Dawson River Conservation Park

While some things were excellent here; it's very quiet and private. Beautiful setting and helpful staff, the main reason for this being our holiday destination was so underwhelming, it's difficult not to be very disappointed in our holiday. Firstly there aren't many options to get there (in fact we were only given the name of one boat company which was disappointing) and it is so expensive that it really adds hugely to the cost and if we'd known prior to booking, we probably would have chosen a different destination. The main reason for disappointment however was the snorkeling. It is terrible! The water is very cloudy and we didn't actually see a single fish. You could see fish at times from the shore but very plain, no tropical species at all. What coral you see is very grey. We definitely would never have gone there if we had known this. We have so enjoyed our snorkeling experiences in Fiji, it was really our main focus. The pool is lovely and located superbly by the restaurant. The food was good. The sunset bar has the most beautiful setting, evening cocktails weren't to be missed. There's a few walks which are good and is something else to fill your day. Because the snorkeling was so bad it gave us something else to do other than lying by the pool. The staff are helpful and friendly but they are almost all backpackers so it feels like there's no one in charge or with local knowledge to share.

We absolutely loved our short-stay (too short) at Elysian. Everything was just perfect. The private island is so peaceful and tranquil. The activities available are plentiful and nature oriented. The food is just divine - every meal was beautifully prepared with the freshest ingredients and meant we did not have to worry about a thing. The cherry on top is the service - each staff member (Alice, Emily, and Nathan in particular) was delightful and attentive, and would do everything in their power to make our stay even more special. We cannot recommend Elysian more highly - we will definitely be coming back!