Crystelle D.
Mixed Experience – Great Crew Support but Disappointing Transparency
I recently traveled with Nadia’s operation and had a very mixed experience. Positives: When my bags didn’t arrive, Julie (the local handler seen only once though) stepped in right away and even lent me clothing – a lifesaver (and lucky the sizing worked!). The lunches were phenomenal, far better than the simple sandwiches other hotels were serving. The room and general service were good, and the team was helpful in shuttling me around to recover my luggage. (Note nothing is included other than the breakfast, a kayak and that's it. So the shuttle service is a paid service (except Airport pickup and drop-off) given there is nothing to do past 2pm time of return from the whales....keep that in mind. Kayaking the bay and snorkeling basically will take an hour each. And if you don't read the 53 slide deck sent ahead of time and don't remember something, you are basically told it's on you. The welcome package was a nice touch, with thoughtful good quality goodies. The $2 bill with “Whales of Tonga” as a tip request was a cute idea. Negatives: My bags didn't arrive for 4 days and is apparently a recently common thing with Fiji airlines and many guests experienced this. Not Nadia's fault of course but something to know when booking this. So be sure to pack basic necessities in hand luggage before getting here. I was also unpleasantly surprised to be charged for the "helpful drive around" only at the very end. Yes, it was technically written on one of the two cards in the room, but a simple “pay as you go” model would avoid that confusion or even a simple reminder. The island ran out of fuel while I was there, so it is normal to charge for it. Food quality was inconsistent: while packed lunches were excellent (and notably the desserts), and the fish on the dinner menu great, the oil in the curry was poor quality and even made me sick. Salad dressings included sprinkled sugar....strange.. Dinner (very reasonably priced) is at 5pm so if you are non American....not a vacation type of vibe is not possible here as you need to order your dinner in the morning before leaving. Going with the flow is not possible. next door is over priced and not that good. Crew changes halfway through the trip made tipping uncomfortable and the experience inconsistent. I would have preferred to tip based on service provided, not just an envelope at the end. Communication was poor around the boat arrangements. Several guests (myself included) were left confused about last-minute changes, only finding out by texting Julie about the reasons and inconsistent with the on site experience. Paying for a private experience and in fact ending on a normal day trip boat 5 days in a row with different people was not great. You can book directly with Beluga Diving Vavau dot com instead. Seeing people walk on after booking the same day or the day before left us questioning transparency or even the need to go through Nadia and pay for a markup. We even had 7 people on the boat one day instead of 6 and no warning nor appology. Unfortunately, Nadia’s reputation with local dive shops and local bars was not strong. Each time we mentioned we were diving with her, the reactions we got were consistently awkward, which didn’t leave a good feeling. She no longer goes to Vavau and just brings tourists via her website so don't expect her to be on your trip. Overall: There were some really wonderful aspects 1. the whales, Julie and the lunches in particular stand out. But unexpected costs, food issues, lack or poor communication, and a questionable reputation locally made the trip disappointing overall and over priced. I truly wish it had matched the promise.