This will be the first of a new kind of blog post where we will review in detail resorts visited during our ‘On Tour’ trips. Using our standard resort feedback criteria, such as Service, Rooms & Dining we will provide a rating for each property along with commentary to support our score. Please let us know what you think in the comments section!
In November-December 2023, Maldives specialists Dan & Jo visited these resorts in the following order:
We also dropped in on Emerald Maldives but as this was just for a lunch with our honeymoon clients Charlotte & Ken it will not be featured in the review ratings. That said, the special menu prepared for us at the Beach Club Grill by Executive Chef Aldo and his team would earn a 10/10 for Dining & Service.
Service
Service covers all aspects of client-facing interactions between staff & guests, from the reception and check-in experience to resort orientation to table service. The timing of our visit is quite hard on resorts as they are in the process of recruiting and training personnel in the run up to the peak, high occupancy festive season, so it’s understandable that there will be wrinkles in efficiency as new team members are learning the ropes. That said great service derives from training, operational organization & structure and management oversight and there is a noticeable difference when teams get this all right.
10/10
Experienced GM Thomas Weber has done a superb job of assembling a team on a new island that appears to be completely on the same page throughout the island. Brilliant service was essentially faultless during our stay, and special mention goes to our enthusiastic and knowledgeable island host Jun (aka ‘Potato’).
Seamless service everywhere that treads the perfect balance between high-end luxury and friendly warmth. Very high ratio of staff to guests means there always seems to be someone on hand when you need them. Our lovely island host Rose knew her brief backwards.
9/10
Marteyne van Well has been running Laamu for more than a decade with high staff retention rates and that consistency manifests in extremely well-drilled service, as well as a noticeable sense of community between team members. Our GEM Thohir was absolutely on point. Only a few hiccups amongst the F&B team prevent a 10 score, but new F&B manager Olly is on a mission for perfection.
8/10
Very high level of service despite the resort not yet having completed its extensive refurbishment and being fully operational. Huva has been taken over by Universal and it feels like it’s still in transition. Some team members inexperienced and some interactions came across as repetitive and scripted, while others, such as our butler Vicky, chef Ishara, sommelier Chaminda and head of dive centre Musto, were excellent. Expect the rating to climb back towards 10 once the Universal take-over has bedded in.
7/10
There is no permanent GM or RM in place, with the resort currently under the temporary stewardship of Areef from Meeru Island. Service was good in parts but inconsistent. Senior management appointments are needed and will surely iron out the wrinkles.
Only just reopened under the Six Senses brand, service was inconsistent throughout. Some outlets are clearly lacking proper organisation and management. Quite a bit of work to do to reach the high levels guests will expect from Six Senses. Not keen on what seemed to be a theme of overt upselling.
Generally a good level of service especially in the over-water bars/restaurants. Let down in parts by some inexperience and some formulaic interactions.
6/10
Newly opened and clearly a work in progress. Some areas, such as the main restaurant operating at a high level of service, while in others team members are obviously new to their roles and lack training or operational understanding. One visibly struggling staff member explained she had only arrived on island the day before and really didn’t know what she was doing.
Rooms
Ratings for Rooms (in most cases detached villas) are based on both individual architecture & interior design, and the range of room categories & configurations available.
10/10
Gorgeous contemporary design with clean, geometric lines, well blended into the natural island foliage. Plenty of indoor and outdoor space, exceptionally comfortable and practical (well-lit dressing table, ample wardrobe space, plenty of surfaces for laying out our travelling paraphernalia) at the same time. Beds are huge and dressed in immaculate white linens. The outdoor bathroom accessed behind the bed is furnished with large dark grey tiles and feels luxurious. The only criticism we can level is that we’d prefer the over water villas beds to face the ocean but it’s not enough to deduct from the score.
