Stephanie Holmes checks into Mantaray Island, in Fiji's Yasawa Islands
Location: In the Yasawa chain of islands, off the northeast tip of Viti Levu.
Getting there: High-speed catamaran with Awesome Adventures — the Yasawa Flyer will take about three hours from Port Denerau.
Check-in experience: Fiji style. I'd been staying at a neighbouring island — they whizzed me by speedboat to meet the Mantaray Island tender, which was picking up other incoming passengers from the Yasawa Flyer.
Once I arrived at the island — met by some of the resort team with obligatory welcome song and chilled juice — I filled in a quick form before being shown to my room.
Room: A beach view bure — an adorable, spacious unit, just steps from the sand. Inside there's a lounge area with TV, fridge, coffee table and sofa, then on a raised level, a king bed and wardrobe. Out the door to the right of the bed there's an outdoor bathroom.
Out front there's a shady patio area with comfortable lounge furniture. This is just one of a possible five room types, ranging from dorm beds, to double rooms with shared bathroom facilities, to the beach, reef and lagoon view rooms. All rooms have air-conditioning, and the water on-site is desalinated and safe to drink.
Bed:
Very comfortable and, unlike many ofthe other resorts I stayed at in the Yasawas, it was a full double, not two singles joined together.
View:
A South Pacific paradise cliche — palm trees, golden sand, blue sea. All viewable from bed.
Bathroom:
My new favourite thing is an outdoor bathroom — why shower inside when you can do it in a private stone-walled courtyard?
Facilities:
The resort has more than enough to keep you entertained, whether you're looking for a shady hammock, or want to get active with kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling or lessons from the SSI-certified dive school.
Wi-Fi:
You can purchase pre-paid vouchers from reception. If you have data roaming, coverage is good.
Food and drink:
There's an on-site restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner — full board packages cost $70per day. The food during my stay was excellent.
The beach front bar did a roaring trade both at happy hour and late into the evening.
Other guests: Backpacking island hoppers, honeymooning couples, baby boomer Americans — a real mix of ages and nationalities.
Staff: Super-friendly, professional and warm.
Noise: Music from the bar was ever-present but not overwhelming.
Online: mantarayisland.com
Perfect for: An affordable island escape in paradise.