Reef Resort Vava'u

We just had the most magical experience dining at the Reef Resort. We are traveling by sailboat and heard from other cruisers that they had an amazing dinner at the resort so we decided to try it for our wedding anniversary. When we reached out to the resort the owner, Herwig, shared that the restaurant was closed because they were in between resort guests but they would open it for just for us in honor of our anniversary. From that initial email, to the welcome we received at their dock, the beautiful dining room and place settings, the service throughout our meal and the quality of their innovative and sublime 4 course meal prepared with only freshest ingredients, we felt like celebrities. As an additional note, though my husband is an omnivore I am vegan. Chef Jürgen clearly went out of his way to accommodate my diet by preparing a special meal that anyone would rate as 5 star. If this is the way the Reef Resort treats 2 drenched sailors (our evening out coincided with a very wet and windy weather pattern) we can only imagine how they treat resort guests! Heartfelt thanks to Herwig, Ana and Chef Jürgen for an unforgettable evening with truly amazing food in a warm and romantic setting.

What a magical hotel! Herwig and his team at Reef Resort took such good care of us for 5 days when we came in August to visit the whales. The food was excellent (especially the plantain chips in the afternoon!) and Herwig set us up with the best operator who made sure we saw a ton of whales while both in the water and on the boat. We loved kayaking to swallows cave and snorkeling in Japanese Gardens and our room was immaculate and comfortable. We'll be back!

One of the best times of my life🌈 My husband and I, together with a friend, spent 3 days at this reef resort. It was like paradise. The owner kindly helped us to organise a swim with the whales 🐳 which was hilarious. The boat picked us up at the hotels jetty so we didn’t even have to bother about any transport. The same was upon arriving at the airport. The resort itself is small, private and the bungalows are big and well equipped. Staff is warm-hearted and friendly. Rumours say it is the best kitchen in the region, which may very well be true. We ate wonderfully. 3 days was not enough as the owner said he could organise more trips beyond the whale swimming. I (we) will for sure come back.

This is a great place to stay if you are planning to do some snorkelling with the Humpbacks. Herwig and his chef Jurgen and the team really went out of their way to provide a lovely experience. Chalets are very well appointed and given Tongas isolation and the recent Covid/volcano setbacks the stay exceeded our expectations. Tonga is out of the way so dont expect everything to be perfect, but the food was outstanding for such a small outfit, and all the trips were well organised by the resort, which made thigns very easy Well done guys - you made our visit a truly memorable experience!

Our second time at Reef resort with Herwig and the team and absolutely loved it ! Everything was perfect from the warm welcome when you get off the boat on Kepa Island to stunning food created by Jurgen as good as any top restaurant in the world. To arrive to a beautiful Michelin standard meal with exquisite tastes and textures on a daily is an absolute delight. Whales were brilliant and super friendly with whale excursions all organised by Herwig. We even had a mother and calf come and rest in the water right in front of the hotel … We will be back without a doubt !

This recently reopened resort after years closed (because of Covid, etc.) it’s a gem in this paradisiac area. Thanks to Herwig for his efforts to continue his activity. The place is fantastic. It still miss some small improvement in the rooms to reach 5 stars but it will reach it thanks to Herwig capability. A special mention for Jochen the best chef of all South Pacific area

We made it to dinner last night after arriving by sailboat just yesterday. They have only just opened for the season and the owner (Herwig) greeted us at the dock. He is so warm and welcoming. We had the best meal we have eaten in a long time. The chef is a 5 star chef and you can see it in his meals. It is a 3 course meal and the owner threw in a complementary appetizer and a glass of wine. The starter pasta with a curry sauce was so light and delicious followed by the red snapper. He served an carmelized eggplant aubergines side that looked like caviar and tasted like berries of some sort. The snapper was delicious and the watermelon soup for dessert was such a unique blend of tastes!! The restaurant is very romantic overlooking the bay. Unfortunately it was raining so we ate inside which is so beautiful. You feel like you are in a chalet. Highly recommend this stop!!

Jürgen der Chefkoch hat uns mit jedem Essen in kulinarische Höhenfüge versetzt. Raffinierte Gerichte mit frischen Zutaten und verschiedenen Geschmacksrichtungen perfekt balanciert. Sicher die beste Adresse in Tonga.

Heerlijk verblijf bij Herwig. Chef Jurgen zorgt voor gastronomische verrassingen. De walvissen zwemmen regelmatig in de baai waar je vanuit het restaurant en villa's op uitkijkt. Onstressen is hier helemaal aan de orde. Ik zou zeggen gaan!