I absolutely loved this place! Barefoot Manta Island Resort is located on Drawaqa Island, part of the Yasawa archipelago group of islands on Fiji. Barefoot Manta is not a 5-star resort but more a 5-star glamping experience. It is not for you if you are looking for fancy or the typical resort or have no inclination to “glamp!”. I was sure however it would be perfect for me since I still have the heart and soul of that Girl Scout I was many years ago. I liked it for its smallness as well, with about 25 accommodations of various configurations. Most importantly, I found that the people that worked there and the location made this place amazing. Beware! Again, this is not a resort for you if you are tied to your phone or internet. There is no internet in the bures, only in the gathering room and it was a tad fussy! It can be a great opportunity to “unplug.” Read on for plenty of other decision points to decide whether this resort is for you!
Exiting the launch, we were given a brief tour of the grounds to locate the dive shop and activities shed and then taken to main lounge and gathering area (the only wi-fi hot spot), got the wi-fi code, were given instructions for our stay, and paid for our meals for the duration of the stay. We were instructed to get lunch so we went to the dining area and had the buffet lunch, and then finally were assigned to bure # 14.
I had traded my tent and a camping cot for a traditional Fijian bure. Tucked in among the palms on a shady beach, some might think this was roughing it but it was clearly moving up in the world for this aging camper. Our “bure” was something of a cross between a tent and a cabin, with canvas walls and a tent-like high peaked roof, and enough furniture to make it clear that I had left the roughing-it stage of my camping behind. There were regular beds, a sofa, and even a ceiling fan. I could get used to this kind of camping while my trusty cot sits like a relic from my less “civilized” days. I still felt totally connected to the out-doors with the surrounding palms providing the tropical atmosphere we wanted. Roughing it, Barefoot Manta style.
Stepping into the bure for the first time I was struck with the feeling that our room was blending in with the greenery outside with its clear panels in the roof and the windows framing the vegetation outside. I was captivated by the black, cream and brown masi style geometric patterns in the decor, which is so much a part of the Fijian culture.
Then there was the bed. Housekeeping had spelled out “Bula, Welcome Home” across the white linen in leaves while towel creatures sat on either side in nests of greenery. What a delight! Soon our travel plushies adorned the towel creatures. It definitely gave the place the feel of a very special welcome. “Bula” was the first Fijian word we heard on the island and we heard it from everyone we passed, with staff or fellow guests for the duration of the stay. It literally means “life” and is a wish for health and happiness along with a simple hello. An aside: I loved “bula-ing” everyone I passed. I wish I had learned more Fijian words but the other decidedly necessary one I tackled was “vinaka.” meaning thank you. With much gratitude, I always was “vin aka-ing” everyone. I am ashamed to say I never graduated to say “vinaka vaka levu” meaning “thank you very much.”
Even the en-suite keeps one connected to the outdoors. Both the shower and the vanity cubicles have a little open-air world of their own. With the timber walls and bamboo panels and louvred windows letting in the breeze. Showering felt like less like I was using a bathroom and more like showering in a garden, but with hot water (much of the time). The vanity was equally rustic and open air.
We stepped out onto the our private deck to an idyllic scene which opened before us. A few paces through the warm sand dappled with shade, lead down to the water and one of the three swimming and snorkeling beaches with crystal clear waters lapping at the shore. Just the island as it is… with no lawn or pool decks but lots of sand and scattered shells. YES!!! There were many leaning coconut palms providing shade for our hammock swing which oftentimes Tasia settled in with a book and the double lounger (which would also served as a drying rack for our beach towels). There was even a basin on the deck for rinsing sandy feet. I was wondering at this point if I would ever be able to convince myself to return home.
I’m not wanting to be nitpicking, but I am a person who needs that morning coffee. The one thing missing from this slice of paradise was a coffee pot. How would I be able to combine the deck, hammock and glittering sea with a hot cup of coffee without a walk to the main dining area? Well, I relied on room service, compliments of my daughters. There was no fridge or microwave either (no problem) and the bure had only a single electric outlet. This made for some careful charging choreography between iPhone, cameras, iPads, and Apple watches and anything else that needed power. That is one of the points of a place like this. Unplug, slow down and do things differently.
