Maldive Islands hotels & places to stay

I loved my stay at Hurawalhi! Beautiful new property. This resort should be competing at a much higher pricepoint given the quality of the rooms, the beauty of the island, the friendly staff, the great dining/drink options, and the overall excellent experience. Arrival by seaplane you land a couple hundred meters from the island and pull up to a floating dock. You deplane, and are standing on the dock surrounded by the most beautiful blue water lagoon. Incredible first impression. -Check in was quick and efficient -Rooms were exquisite - beautiful clean design, well furnished, very comfortable bed and linens, and spectacular views. Neighbors are closeby as rooms aren't terribly spaced out, but rarely did I hear them. Sound construction with thick walls. A+ for high speed ceiling fans inside and outside, as well as AC (which turns off automatically when you open your outside doors). There are no bathtubs in room which might turn away some people - as an eco-friendly resort, I respect this decision. If you want a bath most rooms are either overwater or steps away from the ocean (or your pool)! - Resort Amenities: Even at 100% occupancy, it felt empty. Most people are either staying in the rooms with their private decks (and pool), on excursions, or eating/drinking at the bar or restaurants. Never did it feel 'crowded'. - Meals: the food buffet is really diverse and delicious. Highly recommend the full package for food/drink as it is a great value. - Private Sandbank Island: you could kayak or swim there, but it is highly frowned upon as they reserve the sandbank for guests. You can do the lunch buffet which is 2hrs and $150, OR get dropped off there for up to two hours for photography for $50 (without food/drink included). Highly recommend as the experience there was surreal without a soul in site with the clearest water surrounding you. Looking forward to heading back to the Maldives next year - really hoping Hurawalhi stays roughly the same price-- if so I might

Except that there is a quite long domestic travel time needed (domestic flight 1hr plus 20 mins speedboat travel time from Male to the resort), our stay at Maldives this time is one of the best moment in my life so far! Special thanks to the hotel staff Inaash for the great service from start to end of our journey. Please ignore other bad comments from other travelers, at least from now, the hotel service is up to 5.5 stars! Every staffs in the resort are kind, helpful and showing smiles even before you give any tips, and it is sure the hotel provide luggage delivery to your room after you check-in, and it is so even at this Feb, full booking high season! As I am a travel expert, I do know and understand the island is quite big with beautiful beach, so I would expect 10-20 mins romantic walk if the bike is being hired. Our included meals at Zest and Flavour is fabulous and the (paid) Valentine Dinning at the famous Sea Dragon is even better! Even the take away food at Deli is also above the average. It is true that at the Aqua room types the water is at 1.2 meters high since it is rocky, it is not suitable for barefoot walking, but at Aquaholic they offer free ride to snorkeling platforms or paid speedboat to best spot for snorkeling. There are many spots in the beach and resort where you can have your perfect photos in your life with just your phone camera. Everything is clean, new and modern, especially at the room, the hard working staff will do room service in the morning, and if not they will also try in the afternoon, the room is bright, brand new and fashion just like the photos in commercials.

Meeru Island considered one of the biggest Islands in Maldives. The Jetty entrance and reception area is flat and specious with scattered tall coconut trees within bigger area of surface, creating nice and joyful atmosphere and pleasant sea breeze under the shadow. The restaurants and bars are well decorated and maintained with nice and comfortable tables, sofas and cushions, floored with wet soft sands, high ceilings and the major sides are opened to circulate cool breeze. My booking was for “Water Villa”, Full Board, which has been upgraded to All Inclusive. The Water Villa in Meeru Island is unique in kind and does not exist within any other Resorts in Maldives. The Villa is exactly at the edge of sea water, where you get the feeling you are in both land and water at the same time. The Water Villa got two different level decks exists in the water, one of them got two relaxing seats and the second got two sun loungers in addition to two beach loungers beside the villa. During the high and low tides of water, the water reaches below the decks and allows the marine creatures to be roaming in front of the Water Villa. The best area for swimming and snorkeling in Meeru Island Resort is in front of the Water Villas area, where there is soft sand, clear water and exciting views. Being you are accommodated at Water Villas, this adds more enjoyment to your beach swimming and other activities. . The only short fall in the Resort which is available of most of Resorts in Maldives is not availability of extended decks of restaurants and bars over the water. My stay at Meeru Island Resort was fantastic and memorable and definitely I would recommend strongly to stay at “Water Villa” for real enjoyment and feeling as you are in paradise.

