Meeru Island Resort Hotel

Went to Meeru last October for a weeks relaxation and boy was it perfect. We flew with Emirites via Dubai (mainly as i don't do budget airlines!!) as we had heard terrible things about Monarch and we were glad that we did as i can't recommend them enough. We also upgraded to a Beach Villa which was well worth it especially after seeing the standard accommodation, but i believe that the standard rooms are all being upgraded soon if this has not already happened. The resort was perfect, we particularly liked the "no need for shoes" feel of the place and the staff were so helpful and friendly at all times. The beaches were always clean and tidy and the snorkeling in the lagoon was brilliant - especially by the health spa at the water bungalows. The weather at that time of the year was mixed but it didn't bother us as it was always warm even in the thunder storms, and swimming in the rain is so refreshing (plus everyone runs for cover so it just adds to the desert island feel of the place. The speedboat transfer was good and not too long (its about 1 hour) and there is always a chance to see some flying fish on the way. I really can't rate this island enough and are actually returning to the Maldives in May 06 but we decided to try a different island to compare the two and have decided to go to Kuramathi Cottage and Spa this time. We travel a lot (about 3-4 holidays per year and many weekends away too) and never try to go back to the same place (other than skiing) as we like to try as many different countries and cultures as possible - but with the maldives i just can't wait to get back.

We recently went to Meeru for our honeymoon, in April 2006. After a lot of research into all Maldives destinations, we decided Meeru seemed by far the best for our budget (around £4000 for the both of us). After spending 10 days in paradise, I can definitely say we made the right choice! Here's a lowdown on the holiday: First of all there was the flight - we booked with Emirates, what can I say, they were absolutely amazing! I'd definitely recommend flying with them, their economy class is like other airlines' business class. The seats are very spacious, you have your own TV screen on the seat in front with around 200 films to choose from, lots of TV progs, 100s of CDs to listen to, an interactive games console with lots of games, and best of all you can view the plane's forward and downward camera so even if you're not sitting at the window seat you can still see amazing views, weather permitting! The cabin crew were superb, giving you complementary drinks whenever you wanted, the meals were superb and they couldn't do enough for you. We even got complementary champagne and a huge congratulations cake just because we were on our honeymoon - it was such a lovely surprise! There was no time to get bored on this flight, their inflight entertainment was just second to none. 5* to Emirates. We flew from Glasgow to Dubai which took 7 hours, then we had a 3 hour stop in Dubai airport, which was fine because the airport is worth a look in itself. It's absolutely huge, and there's so much shopping to be done! Definitely an experience. We then flew to Male, a 4 hour flight, then got the speedboat transfer to Meeru Island which took about 50 mins. The boat is fairly small, with around 16 seats on deck and a further 16 or so down in the cabin. When we arrived at the island, we were taken to the reception and each given a cold minted towel and a lovely fruit cocktail juice - how refreshing! We filled out our registration details etc then were given the keys to our room. By the way, the hotel staff basically do the job of the rep, we booked with Kuoni but didn't see the rep at all during the holiday and the staff told us all about the trips and all inclusive basis etc, which really should've been the rep's job. The room - if you're going to somewhere like the Maldives, especially if it's for a special occasion like your honeymoon, you have to stay in decent accommodation. In Meeru, that would be the Jacuzzi Water Villas - total bliss! They really are something special, I'd say better and more economical than the Honeymoon Suites. Look up the Meeru website for more details of the different types of accommodation available and you'll see what I mean! Each room is allocated their own room boy, and they come twice a day to make your bed and tidy up etc, they're very good and take such pride in their work, but will respect your privacy if you fancy a lie in one morning. We went all inclusive, definitely worth it (except for the white band you have to wear, you're not allowed to take it off the whole time you're there - very annoying!). Again, you're allocated your own waiter which you'll have for the whole time you're there, they get all your drinks for you. The choice of food was amazing. There is definitely something for everyone! The quality of the food was also very impressive, much better than any other all inclusive holidays I've been on. The staff take a lot of pride in their work and are very creative - the waiters make different shapes out of the napkins everyday, and the chefs carve different pictures out of watermelons - very unique and totally amazing! There is also a wee guy who is in charge of cleaning the toilets. They were always spotlessly clean and he'd stand there looking so pleased with himself, and every day he would write messages in the sand like "good morning" or " have a nice day", it really did make me smile! The staff were all so friendly and couldn't do enough for you. Snorkelling - the fish you'll see are totally amazing. There are such a variety and they're so colourful. There's even reef sharks - don't worry, they're quite small and totally harmless - it's fine to snorkel in and