Barefoot Manta Island Resort

This place is only and only for ocean activities and you will more often than not have to be outside in the ocean because there is not internet in your rooms! The corals are the prettiest I have seen here and the Dive team have a dedicated team of marine biologist who are super passionate about the work they do and there is so much to learn from them. Meme and Faith will have fish talks, corals and night dive talks with you. Food is super basic! Don’t expect anything flash but when you jump in the ocean again, this part is quite minuscule! I will definitely go back , it’s great value for money ! They did not have coconuts to offer!

Barefoot Manta Island Resort was the highlight of our trip to Fiji. After arriving on the beach on a small 8 person boat from the South Seas Cruises ferry, you are welcomed by the staff as family. We stayed in one of the private 'bure's which had a ceiling fan, double bed, private outdoor bathroom, and a beach facing deck and "yard" area with a hammock and sunbed. At Barefoot Manta, the catered meals are mandatory as there are no restaurants. However, each meal comes with options, and they are all delicious. The snorkelling and water activities available there are the best we have ever experienced, the coral reefs are unbelievable. I would recommend Barefoot manta for any travellers looking for adventure and an authentic experience, but with sufficient amenities and an incredible sense of peace too.

I had an amazing time at Barefoot Manta Resort. I went scuba diving as often as I could, Giovanni is an amazing instructor and I have the best memories diving with him and others. He showed me some amazing dive sites and it was the highlight of my 2 week trip in Fiji. Can’t wait to be back to dive some more!

A wonderful tropical island with stunning coral and sealife. Stay away if you’re looking for a Denerau experience! I read a lot of reviews on Trip Adviser before coming here. There is limited WiFi. Bonus 🙌. It really is barefoot everywhere. Staff are so welcoming! Food was plentiful and given it’s all bought in, very satisfying but not Michelin star. Come for the snorkeling, swimming with Mantas, Robinson Caruso experience. We stayed 5 nights and could easily stayed longer.

Had a lovely stay at Barefoot Manta in a beach front bure. The biggest draw card was the 'any tide' reefs to snorkel - especially Sunrise Beach. Didn't expect to see Mantarays due to being late in the season, but the stunning reefs were alone a reason to stay! Food was ok (just difficult for me) but had a lovely stay, and beachfront was bliss (although too pricey for what I require), and would love to visit when Mantas are in season. The sunset bar setting was stunning, and all staff friendly and welcoming.

Barefoot Manta has a fabulous desert island feel. We loved our queen bura and were pleased it was facing sunset beach as sunrise beach had strong easterly winds while we were there; apparently this is not unusual in October. We always had hot water and in mid October there were virtually no mosquitoes. The best snorkelling is from sunrise beach so be aware you may not be able to snorkel if the winds are strong, I only was able to snorkel at sunrise on one day. I went out on the manta boat three times and each time saw mantas; all very well organised and a special experience, many thanks to Ice, so much positive energy! A shout out also to Stuart at the dive centre, thanks so much for helping us with our refresher training. The food was much better than we expected, the vegetarian lunches in particular were good. I am gluten intolerant, breakfast was a bit limited for me, sadly I only learnt they did delicious GF pancakes on our last day! I would advise any one with food intolerances to repeat and repeat again that you need GF. The resort was fully booked so meal times can be busy, the kitchen was accommodating with adapting my meals but with multiple servers at the restaurant you need to mindful that mistakes can happen, I suggest you find the lovely Tobekja, (i hope I have spelt your name correctly, if not she is an ace volleyball player!) she is a very caring and professional person and will make sure you are looked after.

