Great place if you just want to chill! Snorkelling was awesome and very easy to get to. Bring your own coral shoes.
Takes about 90mins to get from Nadi Airport, make sure you check transfer prices as they can vary!
Restaurant was a basic menu but great dishes!
Breakfast very basic, maybe need to think about healthy options?
I did not read a bad review about this place prior to booking and it looked so much like what I was after I booked my beachfront bure with plungepool. Many reviews said to do it and I must agree... for a couple it is the best option and still comparatively cheap compared to other resorts on the Coral Coast.
There are only two rooms with the plungepool. We had Bure #3 which had full sun all day on the pool. Bure #2 gets shade in the afternoon.
The King sized bed is very comfortable and room is very clean. The airconditioning is cold and adjustable. The bure has a lovely waterview. The gardens are nice with large grassed areas. I wouldnt stay in the other bures unless you are just looking for a place to sleep or are taking kids with you.
Breakfast of cereals, toast, fruits and boiled eggs is included but more options are available for purchase. Lunch and dinner menus are good.
The restaurant and bar are comfortable and free wifi is available there. (not in room). Prices are about the same as Australian pubs once exchange rate is applied.
There are a few other restaurants nearby.
We hired a car at airport as transfers seem to be around $100AUD each way and the car was under $300 for 5 days. If you do so make sure you take the NADI BACK ROAD at the big roundabout near the airport... dont follow the Nadi Sigatoka signs as Nadi city is hell on earth for traffic. (Stuck in there for 2 hours)
Wines and beers are pricey at the resort but the bure has a decent fridge. You can bring 6 bottles of wine or 2.25 litres of Spirit into Fiji Duty free. There is plenty of wine at Fiji airport in a 6 for $99FJD deal or book your baggage allowance with an extra 10Kg and throw in a carton of your favourite. If your run out or dont bring any seems to be a few options around local supermarkets for 20-30FJD. A carton of Fiji Premium or Fiji Gold is about 85FJD. The Margaritas at the bar are nice.
All the staff are very friendly and nothing is a problem. Its a lovely relaxing place to stay.
IF YOU BOOK DIRECT WITH WARWICK READ ON:
There is discounts for 3 and 5 day stays on website which I used. At the time of booking it says booking is unable to be cancelled and must be paid in full at time of booking and the confirmation email shows this too. I booked 10 months prior to travel as I got an early bird deal at Plantation Island. Upon arrival I was told I had not paid and they would charge my credit card now.. I was certain I had paid and showed the emails I had a copy of.. I couldnt access bank statements at time. They were going to check with Warwick the next day and I never heard another word about it. When checking out again I was told I had not paid. I still could not prove otherwise so had to pay again.. When I got home I went through statements and sure enough they were right. They did not charge my card even though it was supposed to happen and said it had.. Just be aware of that.
I recently spent several weeks based at Tambua Sands on the Coral Coast and had a wonderfully relaxing time. The staff were fabulous, warm and friendly, and each time I returned from a trip, it really did feel like coming home. The beach-front bure I stayed in was so comfortable, a really great size and well appointed with a lovely view out across the reef. The resort was relaxing and casual, and snorkelling on the reef was a real treat. A special call-out to lovely Nina who looked after my bure and left beautiful arrangements of hibiscus and frangipani daily, and to Sunny and Lorima who made sure I knew what activities were available at the resort, to the lovely ladies who looked after the dining room, and to wonderful Vena and Esala at front-of-house. Thank you, all, for making me feel so at home over an extended period, and I hope to return.
Bula Vinaka,
Thank you for taking your time to provide us your feedback in regards to your recent stay at Tambua Sands.
We do look forward to welcome you back to the resort soon.
I would recommend Tambua Sands for anyone wanting a relaxed and authentic stay on the Coral Coast away from crowds.