around them, they're so friendly!One thing I would advise though, get yourself a pair of watershoes like trainers (covered with hard soles - not the sandals type), here's why - I didn't know this, but when we went in April, it is apparently the season when fish lay their eggs(?) and dangerous triggerfish came into the reef to do exactly this. No one warned us of this, and there I was snorkelling away when I was attacked by two of these nasty fish because I had obviously went into their territory without realising. I sustained nasty bite injuries to my toes (I was wearing open sandal watershoes) and to my legs, so if you go at this time, please be aware of fish protecting their eggs! Whilst we were there, about 6 people were attacked and badly bitten, but the staff at the island said that this was the first time anything like this had ever happened and it was very unusual for the triggerfish to come in over the reef, so please don't let this put you off, but just be aware of it. There is lots to do on the island including Cat sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, tennis court, a golf driving range(?!), badminton court, volleyall, football pitch, diving centre, 2 fantastic Spas (you must go, the treatments are divine!) and of course the snorkelling, so you definitely won't get bored! There is also a variety of trips you can go on. We went on the Sunset cruise and the Fishing trip because they were included in our all inclusive package. The sunset cruise was lovely, we went out from 5-6.30pm with only about 10 people to each boat, got a nice cocktail and saw lots of dolphins! They were swimming along with the boat for what seemed like ages, there was about 12 of them altogether, absolutely beautiful animals! It was totally amazing. The fishing trip was from 5.30-8pm, again only 10 people to each boat, with the local fishermen showing you how to fish using a very simple plastic coil and line. We caught loads of fish, and you could arrange for the chef you cook your fish for tea the next night if you wanted! The only thing I didn't like was they just slung all the fish into a crate, and it was pretty horrible seeing them all flap about for what seemed like hours on end. Also the barracuda seemed to make a screaming noise when they were caught, probably just the noise of the air coming out of them, but nevertheless not very nice. I've heard the Loveboat cruise is also totally amazing, but it was about $300 per couple so we didn't bother doing that. Definitely go on whatever trips are included in your all inclusive basis though. On our last day, since our flight was not till the evening, we had a day use room which was a standard room at the other end of the island. People talk about a divide on the island, we'd never noticed as we spent all our time in Meeru Village (the north end of the island where all the jacuzzi water villas, jacuzzi land villas, honeymoon suites, and normal water villas are). But when we moved to a standard room, boy did we certainly notice the difference! The standard room was well, very basic, had a funny smell, and lots of ants crawling around. I would not recommend staying in this part of the island. We didn't see the normal land villas though, maybe they are ok. But even this part of the island doesn't seem as nice. The sand isn't as white, it's not kept as tidy, and it's definitley not as nice as the north end of the island. We realised how lucky we were that day, to have stayed in a JWV for most of our holiday, it was definitely the best accommodation on the island. Apparently they're knocking down all the standard rooms in May this year, and building better accommodation, trying to bring that part of the island up to the standards of the Village end and lessening the "divide" feel to the island. If you're staying in Meeru village from May onwards, from seeing the island, I don't think the bulding work will affect you as it really is quite far away from the Village end of the island. As we discovered, you can spend all your time secluded at this end of the island and not need to go anywhere else and have an absolutely fantastic time! Weather - apparently May to September is the wet season, with the best weather being in December/January. When we were there in April, the weather was fantastic. Around 30 degrees constantly with an amazing breeze. It rained twice when we there there, and when it rains, it really does rain. Talk about monsoon - it's a spectacular show! It didn't last for long though and the hot temperature soon dried it up again. Wildlife - Apart from all the fish, there are lots of other animals to see on the island. There are the little geckos (lizard type things on the walls and trees, harmless and very cute!), the mad fruit bats that fly about the trees which you see at all times of the day, the heron that stands in the same place near the spa in the village at sunset waiting to catch a fish, lots of different species of birds, the tiny little white crab like things with shells that run about the beach at night, and much more. I became very attached to all the wildlife by the end of the holiday, especially my favourite - the heron. He was so funny and provided such entertainment! Overall, Meeru is such an amazing place to go to. It really is exactly like the image you get if you imagine the Maldives in your head. I did a huge amount of research into all the islands when trying to decide which one to go to for our honeymoon, this one came out top and it really did live up to my expectations. The whole holiday was amazing from start to finish (with exception to the triggerfish incident!) and it was the best honeymoon anyone could ever wish for. I can't recommend Meeru enough. We'd definitely go back, maybe for our 10 year anniversary you never know!

