THE LUXURY TRAVEL
MAGAZINE FOR INDEPENDENT
TRAVELLERS
MANGO BAY
| TRAVEL WITH A CONSCIENCE
MANGO BAY, PHU QUOC ISLAND, VIETNAM
Bridget McNulty decided to do the environment a favour, and gave herself a few days off from the real world at the Mango Bay Resort, an eco-friendly spot on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam.
Text Bridget McNulty
Photography Mark Peddle
Published 18th November 2009
Sometimes being eco-friendly can be a bit of a pain. It’s difficult to remember to switch off lights, minimize energy usage, and recycle. At Mango Bay, a beachside resort on Phu Quoc Island and purportedly the island’s ‘first eco-friendly resort’, being kind to the environment is second nature. How could it not be, surrounded by such an extravagant show of natural beauty?
There’s the ocean to begin with – a bright turquoise and aquamarine stretch of water laid out in soft, undulating waves (or a flat shimmering expanse, depending on the weather) all the way to the horizon. Reaching down to the water’s edge is the twenty-hectare stretch of indigenous forest that makes up Mango Bay Resort, a forest filled entirely with endemic plants and trees, most of them from before any development started in the area. And then there are the beaches, two slices of powdery white sand and bright blue sea trimmed with palm trees and straight out of a postcard. Why would anyone want to do anything to harm the environment in a setting as naturally stunning as this?
In fact, the only thing you really want to do when you arrive at Mango Bay is lie down and relax, preferably on one of the many loungers set up under palm-leaf umbrellas along the shore, or perhaps in the shade of your thatched bungalow verandah, looking out at the ocean or the forest. There are 30 rooms to choose from, although apparently plans to expand are in the pipeline. I, for one, hope they choose not to expand – the space between the bungalows and the large stretches of open garden is what gives the resort its end-of-the-line, desert-island feel, and if there are many more bungalows it will lose that charm. There are numerous rooms to choose from, but the best option is the Reef House, a stand-alone home with two bedrooms, a large kitchen, giant verandah and stunning views. Whichever room you choose, make sure it has Mango Bay’s signature touch – the al- fresco bathroom. Taking a shower outdoors (yet shaded by a thatched roof) after a day in the sun is the most delicious feeling.
It’s not only the bathrooms you’ll love, though. The bungalows are spacious and airy, with wooden shutters instead of windows, letting the breeze, the sound of the trees as they swish in the wind, and the smell of the ocean permeate the room. The beds are four-poster affairs – large and extremely comfortable, made up in high-quality linen and with muslin mosquito nets to keep you safe from the many bugs that emerge at night. The large verandahs (with table and chair, as well as loungers) offer the perfect place to wake up in the morning, or watch the sun dip into the sea. That’s if you can resist the beach bar, right on the sand with a large selection of cocktails, or the main restaurant, with its wide veranda and puffy couches set up on the water’s edge. Lunch and dinner are served at both the restaurant and the beach bar, and there’s a decent menu to choose from – the expected seafood and fish, as well as a few noodle options and some surprisingly tasty pizzas.
So with all this going for it, what’s holding Mango Bay back? Well. I’m not entirely convinced that the resort is doing all it can to be environmentally friendly. It’s true that they have installed solar-powered water heating, they recycle natural waste for compost, and all their building materials are natural and locally sourced, and for that I applaud them. The soaps and shampoos are also 100% natural, and in keeping with the peaceful, low-impact nature of the resort, rooms don’t have air con, fridges, telephones or televisions. It doesn’t feel like a hardship going without any of these modern day conveniences because the resort as a whole feels like it’s all about nature. Why, then, are none of the light bulbs energy-saving? Why is there not a proper recycling initiative in place, where plastic and glass and paper (as well as natural waste) are reused or recycled? And, most importantly for me, why are the staff not being trained about the importance of being environmentally friendly?
