westozwind said...Geez, you don't look far for stories about Safari Lodge.
Click this link
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/search.aspType in "Safari Lodge" and click search.
Seems like most of the punters (inc. me) have had a great time at Safari Lodge.
Too bad you'll never find out.
USER RATING
Do some research before staying here...
By Ms Stefan, 2/11/09
Not going to bore you with details but this place has received so many negative reports that it is due to shutdown, Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor will give you a better picture of the scam Warren is running, he will make you pay in advance and when you get there you will want to move out due to the unhygienic and over priced shacks (it is not a policy to prepay your accommodation in Fiji) however if your brave enough to go there INSIST on seeing what you get before paying and check the value with neighbouring resorts which are 2 minutes walk away. Or just pick up the Lonely Planet 2008 Edition who have issued a travel advisory warning guests to Nananu I Ra not to stay at Safari Lodge due to the volume of negative reports. He is currently under investigation for fraud and his hotel license is due to be revoked. Be warned people!
Was this review helpful? (Yes — No) Report a problem
2 of 4 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
SERVICE (1)
CLEANLINESS (1)
LOCATION (1)
VALUE (1)
“Don't go Fishing”
Date of review: Feb 20, 2011 - New
The lodge owner spoke to us about the great fishing and great guides. Neither existed.
The trip started by travelling from the mainland in a leaking boat.
The guides knew very little about fishing, in fact one was the boat boy from a nearby island.
The owner left the resort the day before we arrived and returned after we had left. Could it have been that the promises made re fishing would be difficult to keep?
We also carried a large quantity of fishing gear from Australia at his request for gratis, without this there would not have been any lures or line available.
Sitting in a small tinny and trolling for 4 days is not a fishing trip!
However, I must praise the staff who tried to make the best of a bad situation.
Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Date of stay: March 2010
Visit was for: Leisure
Traveled with: Large Group/Tour
Member since: August 09, 2010
Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? No
“our overall experience was marred by safari lodge love the island tho”
Date of review: Jul 28, 2010
firstly let me say i fell for the glossy marketing when i should have researched the destination more thoroughly. long story short the rooms and the lessons were not worth their high rates a suggestion to anyone who might find themselves in my shoes... go to leluvia island instead,
Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
Value Rooms Location Cleanliness Service Sleep Quality
Date of stay: July 2010
Visit was for: Leisure
Traveled with: Large Group/Tour
Age group: 35-49
Member since: July 28, 2010
Recommended by this reviewer? No
Was this review helpful? Yes
less
Poor cleanliness & general maintenance”
Date of review: Dec 24, 2010
We arrived at Safari Lodge quite late in the evening under the cover of darkness so we didn't get a true sense of our surroundings until the next morning. Our initial impression that it was a quiet laid back kind of place. Although the emphasis is clearly on water sports of one sort or another, we had come just to enjoy the tranquillity of the island and the sandy beaches, and to have a few days generally relaxing in comfortable surroundings of the lodge.
As we landed on the beach, Warren the proprietor informed us that we had been upgraded from the private room that we had requested to the Villa. That sounded promising. Indeed the Villa turned out to be a fairly basic accommodation with a shower, bedroom and kitchen area (running water but no gas for the cooker).
To cut to the chase with the review, overall we enjoyed our time on the island, despite the shortcomings with the Safari Lodge. Firstly it is very expensive for the standard and quality of the accommodation. Of the 5 different places that we stayed in Fiji this was by far the most expensive but it provided the least value for money. There is definitely a lack of attention to detail with the routine maintenance of the accommodation and public areas. We noticed litter dropped on the foot path up to the Villa that wasn't picked up for days, also dog excrement on one of the sun decks that we used.
Due to our onward flights being changed we had to stay an extra night more than we had pre-booked and we were transferred to one of the rooms right at the top of the hill. The room was tiny, the curtains were hanging off the curtain rails and we didn't get much sleep that night due to the constant din of some kind of fruit or nuts falling from the over hanging tree onto the tin roof above the bedroom.
On a positive note, the meals that were provided were tasty and well cooked and a reasonable price. The Fijian staff members were very helpful and friendly and seemed to be doing the best that they could for the guests. Warren's mother happened to be staying at the Lodge while we were there, as well as being a very interesting person to talk to, she was very helpful and informative about the different treks that were available.
Would we recommend the Safari Lodge to others? The answer is no, unless you are a kite surfing enthusiast that is prepared to pay over the odds for the surfing location.
Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
Value Rooms Location Cleanliness Service Sleep Quality
Date of stay: October 2010
Visit was for: Leisure
Traveled with: Spouse/Partner
Member since: September 11, 2010
Recommended by this reviewer? No
Was this review helpful? Yes
less
Well thats 4 reviews would you like me to post up half a dozen more !!! ????Maybe it has changed ......but people dont go to the extent of writing long reviews that are bad unless they are really pissed.
And it seems there are plenty of pissed off people who have stayed at Safari Lodge. From what I hear there are other places on the same island only 80m away.
It doesnt suit me as there is no surf.
