Bula! Hello! Welcome to Fiji!
I hope that you've found this series on Fiji both informative and interesting. My aim is to help take as many crinkles out of your vacation as possible and maximise fun and connections for you.
This post will be about Mantaray Island Resort. The island I did not want to leave and which I wished my four nights could have been stretched further! It was here too that my son achieved his dive certification as well.
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| The proud certified diver with his instructor (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
Transport to the island
Getting to Mantaray Island is quite simple as there is a fast speed catamaran that does a circuit of the major resorts located on the smaller islands from Port Denarau. You can also get there by sea plane if you so choose. The trip by sea to Mantaray Island takes about 3.5 hours. You can read more about this in
18 days in Fiji (# 8) Swim or hitch hike to the islands?
The little things that delight
The transfer from the Yasawa Flyer to the island was smooth and hassle free. Upon arrival at the resort, we were greeted with a much welcomed fruit punch. The friendly staff took our luggage right up to our rooms while we hung around for our 'welcome to the island' chat.
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| Welcome to Mantaray Island (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
It is the attention to detail that really impressed me about my stay on the island. And in my case, it was the hibiscuses!
There were fresh hibiscuses in the foot bath every morning for each unit.
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| Foot bath with fresh hibiscus each morning (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
There were also fresh hibiscuses at the sink of the communal shower blocks every day.
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| Communal shower block (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
At the breakfast buffet, hibiscuses again formed an integral part of the decoration.
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| Breakfast! (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
The staff wore hibiscuses and sometimes frangipanis behind their ears - both men and women.
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| Frangipani or hibiscus, which will I wear today? (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
The dining staff greeted every guest by name. They were gentle and respectfully friendly and added to the serenity and tranquility of the place.
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Our regular dining room staff
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
It was absolute bliss to have all one's meals catered for and to focus on just having a good time snorkelling, diving or swinging in the hammock.
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Fish and chips
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
The resort also offered other activities including jungle trekking, visit to a local village, Fijian meke, bracelet making and weaving. Save's (pronounced as Sah-vae) nimble fingers made quick work of jungle tiaras, fans, baskets and even a fish on a line. He showed us how to make bracelets from string and collected shells. I was all thumbs when it came to knot making.
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| A jungle tiara (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Weaving a basket (Photo by Maria Ngo) |
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| Making a bracelet(Photo by Maria Ngo) |
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| Bracelet completed (Photo by Maria Ngo) |
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| Fijian meke (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
And if you fancied a massage, you could book one at their spa. There were also paddle boards and kayaks that you were welcome to use as well.
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| Scott the manager with one of the masseuses (Photo by Maria Ngo) |
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| Fancy kayaking?(Photo by Maria Ngo) |
I did wonder initially how the 'jungle' floor looked so neat and not over grown. The question was answered the following morning when I saw staff sweeping up the fallen leaves and tending to the plants.
I loved it that there was a coral reef just a flipper kick away from the beach. When the tide is quite low, you have to take care that you glide gently over the coral so as not to damage them. Here in the reef within snorkelling reach you can see myriads of fish. For my introductory dive we did not have to go far out to experience the underwater paradise of colourful fish and coral.
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A small secluded beach just perfect for snorkelling
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
There is a dive shop where you can book dives and diving lessons. If you were to go diving, there is a high possibility of encountering giant sea turtles and a few reef sharks - which my son and hubby experienced. Between May and October you can also dive with the manta rays.
Accommodation
We had initially booked into one of their Tree Top Burres (or huts) which can sleep two people in each in either double bed or two single bed formation. The burres come with ceiling fans but not air conditioning. As I was suffering slightly from heat exhaustion when we first arrived I could not bear sharing a small double bed in the heat. Scott the manager was kind enough to organise a villa instead for the four of us.
The beach villa was an absolute delight! It had air-conditioning and the open to the heavens ensuite bathroom was simply heavenly. The decor was sand, stone and drift wood inspired. I fell in love with the villa the moment I set eyes on it.
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Ensuite with open to the heavens shower
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
The beach villas also have a direct view of the sea. The tinted double glass doors let you take full advantage of the view while affording you some privacy.
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View through the villa glass doors - that's how close you are to the sea
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
The tree top burres are behind the beach villas while the dormitory style accommodation popular for back packers is slightly behind that again.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Meals are catered for and there is a levy charged per person for this. There are no cooking facilities but there is a kettle and mini bar fridge in the beach villas. The office keeps a small stock of personal care products that you can purchase in emergencies but if you want snacks between meals, I suggest that you bring your own as you cannot buy any on the island.
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Baked potatoes and roast beef dinner
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
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Vegetable curry for breakfast
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
Live entertainment added to the ambiance of the dining area.
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Live entertainment
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
You can purchase alcoholic beverages, mocktails and soft drinks and you won't run out of iced water - the staff keep the iced water jug topped up continuously. Believe me, in the hot weather, this was very much appreciated and a nice touch.
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Refreshingly cold and sweet mango and pineapple
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Vegemite was part of the breakfast provisions. I guess this was about catering for their nearby Australian neighbours. Curries as well as eggs cooked personally to your specification was all part of the breakfast service. There was a healthy selection of local fruit including freshly picked mangoes from the island's mango 'orchard'. But if you preferred continental fare, you were amply catered for as well.
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Vegemite breakfast (Photo copyright Maria Ngo)
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Farewell to Mantaray Island
And so with that, our trip to Fiji was reaching its finale. On our last night on Mantaray island, we watched a Fijian meke performed by the multi talented staff. We listened and watched the history and stories of their Fijian ancestors enacted. If we had stayed another night, we would have experienced a lovo feast.
As our flight wasn't until the evening the following day, we stayed one more night at a resort enjoying the Fijian resort lifestyle before catching a taxi to Nadi International Airport in the late afternoon. (Which will be the subject of my next and final post in this series on Fiji.)
Thank you and vinaka for joining me on my journey in Fiji! Catch you soon!
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Vinaka!
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