It seems as if there have been a few excellent initiatives put in place from the top down, but the grassroots, important stuff hasn’t been addressed, things like putting aside the four plastic bottles each room uses each day, or making sure lights are switched off when rooms aren’t in use (when looking at other bungalows in the middle of the day I saw that all the lights had been left on). And this is where being eco-friendly is most important: by educating people from the bottom up on why it’s important to reuse, recycle and reduce waste, not by making a few rules that need to be adhered to. It’s only when staff are made to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing that the impact of an environmentally-friendly resort will spread into the surrounding communities.
I’m sure that Mango Bay will continue to expand its eco-friendly approach to running a resort – it’s definitely off to a good start. Meanwhile, it is undoubtedly the perfect place to switch off (quite literally) as you ease your way into, or out of, a holiday in Vietnam.
Just remember to bring a good book, plenty of sunblock and a healthy appetite for lazing about – because you won’t want to be leaving any time soon!
Read more in Travel With A Conscience
©Copyright Just The Planet
There’s the ocean to begin with – a bright turquoise and aquamarine stretch of water laid out in soft, undulating waves (or a flat shimmering expanse, depending on the weather) all the way to the horizon. Reaching down to the water’s edge is the twenty-hectare stretch of indigenous forest that makes up Mango Bay Resort, a forest filled entirely with endemic plants and trees, most of them from before any development started in the area. And then there are the beaches, two slices of powdery white sand and bright blue sea trimmed with palm trees and straight out of a postcard. Why would anyone want to do anything to harm the environment in a setting as naturally stunning as this?
In fact, the only thing you really want to do when you arrive at Mango Bay is lie down and relax, preferably on one of the many loungers set up under palm-leaf umbrellas along the shore, or perhaps in the shade of your thatched bungalow verandah, looking out at the ocean or the forest. There are 30 rooms to choose from, although apparently plans to expand are in the pipeline. I, for one, hope they choose not to expand – the space between the bungalows and the large stretches of open garden is what gives the resort its end-of-the-line, desert-island feel, and if there are many more bungalows it will lose that charm. There are numerous rooms to choose from, but the best option is the Reef House, a stand-alone home with two bedrooms, a large kitchen, giant verandah and stunning views. Whichever room you choose, make sure it has Mango Bay’s signature touch – the al- fresco bathroom. Taking a shower outdoors (yet shaded by a thatched roof) after a day in the sun is the most delicious feeling.
It’s not only the bathrooms you’ll love, though. The bungalows are spacious and airy, with wooden shutters instead of windows, letting the breeze, the sound of the trees as they swish in the wind, and the smell of the ocean permeate the room. The beds are four-poster affairs – large and extremely comfortable, made up in high-quality linen and with muslin mosquito nets to keep you safe from the many bugs that emerge at night. The large verandahs (with table and chair, as well as loungers) offer the perfect place to wake up in the morning, or watch the sun dip into the sea. That’s if you can resist the beach bar, right on the sand with a large selection of cocktails, or the main restaurant, with its wide veranda and puffy couches set up on the water’s edge. Lunch and dinner are served at both the restaurant and the beach bar, and there’s a decent menu to choose from – the expected seafood and fish, as well as a few noodle options and some surprisingly tasty pizzas.
So with all this going for it, what’s holding Mango Bay back? Well. I’m not entirely convinced that the resort is doing all it can to be environmentally friendly. It’s true that they have installed solar-powered water heating, they recycle natural waste for compost, and all their building materials are natural and locally sourced, and for that I applaud them. The soaps and shampoos are also 100% natural, and in keeping with the peaceful, low-impact nature of the resort, rooms don’t have air con, fridges, telephones or televisions. It doesn’t feel like a hardship going without any of these modern day conveniences because the resort as a whole feels like it’s all about nature. Why, then, are none of the light bulbs energy-saving? Why is there not a proper recycling initiative in place, where plastic and glass and paper (as well as natural waste) are reused or recycled? And, most importantly for me, why are the staff not being trained about the importance of being environmentally friendly?
