Barefoot Manta Island
Hostel in Western Division, Fiji
3-Star Hostel
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
High-end valuePrice for this property is higher than average in the area
Includes essentialsInternet / Wifi, Laundry, Smoking allowed and more
About this hostel
Family fun on the white sand beach
At Barefoot Manta Island, hit the beach where you can enjoy snorkeling, then dine onsite at Main Bure.
Barefoot Manta Island offers 21 accommodations with ceiling fans. Bathrooms include showers. Housekeeping is provided daily.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
At Barefoot Manta Island, hit the beach where you can enjoy snorkeling, then dine onsite at Main Bure.
Barefoot Manta Island offers 21 accommodations with ceiling fans. Bathrooms include showers. Housekeeping is provided daily.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Amenities
Internet / Wifi
Smoking allowed
Laundry
Map of Western Division, Fiji
Available Rooms
Beachfront Levu (Large) Bure
1 Bunk • 1 Sofa
Sleeps 5
+
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
Beachfront Adi (Queen) Bure
1 Queen
Sleeps 2
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
VAI (Manta Ray) Beach Dorm
1 Bunk • 258 ft²
Sleeps 1
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
VAI (Manta Ray) Beach Dorm Girls Only
1 Bunk • 258 ft²
Sleeps 1
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
Beachfront Yanuyanu (Island) Bure
1 Queen • 215 ft²
Sleeps 4
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
$$$$
Ratings and reviews
3.0 / 10.0
After wanting to visit here for a year we finally found last minute availability.
Unfortunately our visit left us disappointed on some fronts.
The arrival and instant demand for full and total liability waiver to be signed ( including resort negligence ) prior to allowing check in, a room move disguised as an " upgrade" that wasnt, and late night noise by the bars and backacker set were problematic.
Im yet to check the if liability waiver may violate our travel insurance. Waivers of this type should be sent in advance of arrival.
The location is epic. Manta and great marine life. Spectacular snorkling.
Clean rooms.
Beautiful beaches.
Food was overall pretty good but did become repetitive.
I wanted to love this place.
I did love Vee the manta.
5.0 / 10.0
Barefoot Manta is a wonderful, small resort on beautiful Drawaqa Island. The staff are wonderful, friendly, and make you feel at home. The bures (and from what I heard, the dorms too) are clean and comfortable - being able to walk out straight to the beach is a joy! The food is great with lots of veggie options, and the bar makes some tasty cocktails. The reason I chose Barefoot Manta was both for swimming with the Manta rays, and for the Marine Science centre. Swimming with the rays is amazing! And I really enjoyed the talks at the science centre. Also, the reef at Barefoot Manta is probably the healthiest one I've ever seen in my life - the snorkelling is amazing and the diversity in coral and other sea life is really wonderful. I cannot recommend this gem of a place enough, it exceeded my expectations by a lot, and I would very happily return (and for longer) to this amazing spot!
6.0 / 10.0
The snorkeling was amazing. The property was clean. Overall had the feel of a hostel. Community. Lots of buffets. No AC in the rooms. Outdoor showers were kinda neat. Bring your bug spray.
Really frustrating experience for us. As soon as we got there they didn’t have our booking. This was rectified professionally and quickly. But over the next two days we went back and forth about how they said I hadn’t paid and I had already paid Expedia. At the end we got it figured out and things were handled professionally enough. The entire process was frustrating and time consuming. Then, we closed out our tab the morning of our checkout and it wasn’t till we were on the Yasawa flyer hours later that we got a call. They made a mistake and forgot to change us for other things we purchased. Can I read off my credit card information to them while I stand in a room of other travelers to settle my bill? Needless to say, I had been relieved to leave and was even more so after that phone call.
Additionally, I know the resort has no control of Mantas entering the channel allowing us to snorkel with them. But multiple times we went to the drive shop and had to ask so many questions to get somewhat conflicting and confusing information on how the process worked. For a resort known for Manta excursions, it was all very unclear.
Overall no one was terribly rude and the resort had events and was clean. If we go back to this area we will find another place to stay.
10.0 / 10.0
Amazing snorkeling and lovely scenery. The staff were so friendly and kind. The food was good quality. The experience was great.
10.0 / 10.0
Barefoot Manta was a paradise with amazing crystal clear water. The staff were friendly and extremely helpful. Many delicious food options for different tastes. Great entertainment every night. This is my second time visiting Barefoot Manta. Will definitely be staying at this place again.
