Paradise Cove Resort

Arriving at Paradise Cove Resort is a memorable experience. Staff members gather on the beach to sing Fijian welcome songs, then lead guests to the bar where tropical drinks await. Looking around, it’s immediately apparent that Paradise Cove appeals to all kinds of travelers. Toddlers and their parents splash around in the pool, couples lounge on daybeds, and grandparents call after grandchildren on the beach. The atmosphere is lively and upbeat, but still relaxing. And since the resort’s grounds are fairly spread out, each group can find its own niche somewhere on the property.  

Paradise Cove Resort is located on Naukacuvu Island, in Fiji’s Yasawa chain. The Yasawas are known for their pristine beaches, crystal-clear water, and excellent snorkeling and diving. The Yasawas and neighboring Mamanucas are ideal for travelers seeking paradisiacal landscapes and an island life atmosphere. We’d strongly recommend the Yasawas over Nadi and Denarau Island, which are commercialized hubs that may not “look like Fiji” to many first-time visitors.  

There are two main transfer choices for guests to reach Paradise Cove. The first, and most economical, is “the big yellow boat,” a ferry operated by a local company called Awesome Adventures. The ferry departs from Denarau Marina on the mainland and makes a daily trip around the Yasawas. It makes multiple stops at different hotels across the island chain, so it takes approximately three hours to reach Paradise Cove. Travelers looking for a speedier way to reach the resort can book a sea plane transfer with Pacific Island Air. The sea plane transfer is much pricier than the ferry, but is also much faster, taking anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the flight schedule. The sea planes depart from Nadi International Airport. Travelers really looking to splurge can book a private helicopter transfer with a local company called Island Hoppers. 

It should be noted that the resort does not have an arrival dock (though this is common in the Yasawas). Instead, guests board a small tender boat from the ferry or sea plane and are dropped off directly on the beach. Usually, due to the tide, getting off the tender boat isn’t exactly graceful and getting wet is almost guaranteed. Some guests jump onto the sand, while others step directly into the water. Either way, this may pose a challenge for people with limited mobility or those traveling with young children. However, thanks to Fijians’ innate sense of hospitality, we watched plenty of staff members carry babies — and even elderly grandmothers — ashore.  

Room decor at Paradise Cove strikes a nice balance between contemporary and traditional Fijian. Rooms feature many authentic Fijian accents like thatched roofing and tapa-print artwork, but still feel modern thanks to sleek furniture, stone flooring, and amenities like flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, and Wi-Fi. Other thoughtful amenities include free fully stocked minibars, electric kettles, bathrobes, and electronic safes. There is a multitude of room options at Paradise Cove, including exclusive rooms for families and couples. The family-friendly rooms and the couples-only rooms are on opposite sides of the property, so honeymooners can relax in peace, and parents don’t have to worry about their kids disturbing the neighbors. 

There are nine different room types at Paradise Cove ranging from entry-level garden bungalows to multi-bedroom private beach houses. Garden Bungalows and Paradise Garden Bungalows are the hotel’s entry-level categories. They’re studio-size rooms with one king-size bed. The difference between the two is that Garden Bungalows only have semi-outdoor showers, while Paradise Garden Bungalows have larger outdoor bathrooms. One Bedroom Beachfront and Garden Villas are the next highest room category. They’re much larger than the bungalows, and have sunken living room spaces. They also have romantic features, like four-poster beds and enormous outdoor bathrooms with two-person showers. As their name suggests, some villas are beachfront while others are located in the property’s interior garden (which is actually only a few steps from the beach). 

Paradise Suites are the hotel’s version of honeymoon suites. These rooms are the same size as the beachfront villas, and feature the same amenities, but also have private plunge pools and gorgeous beachfront decks. Couples looking for ultimate seclusion might like the hotel’s private one- and two-bedroom luxury beach houses, which are located on a private island across from the main hotel property. Each private beach house is equipped with a full kitchen and a large living area, along with outdoor bathrooms and either one or two bedrooms. However, they do not have private pools. Each beach house comes with a boat and boatsman, who will transfer guests to the main property at any time. Beach house guests can also have their meals delivered to the house.  

Families can take advantage of Paradise Cove’s Two Bedroom Beachfront and Garden Villas, which are just like their one bedroom counterparts, but have an additional bedroom and half bathroom. They also have enormous outdoor bathrooms with two-person showers. Families with older children (age 13 and up) can also book one of the hotel’s private luxury beach houses. 

