Reviews of Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji

Our sincere thanks to our many guests who posted their valued testimonials online.

“a visit to true paradise”

My visit to the Jean-Michel Cousteau resort at the tip of Savusavu Bay, was nothing less than a visit to true paradise. Fantastic massages. Beautiful colorful pearl jewellery. Snorkling in crystal clear water, where you see giant clams, colorful starfish and a myriad of fish. Magnificent sunsets. Wonderful, friendly people. Great food and special juice drinks. Warmest thank you to Bart Simpson and his dedicated staff who took perfect care of me!

Christina Lang Assael
Chairman, Assael Pearls
5th Avenue, New York

“hard for anything else to match up to this experience”

“We are finding it really hard to describe the feeling that your home has had on us. From that authentic Fijian hospitality, to that feeling of belonging to a supportive community that have been working together for years & are so proud of what and who they represent. JMC resort has really stolen our hearts and have now just made it really hard for anything else to match up to this experience. From the layalaya & papaya shots to Gabby’s margarita’s & the band boys who managed to learn our wedding song overnight.
From Robin & I, thank you so much.

Christina Templin
General Manager, Global Marketing
Fiji Airways

“Amazing family vacation”

We recently stayed at Jean Michel Cousteau for a little over a week this past October. We had a truly amazing stay! We are a family of 5 with three little girls (ages 5, 3 and 1) and stayed in the honeymoon bure. It was perfect, there were two single beds for the girls and they brought in a cot for the youngest. Each had their own mosquito net, which turned out to be very handy. When I first started researching Fiji for our trip I kept reading about how much Fijians love kids and babies… I was pretty skeptical, thinking “of course they would that is their job” but from the minute we landed, everyone was amazing to our daughters. Especially the baby. Everyone smiled at her and laughed and wanted to hold her and find ways to make her giggle. When we got to the resort it was no different. Our kids were in heaven! After only a day the kids were hooked and never wanted to leave the Bula club or their superb nannies. The oldest learnt how to snorkel, the all got to do crab races, lots of crafts, tons of time in the three pools at the Bula club.

My husband and I were able to take 4 dives (and a refresher course for me) with the dive team. The team was incredibly helpfully and accommodating and very professional. The resort also has lots stand up paddle boards, kayaks, and to Hobie sail boats as well as life jackets for both adults and kids.
The food was excellent. Both lunch and dinner are three course meals and they change the menu daily (a few options at each meal) to best use in season and local foods. The portions were just the right size too. Always filling without feeling stuffed.

It is a tropical island so we did have to contend with the mosquitos and sand flies. The older girls and I were bitten quite a bit. But thankfully we brought good repellant and the staff always has some repellant for the guests to use up at the bar. The staff would also light mosquito coils in the rooms at night and had nets for over the beds.

I can not say enough wonderful things about this place. Beautiful setting, excellent staff and a true connection with the land around them and the community around the resort.

 

“Fantastic resort”

We (family of 4 with 9 and 12 year old kids) have just come back from a week spent at this tropical paradise of a resort. If you are thinking of going, do so, it is wonderful. The resort is in a lush part of Fiji with wonderful views and lovely surroundings. The staff of the resort and dive centre are great – friendly, helpful and just really welcoming.

The diving and snorkelling is really first rate – the combination of soft and hard corals and fish is probably better than any we have seen around Asia and on the barrier reef. And it is just so accessible – there are at least 2 daily free snorkel trips (and diving trips). However, you don’t need to get on a boat – the reef to the left of the jetty out the front of the resort is stunning itself – it just goes on and on with something new to see every few metres, it is really stunningly good. The evening slide show talks from the resident Marine Biologist were really entertaining and educational for the kids and helped them understand what they saw underwater. The diving staff were also great and smoothly helped both our kids have their first scuba experiences which they loved.

The meals were all excellent, the rooms / Bures very comfortable and luxurious. There was always something on for the kids to do and plenty of interesting off-site excursions as well. The lunch trip to the local private island is worth doing – it was very windy the day we went out but the kids still saw lots of baby black tip reef sharks in the shallow off the beach.

 

“Heaven is a place on earth”

Jean Michel Cousteau’s resort is a place where your three and four year olds will see their first fish underwater on a beautiful coral reef in the capable arms of their nanny, whom they now call their best friend.

Your pictures will capture the beauty of the surrounds, but nothing but your memory will truly capture the beauty of the staff. The level of perfection that is inlayed into every aspect is astonishing.

The kids will be entertained by their new best friend (nanny) who will take them snorkeling, on glass bottom boats, tree climbing, down water slides, into an amazing tree house, to activities, trips out, on sailing boats and kayaks… all the things that as westerners we wish our children did more of. With extra hands, smiles and laughs these things will be possible for them to experience with and without you there. Without TV in their rooms they will explore the world, and they will love it.

At night you will cuddle their exhausted little bodies by the cava bowl, whilst the band boys play acoustic tunes and the breeze carries their amazing singing voices out to sea. You will feel a warm sense of freedom, and be at total peace.. with yourself and your family. The food is fresh and tasty, the house keeping was the best we’ve experienced in the world. Drinks were great. The General Manager was amazing.

You will spend your days indulging in your whims.

At night when your heads hit your pillows, you will fall asleep straight away, satisfied and excited about tomorrows adventures. As you leave to come home the boys will play the farewell song, your long goodbyes to the staff will make you teary and as your bus pulls out of the resorts grounds you will already be plotting how you will return to this amazing place. A place that makes you believe that heaven IS a place on earth.

 

“Truly happy”

JMC is such a HAPPY place to be, judging by the ever smiling staff and very friendly management. Bart and Helen are always available to answer any queries. The bures are beautifully presented, with soaring cathedral ceilings and lovely bathrooms, and the gardens are a delight, dense and pretty, so each bure is quite secluded. The laughter from the Kids Club was always evident… and it has pools for biggies and littlies, leaving the main pool for adults only, bliss. All the meals are fantastic, you could not want for more variety and at night the bar staff are a delight. The eco garden is wonderful, and the staff there are justifiably very proud, but humble like all the great staff. Try to take a trip to the private island at high tide, it certainly is worth it. But there are plenty of other activities if you want to be busy. In all the holiday was so wonderful, we will be back. Thank you all!!

 

“The ultimate place to really relax and unwind.”

This resort is truly a Fijian resort, with the Bures and ceremonies all making you feel like you are part of the Fijian culture. The Fijian people are just amazing, so friendly and welcoming. I took a trip across to the resort’s private island which would be one of the many highlights of my stay.

The management and staff make you feel so welcome, like you really are someone special. It was very hard to have to leave when it came to the end of my stay.

The food was also exceptional, very healthy but so delicious. I can’t wait to return.

 

“Snorkelling paradise”

Our daughter found this fabulous resort where we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Lots to do, excellent snorkelling opportunities, particularly because Johnny the resident marine biologist was able to show us so many interesting sea creatures. Food was yum – we brought back extra kilos as a memory! Our oceanfront Bure was comfortable and quiet.