This is my first tripadvisor review: generally I do not write reviews, however this time I am willing to do so.
It has been almost a year since my stay at Angsana Velavaru, however I still have an urge to write about this hotel.
One word: PERFECT
Many words:
1. the island:
I have done a lot of research before booking this hotel and found this rare gem. This was not my first time to the Maldives, but I must admit, that this was my best stay. The island is beautiful, big enough not to get bored (we stayed 12 days) and not to meet too many people on the beach/in water and compact enough to be able to get quickly from your bungalow to the restaurant / diving /spa. The beaches are quite variable: one side is covered in coral for snorkelers or just walking around during the low tide, the other side is transparent pool-like crystal water for swimming. The gardens are very nice and well maintained; there are even beautiful multicolored parrots, who make love to the camera very willingly. We were not bothered by the insects at all (Luck? Season? Fumigation?). The fishes are numerous and variable, though we did not see any reef sharks like at the other islands. There was a trigger fish instead and it was quite aggressive with the swimmers-it was protecting the nest it made on one of the beaches. There is no “public” pool, but who needs it if the ocean around looks like one?!
I think a good indicator of the beauty of the island is that Maxim’s Russia came to the island for a photo shoot of an aging starlet singer, done by a very famous (and very drunk) photographer.
2. the bungalow:
It is nice, not excellent, but good quality for the price. The outside bathroom adds a lot and we enjoyed showering under the stars. Our room was very well maintained, all the sand was immediately cleaned from the floor and every night they would put a small gift on your pillow: very cute touch. We used the complimentary drinking water only for brushing our teeth and we bought big sealed water bottles at the bar for drinking at a very reasonable price. The WIFI is slow, but works well all around the island.
3. The transfer:
It was done beautifully from the moment we were gathered at the airport and taken to the Banyan tree lounge (with WIFI, drinks, etc) to the moment the sea plane landed by the side of the island and we were taken by a boat to the shore. The only problem…is that the sea plane flies mostly above water and you do not get to see that many beautiful lagoons from above, but do have your cameras ready!!! Another little issue worth mentioning: the sea plane company allows you only so many kilos per person on luggage and carry on baggage and we were very stressed about it, knowing how much overweight kilos usually cost. They charge you smth like 1.5USD per extra kilo, so not really a concern!
4. Service/ staff
This is a separate chapter. They are great! And by great I mean: efficient, quick, courteous, respectful, funny, smart and smiling. From the guy that did our check in and tour on the island, to the restaurant staff, spa staff and gardeners. They all speak a good level of English and I saw front desk staff speak Japanese, Chinese, Russian, German and other languages to the guests. A few names I would like to mention: Shafee, Inna, Ahmed, Jafar…unfortunately I cannot remember the names of the others, but they were all great!
The manager cocktail is very nice: you get to talk to the staff, find out how things work around the island and chat to the other guests. I was amazed when my husband went to do the check out and I asked him to ask for an adaptor at the front desk , 10 seconds after he left, somebody knocked on the door with with the adaptor in hand!!!
5. the food
The food was very good for Maldives: the evening buffet and grill was different every night, all of the food was very tasty, fresh and varied. The drinks menu is quite limited: they used to run out of bottles of wine and were very dependant on the supply boat. The breakfast was very nice, lots of varied food for all tastes, the only little hiccup: the fruit selection was quite limited (which is understandable, because of their location). And again, the egg/pancake stand was a permanent show of great cooking skills, good mood and warm welcome from Shafee.
We only ate at the main restaurant in the evening, since we got the half board and at the bar at daytime.
6. things to do:
I cannot evaluate the usual Maldivian snorkeling/diving/kayaking and surfing (the last two being free), because I never even bothered to do any, but my husband tried snorkeling and kayaking and said it was brilliant. The SPA is so so: the main SPA lobby is very nice, the staff is very courteous and skillful, however the treatment place was hideous: with nasty pink polyester curtains- it took away all of the charm from the treatment and I never returned, my husband went quite a few times though. We also did the sunset tour, which was nicely organized and again, the staff was great. I used quite a few times the fitness room, which is very decent for Maldives: you have 3 treadmills, a machine for leg/arm muscles, weights and a TV. One night they even took out a big telescope and showed and explained us different stars and planets. Our favorite moment was at the sunset, when we sat outside the bar area and watched the staff play soccer barefoot on the beach ( I hate soccer, but I really enjoyed it then and there) till it became dark.
7. the water villas: of no interest for me
The stay at Angsana was so relaxing…that I forgot my wallet in the safe in the room….full of cash, credit cards, insurance cards, driving license, etc etc: my entire life. And I realized that only at the airport (yeah, duty free shopping). I have called them immediately and they found my wallet and over a few emails, we managed to work out how to send it back to me. I have told them to use the cash inside, or charge the cards inside for the DHL service…and I was extremely surprised to receive it very quickly by DHL with EVERYTHING intact, down to the last penny! I am very grateful to these people for handling my personal belongings with such efficiency and care!
Great quality/price value, and if an extra 5-star touch is sometimes missing, it is largely compensated by the level of service and competence of staff, who would gladly go an extra mile and anticipate your needs/wants and take initiative.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
