Mango Beach Resort

The eastern side of the island is still much quieter than the crowded west, and there’s a shop opposite the resort for fruit, snacks, drinks, and alcohol. There isn’t a real beach here, but you can reach one by motorbike. We rented one and explored the island, and were happy we’d chosen this place. The resort is cozy, the service is excellent, and the rooms are spacious with comfortable beds. Evenings are peaceful, with no parties or drunk guests, so it’s easy to relax. If you want a lively, noisy area full of tourists, this probably isn’t the place. But for an idyllic spot to unwind, enjoy good food, and ride around the island, it’s ideal for me.

The view was the one good part of our stay. The resort is isolated, with no nearby restaurants or other food options, and the restaurant itself was full of mosquitoes, so it was uncomfortable to sit and eat. The pool was dirty and full of insects, making it unusable. Kayaking was advertised, but no staff were available to help, which made it feel unsafe and pointless. The property is described as beachside, yet there’s no beach. Hospitality was the worst I’ve experienced, with staff who were unhelpful and unresponsive. Basic food delivery to the room came with an extra room service charge. If you don’t want to pay that, you have to climb several steep flights of stairs to collect food yourself, which is exhausting. The bathrooms had no stand for shower gel, so bottles slipped and broke. Both couples in our party had the same problem, and the resort still charged extra for the broken bottles, which felt unfair. The stay was tiring physically and frustrating mentally, not relaxing at all. The view isn’t worth the money or effort. Poor management, hidden charges, misleading descriptions, and a lack of basic comfort mean I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful getaway.

We had massages on our balcony with those views, and the pool was another highlight. It was huge, the water was a perfect temperature, and there was a separate area for smaller children. Great for morning laps or just lounging, with plenty of shaded chairs for cocktails. The pier was also lovely for a walk out to the ocean. We could easily spend days at the resort: breakfast was sufficient, with a smaller selection of Asian and Western dishes, and the restaurant had reasonably priced lunch and dinner. It was a nice place to hang out in the evening. Getting into town took some planning, but Grab made it easy. We didn’t mind, since we mostly came to relax. After a hectic few weeks traveling around Southeast Asia, this was just the place to unwind. It’s away from the busy tourist area, near the fishing village of Nam Hinh, with a small convenience store across the road. There was a calm feeling from the moment we arrived. The wooden hillside cabins were stunning, with views of the resort, lagoon, and ocean. From our balcony, with its table, chairs, and sun loungers, we could watch fishing boats on the horizon and lights on the water at night. Being on the east side means no ocean sunsets, but opening the curtains to the sunrise was a lovely start to the day. The stairs might be a problem for anyone with mobility issues.

I feel like I paid too much for what I got, and that’s a bad feeling. I would have rather paid twice as much for proper service. I wanted the high-end luxury stay that was advertised, so read the negative reviews carefully. Many of the positive ones seem to be from guests staying longer, whose complaints might smooth over during a longer holiday. Who’s going to say they hated their two-week stay? The location seems to leave the French owners unwilling to pay for good staff. Luxury comes from service, not a little candle in the room. They aren’t investing in trained staff, and I think the savings on SG&A costs are creating ridiculous margins. This isn’t the fault of the current staff, but of ownership and its European marketing. The firm prides itself on European-quality marketing, but to me it’s a question of value. It isn’t investing in service, so I don’t think it deserves a four-star rating. Three stars at best, based only on clean rooms and location. I feel like they owe me something back.