Special thanks to Joey, Rekha and Yasir from Grand Park Maldives. Joey is very patience in touring us around the hotel prior our check-in. We feel very welcome by her and her colleagues when we arrived at the hotel. We were surprised by Rekha's extra miles service. We missed the chance to see Dolphins swim on our Day2 when we go for our breakfast. So we arrived earlier on the next morning. But we still didn't get to see it despite staying there over an hour. However, after we left not long later, the Dolphins arrived. Rekha remembers our room number, and she called to inform us. She deserve to be complimented. As for Yasir, he also deserve to be complimented. We were having our dinner at the Resturant before we depart to the airport. He takes the initiative to help us keep track on the timing to ensure that we don't miss our ferry timing to the airport. We would definitely recommend Grand Park Maldives to our friends and family when they travel to Maldives!!

The first place that I have been on holiday where the views are the same as the photos you see advertising the hotel. White sands, aqua blue seas and a real tropical island paradise. Of course Paradise has a price tag and it’s pretty hefty but then you must remember that living on an island is not cheap. Generation of electricity, desalination of water removal of waste by boat, hotel staff living on island as well etc all have to be paid for. We went bed and breakfast and so paid for evening meals at the restaurants at the hotel where you should allow GBP200 per night for a family of four. Think of it as eating in a top restaurant but located in the Maldives. Oddly enough, whilst the food is expensive the alocohol is relatively good value. USD 5 for a beer, USD 7 for a glass of wine and so on. Everything is priced in USD at the hotel and best to bring a big pile of cash to avoid additional credit card charges. The water sports are also quite expensive. It was USD 80 for 1 hour on the trimaran, USD 60 for 10 Mins on the towable inflatable and 55 USD each for a half day island hopping tour. Avoid the island hopping tour as it is just an excuse for the boat people to take you to a local island and gift shop where they try to sell you expensive souvenirs. Although I don’t think badly of anyone for trying to do this as life is tough for a local living in the Maldives and they have to make their way in life some how. I found the hotel staff friendly and helpful and the beaches and sea are second to none- superb. The accommodation is a little tired and needing maintenance. All in all an excellent holiday and worth the money we paid although expensive

Just returned from 9 days at this island resort. This is a very well run efficient resort. We did not have all inclusive as we prefer to eat in the other 4 restaurants. The staff here are delightful, very helpful and friendly. We did a few excursions, Manta ray snorkel where we saw lots of Mantas, another snorkel trip and the sunset dolphin cruise. Drinks are very expensive as they are on all the Maldive islands. The house reef is spectacular, lots of sea life including black tip reef sharks and sting rays and lots of colourful fish. The sea is turquoise warm and clear. Would definitely recommend.

The water villa with a mini pool and jacuzzi were well designed and setup with direct access for snorkelling. All settings and attention to details from this resort for the rooms are really top class. You will almost find everything you need without fuss. For a few days in this resort you will see what you want overall and expect in a Maldives getaway. No wow factor for the island but meet the expected standard of Maldives. Particularly recommended if one wants a relaxing trip or the first time coming to Maldives. Close to airport by speedboat also save you some cost over seaplane. All staffs on the Island were nice, friendly and helpful must also highlight the butler service. Only obvious shortfall of this resort is the operating staff at the airport reception counter who was not matching the service level set at the resort that I would say she was the worst people that I met from all resorts and hotels that I stayed in Maldives. Particularly she was the first point of contact when you just arrived and she will definitely makes you wondered and worried what you get yourself into for the coming few days.

First of all I’m a Solo Travel who went to Maldives even I’m aware that it is a Couples Paradise. I still pushed through with this trip because all I care is just to have a Good Island Experience especially in a group of islands in Maldives. + I found Malahini to have a Good Island Accommodation Deal compared to those Luxurious Islands. They have Speed Boat waiting for you when you arrive at the MLE Airport. The access from the arrivals to the boat was just across the arrival exit. - (though I waited for another guest for almost an hour which made me a bit pissed) but its ok. They welcome you in their Lobby with their Special drink with Cold Towel. You’ll have to pay separately for the Speedboat Going and Going back upon arrival . So just have it ready. The Staff are so Nice from Check in to Room Clerk, Baristas in Azul (their island bar) to their Waiters in the Maaga Restaurant. I didn’t even feel so alone at all. Beautiful small Island. I’ll come back for sure.