The refurbished Deluxe Beach Bungalow with Pool(s) absolutely nail the balance between retaining the essence of the traditional Maldivian luxury beach villa while modernising them and bringing them bang up to date. Interiors have been lightened and large windows both sea-facing and to the sides let in loads of light. The new beachside plunge pools are a good size. The pièce de resistance is the new bathroom (the main area now enclosed to control temperature) and rear garden area, featuring a second plunge pool with over-hanging day bed, and outdoor shower. We absolutely loved these villas. Unfortunately, the over water and multi-room villas were not quite available to view, but we assume the same attention to detail will persist throughout the categories.
9/10
Some people are tiring of the ‘Robinson Crusoe’ / ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ style but not us. Over water villas are largely unchanged since opening (some pools have been added) but they are still beautifully designed and superb places to spend time, and we love all the Six Senses interior touches. Some minor details are showing some age, such as electrical switches etc. Beach villas are also largely unchanged, while some of the mutli-room villas have various sprawling configurations, suitable for a wide range of families and friends.
Large and luxurious villas as we expected and exquisitely maintained, with huge private swimming pools. We preferred the interior design of the over water villas, with brighter artwork and touches of colour. The beach villas are a little dark and in some respects feel a little dated in design when compared to some more recently built high-end resorts. The Residences are vast and impressive but perhaps not particularly homely (of course it depends what kind of home you live in!).
8/10
A resort of two halves. Old Kanuhura is a mix of overwater villas, which we found the weakest category (interior design language is incoherent, they feel unfinished), and various categories of beach villas in a traditional but polished style that Kanuhura repeaters will find familiar. Our favourites are the two bedroom beach villas and suites, which are superb spaces for families or friends. New Kanuhura features the ultra-modern Retreats, which we think will appeal to the Continental European market they are designed for, but for us are a surprising departure from the more organic feel that Six Senses engenders. Note: the over water villas are the only ones with beds facing the ocean!
Rooms are very large for a resort of this level, particularly the bathroom, and clearly designed for a younger crowd. The Standard’s iconic pink inflatable ring dominating one wall, glitter balls in the bathrooms and adjustable colour ambient lighting add a sense of fun but are probably not for everyone. Two bedroom villas are a nice design and great for families.
7/10
We liked the villas, which feel modern, well-appointed and have some lovely interior design touches (the tapestry above the head boards particularly). However, they are let down by size and clearly have a 4-star foot print (which was the original intended design before Amari took over).
Well-appointed villas, we particularly liked the indoor/outdoor bathrooms. However, Crown & Champa resorts boxy layouts feel a bit old-fashioned and we think they could have gone further with Kagi. We also had issues with noise in our over water villa, both from a stop-start A/C and wave noise against the plunge pool as we faced directly into the swell. Villa location choice is important!
Dining
One of the most important criteria for our clients, our ratings are based simply on quality and choice of outlets.
10/10
The main restaurant Seasalter, in a classy setting, is superb with both a la carte and a nice cold room buffet area. We were delighted to see restaurant manager Justus (formerly Milaidhoo) in charge and attention to detail was faultless. Japanese restaurant Umami was top drawer for dinner, and next time we’d love to try the Teppanyaki counter! The Yakitori bar offers delicious bites for lunch. The star of the show is the Maldives’ (the world’s?) first sand bank restaurant. Our sunset dinner at The Shack, which features grill, bar and even loos and a shower, was dreamily memorable.
Longitude is still one of our favourite ‘main restaurants’ for both breakfast and dinners, with its extensive combination of buffet and live cooking stations, with what seems like endless variety. Sip Sip beach bar is a lovely spot for lunch with a varied menu and super pizzas. Leaf, the tree top fine dining restaurant (clearly inspired by Soneva’s fresh in the garden) was tip top, and the addition of a Sake bar and Teppanyaki tables to the Zen Asian restaurant offer more variety and it’s all delicious. The above mentioned hiccups in service did not detract from the amazing dining quality.
Executive Chef Gaushan de Silva has much to be proud of. Dinner at fine dining restaurant Aragu was the best meal we’ve had in the Maldives and in our top 3 of all time. Worthy of a blog post of its own, not to mention some Michelin stars should the guide make it there. Faiy restaurant features a wellness-oriented menu overlooking the golf area and was very impressive: the Glacier 51 Toothfish in sesame sauce and raw tuna ravioli with goats cheese and walnut filling and truffle vinegarette dressing were extraordinary. Main restaurant Athiri offers varied cuisine and the Tavaru Teppanyaki and wine cellar is simply breathtaking.
