Salt Lake Lodge

Where to start? So chill. Your day is influenced directly by the tide. The water going in is clean and full of life. These are the clearest times to really get a look at the sea life. Also the best time to "kayak" into the salt lake, but the current is so strong that you really just kick back and let the incoming tide take you up the river. Mangroves and roosters dominate this part of the trip. There's a little watertight cubby in the kayak for your phone, or ciggies, or whatever. Its extremely photo-worthy so you're gonna wanna take pics. Once you hit the lake you actually get to do some work. I reckon if you kayak around the whole lake at high tide it'd take 2- 3 hours. Its a decent body of water so if the wind picks up it can get a bit choppy and whippy. If you cant be assed that day then there's a pontoon you you tie the kayaks up at and jump off and swim and be merry. Beers? Yup!. But take your trash. Float back down on the outgoing tide and. High tide was early morning for us so we could kayak and swim and then come back to breakfast. The room was great. The cooking was next level. But do some shopping. Cos if you're lazy like me you're gonna want all the snacks. Grab at the multitude of supermarkets in town when you land. Lilly & Simon were the greatest of hosts. Real fijian vibes. The greatest of people. And drink kava. It is the most wonderful way to wind down, chat with the hosts and share about our culture and routines. So much life too. The river side beach is a wealth of creatires, in the water and on the shore. 10/10 Get it

This place offers a beautiful and truly one-of-a-kind tropical experience overall. The property is fairly small, with just two houses. Our family of five booked both rooms, which meant we had the entire communal area all to ourselves. The garden is filled with a wonderful variety of tropical plants. Right out front lies a lagoon leading to Salt Lake. You can borrow the lodge’s kayaks to paddle over to the lake at high tide—it’s a very short trip going in, but paddling back against the water can be tough. The best plan is to enter on the incoming tide and leave as the tide falls; the lake itself is absolutely stunning. If you kayak the opposite way, you’ll reach the open ocean, and there’s a bat island near the channel entrance where you can snorkel when the tide is high. The biggest assets of the place, its wonderful hosts, Simon and Lilly. They are by far the biggest highlight of this property. Their warmth and kindness are the most memorable part of our trip. They deliver the perfect level of attentive, welcoming hospitality you could hope for. Lilly’s cooking is incredible.Our family of five paid 100 FJD for her to prepare lunch and dinner, and both meals were absolutely outstanding. As other guests have mentioned, the breakfast is flawless, the banana muffins and pancakes are unforgettable. My son is normally a picky eater, but he ate so much here. Simon and Lilly are always on hand to check in and look after any needs we had, and we felt incredibly well cared for.

This accommodation was a unique experience. A beautiful room overlooking an ever-changing tidal river which was jungle quiet at night. The facilities were very comfortable. They are impacted by the water service being fully solar heated and gravity driven rainwater. The difference is the personal service from the staff. Paying for the additional service of personal cooking is absolutely worth it as the food was local and excellently cooked. Lily and Simon are the best attributes of this restful, healing break away.

The natural surroundings away from any other development was a winning feature for me.

The location is so peaceful and really feels like you have escaped into real Fiji. Being on the river gives such great access to both the lake and the sea. Taking the kayak out and drifting with a beer were both such was such a highlights. Simon and Lily and all the salt lake lodge staff are so genuine and lovely. Some of the nicest people we came across on our travels who went above and beyond to make us feel at home. We opted for the chef service and Lily cooked us some absolutely delicious meals. Kana vaka levu!

Beautiful lake. Yummy pancakes! Nice staff. Can do fishing and kayaking anytime. Very quiet at night. Friendly cat and dogs.