Funky Fish Beach & Surf Resort - Hostel

I went there to chill out, and it was just what I needed. The staff members are extremely nice and relaxed, very friendly people, inviting us to drink Kava with them every evening. The room was basic, I liked it, nothing fancy, none of the useless luxury you pay for at most places. But the place is nice, small bures surrounded by coconut trees on the shore. Reclining chairs around the swimming pool, and a descent beach (at high tide). The food was good, sometimes cooked in the ground (lovo), and usually fresh seafood. I think that the daily "food plan" (100 F$: breakfast with extra orders, 2 or 3 course lunch, dinner) is not worth the money unless you eat huge quantities, so I saved quite a lot everyday (50F$) by simply ordering from the menu: the basic buffet breakfast is included in the room price (I didn't need extra orders), lunch is plenty with just one item (20-25F$), and for dinner you don't have the choice (25F$ the full dinner). They help to organize diving with another shop, and have their own boat to pick you up and go surfing (fees apply). The place around is nice if you like birdwatching in the mangrove. The only one thing I really wouldn't recommend is surfboard rental. The place is not a proper surf resort, and the boards they have are all quite old and not in good condition anymore: do bring your own board if you come to surf! I regreted having to rent one every day, not cheap in the end, and not good. Thanks a lot Viviane; smiles, friends, great memories!

We booked funky fish because we wanted to be close to the surf break and possibly go kite surfing. We were really disappointed at how run down the property is. When we arrived the offer to upgrade Us to a room with air conditioning but it meant a steep hike up the hill side. By the time we got to the top we were drenched in sweat and didn’t want to have to go so far in case we simply wanted to grab something from our room. They then went to put us in a beachfront but there is only a small double (not queen) bed which was pushed up against the wall so only one person could get in and out of bed easily. There’s nothing else in the room — no chair, no bureau only a hot pot for water and some coffee and tea packets. The pictures on the website are updated and were taken when the property was new. This includes the picture of the beachfront bure — in the picture they show the bed turned sideways which is not how they are in actuality because you wouldn’t be able to walk into the room. The mattresses and cushions out by the pool are dirty and worn out. The room we ended up with was sparse with no side tables and just a bear closet. The bathroom had mold around the sink, there was always a steady stream of ants on the walls and there was a large lizard in our room. I don’t mind geckos and I understand it’s the tropics, but this guy was huge! We were surprised at the other reviews including mentioning about the staff being great, as whenever we asked Vivian at the reception for help, it felt like pulling teeth to get answers or guidance. It was only time in Fiji we felt like we were possibly being taken. Also, whenever we went to the main area, several of the staff were typically asleep. We had to wake the chef up to cook us meals almost every time we went to eat. Speaking of eating, when we went to book, it was mandated that we buy the meal plan which is $100fjd a day. You definitely don’t want to sign up for this because not only is the food sub par and very greasy in general, the room apparently comes with a continental breakfast so if you don’t need eggs, you can get lunch and dinner for about $25fjd each so it definitely doesn’t add up to $100fjd. No drinks, including no bottled water, comes with the meal plan only a super sugary “fruit juice.” We went to take a kayak out only to find that the two kayaks there were both cracked so they took on water. They were too old stand up paddleboard‘s but no paddles. There was one broken paddle to use in the kayak. This was demonstrative of the property – that it was run down and not maintained. There is no real beach only a small area of sand close to where the boat dock is. At low tide it’s basically just rocky and a high tide and water comes up to the edge of the property. On the positive, the grounds were well kept and if you were traveling alone and happiness day in a dorm or in a place that is run down because it’s inexpensive in order to be close to a surf break, you might be fine with the place.

Cool place, low-key, not fancy, but right on the beach. Definitely opt for the buras on the beach. Not much for vegetarians - bring snacks and booze - both are expensive, and no options but the restaurant. Very friendly staff.

I stayed here for 5 nights and had a rollercoaster type experience. First, the staff were amazing. Very warm, friendly and accommodating esp. Vivi. They upgraded me to a beachfront bure which was excellent! Nice views and short walk to the reception. Unfortunately, I did not have hot water the entire time. Second, I'm traveling solo so it was difficult booking the activities as you need atleast 2 people. Luckily, I made it to cloud 9, castaway island, monuriki island, where they filmed castaway with Tom Hanks, a snorkeling trip to sunflower reef and surfing trip to "swimming pools" (beginner surf). All were amazing but it was sooo challenging with the boats. They arrived 1 or 2 hours late which is very annoying as our time was limited. One night we booked a fishing trip but the boat never came. I feel like this hostel caters more to surfers and not people who want to explore the islands. Third, the mosquitoes were absolutely horrible here. I put on 100% deet everyday and still got bit multiple times a day. Fourth, the sheets in the room were so dirty. There was insect poop on my fridge and lots of bugs on my bed. I guess you could say the bure was very rustic and almost like camping. I still enjoyed the location of the hostel and their food was good esp the seafood pasta. I didn't do the meal plan as I wanted to save money so definitely buy food, water, alcohol before you leave Port Denarau. Food and drinks were a bit expensive for a hostel. The pool and lounge day beds were very nice and I enjoyed the atmosphere here. I met lots of cool people from all over the world. If you want to surf, I do recommend staying here for 2 or 3 nights. If you are a solo traveler and want to explore, I recommend staying somewhere else like Ratu Kini at Mana Island. Either way, I made the most of my time here and will definitely miss the staff. They were lovely and so kind to me. Thank you for the cava and warm hospitality!

I had the best time visiting this resort and would highly recommend it for anyone! The atmosphere is super nice and relaxing with a pool and bar right on the water. Tumeli was extremely kind, helpful, and offered great advice. I would definitely return on another trip to Fiji!

What a fantastic resort this is. Great staff , great food and beautiful views. I went for the day. Great pool. Next time I will stay a few days. So much to do there or you can just lay beside the pool.

We stayed for 4 nights and cannot commend the staff enough for their efforts! The meals are amazing (and huge) and staff always have a friendly smile and time for tips on the best activities around. Couldn’t have enjoyed this heaven more!

Funkyfish provides simple accommodation that is great for a surf trip. Boat to the surf takes about 20-30min. The food is good but menu doesn’t vary too much. Very helpful and friendly staff. I’m hoping to go back again.

Having backpacked around Europe, central and South America I have seen my fair share of backpacker accommodation. Funky fish was definitely below average. We had planned to stay for 4 nights but cut it down to 3. We stayed in a beach hut which was so tiny that you had to squeeze past each other if someone was standing and you wanted to go to the bathroom. There was small blood stains smeared on the walls & sheets from people squashing one of the millions of mosquitos there. I know that mozzies can’t be helped but it would be nice to at least get a plug in or a candle to burn! There’s also a loud generator that runs 24/7 behind hut 4 so avoid huts 3-5. We were moved up onto a lovely ensuite room at the top of the hill that were new and clean and had aircon so I’d recommend those if you decide to stay here (Rooms L1-4). Also the food takes FOREVER and they say that a food package is compulsory when you arrive but it’s not. Highly recommend going to Cloud9 for the day, it’s beautiful :)