One of the reasons we chose Barefoot Manta was that it is considered an eco-resort. The island is owned by the inhabitants of Mua-ira-Village and the resort is run in partnership with them. It has a dedicated research Marine Conservation Center and a fishing ban around the island helps the snorkeling as well as it employs many locals and this eliminates much of the subsistence fishing that depletes the reef population. The reefs are incredible! There is no fresh water on the island and thus they rely on rainwater and desalinization on site and ask that all guest conserve water. I did not find this much of an issues as we were in the ocean much of the time so a quick cool rinse did it for me! There is a focus on plastic reduction and discourage guest from bringing bottled water and of course no straws. They have to generate their own electricity, thus hair dryers and kettles are not allow in the accommodations and of course the only air conditioning is the island breezes. Note the island breeze hair do’s below
The dining area is a masterpiece in using what the island has to offer and it seemed to me they used whatever was already on hand on the island whenever possible. Forget concrete pillars: the roof is held up by gnarled silvery trunks and branches. Guess the forest cheerfully asked to help and the builders took upon it. A frame of bamboo, lashes together with rope, support canvas panels of the roof. The floor is sand which means “shoes optional” so here, finally was a restaurant where they didn’t require you to wear shoes.
The food was another of Barefoot Manta’ s pleasures. All meals were served buffet-style and they were plentiful, varied and delicious. It was good hearty fare rather than gourmet dining. No steaks or extravagant seafood here and while fish was regularly on the menu, it wasn’t the expensive variety such as tuna or swordfish steaks, nor were there platters of shellfish. Chicken and pork however did make it onto the menu.
For breakfast I could have eggs cooked to order, along with an assortment of fresh fruit, parties, bread and hot dishes such as hash brown and sausage. The only disappointment for this coffee lover was the lack of strong coffee. Fortunately I had come prepared with packets of Starbucks Via, which I added to house coffee to give it a much needed boost in both strength and character. If you are a lover of blond coffee you were in luck!
Lunch and dinner were equally satisfying generally featuring breads, salads, rice and/or potatoes, and two or three entrees choices. Desert was served at the table by the staff. Whether this was intended as touch of personal service or a strategy to discourage the stockpiling of deserts by a few enthusiastic diners or sugar addicts before everyone else has a chance. I lean toward the latter explanation. Either way it worked.
As good as the food was, it wasn’t the only memorable part of dining here and was evident all over Barefoot Manta. It was the people. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there and so genuinely pleased that we had come to their island. That’s hard to put on a menu but was one thing that made the stay so very enjoyable.
Now that you have “met” the resort (with probably more detail than you would have cared to be provides with), I will turn to the remainder of the first day. Once settled in I headed out for my first snorkeling excursion. It was not exactly a triumph. The sun was shining, a breeze was stirring up a light chop, the tide was going out and I was sure the underwater world was just waiting to inspire amazement and elicit a chorus of oohs and aah from me. Tasia had some oohs and aahs as evidence by the photos below. All I needed to do was put on my mask and snorkel and enjoy the show. Simple enough! However….
It soon became clear that all that I had perfected when snorkeling in the Virgin Island just a bit over a a year ago never made it to my long term memory. My mask refused to seal properly, the waves kept nudging me towards the corrals and I was desperately trying not to turn my snorkeling adventure into an exercise in reef destruction. My snorkel seemed determined to deliver more salt water than air. I spent much of the time fiddling with my mask, trying to clear the snorkel, and starting all over again. There could have been a spectacular underwater performance but I was missing most of it. It almost felt like a slapstick comedy. I finally conceded defeat and decided tomorrow I would head to the dive shop and discuss possible solutions about the mask fit, a simpler snorkel, and perhaps a life jacket. I am a strong swimmer but clearly strong swimming isn’t a pre-requisite to snorkel these reefs and hopefully I can make this activity feel less like a series about sucking sea water and crushing coral.
Our first day ended the way any westward facing beachside accommodation intended. We watched from the beach right in front of our bure as the sky went from the orange molten lava to a deep inky blue with the clouds lit from underneath like embers. The boats rested on the glassy water and at this moment everything felt right in my world. What a glowing “bula” to wind down the first day.
With the last of the color fading, we wander over to the dining area for our dinner. By the time we finished and were headed back to our bure the place had transformed. From the dark path outside, the canopy glowed from the strings of lights shining through the trees. It appeared less like exiting a restaurant but more like stepping out from a treehouse. The whole place twinkled like an enchanted forest. We walked back to our bure with full stomachs bringing to a close a pretty incredible day. Back in our bure we made ourselves at home and let the sounds of the island ease us toward sleep. What a wonderful place to call home for the next few days.