9/10
Folgliani’s is an excellent beach side grill (the Beyond Meat burger in squid ink bun our favourite item!), as is Vinum the impressive adjacent wine cellar. Main restaurant Celsius has a good menu and will benefit from the addition of the cold room which was nearly finished. Salt offers an Asian-Latin fusion in an over-water setting, which was lovely but not quite the best Japanese of our trip. Raw was the venue for Jo’s memorable Maldivian curry cooking lesson with chefs Ishara and Thanu, with outstanding results! It’s also possible to book the underwater spa room for dinner, which would be a fabulous experience.
7/10
Signature restaurant Ke-Un offers a fusion of cuisine from the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ with some nice dishes but actually quite a limited menu. The main restaurant Noo Faru, part of the main complex has a pleasant ocean-facing setting with varied buffets for breakfast and dinner, and enthusiastic chefs happy to rustle something up ‘off-piste’ in the kitchen. Ufaa bar offers tasty snacks, and the Spa Café more health conscious lunch options. Nonna, the upstairs Italian restaurant is in a cavernous space, lacks ambience and would benefit from a design rethink.
The central hub features Kula main restaurant, Todis bar and Joos Café. We found Kula a somewhat standard buffet with something of a canteen feel, and the whole area a bit uninspiring. At the other end of the scale is Maldivian over water restaurant Guduguda, which is exceptional, offering delicious local delicacies. Also very good is the Asian dining on offer at Beru Bar. BBQ Shak is a nice feet-in-the-sand beach grill.
6/10
Clearly still a work in progress Amari was a very mixed bag on F&B. The main restaurant Amaya Food Gallery is superb, with a great buffet and live cooking mix, and a nice choice of seating areas. SOAQ bar which becomes Pregolino Italian in the evening was pleasant if a little limited. The Village Café is a good daytime venue for coffee & pastries etc. Signature restaurant Ampersand, despite its first class design and location, was a real disappointment and deserves to be much better. The addition of the upcoming Seb’s Shack, Fulhi Bus and Sports Bar will add some variety to the offering.
Also very much a work in progress. Highlights were the Spanish restaurant at The Point, under the stewardship of head chef Manuel, and an excellent lunch on the uninhabited neighbouring island Drift, featuring beautifully cooked Rainbow Runner. Sadly, from there it goes a bit downhill. Our first meal in Sip&Soak bar arrived cold and had to be sent back, the main restaurant is wildly inconsistent, and Italian restaurant Bottega disorganised and limited. One dish, a mushroom carpaccio was dire and returned to the kitchen. Overall, a long way to reach Six Senses’ standards.
Bars
Ambience, style, bar tenders, variety, drinks lists… and of course, how good are the Angelfish cocktails?
10/10
Yakitori, on the water’s edge is a great chill-out zone with comfy seating, and sun lounger service if you want it, a great range of drinks and friendly and inventive bar staff. Mirus (chilli in Dhivehi) Bar by the main pool is stylish both during the day and in the evening, and head barman Mendis makes a great Angelfish. Then there is The Shack bar, which has a location like no other.
Chill Bar is the heart of the over water complex and a superb location both during the day or for pre or post dinner drinks, with occasional low-key entertainment, and a ‘No Rush Hour’ b-o-g-o-f between 10-11pm. Bar tender Mantara also makes a great first attempt at an Angelfish cocktail. The Sip Sip pool bar is an excellent daytime spot, and has a large sunset-facing beach area. We enjoyed a brilliant blind wine tasting challenge in the Altitude wine cellar, expertly guided by sommelier Akul.
Avi bar by the main pool, with an upstairs games area, is everything you would expect from the main bar at a resort of this calibre. The roof top bar at Tavaru, above the astonishing wine cellar, offers unique views in the Maldives, and the Angelfish cocktail served by Walter in Aragu’s bar topped off an epic experience. There’s also the new Beach Bar near the water sports and games area with a very laid-back vibe. Something for everyone and all brilliant.
