snorkelling.
Website: Octopus Resort
Mantaray Island Resort (Backpackers and family friendly)
Mantaray Island Resort is a great place for couples, families and backpackers. There are private bures, including more secluded bures by the beach, family bures and a 32-bed dorm.
The resort has a nice pool and plenty of activities. One of my favourite activities, and one of the main reasons people visit Mantaray Island Resort, is the chance to swim with manta rays.
This activity costs extra, but it is absolutely worth it. You go out on a small boat to the channel where manta rays are often spotted. Of course, sightings are never guaranteed, but you will often see at least one manta ray. Even if you do not, there is still plenty of fish and marine life to see.
When we went, we spotted three manta rays!
Other activities you can do at the resort include visiting the local Soso Village or sunset tubing.
The only downside is that the pool area can sometimes feel a bit crowded. In the other resorts, we felt it was quieter. Nevertheless, we loved the experience and would definitely go back.
Website: Mantaray Island Resort
Budget-Friendly Resorts in the Yasawa Islands
Barefoot Manta Island
Barefoot Manta Island (different from Mantaray Island Resort) is a good budget-friendly option if you want to stay in the Yasawa Islands without spending too much. You can choose between private bures, mixed dorms and girls-only dorms, making it suitable for solo travellers, backpackers and anyone looking for a more affordable island stay. Many of the staff working here are from the local village of Mua-ira, located on the nearby island of Naviti.
Here, you can snorkel on the local reef or swim with manta rays for an extra fee. It is a great option if you want a relaxed, nature-focused island stay with the possibility of seeing manta rays during the right season.
Website: Barefoot Manta Island
Barefoot Kuata Island (Ideal for backpackers)
Barefoot Kuata Island is a great choice if you are looking for an authentic and affordable experience in Fiji. The resort offers both private family bures and 7-bed mixed or girls-only dorms.
One of the main reasons to visit Barefoot Kuata is to snorkel or dive with sharks.
To swim with sharks, you take a 20-minute boat ride to Moia Reef, where you can snorkel with reef sharks, including white-tip and black-tip reef sharks, which are harmless.
You can also join a shark dive, suitable for both qualified and non-qualified divers. On the dive, you go down to around 12 metres and mainly see bull sharks, although other species are occasionally spotted too, including lemon sharks, tawny nurse sharks, tiger sharks and silver-tip sharks.
Website: Barefoot Kuata Island
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort (Ideal for backpackers)
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort is another good option if you are looking for a mix of comfort and budget-friendly accommodation.
You can choose between garden villas, beachfront villas, family rooms or a bed in a 12-bed Charlie’s hostel dorm. This makes it suitable for families, couples and budget travellers.
It is especially good for families because of the Tumba Kids Club and additional babysitting options. There are also lots of activities, including manta ray snorkelling, snorkelling trips, village visits, the Sawa-i-Lau Caves and hikes to Neisau Peak.
Website: Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
Safe Landing Eco Lodge (Ideal for backpackers)
Safe Landing Eco Lodge is another budget-friendly option in the Yasawa Islands. It is located on Nacula Island and offers reef boat trips.
You can also hike to Blue Lagoon Beach Resort in around 1.5 hours, making it a good option if you want a simpler and more local island experience.
Website: Safe Landing Eco Lodge
Which Yasawa Islands Resort Do I Suggest?
I know it can feel overwhelming to choose between so many Yasawa Islands resorts. Most, if not all, have a coral reef very close to the beach, and for all of them you will need to book a meal plan, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
We decided to stay at three different resorts to maximise the experience and see different islands and reefs. We stayed at Octopus Resort, Mantaray Island Resort and Coconut Beach Resort.
I loved every single one of them, and if I went back to Fiji, I would happily stay at all three again because they each offered a different experience.
Octopus Resort
I loved the reef at Octopus Resort, as well as the fish feeding and the volleyball games. The hut where we stayed was made of wood. The food here was delicious. In fact, it was the best food I had out of all the resorts we stayed at. I think this is ideal place for families.
Website: Octopus Resort
Mantaray Island Resort
At Mantaray Island Resort, I loved the experience of swimming with manta rays. It was one of the highlights of our time in the Yasawa Islands.
The resort was busier than the others, but the manta ray experience made it completely worth it. I think this is ideal for backpackers. In the picture there is another activity we did: sunset tubing. Which I initially thought it was going to be a relaxed and romantic activity, untill the boat started going at full speed. Even if it was not what I was expecting, it was a thrilling and fun activity!
Website: Mantaray Island Resort
Coconut Beach Resort
Coconut Beach Resort was lovely. It was much quieter than the other resorts, making it perfect for couples.
The staff were very kind, and they sang a song when we arrived and when we left, which I found very heart-warming.
In the reef, we saw a friendly reef shark and a barracuda. We also hiked to the top of the mountain, where we had beautiful views of the island. In the picture you can see when we did a cooking experience of a local dish (Kokoda, which is fish ceviche with coconut).
Coconut Beach Resort also offers trips to other reefs, scuba diving and visits to the Sawa-i-Lau Caves for an extra charge.
Website: Coconut Beach Resort
Have you ever visited Fiji and the Yasawa? Which island was your favourite? And if you never been would you swim with sharks and manta rays?
You can also read past blog posts:
Vanuatu: Best things to visit and WHere to stay in Efate Tonga Travel Guide: 17 BEST things to do in Tongatapu and Tonga
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