Mango Lodge

Mango Lodge is an hidden gem in the Heart of Praslin, the view is amazing !!

The venue is on the top of the hill, a car is must. Overall having a car will make your journey fantastic !

Les was extremely helpful organising transfers, helping us arrange a rental car, and booking tours. She also gave us a thorough run down of the local area and things to do when we arrived, which was really useful. The main attraction of Mango Lodge is the hilltop location with absolutely stunning views across the bay. Waking up every morning looking out over the azure blue sea was a real treat. We stayed in one of the upper apartments (not the ones on stilts on the hillside) which was split level with dining room, living area and kitchen below, with the family bedroom and bathroom above. It was all open plan with curtains between the bedroom and balcony which provided a lovely open, tropical feel. There is no air con but there were plenty of ceiling fans so sleeping was never a problem, and we weren't bothered by insects. The balcony in front of the bedroom is absolutely perfect for lounging in the evening and watching the fruit bats glide back and forth across the hillside. The apartment was showing its age a bit and is probably due a re-fit, but it has a nice rustic feel and it certainly didn't detract from our stay at all. The kitchen has everything you need for self catering and the apartment was serviced daily with fresh towels etc. The included breakfast was good and the staff very attentive. I would highly recommend arranging a rental car as the road up to Mango Lodge is long and very steep. Rental cars are pretty cheap and it makes life so much easier to explore the island.

As mentioned, a bit tatty in places and due for renovation, but the views more than make up for this.

The view from the chalet is simply breathtaking and having breakfast on the balcony was amazing! The location is great to explore the whole island. It is really quiet except when it's disco night at a hotel by the beach, but the noise level was alright. I would definitely recommend renting a car when staying here, as the drive up is exceptionally steep and may be challenging for less confident drivers, but the elevation makes the view even more gorgeous! There are also plenty of restaurants and takeaways by the beach, that are too far by foot but very close by car!

The chalet itself was fairly clean, only the dishes were rather dirty, which is something that can easily be fixed. One downside was the number of insects. Since it’s not possible to close all the windows, most lights had to be turned off after sunset. Because of the open windows there is also no AC, but the fan was working well, so it wasn't needed. The power was out the day I arrived, but it came back in the evening.

The view

The apartment was dirty