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Amy M
Breckenridge, Colorado

Beautiful bungalow on the beach!

Review of Manta House
5.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed Dec 18, 2015
Everything about our experience at Manta House was wonderful. Booking a reservation was easy - Katya was very quick to respond to my emails and answer my questions. And from the moment we landed on Grand Turk, Katya and Tonya catered to our every need. They arranged a taxi from the airport, met us at the bungalow for a tour and to answer questions, they took us to the grocery store one day and brought us charcoal another.
The property is small, well maintained, gated, on the cutest little street right across from a beach & restaurant, and it felt very safe.
The Jungle Bungalow was beautiful and perfect for our family of three. My 4-year-old daughter giggled with delight the moment we walked in and she saw her little bed! We had all of the amenities we needed and everything was very clean and comfortable. The only not-so-perfect thing was that the water in the shower would go from warm to icy cold to steaming hot, back and forth, with no turn of the knob - that was one way to get us to take quick showers!
The beach is literally right across the one-lane "street" from the gated Manta House property. The beach right out from Manta House is small, but excellent. The water was mostly very calm, very warm, and provided excellent snorkeling. We saw all sorts of fish, flounders, and rays.
The Sandbar restaurant is also across the "street". The food & service were excellent and we liked that we could charge our bill to our room.
One fun item to note is that Duke St (the little historic "street" in front of Manta House) is a main thoroughfare for the cruise tours, so you always know when there is a ship in dock because there is a steady stream of vans and trains and giant caravans full of people taking pictures of you enjoy the beach or drinking your cocktail in front of your bungalow. It's quite funny. We waved. We took pictures of the little train. We especially got a kick out of watching the folks learning to use the segways and stand up paddleboards with Oasis Divers (right down the street). And we reveled in knowing that we got to stay there and enjoy the island and really experience it, while those folks were in & out within hours.
Don't miss the ripsaw band at the Salt Raker (next door) - it's awesome - local color & so fun, even for our 4-year-old.
And be sure to book an outing with Oasis Divers when there is no cruise ship in port. We were able to go on a trip to Gibbs Cay with Jason (from Oasis Divers) and no one else. We literally had the boat and the island and the Library to ourselves. It was truly an experience of a lifetime!
Date of stay: November 2015
Trip type: Traveled with family
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
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        28 - 33 of 114 reviews
        Reviewed December 16, 2015 via mobile

        Tonya and Katya- wow! Thank you for giving us such an incredible time in Grand Turk! First of all the Papaya suite was unreal- so spacious and homey with everything we needed inside. Best part was that it was about ten feet from the stunning beach and the Sandbar!! The Sandbar especially had the best feel to it- so chilled and right on the ocean. Kisha and Rose were both unbelievable when it came to helping us! Tonya and Katya- you were both so accommodating and sweet throughout the entire trip and I can honestly say I loved every second and you each added so much to the trip! Thanks again for everything :)

        Date of stay: December 2015
        Trip type: Traveled with friends
        Thank Chani W
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Reviewed December 16, 2015

        A good portion of our family' travel decisions pivot around whether a property to can assist with our unique dietary issues. So, we typically look for small, locally owned lodging/restaurants off the beaten track. We have enjoyed seeing the satisfaction of the staff at the end of our trips in their accomplishment of meeting and exceeding our dietary needs.

        Kat and Tonya were receptive from the very first email inquiry and we knew we had hit the mother lode with Manta House/Sandbar Restaurant.

        The bungalow was spacious and clean with appropriate amenities. And of course, 27 steps away from the beach! The restaurant overlooks a gorgeous 360 degree view of the beach as its perched on stilts. There is no trade off either. The food is delicious AND its super affordable.

        The restaurant staffed was thoroughly briefed about our dietary situation and Miriam and Mishu cooked wonderful meals and Rose and Keisha kept things organized front of the house. Kudos to Mary for keeping the bungalow in tip top shape..not an easy task with 4 teenage girls....and me to contend with.

        Kat and Tonya also arranged for two meals off premises when they were closed and did a flawless job communicating our dietary situation to a neighboring restaurant, which went off without a hitch. They also helped us figure out the best diving situation, as we wanted to steer clear of the cruise crowd and we were quite satisfied with their choice of Oasis Divers. They shlepped us to the grocery store and shuttled back to the airport a couple of times when our bags were delayed.

        You can't really put a value on Kat and Tonya, otherwise the price of their lodging and restaurant would skyrocket!!! They are passionate in what they do, they were totally accessible throughout our stay.They had amazing attention to detail and followup. I guess in the real world, you could call them concierges, but that feels way too stiff and formal. Just know that you will be in excellent hands with them, no need to ever look over your shoulder. THAT makes for a truly relaxing vacation.

        Standing O!

        Date of stay: December 2015
        • Trip type: Traveled with family
          • Rooms
          • Cleanliness
          • Service
        1  Thank beaubo
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Reviewed September 16, 2015

        This was our first trip to Grand Turk and we picked an absolute gem in Manta House - Papaya Suite. Our hostesses Katya and Tonya (sisters from Canada) were so helpful and caring. They arranged our taxi transfers from and to the airport. They made sure that everything was prefect from the moment we arrived and stayed that way throughout our visit. We bumped into Tonya at the cash n carry store one day, which was a good walk from the Manta House and she gave us a lift back.
        The bungalow had a large patio area in the front, complete with 2 sun loungers, large table and 6 comfortable chairs. A decked area at the back with more chairs. The interior was spacious, well equipped, clean and in good decorative order. There was plenty of hot water and clean towels.
        A beautiful beach is just across a very quiet single track road, as is the fabulous Sandbar (beach bar also owned by Katya and Tonya). The Sandbar is a great place to meet locals and fellow visitors. The food was excellent too. The location was perfect, especially as we were diving with Blue Water Divers so just a short walk along the track or the beach!
        Would definitely recommended Manta House and would love to stay here again.

        Date of stay: September 2015
        • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
          • Value
          • Rooms
          • Service
        Thank CT-Surrey
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Reviewed September 14, 2015

        We just spent a week scuba diving and stayed at the Manta House. We stayed in the middle 'mansion', Papaya suite. The place is huge. The place is full furnished, with everything you need. I needed a cup of tea, so found the supermarket, and was given a lift back. Everything is in easy reach, and if you can't find it just ask. Everyone, and I mean everyone on Grand Turk are very friendly and will point you in the right direction.

        Katya and Tonya have a wonderful place. The Sandbar across the road is a fantastic place to spend the evening.

        Look forward to visiting again soon.

        Date of stay: September 2015
        • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
          • Location
          • Cleanliness
          • Service
        Thank Martin S
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Reviewed July 8, 2015

        Manta House is magical! This was our third stay at Manta, our fifth time visiting Grand Turk. We all had a blast. Me, my 68 year-old mother, my husband, and our 17 year-old son all dearly love Manta House and Sandbar. The food is fantastic, the drinks are the best. The beach and the diving are otherworldly. The owners, Tonya and Katya and the staff become family...you feel like you will be missed when you leave, and you sure will miss it! If you love to dive and love the beach, there is no better, safe place to unwind on vacation. Full kitchen, super comfy beds, amazing sunsets and great live music. Walking distance to several other bars and restaurants. Truly a spectacular place. We just love it and will return in 2016.

        Date of stay: June 2015
        • Trip type: Traveled with family
          • Value
          • Location
          • Service
        Thank carriezoom
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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