Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort Review

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Located on the Coral Coast of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu, Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort is a slice of paradise away from the hustle and bustle of Fiji’s more touristy areas, with a beachfront location and second-to-none hospitality that makes this a very special stay.

With room options ranging from hotel-style suites to traditional Fijian bures allowing for any party size and dynamic, as well as an overwhelming list of facilities and activities, the Outrigger can be whatever you need and exactly what you make it.

Where is Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort?

Being located on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, you won’t need a second flight or boat journey to reach the Outrigger once you touch down in Nadi or Suva. This should be a major consideration in your travel planning for island destinations as local flights or boat transfers can be expensive and add a lot of travel time, so Outrigger is ideal if you’re wanting to make the most of your time and money.

Outrigger can arrange an airport transfer to pick you up and take you directly to the resort, which takes about 1h 20m from Nadi (and costs $100-$150FJ) or 2h 30m from Suva.

As a bonus and point-of-difference, Outrigger is also located away from the more touristy area of Denerau, where you’ll find the majority of the mainland resorts side-by-side.

The room

We stayed in an Ocean Bure with two queen beds, an ensuite bathroom, a deck with a bench and hammock seat for enjoying sundowners, and a 30-second walk to the pool, the Sundowner Bar and Grill and the beach. If I died this week, I’d die happy.

Also, each room is fitted with air conditioning which is essential in the hotter parts of the year to ensure you can get a good night’s sleep.

The facilities

Resort-style travel is not something either of us do much, or ever, however, after two years in a pandemic, this felt like the perfect amount of stress-free and self-indulgence we needed. I’ll confidently say ‘all-inclusive’ has its time and place.

The Outrigger boasts eight bars and restaurants, two pools (one for adults only featuring a SWIM-UP BAR), a gym, tennis courts, a luxury spa, a kids and teens club, a nanny service, as well as around 15 daily activities from snorkelling and diving to coconut-throwing competitions and the nightly traditional torch lighting ceremony.

There’s plenty to keep the active traveller busy while offering the rest and relaxation others might be craving. What I like most about resort stays is the ability to keep everyone happy – split up for your various activities throughout the day and meet up for cocktails and meals.

The food

The food is delicious with decent meal portions, resort food is always going to be expensive but you definitely get your money’s worth here at the Outrigger.

We had the buffet breakfast every morning which included cold dishes like fresh fruit salad and yoghurt, hot dishes like sausages, hash browns and baked beans, loads of different breads, spreads and cereals, an egg station, smoothies, juices and more.

Our favourite restaurant was the Sundowner Bar and Grill, which had the most incredible sunset view and a brilliant happy hour. The dishes here were fantastic, over a few nights we had steak, roast chicken, prawns, lamb shanks and more.

We were also treated to a high tea delivered to our bure one afternoon, which was a brilliant way to wind down after a busy day out in the ocean.

The hospitality

Where to start. You cannot talk about a stay at Outrigger without the people being the central and lasting impression.

Outrigger staff are among the nicest people I’ve ever met. Our stay coincided with the country and resort re-opening week, 21 months after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many Fijians were returning to their jobs after nearly two years of unemployment or farm work. The energy was electric, the excitement from the staff and guests was unmistakable and contagious.

Above that, they make an effort to personalize your stay. By our first night, we were on nickname terms and our orders were memorized. There’s something unbelievably special about waking up, popping outside and someone yelling out “Alexx and Bex, see you at happy hour!”. I could’ve stayed forever.

As an additional treat, each day at 5pm you are brought a complimentary drink of your choice and a canapé. On your last day, the team at the breakfast buffet sing you farewell at your table (I’m not crying…. It’s the water from the pool dripping down from my hair, I swear).

The activities

Here’s a sample of the optional activities on offer throughout our stay:

For us, highlights were snorkelling and coral planting – spending time contributing to the regeneration of Fiji’s coral reef. It was incredible to learn about the reef’s ecosystem and be able to spend some of our holiday helping the resort’s conservation efforts.

The area

The Coral Coast is the stretch of coastline running from Sigatoka to Suva on Fiji’s mainland. It’s one of the more popular destinations for tourists due to its proximity to the two international airports on the same island, as well as the snorkelling and diving it offers on its on and offshore coral reefs.

I didn’t manage to scuba dive on this trip unfortunately however we spoke to one resort guest who went diving and saw turtles, reef sharks and a huge pod of dolphins! Yes, I had major FOMO.

The verdict on Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort

For me, the hospitality at the Outrigger sets this stay apart from anything else we’ve experienced. They go over and above to remember your names, personalise your experience and make you feel a part of a family.

Leaving after only four days felt genuinely sad and there was a long list of people we had to say goodbye to. That will trump any ‘fancier’ facilities you might find somewhere else, in my books.