Agoda booking engines itself is excellent ! Even after I need to change my booking date and couldn't get it done on my original booking, Agoda still refund my administration fees after I cancelled my original booking and booked another hotel in Maldives with Agoda. The arrangement between Agoda and the hotel also are excellent. There was some miscommunication on my arrival date which resulted that I have to spent my time at the airport from 0100hrs until 0800hrs, I'm still satisfied with way the agent at the airport handled me after I approached them after the open the booth at 0800hrs in the morning. When the boat were approching Kurumba, I already amazed with what I've seen. The view was so amazing ! The Guest Relations Officer also was very friendly when welcoming us to Kurumba. While waiting to complete the registration, we we served with the welcoming drinks in a very cosy waiting lounge. I will definately return to Kurumba again, and this time, with all my kids ! Thank you Agoda. Thank you Kurumba !

If you're reading this review...you should know you're considering one of the most beautiful resorts in the entire world. There are so many places to begin...but you should feel beyond confident in booking Anantara. You have access to Veli (free pontoon boat goes back and forth every 10 minutes.) . When speaking to a ton of the employees at the resort, they all talk about how Anantara Dhigu has the nicest lagoon out of any of the resorts they have worked at or seen in the Maldives. It truly is special and a place out of this world. The feedback here is for management, and in should no way at all precent you from booking....this is easily the best place i've EVER stayed and I travel all over the world, all the time. Management should provide each villa with 2 bicycles, instead of you having to steal from other peoples or stressing about having a bike. There are never any on any rack (and I was there for 2 full weeks). Management should also not charge $12 for every water.

The Maldives are absolutely incredible. The most romantic place we have ever been and we could not have picked a better hotel to stay in. From the moment we arrived at the airport we were treated like royalty with excellent, friendly service throughout our entire stay. The hotel is one of the nicest in the Maldives and the public areas such as the pool, beach, bars and restaurant are top notch and impeccably maintained every day. The beach always has fresh towels, the restaurants always have friendly waiters, the dive center will gladly lend you top of the line snorkeling gear free of charge and if you pick up the phone a fresh bucket of ice will be delivered to your room swiftly. We stayed in an over water villa with a pool (after receiving a generous upgrade that we did not dream of) and the room was even more stunning than the online photos. Everything is brand new, the room is cleaned twice a day and even the private pool gets cleaned daily so that it always looks so refreshingly inviting. The main restaurant where breakfast and dinner were served had more staff than guests so we never had to wait for anything. The buffet was arranged beautifully with 10-15 hot dishes every Breakfast and Dinner, cold dishes, a salad bar, yogurt bar fruit bar and omelette station in the mornings, Desert bar and ice cream bar in the evenings and many more thing I can't remember. Best of all, even though the island was relatively full, we never felt like there were more than a few other people staying there and we kept remarking that the place is so quiet and peaceful, like our own private island. Don't miss your chance to stay at this unbelievable retreat!!!!

If you're headed to Maldives, you should be willing and prepared to spend a little more than usual. Constance Halaveli isn't cheap, but in my opinion worth every cent. ROOMS - exactly like you see in the pictures - spacious, comfortable, luxurious and with a lovely plunge pool and direct access to the ocean (chest-high water). A few pleasant surprises as well - the TV was attached to a Mac, with a wireless keyboard and mouse, web browsers, iPod dock and the usual TV channels. The room was also stocked with the little things you may need to enjoy the beach and ocean: life vests, raincoats, even a useful beach tote. DINING - make sure you go on a half-board basis, meaning breakfast and dinner buffets are included (excluding drinks). Breakfast is the usual international spread, but dinner is really something to shout about. It's a different theme every night, and in the 5 nights I was there, I enjoyed (in order) seafood, Italian, Japanese, Middle-Eastern and European. I skipped the last one to try one of the restaurants, which was great too. ACTIVITIES - Some are free (e.g. kayaking and pedal boating), but the rest (fishing, sunset cruise, snorkeling trips etc) come at a pretty steep cost. There are different activities every day and night, both free and charged. Free ones include movie screenings on the beach, yoga by the sea, and volleyball matches. SERVICE - Attentive, friendly, and helpful. There's an international line-up of staff ready to assist guests from every country in their own language, which I'm sure the many non-English-fluent guests greatly appreciated. OVERALL - If you're going to Maldives, go for the "full" experience. This means opting for a water villa (unless you have young children - it might be dangerous) in the best hotel you can afford. And Constance Halaveli is surely one of the best.

