Natalei Experience

Fantastic place. The rooms are a little rustic but a stones throw from the beach. The staff were wonderful and food was excellent. The trip out to Moon reef to see the dolphins is a must, absolutely awesome. Snorkling on the outside of the reef was incredible, some of the best we've done in Fiji.

Absolutely beautiful location, lovely people and welcoming experience. Dolphins are seen regularly and we even saw a whale! Good for day trip from Suva or longer stay (I stayed for 1 week). The water is crystal clear, with the black volcanic sands you could not wish for a better experience! Jay and the staff will look after everything you need - as a vegetarian I was well catered for and had no issues about food!

J So kind. The food is Fijian food, plenty of fish and delicious.Thank you for your careful consideration so that nature is preserved and not artificial, and you can learn about the elements surrounding Moon Reef in detail and enjoy watching dolphins to your heart's content.

Affordable, beautiful location, first rate staff. Jay is the man, he’ll take you out to see mangroves and to a coral area with spinner dolphins. The food is delicious (fresh made morning donuts) with fish caught just off the coast served a dozen ways. We showed up for a night and decided to extend our stay because we liked it so much. The lodgings are rustic, but clean, and there’s even warm water, not that you’ll need it. I would come back here anytime.

Went for the weekend, was lucky enough to go see the dolphins and moon reef, there were atleast 40+ dolphins in the water a gorgeous thing to witness. The food was fresh and delicious. The weather was on our side but unfortunately we didn't get to trek to the waterfalls because it was raining during the week. Rooms are small but cozy, was just right for my partner and myself. Hot water, mosquito nets and friendly people. Gorgeous decking with bonfires and bbq. Would definitely recommend the experience.

Getting to the Eco lodge from Korovou, a small town with most amenities on the east coast involved a 15 km drive north on a sealed road and then a 20 km drive on a gravel road to the village Nataleira. To get to the village you turn right,cross the bridge and drive a short distance to the eco lodge. Don't miss the turn off ! Google maps on my cheap android phone allowed me to find the way even if it was just the blue dot on a screen that only showed the road.|We checked in to reception, the building being right on the beach. It was attached to the community hall and was well looked after.||Our bure was on the other side of the road about 15 meters from reception, so we were not on the beach as such. The bure is, at best basic. It reminded me of a New Zealand back country hut. Compact with a double bed with mosquito netting above. The louvered windows allowed the breeze in but did not have mosquito netting on them. The shower and toilet are on the rear of the bedroom. The shower needed to be turned on by a tap on the wall and a switch that supplied warm water- no adjusting required. The roof is iron cladding. Back in the bedroom -the only form of cooling the room was a fan mounted on a pedestal which actually was enough. A non-paying customer on the ceiling was a gecko which seemed quite at home and took a gentle wave to get him to scuttle off into the gap in the wall. I didn't tell my wife! The gecko must have been a bit grumpy as he/she made their gentle chirping noise throughout the night.|The evening meal was excellent - freshly caught Trevally, chicken, rice and salad. Beer was available so we washed it down with some Fiji Gold. As evening fell the local lads lit a series of kerosene lamps and a bonfire on the beach, the breeze died down.|We returned to our bure and managed to get some sleep. Breakfast the next morning was freshly made buns, warm banana cake, juice and coffee- again excellent. As we were heading to Lautoka we left straight after paying Jay (333.00 FJD) or $250.00 NZD which included our meals. Is it worth it? Probably not as the bure really needs to be pulled down and rebuilt. But it was an interesting experience with nice staff and a good location. If the bure was parallel to the restaurant with a beach view, then it would make the trip worthwhile . The lodge is NOT for people wanting all the mod cons.||| ||

I stayed at Natalei for 5 nights in a dorm and had the most wonderful and enriching time there. The staff are so lovely and helpful, the food was out of this world (I went back for seconds every time), and it is such a relaxing atmosphere- with so many opportunities to learn about Fijian culture in a respectful way as well. We went snorkelling on the beautiful Moon Reef and saw the dolphins which was such a special experience. You can also play volleyball on the beach, go kayacking, see the bioluminescence at night or just chill out. The black sandy beaches were a treat, and so was being able to attend church service at the village. ||||Thanks Natalei for such a magical time.

Great experience...Highly recommend coming back here💙 Friendly Staff and great service.