10.0 / 10.0
Incredibly friendly staff, plus location was out of this world amazing!
8.0 / 10.0
Awesome for snorkeling right off the beaches. Easy access to sunrise and sunset beaches. The Bures' on the sunrise side are breezy but great for dry cleaning clothes and sleeping cooler.
The food was great although I was expecting more fish dishes. Lamb, beef and chicken are the staples, the rice is cooked to perfection and very flavorful.
Staff are great and will show you culture and happiness.
10.0 / 10.0
Out of our 2 weeks in Fiji, this was our favourite place to stay of the trip! We absolutely loved it there! We are a family of 3 with a 9yr old and we booked a Beachfront Bure, it was perfect! We faced the Sunrise beach side which tends to be a little windy at times. But it was great to hear the waves crashing not far away as you go to sleep. They added a single bed for our child to sleep in and we still had enough space. The outdoor bathroom was kind of neat! We hadn’t experienced that before. The beds were way more comfortable than I was expecting, we had a nice little lounging area outside to relax and were steps from the beach!
This resort is on a fixed meal plan, there is no other option. We paid $129 FJD/ adult and $65 FJD/ child. We were quite happy with the meals that were provided. Meals are set up with in a time frame. Breakfast and lunch buffets were set up. Go early for the best selection! At lunch they show you the dinner menu for that evening and you make your selection so they know what to cook in advance. There were usually 3-4 options, 1-2 being vegetarian. Kids had their own repeat menu to choose from for dinner and ate at the same buffet for breakfast and lunch.
The resort itself is excellent. We really enjoyed the size because it wasn’t too big. There is no pool here but you have 3 beaches to swim and snorkel from. Sunset beach always seemed to be the calmest but snorkeling is best during high tide. We absolutely loved our stay here!
10.0 / 10.0
Very good snorkeling right off the beach on the sunrise side and the sunset side was sheltered from the wind. Manta swim was great. Food was good and plentiful!
10.0 / 10.0
Beautiful place. Amazing coral and fish life. Very friendly and helpful staff
5.0 / 10.0
Amazing experience! Bure in front of the ocean. You can walkbarefoot! Beautiful sunset and sunrise and above all swimming with Mantas! Compliment to Mirco and its staff
10.0 / 10.0
We had a great time at this resort - loved seeing the giant mantas right below us and learning about these amazing animals. Also staff was excellent - lots of talks to join on culture, nature, etc. Bure was clean and right on beautiful beach. Food and bar very good for the price.
Also separate ferry ride out to the island - was fun to see all the small islands along the way
10.0 / 10.0
Loved our private Bure facing the beach. Loved the friendly, caring staff. Food was very very good and the snorkeling was incredible. If you are looking for a luxury resort, this is probably not it. if you are looking to experience Fiji in a more authentic way you want to go here.
10.0 / 10.0
Amazing stay at Barefoot Manta! We have travelled a lot and this stay ranks very high on the list. The location was amazing with beach access right outside our Bure. Staff were fabulous. So friendly and accommodating. The snorkeling n the reef was some of the best we have seen. The resort is very clean and cared for. It was tough to leave after 4 nights. We highly recommend Barefoot Manta if your planning to travel to Fiji
8.0 / 10.0
There was a beautiful house reef for snorkeling and plenty of free gear to borrow. Our bure (little cabin) had a beautiful view of the ocean (a stone's throw away) and nice cooling breezes. Furniture consisted of only a bed. It would have been nice to have chairs. There was very little in the way of clothing storage, so we lived out of our suitcase. The food was OK, not great. Staff was friendly. At times the music in the common dining area was for young people. More authentic music would have been appreciated. Vinaka!
10.0 / 10.0
It is good. I like the coral near the beach. It is beautiful
5.0 / 10.0
This island is now my favourite as the staff really make you feel like part of something special and the resorts focus on marine biology has resulted in some of the best coral I have ever seen. Thoroughly enjoyed a week on the island diving, snorkelling and eating way too much delicious food. Made loads of friends and will return again and again. Vinaka Vaka Levu for a fantastic stay.
10.0 / 10.0
Barefoot Manta met and exceeded all my dream vacation
Expectations.
5.0 / 10.0
Barefoot Manta was a long-awaited, chilled diving trip on an amazing Yasawa island reef.
All staff - management, service, and dive - were extremely welcoming and handled all requests professionally and promptly.
