Fiji / Yasawas - a mouthwatering Oarsmans + Octopus combo

Hello Team TT,
We're off to the Yasawas in four weeks.

And of course having scanned the trusty old bible, it seems like an Oarsman's & Octopus salad is our first menu choice. Yum. Yum.

But our LP is a few years' old (06) so I'm trying to do the sensible thing and check out what they're like NOW.

Visited their websites. Yup.

But who's been to either in the last few months? Still tip-top? Getting too big-for-their-boots? Or still chilled, reasonably-priced, family-friendly (we've got a toddler) and a general all-round safe bet?

I welcome all your recent opinions. I'm pretty convinced of them on paper, but there's nothing like some personal insight.

Ta ta,

Hawkboy ~

I'm off to Octopus on Friday for my 15th visit. Family in tow including 2 grandchildren (3 & 6). Happy to provide a report when I get back but it might be getting a bit late for you (back 11 October). In the meantime - have you booked yet?
Anyway - I'm sure you will be happy with them.

Hi,
We've booked Octopus. Waiting to hear back from Oarsmans.
Octopus is a smidge more expensive than we hoped. So we're going for a garden view bure on the basis that "it's better to have an average house on a brilliant street" if you know what I mean.
Fifteen visits. That's quite a recommendation in itself. Thanks for the offer. Do drop me a note if you don't mind. I've checked my dates and we won't be there until 30th October.
Thanks,
Jon

Octopus is amazing. We were there in July and loved it. The garden bures are more than adequate - some also have water views.We went to Oarsmans last year and loved that too, but I hear that it may have gone downhill a bit since then, although the person who told me this was the current manager of Octopus.

In summary both were excellent and reasonable value. Octopus is not that cheap in the bures but worth it in my view.

recently back from oarsman, very very nice, and was at ocopus a year or so back, thats very very nice too. (i want the Waldorf Salad)

I stayed at both of them a couple of weeks ago. They were both fine, although a little pricey I thought, compared to other lodging throughout Fiji (we stayed in private bures at both places, not the dorms, so I can't opine on the dorms). I think their website gives a reasonable representation. I think the food and quality of lodging is definitely a little better at Octopus, plus they have a pool. My perception was that they were also a little more professionally managed, though that's not really a slam against Oarsmans. Beach is a little nicer at Oarsman's, but is fine at Octopus as well. Our garden bure at Octopus was really neat with an "open air" shower, nice "Fijian looking" furnishings (including mosquito netting). If you are going to Fiji for the beaches, definitely stay in the Yasawas or the Mamanucas because all the other beaches -- at least that I saw (and we traveled the length of the Coral Coast between Nadi and Suva, Taveuni and Ovalau as well) -- were VERY disappointing.

If you have any other questions, just PM me or add to this thread and I'll be happy to try to respond.

#5 the beach at the Fijian on the Coral Coast is lovely.

Fiji in general is brutally bad value, but Octopus is nice in a glorified-summer-camp kind of way. A Garden Bure is fine, because you won't be in it much, and the beach is best enjoyed by being on it rather than looking at it from your verandah. Don't expect luxury, but you will be comfortable at Octopus. There's a nice mix of privacy and community, and a feeling that there's intelligence and organization working to make the place pleasant for the long term.