Nata Beach Villa

Loved just about everything about this place: the location, the staff, the sounds & smells, the.... well, in truth, the island itself and the whole vibe. If you're visiting for the first time: This hotel is right on Ibaruma beach, a beautiful stretch of sand that was almost completely empty of other people during our stay and a lovely spot for snorkelling with abundant colourful fish in warm, waist-deep water. It is about a 20 minute drive north of the airport. There's very little up this far north (everything restaurant-y and shop-ish is located around the port in the south) so if you're up here for the peace and quiet, you'll get it. That being said, it is a small island and there are very few cars on the roads so it is a thing of nothing to pop down south of the airport, if you've got transport. The rooms look very much as in the photos. All nicely appointed. Lovely furnishings. Best showers I've ever used in my life. The photos of the outside of the rooms give the impression of something like a small US motel, but in fact it is nicer feeling than that. And the main building - with the restaurant bar and BBQ area - is very nice. Cool friendly cat wandering around the BBQ area at night, too. (The dogs were a bit too hot to be anything other than very sleepy, unfortunately.)

I've stayed here before (you'll find my review somewhere on here) and I'll stay again. The breakfast is good, not "great". Others seem to be overpraising it. The location is fantastic. If you're looking for peace and quiet, that is.