Gecko's Resort

Thin walls can hear your neighbours. Upon checking in, there’s bo trolley to transport luggage to the room which was at the very back. To see the fire show, you have to make dinner reservations. I booked a massage and the massage lady didn’t show up. Nice fire show interactive with guests and that was the only thing we really enjoyed.

My tween daughter and I spent a delightful 8 full days here, enjoying every moment! The staff are incredibly warm and friendly, reflecting the hospitality found throughout Fiji. The food and drinks were excellent. While weekends were busier, it was never crowded; weekdays were just perfect. The rooms meet Western standards, though there is no microwave, so plan accordingly. Admittedly, the site could use some TLC. The room includes a safe, electric kettle, small fridge, coffee, tea, sugar, some utensils, and cups. The beds were firm, which we liked, and the pillows were a mix of hard and soft. We bought dried noodles nearby for late-night snacks or early mornings before heading out in a taxi. The shower water was plenty hot and had great pressure (we stayed in room 32). I drank boiled water without any problems, though I'm not sure if boiling is necessary. They sell 1.5-liter bottles of water for about $6 FJD, but you can get them in Voua for $2 FJD. On-site activities include: two outdoor pools, a bar, a restaurant (breakfast from 8-10 AM, lunch from 12-3 PM, and dinner from 6-8 PM), and five mountain bikes available for rent. There's plenty of space to nurse a Fiji Gold and read a good book. Entertainment options feature a DVD player with hundreds of Hollywood hits, a TV with a few channels, and a small library with a variety of used books—we added two more to the collection. Out back, there's plenty of space for children to run around, a small gym, a cultural center showcasing a traditional Fijian house and history, and free internet access. They'll exchange AUD for FJD without issue, which is great, since cash is still widely used. Paying the resort by foreign credit card was painless. There are ATMs and a Vodafone store in Sigatoka too, though we didn't explore the town much since our preference was instead to explore villages, partake in Kava ceremonies, hike through caves, take a jetboat, and go on lots of other off-site, half-and-full-day adventures. Our July itinerary included getting a SIM at the airport, then a late-night shuttle from Nadi airport ($100 FJD). The next day, we explored the small town of Voua on foot and stocked up on water and extra food from local stores. Over the following days, we planned one major activity per day, such as the "Off Road Cave Safari," "Zip Fiji Momi" (16 lines), and the "Sigatoka River Safari." We made sure to rest every two or three days. There was no need to rent a car since the resort is more than happy to arrange a taxi or private shuttle for you either to/from the airport, or to your chosen daily excursion. When we left, it was hugs all around! You could pay 10X more for the same Fijian experience at other hotels, so why would you?

Ok so this is not a fancy resort so don't expect too many bells and whistles. Yes it's run down and needs some TLC but the rooms are spacious and have everything you need. The staff are super friendly and we really enjoyed the restaurant. The meals were good and good value for money. We also got a massage at the spa and it was amazing! Better than the one I had a big resort and less than half the price. Be aware that's it's not by the beach and there are not many activities available so if that's what your after this is not the place for you. But it's a good base to stay and then go out on tours for the day. Fiji is an expensive place to go on holidays so if your looking for a more budget option Geckos is the way to go.

Great little resort, with the best service staff you could ask for. Loved our stay there

The staff were amazingly friendly and made us feel very welcome. There is a very relaxed vibe about the place. The two swimming pools are extremely well maintained. The reason for a good not an excellent is that the resort is looking somewhat tired, the food was very average, and simple requests were forgotten (like a booking for a massage and a request for beach towels). However, given the price point I’d come again, especially given the lovely staff.

Great place. Friendly staff and the food is excellent.

So we arrived prior to check in… not a problem. Receptionist told us room would be ready in 5 minutes. That 5 minutes turned out to be 1 & 1/2 hour wait. Upon going to room a smell of sewerage was noticed. Depending on the wind direction this can be quite strong. The resort is very run down and is in urgent need of renovation. We were told at check in that if we wanted to dine in restaurant on Tues, Fri or Sunday we need to book as it gets busy with patrons from outside the resort. We made a reservation for 7pm . As it was busy we arrived at 6.35pm and ordered at 6.45pm. Cocktails took half an hour to arrive after asking for them where they were. At 8pm I asked where our meals were and the response was that there was a large table before us. I might add this large table was NOT house guests they were from the Shangri La. House guest don’t have priority over outside guests. Restaurant closes at 8pm. 1 meal came at 8.14pm the other at 8.25pm… The restaurant is focused on guests staying at other resorts…. Why? not sure seems odd! I asked to speak with the Resort Manager 7 times over the course of the evening. She was either too scared to talk with me or didn’t give a damn. Later in evening when restaurant was closed I saw a lady that looked like the manager and asked her if indeed she was, she said yes. I found her to be dismissive, unprofessional and instead of apologizing just made excuses. Our stay was now not about the restaurant but purely down to the fact that the resort manger’s lack of interest in us. Had she come to talk to us without hiding in the kitchen all night she could have alleviated us wanting to check out earlier and there would not have been the angst and frustration. She is simply not fit for the position. I advised her that we would be checking out the next day cutting or stay short by 4 days. And that I wanted a refund for those 4 days. She made all these excuses that she couldn’t refund I advised her that we would indeed be checking out tomorrow and that I expected a refund. Upon checking out we were refunded and we went back to the glorious, professional and friendly Bedarra Beach Inn where we were “welcomed home”

Location - pretty far from big city Nadi and Suva. But it is near to a great public beach Natadola Beach. Definitely need a rental car to move around. The car rental is pretty expensive, and the petrol is about FJD 3.00 per liter. Hotel shows aged condition all around. The setup of the toilet is quite weird as it does not have a full-sized door to keep the unpleasant odor and ventilation noise down. The only plus point is that the staff are friendly and warm. Food is average. The breakfast is not worth paying for it.

There had been a dead lizard in our room stinking bad food is very limited here and very pricey