It seems as if there have been a few excellent initiatives put in place from the top down, but the grassroots, important stuff hasn’t been addressed, things like putting aside the four plastic bottles each room uses each day, or making sure lights are switched off when rooms aren’t in use (when looking at other bungalows in the middle of the day I saw that all the lights had been left on). And this is where being eco-friendly is most important: by educating people from the bottom up on why it’s important to reuse, recycle and reduce waste, not by making a few rules that need to be adhered to. It’s only when staff are made to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing that the impact of an environmentally-friendly resort will spread into the surrounding communities.
I’m sure that Mango Bay will continue to expand its eco-friendly approach to running a resort – it’s definitely off to a good start. Meanwhile, it is undoubtedly the perfect place to switch off (quite literally) as you ease your way into, or out of, a holiday in Vietnam.
Just remember to bring a good book, plenty of sunblock and a healthy appetite for lazing about – because you won’t want to be leaving any time soon!
Read more in Travel With A Conscience
©Copyright Just The Planet
MANGO BAY, PHU QUOC ISLAND, VIETNAM
Style Relaxed yet comfortable beach resort. There are no frills in the all-natural bungalows (no glass either, incidentally), but they haven’t skimped on comfort.
Setting Thatched bungalows in an indigenous forest right on the ocean’s edge. There’s plenty of wide open space between the bungalows, and nothing but an endless view of ocean in front of you.
Why you'll love it The al fresco bathrooms are a perfect way to segue between beach and bed, the views are spectacular, and all the indigenous trees in the garden are labelled, so you can learn a little about Vietnamese nature while you’re strolling to the beach.
Good to know There’s free wifi in the restaurant and bar area, but it’s a bit sporadic. Beach towels are available at the reception and the beach bar. There’s a free shuttle from Mango Bay into town (Duong Dong) at 9am every day, returning at 3.30pm.
Best rooms or suites to book The plantation bungalows are the most popular, because they offer more privacy than any of the other rooms, and are surrounded by trees. The fisherman bungalows are charming and look out over the sea – they also have a single bed so they work well for families, as do the family rammed-earth bungalows, which have two bedrooms (one double, one twin). The best option is the Reef House, a stand-alone house with a massive kitchen, open verandah, two bedrooms and stunning views. It sleeps four to six people.
Room for improvement The breakfast is not up to scratch. There’s a choice of bacon and eggs, fruit and cereal, or noodles, all served with a light baguette and jam, tea or coffee and juice. It sounds fine, but the cereal was stale two days in a row, the juice was sometimes fresh and sometimes out of a bottle (with no way of knowing if a flavour would be freshly squeezed or not), and the portions were adequate but by no means generous. There is also no choice of tea – it’s green tea or nothing. Breakfast is served in a rushed, perfunctory manner, unlike the other meals, which gives the impression that it’s just something to get out the way.
The outdoor showers are also in need of a shelf to hold shampoo and soap, especially as the resort-provided amenities are in heavy ceramic containers.
What you can do to help Keep electricity usage to a minimum and encourage management to put together a more comprehensive recycling initiative (including plastic and glass).
Address Ong Lang Beach, Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam
Tel +84 903 382 207
Fax +84 8 914 3346
Rates Plantation bungalow - US$100. Family rammed earth bungalow (2 bedroom) - US$90. Fisherman bungalow (one double bed, one single) - US$80. Rammed earth bungalow - US$70. Veranda room - US$65. All include breakfast.
How to Get There Fly into Phu Quoc Airport (accessible from Ho Chi Minh International Airport in 50 minutes). From the airport you can hire a taxi or arrange for a Mango Bay pick-up service. The resort is about 25 minutes from the airport.
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What they’re doing for the environment The forest behind the resort is sustained and nurtured by Mango Bay, where they have planted thousands of trees over the past few years. Natural waste is recycled for compost, and all hot water is heated by solar power. Natural and locally sourced building materials are used for all building, and the toiletries provided for guests are 100% natural.
