Maldives Hotels

Vilamendhoo island Resort: Paradise

by davetrucker

We travelled out on 7th June 07 with First Choice . We had upgraded to Premier Class. I can only say first class. I am 6ft plus and the extra leg room was really good. The seats were extra wide as well. All drinks were included throughout the flight and were served in glass not plastic- as were the meals- on china. The staff looked after us very well, on call all the way. Well worth the upgrade. Once in the airport at Male our cases were unloaded first so we were not in the airport long . transferred to the seaplane terminal .Cases weighed again then boarding cards given. We had to wait about 45mins for our flight. I really enjoyed it as this was the first time I had been in a small plane. Great views for the 25 min flight at about 1500 transfer from plane to island by boat. We were meet on the jetty with a cool towel and drink. Filled in paperwork then we were taken to our room by our roomboy ,luggage followed shortly. We had room 121. I think this was a great position midway between restaurant/ main bar and sunset bar ,10 secs to a lovely stretch of beach. You have your own sunbeds with a mattress as well Our waiter was Shafeen and he looked after us for the 2wks. Changed our table for as we were not keen on it. In the main bar Jack looked after us 95% of the time (can't remember his full name we called him Jack ) he would never see us without a drink. Alli was in charge of customer relations and would come and sit and talk to people . There is not a lot to do at night -disco on fri night, We had live music one night and crab racing another, but most of the time we just sat and chatted with people we had met. Mostly English and German guests.

The days were spent on the beach snorkeling and being lazy. There is a dive school on the island. We did get some rain but knew this would be the case in June. The dress code is casual. We went bare foot or just flip flops for 2wks as you are walking on sand all the time. Don't go here if you want a wild time. just chill out time. It was our first time in the Maldives and we loved it . A big thank you to all the staff at vilamendhoo that made holiday wonderful
Liked — natural unspoilt island

Embudu Village- basic but great

by Jill2002

22nd April to 9th May 2008
Just returned from a wonderful 18 days visit to Embudu. Rooms:- The rooms are basic, but who spends time in their room? They were spotlessly clean. We were staying in No. 26 which has no view of the beach and if we were staying in the Beach Bungalow for the whole holiday, we probably would have asked to move. They had indoor bathrooms, which is quite unusual in the Maldives. However, we upgraded to a Water Bungalow for the last 10 days and it was lovely. The shower was better in this room and there was a jacuzzi bath. It was still an indoor bathroom, but has a glass roof. There was also tea/coffee facilities and TV in the room. The balcony over the water and the glass floor were great, however, it is almost impossible to sit on the balcony for any length of time in the morning, when the sun is on it - it is just too hot!!!! This is the less windy side of the island. But don't be fooled - that is NOT a good thing!!!! The heat can be unbearable without the air movement. There was no access to the water from the balcony, but the reef is shallow there. Food:- The food was excellent. I am a fussy eater and there was always something for everyone, plenty of variety over the holiday. We had MOOSA as our waiter. He is the BEST !!!! He was great fun and always had a smile. Ask him to show you his magic tricks!! In the restaurant, you sit at the same table for each meal and share with other guests of the same nationality. Staff:- All the staff are very friendly and react when you give them a smile and say hello. Special mention to Nadee and Udani in the bar. They really looked after us. Diving:- The Diverland dive centre was good and very strict on safety. Paul didn't do any of the boat dives, but just stayed on the house reef - there was plenty to see. We got to know the staff quite well and were sorry to see Manuel leave and happy that Arjan (Stretch) arrived while we were there. What a lovely man - he will be a great asset to the centre. Snorkling:- Plenty to see all around the island even at the waters edge. Lots of small sharks skimming the shore and loads of variety of fish just a short walk/swim away. Some people saw turtles and a Manta Ray while snorkling. Even if you don't go into the water, there is lots to see just off either jetty. Mozzies and other wildlife:- They sprayed the island whilst we were there. I still got bitten, but I usually do. Embudu is no worse than any where else I have visited. There were a few cats on the island, which I assume was to keep any nasties at bay- we didn't see any. There is an Aviary near reception with loads of budgies, a few cockateels & finches. A few fruit bats on the island. Entertainment: Disco night on Sunday, Diverland slideshow and a magician/acrobat. Guests:- There are a variety of guests staying on Embudu. German, French, Swiss, Dutch, Japanese, American (only one - the lovely Lisa!) and of course now British (yes Richard, this includes the Welsh!!). Apparently, this is the first time in the Thomson brochure, since it's merger with TUI. There are not many British guests at any one time, the island is predominently German. To sum up:- This is our third visit to the Maldives (previously Lohifushi and Kuredu). Although Embudu is a budget island, there is nothing missing. The only thing that I could possibly say that was disappointing, was the vision of the sandbags as soon as you arrive. It sort of spoils the 'natural/paradise' feel, but I understand the reason for them and they are necessary. Whilst we were there, the sandbank changed shape completely. Would we go back to Embudu? Definately.