The resort is an absolute paradise! We stayed at their Water Villa with pool. When you arrive at this island you will really feel the warmth welcome of their staffs. Mr. Ahmed really made sure that we got everything we need. Their water villa with pool is perfect! The housekeeping makes sure that the villa is always clean. Our only suggestion is for them to install a doorbell in their villas because you won’t be able to hear if someone is knocking once you’re outside swimming by the pool. As for their food, they have a great selection and it was all good. They even prepared a romantic table set-up for us to celebrate our anniversary dinner. Their staffs are very accomadating and friendly. They always make sure that all their guests are well taken care of. Kudafushi is a sure bliss! It has always been our dream to visit the Maldives and Kudafushi didn’t disappoint our Maldivian experience. Kudafushi made our 8th wedding anniversary a very memorable one. Hoping to visit this island again someday.

This was our second visit to Maldives. First time we have visited bigger resort, and this time we have decide to try Fushifaru. Everything was great, event better then first time. Sunset Beach Pool vila is perfect, with modern equipment and furniture. Staff is polite and friendly. Island is 40min away from Male with sea plane. Beach is very good. Pros: - New resort with modern equipment - Great staff - Good beach - Nice pool - Good options for water sports - Free water, coffee and tea in rooms - Bathrooms are state of art, you will enjoy in every second - Free alcohol during dinner time in restaurant Cons: - Food - it should be better. Chefs are doing they best, but diversity and quality of food must be on higher level for 5 star resort. - There are traces of construction works on island and in water. - A little bit overpriced Tip: if you booked just breakfast, email resort in front to take a dinner as well, for us it was $49 per person per day and it is best option.

our stay at angsana was definitely worth it. i actually considered booking at another resort that has mostly 'sand'. i checked out angsana velaveru and saw with the aerial shots that it had more corrals than the other resort we were considering. i'm a beach person and really would like to lounge in the soft sand. however, some friends told me there would not be much fish to see without corrals..to our delight, angsana as would most of the resorts in the maldives, was paradise at first sight. it must be the long travel time it took before getting there, but really, our stay made us feel that we were in paradise..with little bunnies and birds fluttering about during breakfast.. it's a fairly small island compared to other resorts, but was really convenient. you call walk around the island maybe in an hour or less, and kayak around it in 30 minutes..half of the island had fine sand, while the other half was facing corrals. so i guess we got the best of both. i don't know with other resorts, but angsana has free daily snorkeling trips (2x a day) and free complimentary yoga sessions (daily). we never expected to enjoy snorkeling so much that we joined the daily trip and even booked for night snorkeling.. getting the pool villa was great. after heading to the beach, we jump into the cold pool and wash off the seawater from our suits.it's like a giant bathtub.you also get an outdoor shower, and get to enjoy bathing outside without ever worrying about anyone might be peeping. the toilet is also open air (not enclosed, though connected to the room), so it doesnt smell when you know what. after 3 nights staying in a deluxe beachfront pool villa, we moved to the premiere in ocean villa..the feel was different. it was grand and relaxed at the same time. the pool was definitely great compared to the photos of other more posh resorts. for the price, i'd say my stay at angsana was worth it. i'm truly looking forward to anther trip to the maldives if the budget pe

We were a group of 3 couples, and we searched for months for the right hotel. This was an amazing find! Maldives IS expensive, and there are better places, as well as some ordinary ones. Reethi Faru is simply fantastic! The island is breathtaking, the house reef is rich in marine life, the staff is super attentive and friendly, the rooms are spacious, comfortable, with amazing bath tubes, "outdoor" shower as well as indoor, and an amazing balcony into the water (water bungalows). There are plenty of aqua sports activities, but even just snorkeling in the reef around the island is a fantastic experience. The all-inclusive package is worth it. The transfer from the Male airport was well managed by the hotel. I would certainly recommend it and hope to go back there!