Reading other reviews, I was not expecting 5-star amenities at Tambua, so was not disappointed. Our room was very basic, but it was enough for our needs. The beds were comfortable and well-maintained. Thank you to Nina the Ballerina and her friends with their gorgeous smiles who came around to clean and tidy our rooms daily and arrange beautiful flowers on the bed. Always making the time for a friendly chat. No television in the room. We had some amenities issues in the beginning which was quickly fixed and ants in the bathroom which were dealt with. Gecko’s running around, I just had to accept. WiFi extends to reception & pool and restaurant/bar, not always available in room.
The hotel staff were knowledgeable regarding their Fijian heritage. They had daily activities including a plantation tour, coconut husking, mountain trek, a kava ceremony and weaving. Sunny, one of the staff members would always check in with us regarding our plans for the day, recommend transport to town, recommend the best time to go snorkelling, which was handy since we had never snorkelled before, and even brought us some tender coconut to taste. The personal attention was appreciated. They had a pool table and table tennis, and it was wonderful to see the staff keeping some of the children occupied. A library of books was available. (Note – take books that you could leave there).
The restaurant menu for dinner was limited. I would have wanted to see more Fijian dishes. The chef was accommodating and did make us dishes as and when requested. However, I found them a bit pricey. Breakfast was included in the price. We enjoyed the local fruits for breakfast. It was fresh, presented well and tasted great.
The clean and cool pool amongst the palm trees was always inviting. Morning walks off the beach were pleasant and sunsets were beautiful. The water was clear enough to see the wonderful world under water as you walked.
The staff singing a traditional farewell song was very touching.
Overall, a relaxing and enjoyable stay. Vinaka to the staff at Tambua Sands for a wonderful holiday.
I stayed at Tambua (01/03/2019 to 08/03/2019) for a wedding being held at the Outrigger. I am glad I did.
Do not expect fancy, 5-star amenities at Tambua. It was exactly what I thought it would be. Rustic charm, bathroom fittings need updating, ants in the bathroom etc but none of that mattered. The place is peaceful bliss. Ok, it is on a busy road but I wear earplugs so it didn’t matter. The fact we often had the pool and beach to ourselves helped us to relax and enjoy the moment.
There’s a quiet bar (with happy hour) and restaurant where you can actually talk and watch the sun set. The restaurant menu is limited, changed daily, and the food was great. It was fresh, presented well and tasted great. It seemed a bit pricey but when you convert it to AUD it was fine. Just remember, food was prepared and served on Fiji time so sit back and allow them to do their best. The kids menu is even better. The pool was heaven amongst the palm trees and walking off the beach you could see lots of fish, Sea Cucumbers, starfish, crabs and hermit crabs. Not a perfect reef but not bad to just walk amongst it.
The atmosphere was so open and the other people staying there were easy to chat to and compare experiences.
And the staff....so friendly, so obliging and so genuinely happy to make your stay memorable.
I had my sister and her grandkids staying here too and the staff went out of their way to amuse them and we knew they were safe. They played ping pong and pool as well as showing them how to play volleyball and split coconuts.
Special callout to Sunny, Laurie and Steeler (excuse the spelling).
Another callout to Nina and her friend who kept our rooms clean and tidy on a daily basis with a friendly greeting and smiles and numerous ways to arrange flowers and towels on the bed.
Taxis were organised for us and great prices arranged to ferry us to the Outrigger, Kula Park and Baravi Markets.
No, Tambua isn't your perfect big resort. If you want that go to the Outrigger and pay way more and deal with the crowds. My plunge-pool bure was right on the beach and that's the Fiji experience I wanted and got. The room was well appointed and comfortable. The shower was hot and had decent pressure.
When we left last Friday we were farewelled by 10 staff singing a traditional farewell song and we were individually thanked by name for staying at Tambua.
Tambua is cash-free except on check-out. I did have a problem with their EFTPOS being down but it got sorted eventually.
Twice we went to the Outrigger and we couldn't wait to get back to Tambua - same with the grandkids. I hope to go back in the future but this experience will remain with me for a long, long time.
Thanks to everyone at Tambua for the best Fijian holiday. I hoped for a great time – and I got it.
"Mr" David
