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Hotel Class: 
4 Stars - 126 Opinions
Avi Island,
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of people enjoy staying here
126 Opinions
The beach bungalows are a bit basic, just a bed and a wardrobe. But do you really need a TV in paradise???
The food is excellent and the staff is nice.
As all the cheap places were full when we arrived, we got an upgrade to a waterbungalow. Very nice of course, but wouldn't pay 70US$/night more for the luxury of having a small glass floor.
For the first 4 days we have been in a wonderful beach bungalow, we had room No. 130 with a spectacular view and only few steps on the sea.....then for the other 3 days we moved to the water bungalow.....(room No. 213) with a gorgeous view of the blue crystal water..... Very simple furnitures but very very clean...every day....
The resort consists of a main building (restaurant, reception), a spa, a beach bar, a diving center, a gift shop, beach bungalows and overwater bungalows (see photo). The bungalows are nicely furnished and extremely clean. The bathroom is comfortable and very big. The beach bungalows are good located on the beach, the sea is at your doorstep!
The food is very good, abundant and varied. Every evening you find among other some international speciality (e.g. Indian or Japanese food). Usually I'm not easily satisfied with food (on the contrary) but I must say the food at Velidhu resort was simply fantastic!
The resort staff is kindly, especially the room boys (they are mostly young men from Sri Lanka who stay here the whole year, away from their families; your tips mean very much to them, so don't be tight-fisted!). The only thing that annoyed me was the so-called "Lobster-man", who once literally ran after us up to our bungalow just to persuade us to book a lobster dinner!
Velidhu Island Resort is a lovely small island in the Indian Ocean. The staff we excellent and nothing was too much trouble for them.
We took our 10 yr old daughter with us and she really enjoyed her time there. She was hardly ever out of the water.
There are more rooms than mentioned - 80 land villas and 20 water semi-detached water bungalows.
The cleanliness cannot be faulted. Staff were out every morning raking up dead leaves and cleaning the beach.
The room boys were fantastic - they cleaned the rooms every morning giving fresh towels (and beach towels if required) and tidying up. Then in the evening whilst you are out to dinner, they come back and pull back your bed covers and brush through (sand gets everywhere).
There is only one restaurant and one bar. The food is different every night (Thai, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Maldivian, Sri Lankan and a night of mixture). You never went hungry.
Omelettes and eggs were made fresh for you if you required them. Our daughter asked for pancakes one day as these were not available and the chef very kindly (without our knowledge) made her some for breakfast the next morning.
Our waiter (Haris) was a lovely lad and if there was nothing suitable (as in hot or spicy) for our daughter he asked her if she would like some fries.
We met the chef and he gladly gave us his time for a conversation.
The bar staff were great too. They were very busy but you were never kept waiting for your drinks.
Entertainment was provided every night - Saturday is Crab Racing night. Great fun and a bottle of wine for the winners.
Water was included on the All Inclusive package as was local beers, wine and cocktails.
On the north facing side of the island there is a breeze which kept the temperature down and the sea calmer. There is plenty of shade from the trees.
On the south facing side (the location of the bar), the house reef is absolutely out of this world and cannot be faulted either. There is no breeze here and it gets very hot. Shade is at a premium also. People tended to put their towels on the sun loungers and then walk away to "bag" their spot for the day which our party found rather annoying.
This island is a lovely island. They only fault I found was with the lack of shade on one side of the island.
The island gets lots of repeaters (28 rooms whilst we were there) and as a guide whilst we were there, the breakdown of nationalities was as follows (as in people):
Austrian 4 / French 37 / German 63 / Irish 2 / Italian 39 / Japanese 8 / Singaporian 2 / Swiss 4 / British 52
Occupancy rate was 99%.
I would go back to this island, but the Maldives is a big place and there are other islands I would like to visit to compare.
Wow! We have just returned from Velidhu and had the most amazing time. The island is paradise...crystal clear sea, white sand and plenty of wildlife. There is no pool but it didnt bother us at all when you have all that sea to swim in. The staff are wonderful and cannot do enough for you, they are probably the most friendly, accomodating people we have ever met and really made us feel special. The room was wonderful (beach bungalow), you have your own little section of beach and it is so peaceful. Our room boy kept it spotlessly clean twice a day and was very attentive. We didnt eat the same meal twice (we were there for a week) and there is so much variety to choose from, all fresh fish, meat, salads and fruits. The spa was great and offers all kinds of treatments and massages, it is quite reasonably priced so you can spoil yourself (massage approx 60-70 US$). We didnt go on any excursions and there are about 5 to choose from, we just wanted to relax and stay on the island. The entertainment is minimal (1 hour a night), but the bar is open until midnight. The hotel staff do the entertainment themselves and its really good fun! The snorkelling and diving are great, the reef is close to the shore so it is easily accessible and safe. We recommend a walk out to the boat jetty at night where you'll see so many fish and sharks lit up by the light, the resident herons willl also keep you entertained! Velidhu is a magical paradise......go there and you will not be dissapointed.