This is a brand-new resort which just opened, so the local team is still busy applying the finishing touches here and there, but there is no noise or other disturbance of the guests. The overall atmosphere and standard is very luxurious, in line with other high-end resorts in the Maldives. What I really liked is the open-air area of the water villas, as the private pool and the wooden terrace with the day bed and sun lounges is much bigger than what you would get at similar resorts in this price range. The island itself it not really big, but it has a fantastic lagoon and really beautiful beach with many coconut palm trees around the area of the beach villas. I highly recommend to do snorkeling at the house reef or scuba diving as the number of reef fish in Baa atoll is just amazing, we have also seen dolphins every day, just outside the house reef. For a new hotel, I really was impressed about the quality of the service and the food, especially the dinner which is part of the half-board program. I will definitely return to this hotel.

It was definitely a lifetime experience. The room is super spacious, good size individual plunge pool facing the Indian Ocean, though you could still hear your neighbours, but thankfully in an acceptable volume. The surrounding house coral reef is good for elementary snorkeling, sadly many of them are just dead white coral, but the farther you go, you could still meet with some colourful and intricate corals, and many tropical fish, many... it's a must-do in Dusit Thani. The staff were very attentive, they could all speak good English. Food was nice, and thankfully the price range was still acceptable, not sucking every single penny for your wallet. The island was huge, in Maldives standard, you could enjoy the sweet tranquility anywhere on the island, wonderful for honeymoon. Becoz of the location it was only accessible via seaplane, albeit the price, it was definitely one of the gem in this journey, absolutely an unforgettable journey to glaze all the blues over the Indian Ocean.

We had an amazing time at Huvafen Fushi, where you're taken care of from arrival right through to departure (literally, as they escort you right into the departure hall). The island has good facilities, surrounded by pristine waters, and has a good range of sea sports for the more adventurous. I'm terrified of heights but mustered enough courage to parasail, and I'm really glad I did (i.e. amazing birds eye view of the island). The staff were professional and at no time was there cause for anxiety. My overwater lagoon bungalow was well furnished and modern, and we were greeted by the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean each morning. If I were to stay at Huvafen Fushi again, I'll pick the ocean bungalow which has an unparalleled view of the most beautiful sunset. Our Thakuru (butler), Afzal, took care of us and was just a phone call away. He showed us around the property, made sure that our speed boat transfers matched our flight timings, picked us up for our activities etc. Essentially, any possible worries that a traveler could have was taken care of. The only slight complaint that I might have would be the television. The cable channel selection was great, just that the remote was strangely difficult to navigate - but this is really just nitpicking. Our stay was incredible and it sucks to have left paradise. For those who only have a short time in Maldives, pick Per Aquum Huvafen Fushi, as it's only 30mins away by boat. Cheers!

Should have wrote this review a month ago but was too tied up after the trip. But told myself I must do this as Coco Bodu Hithi Resort is really commendable and highly recommended. It will be a tough choice for us if we were to return to Maldives. Should we try a new resort or return to Coco Bodu Hithi??? This is one of our most memorable holiday. Everything was perfect though there were some small hiccups to our excursion activities. However, the resort has more than made up for it with the attentive service. We were there from 28th May to 1 June, 4 nights. We had the best of both worlds, stayed 2 nights at Coco Residence and 2 nights at Island Villa. Should try both, its a total different feel and enjoyment. The most commendable about this resort accommodation is they allow 4 "adults" in a villa. This is a family vacation and we have two 15 years old children with us. We had a great time together in the villa. From the moment we touched down from the plane till we take off heading back, everything was so nicely taken care of and coordinated. Tried all 4 restaurants and snacks at latitude bar, everything was so yummy and well presented. Though food and beverage were a little pricey, but considering the logistics of transporting everything to the island, the number of staffs to run the place and the quality of food, it is probably reasonable. We tried 2 excursion activities, fishing trip (though did not managed to complete the trip even with 2 attempts) and Coral Garden Snorkelling, enjoyed both excursions. We booked the fishing trip on the 2nd day afternoon but waited for 45mins, were told that there were no boat for us. The reservation desk had overlooked our booking and all boat were out. The butler, Gotham, was very apologetic and made us a special concoction cocktail at the lounge. 2nd attempt next morning and we have to wake up at 6am for the 7am fishing trip. After 45 minutes, our boat broke down. Another fishing boat has to come to our rescue. Fortunatel

