Reviews of Malakati Village Beach House

Life in the village. The place is stunning, people are incredibly nice and welcoming. If you are looking to experience something different, this is the place.

We booked for a private hut on the beach but ended up in a family’s house. Was not a problem for us, the stay was extremely pleasant, but just be aware it might not be a romantic trip 😆

The local food was delicious and fresh. People are nice and friendly. The bure is right at the beautiful beach. Lovely, sweet sweet dogs to pamper and hug ♡ If you are a dog person, you will love jogging with them at the beach, there are also a few dogs that love to go swimming with you. If you wish to experience fijian life, this is the place. Please note that there is no restaurant, 40 FJD pp is to be paid daily for meals, but again, the food is amazing.

There is a small mouse living in the bure. You will need ear plugs at night if you wake up easily to noises like mouse scratching the walls or dogs barking. Some mosquitos, nothing major. There can be water shortages, we brought 10l pp. drinking water from the mainland, but did drink the water from the village and it was ok. There are repairs that need to be done with the bure walls and shower & toilet. The mosquito net is too small for the double bed. Some locals don't appreciate dogs and that can be hard to see for a dog person.

The food was really good, fresh fish everyday. The beach was amazing and peaceful

Lots of hidden extra charges that were not known when we were booking, only told about them after booking.

The two homestay bures are right on the most beautiful beach. There were times where you would have the entire beach to yourself. The villagers were really welcoming and we loved learning about village life. While we were there the village were having a celebration and they included us in their festivities which was great. Our young children enjoyed playing with the kids there. We felt well enough to have a short walk through the village’s plantation on our final day there which is really impressive.

Unfortunately our family (and the guests staying in the other Bure) got really bad gastrointestinal illness here. We suspect it was from contaminated water. This lasted for a week, so really impacted on the enjoyment of our holiday. I would really recommend not accepting any cold drinks at any homestay in Fiji and only eating food that has been well cooked. Take lots of bottled water as there wasn’t much available to buy in the village shop. They were also having issues with water supply so we didn’t have sufficient water for flushing the toilet etc on some days, which was challenging with all of us being so sick. After reading reviews we took a mouse trap with us. We have left it behind so future guests can continue the mission!

Right next to the most beautiful beach

A bit more primitive than expected, a lot of dogs around barking all night, not the most quiet place but fun to try I guess

We loved the location and the immersion in traditional village life… slowing down and being included in their meals. The hut was super basic but suited us okay. Loved walking up hills and beaches and quietly spending days ..

The inability to have hot water to make tea, apart from breakfast.

The location

Meeting the locals, seeing the area by boat, visiting the caves, kids favourite beach

This place is a gem! We were welcomed so warmly into the village, and got to meet and chat with so many people. This was the first thing we did in the Yasawa Islands, and it was a great place to stay to learn about Fijian culture before moving onto some of the more mainstream resorts. Getting to visit different homes was incredible, and the food was SO delicious - thank you so much to everyone! And finally, how could I not mention the beach? Idyllic! You'll be off-grid, though, so make sure to bring a few good books!

The facilities are basic - this wasn't a problem for us at all, but I'm mentioning this here as I know that some travellers prefer ensuite bathroom facilities.

Loved the location, loved the freedom to spend our days as we wanted. Enjoyed being able to book extra trips- the caves and a hike.

Through no fault of theirs…the lack of water for the toilet. As there had been no rainfall, water was in short supply. Booking.com-There needs to be more info from booking.com to inform people to take a good supply of water so as not to drain the village supply. Breakfast included is not correct as you pay pp per day for food. Issue here is not with the village at all, but how it is ‘advertised’ on booking.com The food prices needed to be updated (no complaints about the food or price) it was just not what was advertised. The food was great! Kava root - need advice on actual amount to give. Need to advise to visitors to take own snorkelling gear. Travel on how to get there needs to be available and/or well researched. We got hustled when booking this. Go direct to ferries to book once in Fiji.

Having our own private bungalow was lovely, and it was right on the beach, in such a beautiful location. The beach was incredible, lovely snorkeling The fijian kids were lovely, and played well with our children. Each meal was at a different village house, we loved getting to know the different families. The caves were wonderful, and there were market stalls there. The pastors wife made us feel so welcomed, and even made us hot chocolate, which was a real treat. She had clothes and jewellery for sale. The village children took our kids into the forest to harvest mangoes, the children loved this. Different people would come and meet us, some invited us to join them for a kava ceremony.

Not feeling completely welcome, for example there was no welcome greating when we arrived, no goodbye when we left. This was the only place on our 16 day trip that didn't have this. Apparently there have been some awful tourists that complained about everything, and didn't pay for meals, and so the village feels less than enthusiastic to have tourists. We informed the booking that we were a vegetarian family, but when we arrived we were given a fish curry for lunch. We felt bad not eating it, but we couldn't. We felt bad for the family that prepared the meal, plus we went hungry that meal. So disappointing as we had let them know, and got confirmation that it was no problem.

A true Fiji homestay experience. The villagers are warm and very welcoming. The beach is on your doorstep so lots of swimming, and it's a good launchpoint for visiting the nearby caves. There's some steep hill walks around if you're feeling brave. The accommodation is rustic but comfortable - obviously you don't have luxuries like at a resort but instead you have the same as what the villagers have. They don't drink alcohol, but there's lots of invitations to join for Kava in the evenings. We stayed for four nights, but three would probably have been about right. Would recommend joining the village for church service on Sunday to hear the wonderful choir and the children singing. (The children are adorable and funny!) Also I'd recommend to bring enough of your own bottles of water if you're unsure about drinking rainwater - the village shop didn't always have bottled water available. Overall it was a beautiful and very memorable experience, we're very thankful to our hosts for having us!

Authenticity of the place and the People.

The people living in the village were very friendly, best part of my stay, and welcoming. Long walks on beach and swimming, friendly dog companion. Bought nice cloth and shell necklaces from vi

Very expensive for what was offered, paid lot of money $80, for short boat trip to village from flyer, $50 for kava but none was shared, request for kayak never arrived, extreme wind exposure near dune foreshore. Expensive food barely edible.

The People. Truely authentic welcoming, Simple but tasty organic food from their garden.Village is surrounded by hills where there is walking trails to spectacular views. The beach is world- class. What more can I say , except “Thank you “ to you all

I honestly have nothing to complain about except I didn’t stay long enough

This is the perfect place if you want an authentic Fijian experience! I was the only foreigner in the village. Do this only if you want an authentic experience! It’s not like going to a touristy island. I had excellent home cooked meals and mingled with the locals. It was also very relaxing staying right in front of a beautiful beach!

Like I said, only do it if you want to be part of an authentic village.

the people, the location, the experience

Staying in Malakati was an exceptional experience. Locals are incredibly welcoming, kind, and helpful. Families took turns in preparing delicious fresh meals 3 times a day. There are many opportunities to explore the island and surrounding areas such as caves, snorkeling, diving, fishing, and hiking as well as learn about Fijian culture. I would recommend this picturesque village for real travelers who are ready to experience Fijian everyday life. I am hoping to return soon.

There is nothing to do not to like :)

Living with locals Eating real Fijian food Having Kawa for birthday with local traditions Feel like a king Only for people who don't want to feel like tourists

I liked everything