My boyfriend and I booked to go to Velidhu with Virgin Holidays. Having travelled to the Maldives before we could not face going on a charter flight and decided to go with Virgin as they use Qatar airlines. This was definately the right choice. The plane was far more spacious and comfortable, with complimentary drinks, regular meals and great inflight entertainment.
We were transferred to Velidhu by speedboat - not ideal for anyone suffering from motion-sickness, we returned on a seaplane ($70 per person if booked on the island - at least 4 days notice required). We stayed in a beach bungalow with a nice bedroom, bathroom and dressing area. The veranda was very large, perfect for sitting reading in the evening. We also had a private beach area with an umbrella - although the sunbeds are not designated to each room and we had to spend half an hour finding some that weren't in use to take back to our hideaway.
We booked to go all-inclusive but you could upgrade once you arrived for about $30 each per day. This included buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner in the restaurant - the food was fine, lots of fish and rice, but plenty of choice. Desserts were nice, but used a lot of food colouring!. You could also get a snack from the bar once a day - sandwiches and chips, these were really nice too. Dress code in the restaurant is casual - no uncovered swimwear, but shorts, sarongs etc are fine.
The bar has two drinks menus one for the paying guests and one for the all-inclusive. This lists all the spirits, cocktails and soft drinks you can have. Diet drinks and fruit juice is not included - although the non-alcoholic cocktails are (basically mixed fruit juice). I did try one of the cocktails but it contained so much alcohol that I didn't manage to finish it. My tip would be to order a non-alcoholic cocktail and a shot of something to go in it instead. Bottled water is not free from the minibar, but you can take it back to your room from the bar or restaurant. Just order an extra bottle.
We didn't go on any excursions but people did say they were good. We snorkelled on the reef, it was very fishy! We saw lots of rays, sharks and beautiful fish and were lucky enough to swim with a turtle one day.
Entertainment was not so good, but you can't have everything - and I imagine that won't be the main reason anybody is going to the maldives.
We returned from Velidhu last week and I wish I was back there! We flew with Monarch Airlines, as usual it is the worst airline in the world, the seat pitch is SO small, TVs are on the ceiling and all in all not good. Try to get an upgrade if you can, we couldnt.
The sea plane transfer is a must, 20 minutes and youre at the resort, noisy but great fun to look out the window at all the atolls.
Our room was right by the entrance to the Water bungalow pier, but not at all noisy, good fun for people watching and having some time in the shade with a cup of tea from the room facilities, very English and civilised! Its very clean there, staff are always sweeping and cleaning, the toilet was blocked but a man came and unblocked immediately and we 'flowed' again. All Inclusive was great, themed nights every night and a huge choice of food and desserts. The fresh fruit is lovely, you can almost taste the sunshine.
The excursions were good, we went night fishing twice and caught fish both times, the boys on the boat are very helpful and the chef will cook your fish the next night for your dinner. The Manta Ray safari was lovely, (on Valentine's Day) the staff are great at searching them out, the Rays are fast and one flick of their 'wings' and theyre off. We had a dinner on Valentine's night on the beach which was really nice, very romantic.
The entertainment is funny, crab racing especially but there is no pressure to join in anything, just say No thanks and they smile and leave you alone.
I would go back in a flash, the only small downside was there isnt enough sunbeds when the hotel is full but you do have a chair on your terrace to use if you cant get a bed. The island is beautiful, the house reef is FULL of fish and the water is warm and calm. There are birds and big fruit bats to see, with little lizards visiting and a friendly crow that comes to drink from the fresh water tap! Its a great island, not too big and full of noise but not too small so that there's no character and charm - Magical.
We stayed at Velidhu, for 2 weeks all inclusive & booked with Virgin.
We flew with Qatar airlines from Heathrow to Doha & Doha to Male. Qatar were great, the inflight entertainment system was excellent. Each person had their own screen & a choice of around 50 films, tv shows, documentaries, games etc etc.
We spent most of our time diving. The diving was amazing! Particularly enjoyed Maaya thila - lots of sharks! Nurse, Grey & white tips.
Euro Divers are great! Yuka, Winnie & Klass took care of us and we really enjoyed diving with them!
On one of our dives there were only 4 people and when the dive finished we noticed a big school of dolphins, about 20 odd not too far from the boat! So we grabbed our snorkels and swam out to them, they had babies so we made sure we kept our distance. It was an amazing experience and one I'll never forget! I loved listening to them chatting to each other, all the clicks and squeaks.
We also saw turtles, giant baracuda, cuttlefish, scorpion fish, lion fish and practically every fish you see in the guide books.
We took the Manta safari, luckily there were only 8 people the day we went, the day before there were 35! The mantas are so graceful, we saw 6 in total.
We didnt take any of the other day trips on offer, but spoke to other people who had. The night fishing is good if you are into fishing, the island hopping apparently isnt worth doing and they also do a dolphin safari - but you are not allowed to swim with the dolphins.
We stayed in a beach hut. We were in no 142 which looked straight out onto the beach, it was wonderful waking up to the torquiose indian ocean every morning!
The room was fine, the shower was awful, the water trickeled out, not good when your hair is as long as mine!
But the room was clean and comfortable.