On our first visit to the Maldives, Furaveri far and away exceeded our expectations. In just a short week, the staff got to know us and anticipated the little things we liked without ever being pushy or intrusive. A special shout out to Salaam at the restaurant, who seemed to make every one of our meals that much more special. The grounds were immaculate, from our pool villa to the beach that encircles the small island. Spa services were reasonably priced yet exceptional. We can’t say enough. We had always planned to revisit the Maldives several times and stay at many resorts, but it will be hard to pass up Furaveri when we know it’s such a sure bet. Particularly impressive was the fact that they’re a year old, so I expect the staff only to continue to impress. The only suggestion we’d make is to continue to expand vegetarian options at the restaurant, as they can get repetitive over the course of a week. All in all, Furaveri gave us a world-class honeymoon, and we’re truly grateful.

Perfect honeymoon destination, loved this place! Review after couple of weeks of travel. I had done lott of research before booking this place. That really helped, because I got many tips from all the reviews. Some were useful some were not so much. To begin with Maldives is so scenic, beautiful that you fall in love with this place. You take out your camera and click a pic, and it is a wallpaper pic you have got. Male Airport - Sun Island is quite far from Male airport. You really need to be smart while scheduling your flights. Approx 3-4 Flyme plane flights are operated during the day. You should plan your arrival in Male accordingly else you end up spending 2-4 hours at the Male airport. The airport is not big, you have to sit out where there is no AC. And there is no WiFi. It has some food joints where you can have your meal if needed. and this applies for return journey as well. We had booked Sun Island holiday for 5 days but it turns out major part of first and last day was spent in travelling so we could only get 3 full days at the resort. As already mentioned in many reviews, you need to report to counter 16 at the Male airport where all guests of Villa Hotels report. They take you to the Flyme plane airport which is 5-7 minutes walk from Male airport. Flyme plane takes you to Mamigili island airport (30 minute flight, no AC in flight, gets too hot sometimes) where a bus is waiting for you and your luggage is transported by them to the jetty. You confirm your luggage and then you board a speed boat (capacity approx 24). In 15 minutes you reach Sun Island resot and Spa. Welcome- The staff welcomes you with welcome drink and a nice wet towel. A person is assigned who checks you in and explains you the map of the island resort. You are given a key card according to the plan you have booked (HB, FB, AI), you need to carry with you and might need to show while making some purchase/booking. They Track your expenses during the stay, Payment for souvenirs, w

My wife and I decided to go to Maldives to celebrate our third year wedding anniversary as well as our birthdays. Booking for a resort in Maldives is not easy as there are almost 200 resorts available. We are glad we chose Anantara Veli and definitely, we will go back to this resort when we visit Maldives again. Anantara Veli is just one of the high-end, private yet reasonably-priced resorts of Anantara group. Veli is recommended for couples young and old as the resort is packaged for people who want to go for a honeymoon. For travellers with kids. the nearby Anantara Dhigu is the place to book since many kid-friendly facilities are housed there. Going back to Veli, there are options if you prefer a villa on the beach or villa over water. To get the Maldive experience, we chose to stay on the decently-sized villa over water; complete with a very big bed, a lounge sofa, a sun daybed, a big master toilet with rainshower and tub. Anything that you would need in a hotel is in Veli -- and everything is posh! The included breakfast buffet is superb! No complaints, as there are many to choose from. And if you get tired of eating at the same restaurant in the morning, you can opt to go to the nearby Dhigu and have your breakfast there. There are Japanese, Western, Thai themed restaurants as well for lunch and dinner. The prices are a bit on the high side, but overall dining experience is always great. The room service menu choices are varied and reasonably priced as well. The staff are very attentive and personal. They can arrange anything for you, and you can sense the sincerity in all their actions. The best trait for any service personnel. This you can feel from the waitstaff to the manager. Another reason why we chose this resort is because of the ease of travel from Male. You just need to ride their in-house very fast speedboats which will bring you to the resort in 35-40 minutes from Male. Definitely, the Maldivian experience is not overhyped with Anantara

