This was a week of absolute paradise..until...It's a great location with gentle lapping waves on the shore, clean (if rather small) beach villa room, our outdoor bathroom even had a palm tree growing in it! Hot running water was short-lived. Food became boring and samey after a few days as it was a repetitive buffet... breakfast was not worth getting up for...go to the coffee shop instead from 10am where you get served the same stale breads and pastries! Dinner...get there early to eat or hot dishes are cold or finished. Dinner commenced rather late at 8pm. An all inclusive resort but only white wine from a drink dispenser or beer was included in the price at dinner. The nightly entertainment was 90% conducted in Italian which left us as Brits feeling somewhat alienated...the resort is Italian run and the majority of guests are Italian. The beach is clean and swept daily, waters crystal clear and the house reef easily accessible....we found Nemo! Took a day trip on our last day...Christmas Day... to a deserted island where we were given spaghetti for lunch! Returned to find my friend and I had both had our purses emptied of most of our cash...just a few notes of each currency remained, so on first glance looked OK but on further inspection found we'd been robbed of nearly $1000 between us. The resort made us feel like villains rather than victims and claimed this was the first such event in years. The police arrived the next morning and we made our statements etc. We were advised on arrival to not bother with a safe as the island was so safe and only inhabited by their own workers and crime was not heard of...we wish we'd insisted on the $2 a day safe! We'd kept our villa locked at all times therefore this was definitely a staff member. Other huge problem I had with this resort is that the water out of the taps is NOT drinking water, however you have to purchase bottled water to consume at $2.50 a small bottle and this is supposed to be an all inclusive resort...fair enough during the daytime you can get it in an open cup (4fl oz) and drink for free from the bar/coffee shop...but in your rooms or on the beach you need to buy the bottles...this I think is outrageous and a con. The mini bar is completely paid for drinks. The cocktails are of poor quality alcohol and not particularly pleasant to drink. The other issue we had was the return sea plane to Male...the resort booked us onto a sea plane 5 hours before our flight out of Male...this is a taxi service and a later trip would have been much more suitable however we were put on the plane to make up places as flight to Italy were checking in as we arrived at Male....this is not an airport you want to spend this much time before check in! A beautiful area in the Maldives, but I'd recommend you go to a safer island where you won't get ripped off or robbed by in-house staff.

The island is beautiful with several nice beaches, the rooms (we had a beach bungalow) are very nice decent size with outdoor shower. It is a good hotel but could with a bit more work be even better.

Where the hotel could improve compared to other islands is front desk service where sometimes the staff had an almost total lack of english ability that hindered first class service and not least the kitchen.

The menu is quite repetitive and most ingredients are over-cooked, served cold when they should be hot, etc, there also seems to be too much re-use of leftovers from yesterday going on. Overall a better more inspired chef with the same raw materials and providing greater supervision of the local staff could get much better results and with the same cost. It's a shame because so much else about the hotel and island is very nice.

Except for the kitchen the all inclusive concept works, the bar had a reasonable choice of drinks and cocktails, but would be nice with a choice of redwine for dinner included in the all inclusive. The white wine served is not that inspired and should be possible to improve even with a reasonably low price point for the all inclusive.

The service provided at the dive centre was fantastic and both dive guides and local crew did a great job. The island has several excellent dive spots in close proximity and if you are a diver don't miss the night dive on Maaya Thila.

Just got back from a 10 day break at Maayafushi Island Resort. We were the only other English couple staying on the Island - the majority of guests were Italian and some Swiss and French too. We felt this was an advantage as we like meeting people from other parts of the world. Everyone was great. The guests were a mix of couples and families. The children were v well behaved.
The reef of the Island is simply AMAZING - we swam with baby sharks, mantas, found Nemo! and an abundance of beautiful tropical fish literally outside our door step. We even saw dolphins one evening, swimming about 2 meters from the edge of the reef. You can walk around the entire island in 10 minutes. The beach is huge and beautiful with powder white and. It is simply breath taking.
The rooms and the beach were kept clean at all times. It was literally spotless. The rooms were very basic (only shampoo provided in bathroom, no soaps or creams) but cleaned x3 a day. Location of beach bungalows is excellent - literally with the sea at your door step.
Entertainment staff were fantastic. You are on holiday to relax and have fun and laughter. And they certainly provide that. Plus you can do yoga, pilates and water aerobics daily which was a bonus. We took the night fishing excursion, turtle island and desert island which were v enjoyable, well organised and v good value.
Fresh fish served everyday which we loved.
Things that can be improved:
- The food was plentiful but lacking in variety and quality of bread (for breakfast) can be improved. Also invest in some hot plates to keep it warm!
- The deck chairs are plastic and do not have any mattresses/cushion. I expect that in a 4* resort for added comfort and does not cost much.
- The caged birds: this was v upsetting! We are not living in the middle ages here. There is so much emphasis on preserving marine life and it is a shame that this respect cannot be extended to other wildlife. These beautiful tropical birds are packed up in a small cage and it is v disturbing. The guests are not interested in seeing trapped wildlife. I wish management would set them free. It was deeply upsetting.
These are our only 3 criticisms but we want to end on a positive note and say that this really is a beautiful island with fantastic staff. It is not the lap of luxury but you get what you pay for and it is v v clean and comfortable enough. We went for the snorkeling and got more than we expected.

This was our 30th wedding anniversary and what a great place to spend it.
We were one of the few aussie's that go there. I don't know why they don't. It is truly a lovely place. There wasn't many English speaking people when we were there but it wasn't a problem. We were involved in everything. The staff go out of their way to make you feel a part of everything and so did the other guests.
The food was so nice and so much to choose from. We had a beach bungalow and it was very nice . Cleaned a couple of times a day and great air conditioning.
The snorkelling was great. The reef was beautiful, with so many fish we haven,t seen before. There was sharks, turtles and stingrays, as well as schools of squid swimming around.
The animation team were so nice. They do a great job and we found the entertainment great compared to other island holidays we have had in the past.. I had a massage and it was the best I have ever had.
The prices were good as far as the mini bar went. You could buy a Coronna for $4.50 US and spirits were $6.00.
When you arrive you take off you shoes and don't put them n util you leave. The sand is like talcum powder. It is an amazing place. We loved it and thought the staff were the best.
Must go back!!!