The food was excellent. Buffet, with different themes each night. I liked italian it was nice to have a bit of pizza.
The Dhal curry was so good I had a bit of it almost every nite!!
And the desserts!!
We did the dinner on the beach - it was really lovely! I had a massive steak and my partner had an enormous lobster (thermidor) The food was excellent, it was very romantic sitting under the stars beside the sea. I think the dinner on the beach is a must it was so nice!
The wine list was good and the prices weren't too bad, Moet & Chandon $110, Madfish sauvignon $45. Most of the wine was around the $45 mark.
The beer was San Migel, Lion or steinburg, and they had all the regular brands of spirits.
There a couple of nice cocktails on the AI list and there were also sandwiches (nicer when toasted!)
The bar was cool, the staff are so friendly! There is different entertainment each nite which starts at 21.30. The crab racing was good fun - little tip - choose the smaller crabs they were much faster!
The wildlife on and around the island is unbelievable. Loads of baby black tipped reef sharks & rays swimming around in a few inches of water. Loads of lizards, cute little chicken birds & big fruit bats. There is a jetty that is lit up at night and there are just 100's of fish to watch. People had previously said there were loads of baby barracuda, but these are actually pipe fish.
There is a shop selling all sorts of souvenirs, crisps, chocolate & Hawaiin tropic sun lotion. There is also a jewlery shop, some of the jewlery was beautiful, but expensive.
I used the spa twice and had 2 lovely massages. The 1st a head, neck shoulder and the 2nd an aromotheraphy back massage. Lovely setting, nice staff and good prices.
All in all we had a fabulous time, but I would have been bored out of my mind if I hadnt been diving. I took 2 books and finished them both before the end of the 1st week.
I would reccomend Velidhu to everyone, its a beautiful island.
This was our 2nd visit to the Maldives and needless to say Velidhu didn't disappoint. Standing watching the seaplanes land and take off was a lovely feeling of this is going to be a fantastic fortnight and it was.
You may have seen photos of them. You may have seen them on tv or in films. You may have thought of them: "Wow! such a beautiful place!" But nothing compares to the kind of feelings that pervade you when you are there. You can't believe to your eyes, but the sea is really so crystal blue and the sand so incredibly white as you have seen on postcards. When you set foot on the island for the first time, you still don't know how many other wonders are awaiting you…
Maldives lie southwest of Sri Lanka, on the equator. They consist of 1,190 coral islands, forming an archipelago of 26 major atolls. 202 islands are inhabited, 87 are exclusive resort islands.
Velidhu Island Resort lies 80 kms from Male, is built on 19 acres, has 80 beach bungalows and 20 “over-water” bungalows.
North Ari Atoll, where Velidhu Island Resort is located, can be approached by speed boat, sea plane or dhoni (i.e. typical local boat). From my experience I advise to take the sea plane, since going by speed boat can be very uncomfortable (see "Warnings and dangers").
Velidhu Island is quite small, you can go round it in about 20 minutes. Though so small, the island offers all you can desire: an almost desert, fabulous sandy beach (it is true! although there are many tourists there, you always have the feeling that the island is almost desert, so you can have your own peace of heaven without space problems), luxuriant tropical vegetation and a very lively reef with hundreds of sea animals species (see "Things to do").
One of the 2 jetties at Velidhu
View of Velidhu from the speed boat
Hey folks, would appreicate if you could tell me about velidhu - wife and i are planning to go there next week and was wondering if we have made the right choice - looking to do some snorkelling and diving for beginners; does velidhu have good snorkelling (hows the house reef?); is the resort good value for money or should i consider rebooking somewhere else?
also, i am short sighted and wear glasses - would i be able to snorkel and dive with my glasses on?
hoping someone responds......cheers
Not much time left for you to change your mind, but you should be OK, going by the reports at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?lc=en_US&submit.y=8&returnTo=&SearchTeaser=%28your+destination%2C+hotel+or+attraction%29&where=body&geo=1&submit.x=35&q=velidhu&txid=22372&ssrc=r
Unfortunately, there's no way you can wear glasses with a mask on. I'm the same as you, sightwise, so this year I got around it by opting for daily soft contact lenses, just for wearing while snorkelling. Bit late now though.
Hi there,
stayed on velidhu in 2004 and really liked it. The standard bungalows are quite basic, but adequate. Food was excellent. The house reef is great for scuba beginner and snorkelling. Lots of colourful fish out there :).
As far as I know there are special masks for shortsighted... Better buy snorkelling gear at home if possible. The ones they had for hire weren't good.
Enjoy!
Hello everyone,
has anybody stayed at the Velidhu Resort recently? I've read many different reports about it...
How's the reef there?
Thanks a lot!
bijo
How much did you pay for the speed boat transfer from Male to Velidhu?
is there an available speed boat transfer to Kandooma from Male Airport? Do we need to reserve or is it available straightaway?
Transfers are usually included in your package price. If you are self-organising your trip to the Maldives, check with the resort as to whether a transfer is included, it usually will be.
some resorts do not allow you to arrange transfer by your self.It will normally be included with the booking. in order to save on transfer and such book trough a good local agent.
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