Very laid back atmosphere and excellent house reef .
Disadvantages:
None
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
We booked this as a cheap last minute deal not knowing much about Lohifushi except what we read in the brochure but imagining it had to be paradise like most of the other islands and we were not to be dissapointed.I think it cost us around £800 per person for two weeks ,on teletext ,which is very cheap for the Maldives.
Lohifushi or Lohi's as it is affectionately called is a popular island with the surfers.Based in the North Male Atol 30 minutes by speed boat from Hulule the airport.It is one of those more relaxed islands where no shoes no news really is the way of life.Staff encourage you to relax from the minute you step foot ashore and are handed a cool towel and a tropical fruit cocktail.There is a natural wave break at the southeast of the island which is what attracts the surfers.Lohi's has also held international surf competitions.
The rooms are basic but comfortable and more than adequate.Double bed ,wardrobe ,dressing table, bedside tables and minibar are all the furniture in the main living area.There is a ceiling fan and an air conditioning unit on the wall next to the bed.Everything is well maintained and in good working order but the only thing the rooms did not have when we were there were tea and coffee making facilities.Outside the front is a small verandah with chairs that faces the sea and is about 9 steps away from the beach.each little bit of beach in front of each pair of rooms is you very own private little beach.Although there were a few very annoying Eastern Europeans who did not quite grasp this concept of privacey.
The bathroom has a toilet and a large sink area which is under cover and the shower is open air in a small yard .This is a great feature in the evenings as you can see bats and other wildlife flying around as well a the sun setting and the moon rising.We shared our bathroom with the tinyest Gekko in the world and under the clothes line outside was home to two small hermit crabs who ran into a hole every time we turned the shower on.
The beaches at Lohi's are soft white sand and there is no shortage of places to sun bathe although the sun loungers on your little bit of beach do have your room number on.You can walk round to the southwest side of the island which has quite large flat sand banks and a very shallow lagoon.The landing side of the island is also ideal for swimming and snorkelling but the southeast side should be avoided for this,there are sharp rocks and surfers on that side of the island.It is nice to try different sides but having your own bit is best for me.
There is a point on the break wave side on the southeast where you can go and watch the surfers in action.There are seats and a small bar but due to all the action and large waves this area is normally where the serious surf photographers are set up for the day.Do go for a look its fascinating and totally exhausting watching fit young men splashing around in the waves.I needed a large gin and tonic after my visit!!!
The water is crystel clear turquoise yep that old cliche again but its true so what else can I say?The water is very warm and tends to be calm.There is a little floating hut with two life guards on it just in case anyone runs into difficulty and it is advised to check out the tide directions and times.There is nothing more beautiful or powerful than the sea.
Snorkelling is good here and for amateurs like me you do not have to go far to see lots of underwater wildlife.There are regular boat trips to take people diving and snorkelling to the house reef or the other good reefs that are in this region.The house reef is very good here and is teaming with a variety of fish.
There is a wealth of activities, if you want to spend energy, like canoeing,windsurfing,catamaran sailing and water skiing.This island also attracts fishing enthusiasts for night or morning big game fishing.You can normally see the fishermen bringing their catch in to be cooked for dinner and quite often large baracuda are the catch of the day.
Sunset cruises,Male trip,glass bottom boat and island hopping are all excursions you can book locally.The island hopping trip takes you to two other resort islands so you can see what they are like and normally to a local island so you can see how people live.If you are lucky you may see dolphins on the sunset cruise.We have seen them twice.
There are little Chameleons that dart around and change colour and many different sizes shapes and colours of Hermit crab that seem to have a realy busy day.You can see them trecking around as you lay on your sun lounger,dragging their homes around with them,then several hours later you may see the same one dragging its little house back.The bushes around the beach are normally what I call crab bush citys.If you take a look it is like another world with hundreds of crabs doing different things.Some are perched on very thin spindly branches of the bush fast asleep while others are having confrontations or just climbing on top of each other for a free ride.Be careful not to tread on them while walking at the beach cafe..