if you're looking for a relaxing getaway, this is the place to be. i stayed at the mirihi island resort as a single traveler. knowing the maldives are notorious for honeymooners, i figured i would just hang on the beach or on the deck of my water bungalow. this was ok with me because i was looking for that type of holiday. but that was not the case at all. the staff and other guests were so friendly. i never felt out of place being the only solo guest on the island. the staff invited me to the events happening on the island, such as the daily football (soccer) game. it is mainly played by the staff, but guest are encouraged to join. the dive shop and staff are the best i have come across. i thought i would dive 1 day, 2 tanks. i wound up diving 4 days. it was amazing!! hassan is the best dive master! he's from the maldives and really knows the waters, fish, fauna and wrecks. i did not have the opportunity to eat in the restaurant over the water. this was mainly due to the fact that i was a single table and felt a bit odd (only within myself, not by the staff or guests). also the restaurant is not included in the stay, so i was being a bit frugal considering this trip was costing me a small fortune coming from america. the main restaurant that is included in the price was great. the chef came out every night and spoke to the guests, even telling them how things were made. i walked away with one of his recipes. it was stunning to have a table basically on the beach, watching the sunset. finally, i would hands down recommend staying in a water bungalow over a beach villa. if you have kids, the beach villa might be a better option, however if you are honeymooning or solo, the water bungalow is worth every bit. if you are debating which atoll to visit, the south ari is the best for diving. if you are contemplating between resorts in the south ari atoll, book mirihi. you won't be disappointed.

I was glad that I have chosen Baros for my first maldive trip after months of research I had done. for people who have never been to maldive...look no further but Baros. First of all it was near to the airport...upon reaching the airport you will be greet by their friendly representative and the hotel is just 20 mins away from the private speedboat. When you reached Baros, several staffs are happily waiting there to greet and welcome you. you will immediately feel like a vvip. I have chosen the pool villa, 360 degree of sea view is awesome and with the crystal clear water, I do snorkelling countless times direct from villa. I have joined their special programme like the evening dophin champagne cruise, snorkelling safari and diving. All their programme were memorable with experienced guide I cannot list out even one negative of Baros Maldive and had promised my lover will definitely be back again

The water villa is really beautiful and clean , i really enjoyed the huge bathtub and having the plunge pool was great after snorkeling! Service was great, except i think our butler was serving many people so it sometimes took a while to respond. However really outstanding service and experience with the dive center, especially Issey who made our jet ski and fishing trip very memorable. Wifi was also provided thru out the villa which was very convenient. Recommend to take the snorkeling trip or jet ski to the islands for more fish as there are very limited fish on this island. However going out i saw some baby sharks and manta ray at the place where the reef drops off. Trip from Male is around 1 hour so its a bit further but very well worth it!

We stayed 5 nights during a bit stormy week (india/sri lanka stom) with a little sun and lots of rain (rare for Maldives). However, there was always something to do in the resort. We never got bored. Everyday we had a chance to snorkel out of our water studio (free gear), using the gym (free), using the entertainment room (mostly free), windsurfing (free), kayaking (free), sailing (charge), … lots to mention with charge. If you have nothing to do, you can relax in any corner of the island. Pool area set up is great to spend ½ of your time if u have nothing to do. Your room has an iPad & Bose system to play your own music out of your iPod or iPhone. The room complementary Nespresso coffee, ice-cream, & snack is good enough supply for each day. Room fragrance is always available & even mosquitoes spray is provided in the room. The staff keeps spoiling you throughout the day and night with name recognition & greetings. All staff has a mobile and reachable with a unique mobile internal system to get answer from any one you have asked earlier for a tip or service. All were friendly starting from your own room assistant all the way to the resort general manager. Chef also treat you personally when u having your meals. Service is excellent in all aspects. The food was decent with many choices. We liked room service a lot. Prices are reasonable for a 5 star resort. Resort water sport center and boats are all new and highly equipped. The state of the art ocean bar, restaurant & nightclub is another experience by its own. It is a must experience and need boat transportation (500 meters away). You also can adopt a coral under marine program to save the reefs. The only thing is the scenery 45 minutes flight to the resort and might be expensive. Definitely we will come back to Niyama Maldives in our future Maldives visit.