9/10
The upstairs bar at The Point is the epitome of a modern, high-class setting with stunning sunset views around a large pool and will be Kanuhura’s most Instagrammed location. Dining issues aside Sip&Soak is a lovely poolside bar (a little over-lit in the evenings), and to our delightful surprise run by Sam (formerly of Anantara Kihavah), the original inventor of the Angelfish cocktail, more than a decade ago. Could he recreate the classic? Of course, the original and the best! A feet in the sand outlet on the main island would be a nice addition.
8/10
As mentioned, the main area is a bit uninspiring and Todis bar lacks ambience, except for the on the beach setting with DJ during management cocktails. This is made up for by excellent over water venues at both Beru Bar and Guduguda, which is where you’d find us.
7/10
Huva’s main bar is kind of an odd set up, with a kind of seat-shelf in front that does not lend itself to a chat with your bar tender, and it lacks the style and sophistication Huva deserves. The over water seating adjacent to Raw is great for pre dinner drinks and canapes. Definite room to improve, and we’re sure the Universal team will have noticed.
6/10
The upstairs Ampersand bar is a superb setting, sadly never opened while we visited, instead serving drinks downstairs from the restaurant, adding to other issues with this outlet. The SOAQ poolside bar becomes the Italian restaurant in the evening, and incidentally has no covered area, so we wondered where people go when it rains. When the new Sports Bar opens it will probably be there, or perhaps Seb’s Shack.
The bar is very odd, being part of the huge circular main structure. It’s fine in the day time as it fronts onto the pool area but in the evening the roof is so high, and lighting so stark it is reminiscent of an airport lobby. Like the Italian restaurant a rethink on the use of the interior space would be ideal.
Facilities
10/10
The Shell houses the pre-eminent marine biology centre in the Maldives and includes absorbing educational and interactive experiences for all ages. There’s also the Earth Lab with a range of sustainability projects, open-air cinema, The Den kids club, Library, boutique, ice cream parlour, chocolatier and clinic.
Beautiful boutiques with dazzling jewellery store, library with art installations, business centre, amazing kids’ club, marine biology centre with coral restoration programme. Very smart chauffeur transfer and seaplane terminal lounge.
9/10
Classy main pool area, excellent fitness centre and yoga space, library / workspace, games room, ‘Play Alila’ for kids, Alila Living boutique.
The Village central hub has Café, retail and recreation spaces and arts & crafts studios. Huge kids’ & teens’ facilities including archery and zipline, nice fitness and yoga area.
Attractive main pool area, nice boutique and handy departure lounge. Chef’s herb garden.
Small but pleasant over water gym and nearby yoga pavilion. The Lair library is a great work space if needed, Island Home boutique, great main pool and Lonu Veyo saltwater flotation pool. Marine biologist and coral restoration programme.
Extensive Earth Lab focussed on sustainability, kids’ and teens’ clubs, nice gym, large boutique, local crafts centre, ice cream parlour and medical clinic.
7/10
Nice airport lounge at the seaplane terminal. Main public areas, including gym and kids’ club seem functional. Boutique, photo studio and medical clinic on site.
Spa
10/10
Amazing over water / under water experience, we were even welcomed by an Emperor Angelfish at the window.
Wide variety of wellness treatments, lovely reception and we loved the ‘nest’ outdoor treatment rooms with views to the lagoon.
‘Spa’ seems insufficient to describe the Eveylaa Wellbeing Village but suffice it to say that Velaa has an incredible state-of-the-art facility offering everything from Osteopathy to Ayurveda.
9/10
Really good quality spa with excellent therapists for this level of island.
Very stylish and tranquil tree-top arrangement featuring four well-appointed double treatment rooms.
Beautifully designed over water Baani spa, offering a wide range of treatments including a Yoga sound room.
8/10
Good quality over water spa with nice chill-out deck to the rear.
7/10
Nice enough but does not appear to have benefitted from the investment in the island and feels a little dated.