The pool is the central hub of Paradise Cove. Rectangular in the shape, the pool is surrounded by a large deck with cushioned lounge chairs, outdoor beanbags, umbrellas, and pillow-topped daybeds. Plus, with incredible ocean views, it’s easy to see what makes the pool area so appealing. Plenty of guests — from young kids to grandparents — spend their days relaxing poolside. Conveniently, the hotel’s only bar is adjacent to the pool. Though alcohol is not included in the hotel’s all-inclusive rates, guests often swing by for cocktails at some point throughout the day. The bar has a beautiful covered lounge area, where staff members bring new arrivals to check in. 

Beyond the pool is Paradise Cove’s gorgeous beach. The beach stretches quite a distance around the front portion of the property, so guests looking for privacy can spread out along the sand. The crystal-clear waters off shore are perfectly calm and ideal for swimming and sunbathing. The hotel has several palapa-style umbrellas set up on the beach, along with lounge chairs and hammocks strung between palm trees. Between the pool and the entrance to the beach is the on-site PADI dive center. The Yasawa islands are known for their excellent diving conditions, so scuba lessons and certification courses are quite popular at the hotel. If diving’s not your thing, the hotel offers several snorkeling excursions as well. All diving and snorkeling trips incur extra fees, so be sure to check with the hotel about costs before booking. 

For guests who prefer land-based activities, Paradise Cove has a hiking trail, a fitness center, a small spa, and both a kids' and teens' club. The resort’s hiking trail winds into a steep slope behind the main property. It’s a pretty rigorous hill, but once at the top, there’s a large deck with incredible views of the ocean and neighboring islands. Sometimes, the hotel hosts cocktail parties at sunset on the deck at the top of the hill. Paradise Cove’s fitness center is small, but its well equipped with modern treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, and a weight machine. The Nauka Spa was built in 2016, and while its fairly small, the spa offers numerous treatment options like massages, facials, body wraps, manicures and pedicures, and waxing. We weren’t able to see much of the spa during our visit, because all treatments rooms were fully booked during the entirety of our stay — suffice to say, the spa’s pretty popular. 

The kids' club is available for children ages 3 and up. It has lots of toys and an outdoor play area, and also hosts supervised activities like cooking classes, face painting, and treasure hunts. Children over the age of 5 who know how to swim can also participate in water based activities on the beach or around the pool. For older kids, Paradise Cove has its own teens' club. Known as the teen tent, the teens' club is housed in a yurt-like tent and is equipped with amenities like Xbox consoles, foosball, air hockey, and ping-pong. 

Paradise Cove encourages guests to do as much or as little on their holiday as they see fit. For guests who like to be active, the resort offers tons of on-site activities like daily yoga classes, snorkeling excursions, Fijian cooking lessons, local village visits, and guided bush walks. During our visit, staff members were taking guests to a nearby island to watch a local rugby tournament — an activity that received rave reviews from guests we spoke with. 

The all-inclusive dining at Paradise Cove is exceptional. The resort has one restaurant but menus change daily, so guests needn’t worry about lack of variety. All meals are served a la carte, except once per week at dinnertime, when the hotel hosts a traditional Fijian "meke" and serves an authentic Fijian buffet. Many guests claim that the meke (a welcome ceremony) and the buffet are highlights of their trip — and we wholeheartedly concur. On the night of the meke, the entire staff comes together to sing songs and preform traditional dances for guests, and even encourage a few brave audience members to join them. 

Breakfast includes a selection of continental items like pastries, cereal, toast, and fresh fruit, along with hot items like omelets, eggs Benedict, French toast, pancakes, and salmon hash. There is a set lunch menu with 10 to 15 options, along with a selection of daily-changing specials. Lunch offerings include options like burgers, fish tacos, Thai chicken wraps, shrimp stir-fry, and Caesar salad. Anyone who likes seafood shouldn’t leave Paradise Cove without trying kokoda — a ceviche-like national dish of Fiji that consists of local fish and raw vegetables marinated in coconut milk. Dinner at Paradise Cove is a five-course affair, consisting of an amuse bouche, an appetizer, a palette cleanser, a main course, and a dessert. The dinner menu changes nightly, and guests typically have between three and five options for each course. In an attempt to keep the restaurant’s atmosphere suitable for all guests, families with young children are encouraged to dine earlier in the evening, while couples are encouraged to dine later.  

Paradise Cove caters to all types of travelers. During our visit we encountered everyone from toddlers to young couples to grandparents. But because of its broad appeal, couples may find Paradise Cove a little too family-friendly. Though the resort tries its best to separate families and couples — by having different meal times and having adult-only rooms on a secluded part of the property — couples will find that kids are unavoidable here. However, we talked to plenty of honeymooners who were perfectly content with the setup. We even met a large multi-generational wedding party who was thrilled that Paradise Cove was upscale enough for adults, but still packed with amenities for kids. Couples looking for a kid-free property might prefer Viwa Island Resort, which has a quieter atmosphere but fewer amenities, and isn’t as luxe as Paradise Cove.