Shangri-La Yanuca Island – Hotel Review

Perched on a peninsula tip of Fiji’s Coral Coast, Shangri-La Yanuca Island seems like its own little world. The resort promises to give guests a new experience every day and with four on-site eateries, a blissful spa, inflatable water park, mini golf course and kids’ club, it’s a family holiday dream that can actually become a reality. Read on for the full review.

Couples and honeymooners aren’t overlooked, however. Rooms in the private, adults-only Reef Wing have perks aplenty, including complimentary happy-hour cocktails and canapes and private swimming areas to dial up the luxury.

Where is Shangri-La Yanuca Island?

You’ll find the resort on the 76-hectare private island of Yanuca, off the south-west coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island. It takes about an hour to reach Nadi Airport and airport transfers can easily be organised through the hotel.

What’s near Shangri-La Yanuca Island?

If you’ve been unsuccessful at dragging your kids away from the pool, tempt them with a visit to Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park. A place of mythically tall sandy mounds of up to 60 metres, it’s less than 15 minutes’ drive from the resort and offers the drawcard of being able to descend the dunes by sandboard.

Room types

There are three wings at Shangri-La Yanuca – the Ocean Wing, the Reef Wing and the Yanuca Lagoon wing – each with their own outlook (ocean, pool and lagoon, respectively).  The Yanuca Lagoon Wing lends itself to families, with colourful murals alongside the resort’s beachy wood-and-rattan decor, as well as proximity to kid-friendly activities and spacious outdoor terraces. The Ocean Wing has a more peaceful feel, with uninterrupted ocean views from every room, suite and bure.

The Reef Wing is the resort’s adults-only playground, with a private infinity pool and separate entrance, as well as honeymoon-friendly perks such as afternoon canapes and cocktails after 5pm and massage upgrades.

Restaurants and bars

Food for every mood seems to be Shangri-La’s MO when it comes to on-site dining. There are the casual, family-friendly eateries (burger-slinging Beach Bar & Grill and Lagoon Terrace Restaurant, which has a kids’ menu) through to fine diners fit for a honeymooning duo such as Golden Cowrie Coastal Italian Restaurant, which dishes up local seafood with a European twist. The two on-site bars are heaven for sunset drinks, especially Bilo Bar, which has seating on the shoreline that shoulders the lagoon, complete with the requisite shade of lofty palm trees.

Travel for work

It’s a rough gig trying to get anything done in this setting. Rest assured, there’s free wi-fi throughout the hotel (even from the poolside, should that be where you decide to do emails). In-room, you’ll find a desk and chair for remote working positioned near the windows.

Pool, gym and spa

There are three pools at Shangri-La, as well as a glittering private lagoon, for swimming. If you prefer to tick off your daily fitness goals in the gym, you can — and the view over the Pacific Ocean isn’t too shabby, either.

Chi, the Spa infuses treatments with Fijian botanicals such as fragrant frangipani, delicious coconut and pineapple, as well as traditional techniques to coax you into relaxation. The setting, in a pavilion overlooking the lagoon, easily does some of that work, too.

What you need to know

Snack time just got a whole lot easier. Shangri-La Circle members get bang for their buck when it comes to the kids: two kids under 11 per room can eat free from designated on-site restaurants.  

SEE ALSO: 17 of the Best Family-Friendly Resorts in Fiji