Non-Water Activities
10/10
Very impressive facilities from the covered tennis court to incredible sprawling gym, to climbing wall, yoga pavilion, pilates studio.. the list goes on. Barefoot golf in the Maldives is a bucket-list must 😊
Glorious roof top pool at The Point. Quality tennis and squash courts, island bikes.
9/10
Excellent gym and yoga deck with glorious views, bikes with your initials, and a back of house sustainability tour.
Nice fitness and yoga area, arts & crafts activities, mini golf (under construction), football, badminton, paddle tennis courts. Mangrove discovery walkway and ‘star-gazing’ watch towers. Limited island bikes. Seb’s ‘treasure hunts’.
8/10
Not so much available in terms of land sports, but plenty of excursions and experiences, including a reef nightlife Champagne tour in the underwater spa!
Tennis court and games in the main bar area. Entertainment with Maldivian Boduberu, DJ on the beach, open air cinema nights and karaoke.
7/10
Padel Tennis court (just opening), games room, pétanque and giant chess.
Very nice over-water gym and yoga area. Beach volleyball, pétanque and spacious games room.
Natural Beauty
10/10
A stunning island with the most beautifully curated interior, featuring indigenous and carefully introduced flora.
9/10
A brilliant job maintaining such a lush environment and embedding modern architecture in a way that feels established rather than relatively new.
Beautiful island with a serene feel wandering through the sandy pathways amongst mature foliage.
Very pretty natural island with great reef, lagoon and beach.
8/10
Lovely, large and well established island with expansive lagoon. The construction of The Point and Retreats has meant a significant reduction in vegetation on the ‘new’ end of the island, which will take some time to bed in.
Very well-established, with pretty interior which is enjoyable to cycle around.
7/10
Well-manicured gardens and public areas, the island is partially reclaimed and has some fairly prominent sea walls.
5/10
Some very nice spots, such as by Ampersand, Seb’s Shack, the main restaurant and a lovely curated trail through the mangroves. Other areas, such as the arrival harbour and stony pathways, not so much.
Beaches
10/10
Extensive, full beach, lovely to walk all the way around (it’s quite a walk!) the main island or take the shuttle boat over to Drift.
Great 360-degree beach, naturally protected by reef and lagoon, so no artificial beach defences of any description.
Lovely sand all the way around the island. Off shore barriers are organic (reef-like) in design and do not distract from views.
9/10
Easy to walk all the way around the island with minimal rocks an erosion in a few places.
Although it’s not possible to walk all the way around the island (there’s no passage past the gym jetty, and a wall near to the jetty to Salt), in all other areas the beach is beautiful.
7/10
In some parts lovely and wide with soft sands, in others rocky and impassable.
The stretch on the sunset side from The Shell is super. On the water villa jetty side the beach gets increasingly corally and in one corner is a bit of an obstacle course.
6/10
Very nice between the spa and the water villa jetty, and another nice short stretch on the far side but in large parts there is no beach to speak of.
Snorkelling
Amari and Six Senses Kanuhura do not have a house reef and so are not included in this section.
9/10
Easy access through channels from the lagoon to a vibrant house reef, one of the best that we have seen since the 2015-17 mass bleaching. Beautiful coral gardens to explore with plenty of varied marine life, including the most Regal Angelfish we’ve seen on a single reef. We also enjoyed a guided night snorkel with rays, nurse sharks and lion fish.
One of the surprises of our trip, since we’ve been a bit dismissive of Laamu’s reef in the past. Colourful corals have recovered really well and are home to bountiful marine life. Plenty of sharks, rays and turtles to spot and variety is on offer by swimming to nearby thilas or in the sea grass fields where triggers, turtles and rays feed. We even had a lagoon coral garden outside our villa (#44) teeming with fish!
8/10
Fascinating marine life with nurse and reef sharks congregating in the lagoon, large shoals of batfish and sweetlips and an extensive reef to explore, easily accessed from the beach. Sadly the corals have struggled to recover and the gardens are some way off their former glory. We suspect that the extensive resort construction in the North Male Atoll has not helped.
