General: Maldives

See my latest review on Embudu village http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Embudu_Village_​Maldives__Review_5731213

Also on Summer Island village - http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Summer_Island_V​illage_Maldives__Review_5686286

Also my review on Fihalhohi Island Resort -http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Fihalhohi_Isla​nd_Resort__Review_5546645

I will update this review, to keep folk informed with as much info as possible.
That's what these island are 'Magical'.
Just imagine the sun flickering on your face through palm leaves which sway in the warm flower scented breeze, the sound of tropical birds and the gentle swell of the waves on the beach.... there you are swinging in your hammock to and fro with not a care in the world. Well if this is your idea of paradise then the Maldives are for you.

You can be as relaxed or as active as you want. All Islands have water sports centers; some have gyms, saunas and spars. They all arrange trips to other islands, night fishing, snorkeling and trips to Male the capital (depending which atoll your island is situated.) Food varies from basic good quality food in the main restaurant, to some islands that have several specialty restaurants, e.g. grill, Italian, Chinese. They all have to option of a beach barbecue at least once a week.

Rooms range from the basic to very luxurious depending on the star rating, even the basic rooms are a good size with storage room and bathroom, some with an outside shower, some with bath also, but all the rooms are cleaned daily (if not twice daily.) Most have tea/coffee making. All the islands we stayed on had air conditioning that is individually controlled and all had a ceiling fan. All the rooms are only a few feet away from the water edge.

PRICES vary on the time of year you go, and the rating of the resort. As a good reference an average 3*+ resort all inclusive price (2 weeks) is an average of £1100-£1400, you can pay less than this if you book last minute but then you might not get the island you really want, also all the extra leg room seats have been booked. However if this doesn't bother you then some last minute deals are as cheap as £700-£1000. Thomson is featuring the Maldives as a new destination in there far and away brochure with some good prices compared with the other tour operators.

General tips for anyone wishing to visit the Maldives.
Find as much information on individual islands as they are all different, from the basic islands where are is no hot water and no air con, to the expensive luxury resorts of Universal, Hilton, and the best island if you can afford it is 'Sonevafushi', however they all have one thing in common beautiful beaches and clear blue warm sea.

All-inclusive is by far the best value, unless you are diving (you cannot take advantage of the bar)

The best time to go is between November and April, which brings calm seas and light breezes.

Take only US$ in travellers cheques and a small amount of notes for tips. e.g. Your porter who carries your cases to your room 1-2$ a case, your room boy about 5-10$ a week and any good bar staff. They really do appreciate these tips. As their wages are very poor.

Don't take lots of footwear, you wont wear them just a couple of pairs of sandals for visiting Male or other boat trips.

The dress code on most resorts is wear what you want mainly T-shirt and shorts, so don't even think of bringing that 'cardy' with you ladies its far too warm, each time we visit we take less and less.

Some resorts supply beach towels so email the resort direct if you can and ask any questions before you leave home then you have more room in your case.

Don't buy alcohol when leaving the UK its not allowed in the Maldives, however you can buy alcohol at the airport for your return home. Tips for any divers, regulators and dive computers in duty free are half the price then what we pay in the UK they all carry an international warranty. Please note that all divers MUST wear a dive computer when diving in the Maldives.
On the subject of diving.. Any one thinking of learning to dive should complete there Open water course at home first, then spend the time diving rather then some who do the open water course when they get there, their time is spent reading theory rather than enjoying the holiday. There nothing better than arriving in the Maldives with your open water certification card at the ready to explore the beautiful reefs. (Don't let our UK quarry waters put you off is only for 5 dives when training).

Other tips are taking some bottled water for the boat transfers, as some may be lengthy. e.g. if staying on Kuredu, I recommend that you pay extra for the sea plane transfers as the boat transfers are 5+ hours too long a transfer after a long flight. The seaplane is an experience in its self and well worth the cost about £80-£100. It took us 40mins on the seaplane.

Its worth taking a plug in repellent with you if you are normally bitten, however most islands are sprayed weekly for prevention. The Island shops sell a bottle of insect repellent (in a pink plastic bottle) and its fantastic the best repellent I have ever used. Take lots of sunscreen, as this is expensive to buy in the Island shop.

One of the advantages of these islands is that you sign for everything on your room number and pay at the end of your stay, so no need to carry any cash around.

