From the submerged bedroom you can gaze out into crystal clear water at the abundant shoals of reef fish and coral heads you'll also enjoy a fully-stocked bar fridge and sunbathing (or stargazing) on the upper deck – a truly memorable, one-in-a-lifetime retreat. Or, for the ultimate in unique luxury and seclusion, opt for the resort's spectacular three-storey suite which floats in the ocean, tethered 250 metres from the shore. Within rustic thatched buildings, strung in a meandering line through lush green gardens, choose from elegantly decorated beach-front rooms and spacious villas which blend perfectly with their tropical surroundings. Situated on an idyllic beach on beautiful Pemba Island, the Manta Resort offers privacy and romance, as well as adventure and water sports, on one of East Africa's finest island sanctuaries. What a luxury to be just offered a drink and brought a cold beer on the beach to have a predinner sundowner cocktail (or 2) on the terrace (watching the flying foxes come out) and of course, that is after the included massage or daily treatment of choice at the spa centre!įood is good, if fresh fish orientated (surprise), and the service is excellent, with one's own 'fundi' for the duration.Escape to the Manta Resort and relax at one of the Indian Ocean's best kept secrets. There is the danger of being offered a drink at any time of day. Diving is a must if you like the water we had good tuition at the PADI dive centre which is part of the resort (thank you Mike and Wilbert!). Pre breakfast snorkeling was magic lots of amazing marine life to be seen. We tuned in to the daily rythmns of the tide and the quiet beach, watching the local fishermen taking their boats out and the women picking seaweed at low tide. It is a special place in an (as yet) totally unspoilt location - azure blue seas, coral reefs, white sands and complete tranquility. "Where do I start? This place is wonderful, peaceful and we (mother & daughter for a change) loved it: We'd recommend Manta but temper that with our thoughts above." There is room for the resort to develop and maybe upgrade the standard rooms at least. Manta is obviously trying to benefit the local people and minimise the effect on the environment and the conservation on the reef is to be applauded. There is obviously room for improvement and we suspect that further development will occur with the quality of the beaches in the area. Our experience of the daily spa (used every day by my wife) was very positive. The visit to the local school where Sele and Khalfan volunteer to teach the children was a highlight. The service was very good (after the first night) and we built up a good relationship with our friend, Khalfan the manager Juma, and the other staff. Desserts are not the hotel's speciality.swiss roll on our first night! Fine dining it was not but one has to appreciate that it is at the top of a very poor Island and we were very aware of the contrast between our meals and that of the locals. The starter was always differently infused bread. The lunch and dinner meals were generally good with particular emphasis on fish, though the beef and chicken were also fine. We believe that the chef was not around for breakfast which, in our opinion, was very limited again for such a resort. Bugs, mosquitoes and, apparently, even bush babies are not unusual visitors. It may be well to inform other clients that the rooms are open at the eaves and the lower level rooms have shutters and not glass. Standard rooms (no air con) do not belong in a resort like this. Superior garden rooms are dark but comfortable. Bizarrely, only these rooms have in room safes. The seaview rooms are spacious, well equipped and light with generally good facilities. Accommodation (we tried all three levels) goes from the basic to much more in keeping with our experience of this kind of resort. We were compensated - not our intention - and because this was more than generous we made a contribution to the local school. Once our complaint(s) had been considered properly then the holiday improved but it will always dampen our overall view of the stay. We seriously looked into cutting short the trip. We understand that this has never happened before. "The room mix up and the airport transport were not tolerable for a resort that is this expensive.
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