Mantaray Island Resort

Goodbye Coralview

I am sad to say goodbye to the Coralview Resort. I love it because the huts are spacious, well planned out with thoughtful touches such as clothes lines, places to put luggage, large mirrors, nice products, bottles of water in rooms along with a fridge and generous towels. Most of all I love the friendly staff who always call you by name  and make you feel like family.

It’s raining when we get in the small boat that takes us out to meet the ferry, but they make sure to cover our luggage (and us) with a tarp.

This ferry, the Yasawa Flyer, is much bigger than the one that took us to Coralview. It has an enclosed cabin with airplane type seats. We are heading south to our next resort…the Mantaray Island Resort. 

The ferry takes about an hour. It is still raining when we arrive after a few stops to board & disembark passengers on other islands. 

Arrival at Mantaray Island Resort

We scramble down from the ferry into a small tender boat. Another boat collects our luggage and we motor off in the rain to the resort beach. This resort is busier than Coralview (probably because it is closer to the main island) and it also costs amost twice as much as Coralview. 

The resort is set in lush gardens and has several lounging areas, a long beach and a pool. The facilities are definitely higher end than Coralview and you even have to pay to use a beach towel. 

We have to climb up a slippery stone walkway to get to our treehouse cabin which is basically just a cabin with a bed and not much room for luggage and anything else. There is a deck with two chairs. I am horrified when I realize we have  a shared washroom facility for toilets & showers. John thinks I’m being too 1st World.  But it is still pouring rain. What if I have to go in the middle of the night and it’s pouring? We are soaked as is our luggage.

The resort does have other cabins and villas which come with private bathrooms and a much heftier room rate.

I hang out in the covered area by the pool while John naps in our treehouse. It is dark when I come to get him for dinner. There are a number of paths that lead to treehouses. I phone to let John know I’m coming. I knock on the door and call to him through the window. No answer so I go to supper and John eventually appears saying that he couldn’t find me but could hear me knocking and calling his name in the distance. Oops, I was at the wrong treehouse.

John thinks I was knocking at one of the villas to see if I could use their washroom. 

Meals at Mantaray Island Resort

There is also a mandatory meal plan here, like at Coralview, as the resort is the only one on the island. There are numerous choices for supper which all seem quite good and have decent sized portions of vegetables.

Day 2 at the Resort

I hear it raining through the night and blessedly, I don’t need to get up before morning.

It’s morning and the weather has cleared as has my mood.  Never judge anything in the middle of a rainstorm. We have an enjoyable breakfast with a great view. The tide is out when we walk along the beach. I spot some type of ray swimming in the shallow water and lots of hermit crabs.

You walk off the beach to access the coral reef only metres away. The snorkeling is absolutely fabulous and I see most of the usual fish and many new ones swimming amongst the reef. I even see a beautifully patterned snowflake eel, sea clams and so many purple starfish. This is probably the best beach snorkelling for both fish & corals we have visited. I am always amazed when at great snorkeling sites.

After lunch John has a nap and I relax by the water. John is still not feeling well.

We take the paddle boards out on the water. The water is so clear I can see all the beautiful coral with it’s new growth as I paddle over it. I just have to go out snorkeling one more time. The fish are so fabulous.

Sunset Beach

Before supper, John and I head to Sunset Beach to watch the sunset. Other guests have the same idea. Many crabs scuttle at the edge of the shore followed by their extended shadows. They all seem to be busy at some tasks. Click here for a short video.

We get a great sunset with the clouds looking like they have been painted in place.

Evening at the Resort

Supper is very good again…corn and pumpkin soup, squid fettuccine and a fried Fijian bread (like a donut) drizzled in a caramel sauce.

Later John and I head to the beach to check out the full moon reflecting in the bay.

At the bottom of the steps of our tree house is a bowl to wash sand off your feet before entering. In the middle of the night, I wake to hear something lapping up that water. I want to check it out but the lapping sounds like it’s coming from a large animal so I don’t.

Final Full Day at the Resort

We wake this morning to another clear day. I ask the host at breakfast about the lapping noise in the night. He says that there are a lot of wild goats on the island.

After breakfast we snorkel, relax, have lunch, nap, snorkel….repeat. Feeling totally relaxed.

In the afternoon, we hear a helicopter approaching. It swoops in low and lands at the resort dropping off four guests. I don’t imagine I’ll be seeing them in the shared washroom facility!