ALL OF THEM: AT LEAST 4 STAR

by DAO

A lot of people who have never been to the Maldives ask 'how good are some of the hotels?' Rest assured thee Maldives in essentially an island nation that offers nothing other than luxury 4 & 5 star hotels to tourists (outside of Malé Island). Essentially what you should expect is a hotel resort with its own island and 24 hour reception. Rooms will either be on the beach or a water bungalow (more expensive). You will have a couple of restaurants and bars with special meals on the beach a big extra charge. You do not need cash until the last day. Everything is charged to your room and a 10% service charge on top. Free activities include wind surfing and canoes. You can take a 1 day scuba diving excursion or book a whole certification course. You will also have access to the island health & beauty spa for a huge range of services. The gift shop will sell you disposable underwater cameras, expensive snacks and luxury jewellery. There is a nightly activity or cabaret and movies are shown in the bar during the day. And the best part? They Call it ‘No news – no shoes’. You have peace and quiet all the time.

Thinking about a honeymoon or just a romantic holiday? You just picked the right country.

Filitheyo Island: Filitheyo

by Lucieee

Lovely, natural island with wonderful food & superb snorkelling.

Nature all around you

by BarbieGirl

Velidhu Island: Only you

by BarbieGirl

Sangu Resort

by Russ60

The level of service in the Sangu Resort was excellent as was the selection of food. There was a buffet style breakfast with various hot and cold selections as well as a cooking station where the chefs would prepare omlettes, fried eggs, scrambled eggs etc.

We chose to stay in a Jacuzzi Beach Villa because in order to use the facilities of the Sangu Resort your accommodation had to be either a Jacuzzi Beach Villa or a Water Villa. Our personnal thoughts were that the Water Villas were possibly at the wrong side of the Island whereas the Beach Villas had a fantastic uncrowded beach and the sun virtually all day.

Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru: 5 Star Resort in Baa Atoll (North of Maldives)

by seyedmh

Laguna Beach Resort.: A return journey here is on the cards.

by STEWMASS

Beautiful surroundings is standard fare in the Maldives, so you shouldn't be disappointed in that respect if you choose Laguna Beach.

We stayed at the Laguna Beach resort which is only a 40 minute boat trip south from the airport and we were very impressed with this island. You will certainly have the choice of water bungalows or opt for land villas only a short distance from the water's edge. The resort has its own dive centre and has 5 restaurants including Chinese, Italian, BBQ and a la carte.

You will be able to walk round the complete island in approx 15 mins and the capital Male is within easy reach for a day trip.

The Laguna resort is part of the Universal Group and is equipped with modern facilities, good choice of dining options and has a small number of small shops which sell local hand made crafts and hire snorkelling gear. There is also a spa for those who want to pamper themselves and a tennis court for those who feel energetic.

There is a small pool area. However, when there is beautiful clear crystal waters and white sands only a few strides awy, it is unlikely that you will be spending much time here.

You will also be able to hire a speedboat or paddle a kayak round the island. I went round our island twice and wondered why I had stiff shoulders the next day!

In common with the majority of the islands, Laguna has its own coral reef and it is possible to snorkel out 150m and still be in only 2 feet of water. There is an abundance of fish in the area so make sure you take an underater camera. Even the cheap disposable cameras produce surprisingly good results.

In summary Laguna is an excellent resort and one which I will be visiting again in the future.

Sun Island Resort & Spa: Great island

by titinha

The resort has many activities including: Table Tennis, Badminton & Squash Courts, Diving School, Internet Cafe, Souvenir Shops.
There are two restaurants; one for guests staying the deluxe bungalows and one (much smaller and personal) serving guests from the water bungalows. Both serve oriental, asian and international dishes. In the seven days we were there, no dish was ever served twice.
The rooms have a mini bar and the prices are reasonable (US$5.50) for a beer.
Although we were on an All inclusive package we still had a meal the coffee shop which came to $18 for two people and the drinks were charged to the All inclusive.

Well what can I say about the resort's location?...It's on an island, there's only the resort on it. The beaches are of white-sand like powder. the views are breathtaking, whatever part of the island you're on. All the rooms have sea views.