No need for a swimming pool as the resort is surrounded by three magnificent beaches, all within easy walking distance from the Fijian-inspired bures.
The marine research centre was managed by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable marine biologist and support staff. The sounds of a beating drum alerted guests of manta rays in the local channel. Guests were encouraged to share their diving and snorkeling experiences with others during a weekly get-together in order to gain a further understanding of the local marine environment.
All up a great holiday - wish I could have stayed longer...will return.
10.0 / 10.0
Great place to stay! Amazing food and v friendly staff who organise plenty of activities. Big shoutout to Mike and Mika especially!
10.0 / 10.0
Our stay at Barefoot Manta was wonderful! Fiji Airways is a great airline; first leg of the flight with American Airlines was not so good as seems to be the norm. We flew a total of 17 hours to get to Nadi. The taxi ride from the airport to the port went extremely smooth. Nice 4 hour ferry ride to Drawaqa Island with incredible views! Once arriving just offshore, there is a transfer to a skiff boat and taken to Barefoot Manta where we were greeted with a fun welcome song by the staff and other vacationers. The staff took our packs and we were led to an area with coconut trees and given information and a warm welcome! The bures (large safari tents) were perfect! These are like rooms with thick canvas wall zip-ups. We opted for a private shower which was connected to our bure with a screened door, and open roof view of the coconut trees. Cookie, the crimson shining parrot visited often. The staff is the best! So helpful and courteous, and they sing just so beautifully! The food is wonderful! Snorkeling is incredible! Kayaking and swimming also just the best! We did not see the Mantas, but the marine biologist staff gave presentations. Nice hikes for sunrise and sunsets, and we were able to take a boat ride to visit a nearby village! We partook in kava & history ceremony. If we ever get back to the Fiji Islands, we would definitely go back to Barefoot Manta for our stay! It is an island paradise!
10.0 / 10.0
Staying at Barefoot Manta was the highlight of our trip to Fiji. Absolute beachfront accommodation, amazing snorkelling and very friendly staff.
2.0 / 10.0
Upon arrival, I was a bit surprised to find that there was a resort package fee of FJ$119 that wasn't indicated on the hotels.com website. This fee includes all of your meals, wifi, and access to the equipment at the dive shop. The very kind manager approached me after check in and apologized profusely, letting me know that they had been having troubles with hotels.com in making sure the fee was made known prior to booking. While the hotel did immediately send an email after booking informing me of the fee, the manager assured me that they didn't want to be the kind of place that surprised people with hidden fees and would continue to work with hotels.com on remedying this situation. I sincerely appreciated her candor. I booked a dorm room in a beach view bure and ended up with the entire bure to myself, which was a great as private rooms were about three times the cost! :) The room was clean and comfortable and the bathroom and showers were only steps away from the bure. The food was more authentic than what you would get at a large chain resort and you won't have the same amount of options as you would at a chain hotel restaurant, but it was all very tasty. The reef near the hotel makes for great snorkeling and the sunrise over Sunrise Beach can't be beat! If I'm ever in Fiji again, I'd definitely stay at Barefoot Manta!
4.0 / 10.0
Upon arrival, I was a bit surprised to find that there was a resort package fee of FJ$119 that wasn't indicated on the hotels.com website. This fee includes all of your meals, wifi, and access to the equipment at the dive shop. The very kind manager approached me after check in and apologized profusely, letting me know that they had been having troubles with hotels.com in making sure the fee was made known prior to booking. While the hotel did immediately send an email after booking informing me of the fee, the manager assured me that they didn't want to be the kind of place that surprised people with hidden fees and would continue to work with hotels.com on remedying this situation. I sincerely appreciated her candor.
I booked a dorm room in a beach view bure and ended up with the entire bure to myself, which was a great as private rooms were about three times the cost! :) The room was clean and comfortable and the bathroom and showers were only steps away from the bure. The food was more authentic than what you would get at a large chain resort and you won't have the same amount of options as you would at a chain hotel restaurant, but it was all very tasty. The reef near the hotel makes for great snorkeling and the sunrise over Sunrise Beach can't be beat! If I'm ever in Fiji again, I'd definitely stay at Barefoot Manta!
5.0 / 10.0
This is an island paradise. The little huts on the beach are the ultimate in relaxation. There is great snorkelling right outside your door. Lots of places to relax in hammocks or daily choices of activities. The staff were amazing!!! They take interest in you, knowing your name and put off excellent entertainment on Saturday nights. The food is delicious and fresh made everyday. It is quiet and safe.If you ar looking for an island paradise getaway, come here.