This is a very family friendly island with a play area and plenty of things for children to do.There is a small childrens pool and arm bands and floats are available.On the same flight as us there were a family of ten with children ranging from 5 to 22 and they were always doing something either together or the boys would go off and surf while the girls relaxed.I spoke to them while waiting for the boat transfer back to the airport and they all loved it so much they were already planning a return trip.There was also a family with a boy of around twelve or so years old who just did what he liked,sat and had fruit drinks at the bar,chatted with the staff who seemed to know him very well,swam and generally chilled.His family go year after year as they feel it is a chance for all of them to really relax and thier son can roam free as it is so safe and the staff look out for him
One of the other nice things about this island is that the surfers get up at 6 am eat breakfast and are gone most of the day.This means that when you get up for you breakfast the restaurant isn't packed at all and the island is pretty quiet all day long.Surfers also eat dinner early and go straight to bed so as to be up early which works out just great for everyone else.I think we only saw them in the bar twice and that was at the end of their stay when they had allowed themselves to drink.
There are three restaurants on Lohi's.The main restaurant where buffet breakfast ,lunch and dinner are served.An Italian/chinese and an open air beach restaurant that also has a very good choice of food and a good location.
Meals in the main restaurant are of very good quality and the menu changes daily.When going for breakfast you can read the menu for lunch and dinner and decide if you want to eat there or not.Breakfast is my favourite with an assortment of hot and cold food tables.Bacon,sausage,beans, eggs,toast,curry and rice if you fancy that.there is a table of continental bread and cakes with an array of jams,butter and honey.Cold sliced cheese ham,pancakes.Cereals,yoghurt and huge amounts of fresh fruit.Tea and coffee.It is easy to spend a couple of hours going back for more until you are fit to burst.
Dinner is also very good in the main restaurant and the curry night and BBQ nights were particularly good.The meat here is very tasty.There is always a selection that has something for everyone and plain food is always available if spicy is not your thing with a pasta dish usually always on the menu and a table laden with salad ingredients or mixed salads and coleslaws etc..with seperate bottles of dressing.
We did eat at the open air beach cafe lots also and they serve a good mix of burgers,fresh fish dishes including Maldivian curry, hot and cold sandwiches,Thai food,salads and lots more.The standard of the food is very good and there was not a single meal we did not enjoy.
Night life consists of Karaoke nights,discos and bands.The Maldivian bands do cover versions of all your favourite tracks and sound as good as the originals too.Traditional Maldivian dance displays are held once a week..You can also book a romantic meal in a location of your choice or pay for the barbecue night that is held on the beach.The prawns,lobster and reef fish are all srumptious.
Crab racing is held on all islands and is fun if a bit confusing for the crabs.It is always funny the next day seeing hermit crabs with numbers on the shells wandering around the island.Dont worry no harm comes to them at all.
One thing I think is very important to mention is that you dont need to pack a huge suitcase full of clothes_ladies im talking to you-You will mainly spend your time in swim wear or shorts a sarong or a loose dress in the evening.
You may want to take one nice outfit for your last night but over all the atmosphere is relaxed and casual.It is far to hot for tight clothes.
Flip flops or flat sandals are the go here as mostly you will be walking on sand.I normally take two or three pairs of flip flops and save one pair for evenings.High heels are very out of place and unecessary
We have our packing down to a T now.We only take one small suitcase each with things we are certain we will wear.If we dont wear something it doesn't go with us next time & I keep a list in my suitcase to remind me before I pack for a holiday.(Thats the Virgo in me)
We visited the September after the tsunami and there was some damage to one side of the island.On the computer in reception they had photographs showing the water about 5 foot deep on the football pitch and that was ages after the waves had struck.One of the boys ended up at the top of a 20 foot coconut tree!The manager said this was an ideal time to upgrade and modernise the facilities.I hope the attitude stays the same,laid back and relaxed and as it will still be a surfers island im sure it will.
I will always have fond memorys of this island for several reasons.It was a very good holiday which we both enjoyed greatly and I got my best photographs of sharks which are a bit of an obssesion of mine.The day before we were due to leave as we were gathering our towels to take indoors I heard a voice I had not heard for 10 years and to both ours shock and amazement it was a guy I worked with on a Romanian orphanage.He had his two little children with him,he was there for the weekend from Male the capital where he lived and worked for the United Nations.What a small world it is indeed.