Barefoot Manta Resort is approx 3hrs away from Denarau Port on the Yasawa Flyer. After a short transfer from the flyer by island boat, we arrived just before lunch. On arrival guests are given an orientation talk and provided with the wi-fi password, before scanning a QR code to complete guest check-in. To save yourself time in a long queue, suggest calling the resort to prepay the meal package, as everyone was required to pay before being shown to their rooms.||Yanuyanu bures 2-10 on Sunrise Beach are solid (not canvas) structures, with an open air bathroom at the back. Inside is a queen size bed (space for an additional single bed if requested), bedside tables and a clothes stand with a few coat hangers. There is no fridge, kettle or hairdryer. There is a ceiling fan and the bure is fully screened, so no mosquito net needed - and being on the windy side of the island, we didn't see any mosquitoes anyway. There are mosquitoes on the sunset side, and around the outdoor tables at the restaurant though, so bring repellent. In the bures there are two powerpoints (Australian sockets), and lighting includes two bedside lamps, ceiling lighting and outside light. Outdoor ensuite at the back of the room has toilet, sink, rustic shower (very low pressure hot water), shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Outside, there is no decking like the other bures on Sunset Beach, there is a stand for drying towels, wetsuits etc, two chairs and a table, a hammock, and comfortable cushioned reclining double sun lounge. ||The wind on Sunrise Beach can be loud at night, but after the second night we didn't notice it and had our shutters open for a cooling breeze, and beautiful water views in the morning. Rooms are swept most days and the footbath water changed, however towels are only changed on request.||Snorelling off the beachfront is very good, however you will need to be vigilent for boats returning from snorkel, dive or manta trips on Sunset and Manta beach. You may be fortunate to see the huge hump head wrass (saw it on a late afternoon snorkel), and we also saw a couple of black tip reef sharks. The water in some places was very warm, so a wetsuit is probably only needed in May if you intend staying out for a while - you will need to bring your own, as the wetsuits at the resort are only for divers.||Weather in May was lovely - warm and sunny. Even when it was windy at night, it was still warm. Dress code was super casual, sarongs and bare feet during the day, and resort casual at dinner.||Breakfast is from 7.00am (buffet with egg station), lunch from 12.30pm (a la carte, orders taken at breakfast) and dinner from 7.00pm (buffet - pasta, Indian, BBQ - every second night, a la carte orders taken at lunch). Barista coffee is available, but there is a charge. Some days there were a lot of flies around, but most of the food on the buffet is covered. Only complaint (from many others as well) is that the smoking area is right next to the restaurant, smokers may as well be sitting at the next table if the wind is blowing in that direction - needs to be moved a lot further away.||Happy hour at the Sunset Bar from 5.30pm included cocktails for FJD20 each, or a bucket of 5 Vonu beers for FJD40, or Fiji Bitter for FJD35. We brought duty free spirits to drink at our bure, and asked for a glass of ice when purchasing mixers (cans FJD7). You will need to bring your own water bottle, there is water available at the restaurant to refill.||At reception, you can buy insect repellent and sunscreen . Reception opens around 7.30am (Fiji time), and closes at 8.00pm. ||Grounds are well maintained, with coconuts trimmed along walking paths, although worth looking up before settling in a hammock, as dead fronds were also a hazard. Paths are lit at night through common areas, and each bure has outdoor lighting. There is some very basic outdoor gym equipment near the marine centre.||A manta education briefing is compulsory before signing up for a manta swim. This is when bookings are taken for the next few days - if you are only staying for a couple of days, you may want to head to the marine centre a bit earlier to book your swim as they do book out quickly at the briefing. They usually take 3 boats with 6 people in each, although our second swim was on a boat with 12 (this boat's ladder was fixed, so much easier to get back onto the boat between swims). Manta swim times are based on the tides, it may be as early as 6.30am. Both days we went out, there was only one manta in the channel (a drone is used for spotting), perhaps there are more later in the season. There is no guarantee of seeing a manta (the people on the earlier swim didn't see one), and the plankton can make visibility difficult if the manta is not near the surface. You can't take towels on the boat, so suggest wearing a wetsuit or insulated rashie, as it can get cold on the boat ride once you are wet. Cost was FJD99 if a manta is spotted, or FJD89 if not. Recommend checking that nobody on your boat needs to return early to catch the morning ferry, as our manta viewing trip with 12 people was cut short to accommodate two people leaving the island.||The hike to the top of the hill is easy to moderate and there are three lookouts, so you don't need to go all the way to the top to watch the sunset, perfect view from the first lookout. Sunrise walks are also organised, with one of the resort's activities guides. I felt more comfortable in trainers, but walking shoes are not necessary when it is dry, some people were just wearing thongs. You may also see the resident goats at the top.||It's a very relaxed vibe on the island, lots of backpackers though, so better suited to families or groups, than a romantic getaway.

A true tropical paradise on this uninhabited Yasawa Island 🌴🌺 made all the more wonderful by warm, welcoming, enthusiastic staff! 💕 We were welcomed warmly with song and the Bula greeting immediately as we approached the small island by the local boat that collected us from the South Seas ferry. We stayed in Yanuyanu Bure 4 directly on Sunrise Beach. We felt like we had our own private beach as the bures on this side are separated by vegetation and each fronts directly onto the beach, ocean and fabulous reef. Comfortable Queen bed plus an extra single bed added. Still enough room to walk around. Loved the attached outdoor ensuite. Hot water pressure for shower was minimal and on demand so briefly hot but did not really need hot showers anyway. Shuttered windows on 3 sides and ceiling fan for great airflow in the bedroom. Often a breeze on the Sunrise side of the island. Sunrises were beautiful! We had our own private outdoor area fronting the Sunrise Beach with hammock, double cushioned lounger, small table and chairs. Private but less than a minute walk to the communal outdoor dining area and dive shop. Another minute walk to the Sunset Bar on Sunset Beach. Great reef access directly from the Sunrise Beach in front of our bure. Plenty of healthy colourful coral varieties and fish. Can snorkel this side at any tide; always amazing colour and sealife to explore. Snorkeling at the Sunset Beach or Manta Beach are only at higher tide. Fun to use the free kayaks too for a different water experience. Went on the paid Manta Snorkel tour out into the adjacent channel twice but no luck seeing Mantas. Joined a couple of the free guided snorkels at Sunrise Beach. Very nice to go with the guide once or twice to discover some things that might otherwise be iverlooked such as the hiding place for an eel. Attended the Manta talk which was very informative. Dive team are enthusiastic and informative. Meals in restaurant were at set times. Instant coffee, tea, water available all the time. Breakfast always buffet with fresh egg station. Lunches and dinner were either buffet or a choice of 4 main dishes ordered at the meal before. Food was plentiful and average quality. Choices of fish, chicken, pork and veggie option most meals. A bit heavy on starches; sometimes you get pasta, rice and potatoes all in one meal. Wifi only available in restaurant and at Sunset Bar. Worked best at Sunset Bar. Staff are welcoming and friendly. They really made the experience personal, caring and warmly greeting us by names and showing interest in us and our lives/family back home. Loved the live music and spontaneous singing by staff throughout the day and singing most eves and when people arrived or left the island. The warmth and energy was infectious for adults and children. The big hearts of the staff really make this location unique; I hope this never changes! Enjoyed the Saturday Fijian night singing and dancing and watching the Kava Ceremony. Also did a paid Village Tour to neighbouring Naviti Island (Barefoot Manta is uninhabited except for the resort). Interesting to see the 2 villages and homes and learn a bit about the tribal structure and local life. We did the short hike up to the 3 viewpoints independently from Barefoot Manta. About 30 minutes each way taking your time and stopping to enjoy the stunning views. Overall our stay was a wonderful experience in an idyllic tropical paradise that has not been overly developed and has an amazing house reef. The warm embrace filled with Fijian warmth, music and heart makes this place a treasure!