5.0 / 10.0
This is an island paradise. The little huts on the beach are the ultimate in relaxation. There is great snorkelling right outside your door. Lots of places to relax in hammocks or daily choices of activities. The staff were amazing!!! They take interest in you, knowing your name and put off excellent entertainment on Saturday nights. The food is delicious and fresh made everyday. It is quiet and safe.
If you ar looking for an island paradise getaway, come here.
4.0 / 10.0
Glamping! Our Bure was right on the beach and yet very private. The resort was quite, but there were always activities to participate in. We could see the ocean from our bed and hear the waves when drifting off to sleep and when we woke. So relaxing. The staff was terrific and always so warm and welcoming!
2.5 / 10.0
Staff was outstanding in hospitality. Location great for snorkeling.
5.0 / 10.0
Staff was outstanding in hospitality. Location great for snorkeling.
4.0 / 10.0
We spent 7 nights at Barefoot Manta Island to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. The island is beautiful and the beaches around the resort are fantastic. Snorkeling was pretty good right off the beach. It was relaxing to hear the sounds of swaying coconut palms all night long. For the two of us, retired adults, we booked the only available option at the time, a traditional dorm bure (2 Twin Beds and 1 Twin Bunk Bed). We were assured in writing that we would be the only two people in the room, having paid extra for the other two beds. Unfortunately, a weeks before our stay while we were already in Fiji, there arose much confusion with the resort as they kept insisting that we would be sharing accommodations with other people. At that point we had already paid for our sea plane transfer from Nadi to the resort and found it very stressful trying to sort things our. Another glitch: Our reservation indicated "partially open bathroom and shower". We had previously stayed at another Yasawa resort and quite enjoyed our partially open shower. So it came as a big surprise when it turned out our bure had neither shower nor toilet. We had to walk 450 feet to use shared facilities. Highly inconvenient, especially in the dark. I got completely soaked in the rain needing to use the bathroom at night.
5.0 / 10.0
The resort was wonderful, Expedia were not. Service is over the top, food is fine and the snorkeling is perfect. However, when booking a room, I expect a room. Traditional Dorm had no mention of booking beds only and having to share with 2 strangers. Overall a great holiday, but a little inconvenient
5.0 / 10.0
The Traditional Beach Bures on Sunrise Beach have a magnificent view of the beach and Ocean. The wooden Bures are of a very simple buid, but it actually feels really charming and authentic. Staff is great and friendly.
Shared facilities are absolutely fine! I would not pay extra for the private bathroom. The reef was truly great for snorkeling. 90+% of corals are intact. Only the amount of fish was a bit disappointing.
The food is above average, breakfast is a normal buffet, and lunch and dinners are usually a la carte with choices of 4 mains (chicken, red meat, fish, vegetarian) or sometimes a buffet with good variety.
The Manta spot is right next to the island, no other resort is closer. When Mantas are spotted, they will beat the drums and yell "Mantaray". You'll have a few minutes to gather and be taken there by boat. During my stay, there were trips every day and I went on two. Both times were 4-6 Mantas with a wingspan of 3-4 meters.
For those choosing between Barefoot and Mantaray: I stayed on both and Barefoot wins hands down. Beaches, the island itself (size, walkability, hangouts... Mantaray is annoyingly built against an incline), accessibility to the Manta spot, the Bures and their location-view, the bars, the facilities - all are better on Barefoot. There are two exceptions where Mantaray exceeds Barefoot: Magnificent choice and quality of food, and more schools of fish when snorkeling. I would choose Barefoot Resort any day!
2.5 / 10.0
The Traditional Beach Bures on Sunrise Beach have a magnificent view of the beach and Ocean. The wooden Bures are of a very simple buid, but it actually feels really charming and authentic. Staff is great and friendly.Shared facilities are absolutely fine! I would not pay extra for the private bathroom. The reef was truly great for snorkeling. 90+% of corals are intact. Only the amount of fish was a bit disappointing. The food is above average, breakfast is a normal buffet, and lunch and dinners are usually a la carte with choices of 4 mains (chicken, red meat, fish, vegetarian) or sometimes a buffet with good variety.The Manta spot is right next to the island, no other resort is closer. When Mantas are spotted, they will beat the drums and yell Mantaray. Youll have a few minutes to gather and be taken there by boat. During my stay, there were trips every day and I went on two. Both times were 4-6 Mantas with a wingspan of 3-4 meters.For those choosing between Barefoot and Mantaray: I stayed on both and Barefoot wins hands down. Beaches, the island itself (size, walkability, hangouts... Mantaray is annoyingly built against an incline), accessibility to the Manta spot, the Bures and their location-view, the bars, the facilities - all are better on Barefoot. There are two exceptions where Mantaray exceeds Barefoot: Magnificent choice and quality of food, and more schools of fish when snorkeling. I would choose Barefoot Resort any day!