We have visited several times now and there is so much to tell you, I remember back in '93 when we first visited the Maldives, most had not heard of the Maldives let alone visited them. So no-one could answer all the questions I had, I ended up packing everything but the kitchen sink...if there is anything you would like to know and I can help please email me on bouveriebunch@ntlworld.com

Islands we have stayed on:-
Baros- About 45 mins boat transfer. A small Island but recently refurbished, all rooms are new and beautifully furnished, also it has water bungalows. Excellent food and service, a beautiful island, I would recommend this one to anyone. It has no pool.(not that it makes any difference)

Full Moon -Excellent rooms (mainly 2 storey) and water bungalows, food and service were good. The house reef was not so good. The island is a bit sparse of vegetation, although gardens were kept very well with lots of scented flowers. It has a good pool and bar area.

Giravaru - A small island, Rooms were basic, but with all facilities working well, a good reef for snorkeling. Service was mainly good with the odd exceptions to some staff. food was basic, but the spread at Xmas was impressive. It has a pool but very small and poor quality. Maybe would NOT recommend this one. we paid Ѓ1039 14 nights ALL INC.COSMOS

Kuredu- A very large Island with beautiful beaches, recently refurbished, now with water bungalows, well maintained gardens, excellent food, good house reef, excellent for diving. Some rooms can be a distance from the main facilities, but a welcome stroll. Excellent service from all staff here. The restaurants were great. Only draw back was the boat transfer was 5 hours, so we paid extra for the sea plane transfer on return, but it was well worth the extra cost just to see the views. We paid Ѓ990 (special offer),14 nights ALL INC.

Villivaru - The diving here was excellent. The house reef (the best one so far) was only a few steps from the beach. The dive instructor 'Keon' was fantastic. The food was excellent, the chef came out every meal time to speak to guests and offer to cook any dishes we wished, which we ordered and paid a few dollars extra but the meal was excellent. The staff on this island were very friendly and helpful. Beaches were narrow in places but good. All Rooms had air con, were basic but comfortable and cleaned twice a day.
The Boat transfer was only 45 mins. Booking on either one of these island gives you extra value as you can use the facilities on sister Island Biyadoo. We paid Ѓ800 half board, 14 nights. We paid the upgrade to ALL INC.on arrival. Airtours

Mayaafushi Island-
After landing at the airport, we were taken by air-conditioned bus to the other side of the island to catch the seaplane; we had a 40 min wait, which gave us time for a cool drink.
The seaplane transfer was about 40mins, and what fantastic aerial views of the islands and reefs. We landed by the jetty, where the porters carried our bags to the reception. We filled in the registration cards while sipping a cool cocktail. Then off to our room to unpack.
We had a 'beach room' single story rooms all in blocks of 4, just feet away from the beach. The rooms are basic, but cleaned twice a day. They have a very large bed with good mattress. The bathroom was nicely tilled, it had no bath, but the shower was very good with plenty of hot water with new fittings, also a new toilet that flushed.
There are 'standard rooms', but these are on the inside of the island in 2 story blocks. There are also 'Garden rooms' also inside the island, these are surrounded by a wall and enclosed in a small garden with a swing. (Maybe more privacy if you are on your honeymoon)

The island is small, takes about 20mins to walk around (slowly) The beaches are mainly ¾ around the island, but are narrow, with the exception of the large sandbank at the end.
The house reef is close to the beach and is excellent for snorkeling or diving.
The diving sites are all short boat trips and some of the best sites we have dived, especially 'fish head' large grey reef, white tip reef, nurse sharks, morays, turtles and enormous napoleon wrasse.
Dive packages with equipment costs 5 dives=$205 10 dives=$305 plus $9 for each boat dive.

This is an all-inclusive Island and includes almost everything with the exception of water if not drank at your table. (Cost around $3 a litre) any extras have a service charge of 5% on top of your final bill. The reception charge 1% when cashing travellers cheques or paying by travellers cheques.

The bar service was very good, many cocktails and Baileys were included in the ALL-INC. The meals was mainly buffet style, with an excellent choice everyday, and some delicious desserts too. You can arrange a meal on the beach at an extra cost.
There is a very basic coffee shop, where you can have coffee, ice creams (extra charge for ice creams). We did not feel the need to eat extra as the main meals were more than enough.

Trips are mainly day/night fishing, visit/island hopping excursions.
Water sports are canoes and hobby cat; there is also a volleyball court (on sand).

The entertainment was poor as it was mainly in Italian, but the animation team did try to accommodate the English. I think this will improve, as this island will be catering for more English in the future. Saying that the evening meal is not until 8.30 p.m. so by the time you have eaten your meal, had a couple of drinks at the bar and a walk along the jetty, you will be ready for bed.

We stayed for 14 nights during December and the weather was fantastic 14 days of hot sun and clear blue skies. Overall we had a great holiday and would recommend Mayaafushi as a great value all inclusive island. We booked through Thomson and it cost £1,153 per person.

We also visited: Komandoo, Bandos, kuda Bandos, Banyan Tree,
Cheers Mary