Reviews of Waya Lailai Eco Haven 3 stars

Waya Lailai Eco Haven was honestly an experience I’ll never forget. The staff were just incredible — so warm, patient, and genuine. They treated everyone with so much respect and made us feel like part of their community from the moment we arrived. Even the little things they did, like a smile or stopping for a quick chat, made such a huge difference and really stuck with me. The island itself is absolutely stunning — crystal-clear water, lush green mountains, and such a peaceful vibe. The activities were amazing too: snorkeling with reef sharks, fishing at sunset, climbing the mountain for those epic views, learning on the medicine walk, or just kicking back in a hammock soaking it all in. Between the people, the adventures, and the beautiful surroundings, it felt like the perfect mix of connection, relaxation, and fun. I can’t wait to go back one day.

Honestly, the only thing I didn’t like was the fact that I didn’t book one of the cabins right on the water — big mistake on my part, haha! Next time, that’s definitely where I’ll be staying. I can honestly say there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about my stay. Every moment was either fun, meaningful, or both. I had such a great time with all the activities, but more than that, I learnt so much from the people and the experiences. It wasn’t just a holiday — it was something that left a real impact. I walked away feeling like a different person, more connected, grounded, and grateful.

All the meals were buffet type so u could have options and have more than one portion.

All the accommodations are really old. For example, I booked a private ‘bungalow’ with sea view but they wanted to give me another one so I had to insist a bit to be given the one I had booked. Second, the windows have either missing parts or they do not close at all which makes it cold during night times. The mosquito net had huge wholes in it… the mirror was fixed with tape and I had to use a string from a cloth to close the door during days:) They charge even for 30’ hikes and when we asked for directions they did not want to tell us anything because we did not booked with them. Check out at 8:30:( Really? The food we had been served was not from local products like fish or other fruits than pineapple and watermelon…

The staff are incredible, they greeted us on the beach singing and when we left they sang us a goodbye song. It was so special. They made lovely food that catered to dietary requirements and created a beautiful family vibe. It is also an incredible location, with local villages, sunset/sunrise hikes and snorking with reef sharks. You really get to experience local culture and feel like you get to be immersed in it! The staff and the location are the absolute hightlights! Can't reccomend enough if you don't need fancy accomodation!

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We had a lovely local stay in the beautiful Yasawas. The reef right in front of Waya Lailai is absolutely stunning, and the staff were very kind and helpful throughout our visit. I would happily recommend this place and would love to come back.

There’s no hot water and the beds could be more comfortable, but overall it was a very good experience.

Very friendly staff, daily activities, story time, selection of food

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There’s a good hike and great snorkelling and the staff are friendly with great singing voices. Also as two vegans we always had food to eat

The location and the activities (i did the reef sharks snorkeling, the sunset summit hike and the Sunday church services) were amazing. The staff are all locals, from the village next door, which makes your stay authentic and ideal to experience a bit of the real Fiji. Everyone is so welcoming and making you feel like family (a special thanks to Mosi for all the stories and the great hike!) Food was great, which a couple of options each time. Only thing to note is to bring some water if you can - you will get some at lunch and dinner, but otherwise you’ll be asked to buy bottles. Absolutely recommend it.

The singing

Bathroom

We had an amazing time here and will never forget it! We stayed right on the beach and could watch sunrise from the balcony. The setting of the beach and with a giant rock behind us were stunning. This place is run by the local community and that was really special as we enjoyed friendly chats with the the staff, guitar and signing at mealtimes, kava ceremonies and just a generally warm and informal welcome. Also a great place to meet interesting and like minded travellers. Highlights were the sunset walk up to the rock, reef shark snorkelling, school village trips, playing volleyball and other guests and villagers joining in, and sitting around playing cards and chatting to staff and other guests in the communal food area. We can’t leave a review without mentioning the wonderful Tai Lo who runs the place. Robin says he will be returning when he is older! Love from John from Vunidawa, Katie, Freddy and Robin 😊

Very nice place, the Bure , the ground beautiful and the snorkel just off the beach

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Waya Leilei really made you feel at home. The staff were amazing and it was small enough that we all knew each other. Loved meeting the other guests as well and going to the school and village. It is simple accomodation, clean and comfortable. I would highly recommend as your first taste of Fiji.

Nothing.

This place is amazing 😍 wonderful local community vibe, and excellent activity options. If you want to get off the beaten path and have an authentic island experience, stay here!

Waya Lailai exceeded expectations. It is no-frills but it has all the good stuff: fantastic location (beach and snorkeling), warm and friendly staff, great food, fun activities, and a great overall vibe. Meals are all-you-can-eat buffet, nothing fancy but great quality, and it's pretty social if you want to sit at tables with other guests. The staff sing and play guitar for you at almost every meal, with beautiful voices, and there's even a dance activity in the evening, and kava ceremonies. In full disclosure, no frills means: no pool (but they beach water is perfect), no A/C (but the fans do the trick), no hot water (not really needed), no bar (just beer and soda; BYO rum if you want). But the rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable, the bathrooms are fine. Also this resort is not as big as the others so it's really friendly. And there's a great hike to the mountain in the middle of the island. And a reef-shark trip and village visit were both worthwhile.

There's only a couple kayaks and they're not in great shape; they really need to get some new equipment. The wifi was very slow but it was nice to tune out for a while (and 3G was not bad from outside).

Everything about this place is fantastic. The island is a paradise. The people are warm and welcoming, making you feel at home and accompanying you along your stay with traditional songs. The food is great. The vibes are very good, very easy to make friends with the other guests. We enjoyed the daily activities, from the summit hike to the amazing snorkeling, and the school village visit. Every night was a surprise, culture talks with kava ceremony, bonfire on the beach and traditional dancing. I wish we had stayed longer.. Mattia & Jenny

Such an amazing island paradise, we never got bored during our 5 nights here. The local staff are all genuine lovely people, and it's easy to make friends. Lounging around the beach with a book or swimming in the perfect water is always a joy. We did one guided activity per day, like the summit hike and snorkeling with reef sharks, which were epic, and after dinner there was something different each evening, like a beach bonfire one night and Bula dancing the next. The rooms are great. It's just a beautiful place with beautiful people. We will come back! - Zack & Susan

That we had to leave 😭

Top of the top

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Loved the people and the simple beauty of the surroundings. I went for 2 days and nights as a solo traveler and will be back again with friends or the family, it caters to all traveler types, but not those who need the high maintenance life comforts, I’d say you folk wouldn’t fare well here ☺️ deffs a highlight of my 1 week Fiji holiday this year

Nothing really.

We loved the family feel, the singing for each meal and when we arrived and farewell song for when we left. We felt like we were welcomed into somebody's home and their community. This was a bonus on top of the stunning nature. The activities including the reef shark snorkling were unreal.

We would have liked to have some fresh seafood. And some hot water in the shower.