5.0 / 10.0
The hotel is amazing, the food is wonderfully and the staff very friendly
5.0 / 10.0
My family and I loved staying at Barefoot Manta. The staff members were wonderful and the meals were delicious. Barefoot Manta has the best corals in Fiji. Will definitely come back to Barefoot Manta.
5.0 / 10.0
We stayed in a bure with 2 standalone twin beds and a twin bunk bed. My son and I ended up with the bunk bed as our 2 roommates arrived before us and were using the standalone twins. The beds were not particularly comfortable but the bure was clean. The resort is quite basic but still very nice. The staff were friendly and helpful. Sunrise beach was just a very short walk to the east of the communal dining area and sunset beach was quite close to the west as well. Snorkeling was awesome and the gear they provided in good shape. We did one dive and the guide was friendly and helpful. I would recommend Barefoot Manta for the adventurous traveler.
5.0 / 10.0
This was an Amazing place to be. The only thing I can say is that in speaking with many staff, they are basically indentured servants and are paid poorly. They are so friendly and kind. The owner is a rich man from Australia and is lucky to have such wonderful people at his disposal to run things correctly. We were able to swim with Manta Ray 3.5 meters wide and drink from coconuts taken down just for us!
5.0 / 10.0
Basic but lovely shared Bura x Beautiful beaches with stunning coral and fish to snorkel around x The Marine bio tour all about the coral and the creatures that support it, with a guided snorkel... A must xx Lovely friendly staff, everyone knows who you are x
4.0 / 10.0
Lovely island with a lovely welcome. The tent style accomodation was cool and a great idea overlooking the beach. The staff were really friendly throughout our stay and couldn’t do enough for you. This was the accomodation that my friend did a shark dove and said it was the best thing he did all holiday. The dive school staff were great and really helpful even for non certified dives. The food at the accomodation was very nice , both lunch and dinner Buffett style menus but very well presented and tasted so good. Wifi throughout the bar and Resteraunt area too but quite slow. Lots of games to play in the night whilst having a drink with other house guests.
We walked up to the viewpoint, top tip don’t wear flip flops as it’s slippery on the way back down
Downside were the beds, they wasn’t that comfy and with the wind and rain the tents were blowing quite a bit, this can’t be helped of course. Also no fridge so we couldn’t store our spirits.
We were given a water bottle souvenir with the hotel calved into the bottle which was a nice gesture.
We would 100% come back here as part of our trip back to the islands
2.0 / 10.0
Lovely island with a lovely welcome. The tent style accomodation was cool and a great idea overlooking the beach. The staff were really friendly throughout our stay and couldn’t do enough for you. This was the accomodation that my friend did a shark dove and said it was the best thing he did all holiday. The dive school staff were great and really helpful even for non certified dives. The food at the accomodation was very nice , both lunch and dinner Buffett style menus but very well presented and tasted so good. Wifi throughout the bar and Resteraunt area too but quite slow. Lots of games to play in the night whilst having a drink with other house guests. We walked up to the viewpoint, top tip don’t wear flip flops as it’s slippery on the way back down Downside were the beds, they wasn’t that comfy and with the wind and rain the tents were blowing quite a bit, this can’t be helped of course. Also no fridge so we couldn’t store our spirits.We were given a water bottle souvenir with the hotel calved into the bottle which was a nice gesture. We would 100% come back here as part of our trip back to the islands
FAQs
How much does this hostel cost compared to others in Western Division, Fiji?
The average price for a rental in Western Division, Fiji is $141 per night. This rental is $195 above the average.
Is parking included with this hostel?
Parking is not specified as an available amenity at Barefoot Manta Island. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this hostel?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this hostel. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Barefoot Manta Island pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this hostel is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at Barefoot Manta Island?
We found 3 amenities for this rental. This includes internet / wifi, smoking allowed, and laundry.
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