Really nice stretch of reef accessed from one of the jetties with plenty of marine life and corals, both naturally on the reef and on innovative electrified frames that accelerate growth and restoration.
7/10
Nice drop-off between the Yakitori bar and main jetty, with a reportedly better area near the channel (with stronger currents) that we didn’t have a chance to explore.
The two best areas are from the supply jetty and near the over water spa.
Water Sports
10/10
Extensive water sports centre with every toy you can imagine, with new, state-of-the-art kit added every year. Wide range of charter boats for excursions and cruises.
9/10
Impressive new facility by the dive centre with everything you need.
Well-staffed centre on the main beach.
Centre located below Leaf with all motorised and non-motorised kit, as well as a surf centre organising trips to nearby breaks.
8/10
Good range of equipment from the centre on the beach next to the main pool.
Motorized and non-motorized kit and an inflatable ‘play park’ in the lagoon.
7/10
Small centre near the main jetty with good quality non-motorised equipment.
Non-motorized activities such as kayak, windsurf and SUP.
Value For Money
9/10
Top quality resort with an exclusive feel yet a long way from the top end of Maldives prices.
Excellent value and a lot on offer for its very reasonable price point.
8/10
Pricey but such a great resort and the new seaplane service makes it even more attractive.
With only 47 villas exclusivity comes at a cost but once fully operational will be one of the best and most popular resorts within a speedboat ride from Male.
Perhaps the best resort in the Maldives, or indeed anywhere, but with prices to match both to stay and in resort.
7/10
Opening offers look very attractive price wise but we’d suggest waiting until the property is running smoothly.
Prices reflect exclusivity of only 50 villas and the resort has its limitations but will appeal to divers, snorkellers and wellness-seekers.
Reopening offers have been appealing and eagerly snapped up but the resort has some way to go before justifying higher prices.
Soul
10/10
Huva imbues a sense of serenity, understated luxury, and a home-from-home vibe. We love it.
The island is a wonderful place to spend time and has a distinct identity rooted in a sense of community amongst the well-established team that rubs off on guests.
9/10
Unusual for a relatively new resort to have such an established feel. A special island with a great vibe.
Barefoot luxury at its finest for those that are unbothered by menu prices.
7/10
A calm atmosphere, super spa area, great in parts but the main bar/restaurant area lacks intimacy.
Lovely island with a natural feel, and some very nice aspects especially in overwater outlets. Main areas feel more functional than stylish.
A much-loved island with some great aspects but the mix of the old and new feels inconsistent and yet to attain the Six Senses ‘aura’.
6/10
In parts (main restaurant, village square, artists’ zone, mangrove experience) there is a great atmosphere but overall the resort feels unfinished and unsettled.
Desire To Return
10/10
Our favourite ‘new’ resort.
Can’t wait to see the new over water villas and completion of the Universal take-over.
We miss it already.
With revenue constantly ploughed back into the property it will surely continue to evolve.
7/10
Would always be happy to drop in on the reef!
Would like to take another look once the resort settles.
Dinner at Guduguda would be worth the trip any time.
6/10
Another look would be interesting once completed.
Angelfish Travel are specialist agents for Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Oman, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi
Angelfish Travel Blog 
5 responses to “Dan & Jo On Tour: Maldives Review”
Wow loved such a detailed report. I certainly enjoyed reading and found it very useful as each person will have a different wish / priority list.
Thank-you Janice Cook
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Thank you Janice, glad to hear that you found it useful. We’re planning on using this blog to share longer format posts than on other channels, so hopefully more informative and opinion oriented.
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[…] means ‘Surprise’ in Sanskrit, and if you’ve read our Maldives trip review you’ll already know it was a delightful surprise package when we visited recently. […]
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Great blog, really interesting & informative & love the details on all aspects of each resort. Appreciate the honesty in commenting on the areas needing improvement & nicely done in a constructive way. Looking forward to more of the same.
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Thank you for the feedback Valery, much appreciated, and pleased to read that you like this style of article. We aim to be adding more from our various planned travels in 2024!
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