Returned from Meeru two weeks ago after a brilliant holdiay Flight: Flew with First Choice premier class (have to say didn't pay full price, only paid £90 PP)brilliant leg room, food OK, cabin crew no different to normal. Would fly with these again most definately because of the good leg room however I wouldn't pay the normal price of £300 - £450?? pp to upgrade as I just don't think it is worth it. The attendant on the premier check in needed some training on how to smile and be pleasant, she was the most miserable person I have seen and as we were one of the first through I dread to think the reception the people at the back of the queue got. Male: Yep people are right imigration takes for ever and a day but once everybody is through and if your transfer is by boat you are straight off. They have a good procedure at the airport you are given an envelope with your room number and information sheets which you need to fill in, you can fill these in in the airport while you are waiting for your transfer and then you hand them in to your rep on the boat. This means that once you reach the resort you are taken straight off to your room and not stood in queues at recption. Transfer takes approx 60 mins on a speedboat (not Miami Vice style but they do the trick). Meeru: Have to say didn't go WOW but hey I was tired. Taken more or less straight to room (standard,only one that was available when we booked)and that was when my heart sank, it was like being in a prefab building and it had a small indoor bathroom.I do have to be honest though and say that it was very clean. It was in the 100's so wasn't directly on the beach but it wasn't a hike to it neither. Asked for an upgrade but the island was full so there was no chance of that but they did move us three days later to the other side of the island. Room still no better if anything worse, but it had a semi open air bathroom and was directly on the beach facing the honeymoon suit. Used to shower with the lizards and gekho's and if your really lucky you to may get a tree hamster sharing your bathroom (at first was a bit scared but they are more frightened of you and it is there home and eventually I wasn't bothered especially as hubby caught the tree hamster and let it go outside the room). Room boys are brilliant (not the usual 10 mins to clean your room that it takes when in Spain or other European counntries)they take up to 45 mins + to clean your room and towards the end of your stay they decorate your bed, which I have to say looks great on the pictures but when you actually see it it is unbelievable. Clean towels every day and sheets changed every other day. Once again a big thankyou to our room boy. I would like to say a big thankyou to the honey moon couple who did entertain us, firstly by the groom missing the boat and falling into the sea and also to both of them the day after the storm when it took the room boy 45 mins at least to get them to their suite (I did want to phone reception but the people watching said I couldn't as it was entertaining and if you got into real difficulties they would get in the water and help, or I could phone reception. Honestly some people will do anything for a laugh, but hats off to you both you laughed at the end.Congratulations to you both. Bye the way should mention that the honeymoon suite is on stilts out in the sea and depeding on the tide you are taken over by a boat which you stand up on and the room boy uses a punting stick to steer the boat, or if the tide is out you can walk. Restaurant Shown to your table and introduced to your waiter for your stay, this was good because you could eat whenever and didn't have to look for a table. As every body says they get to know what you drink and after the first day they just serve you with your drinks. These lads work really hard, they are up early in the morning and finish late at night yet they are always pleasant, smiling and helpful, they love football and tennis and you often see them on their free period on an afternoon playing these sports, they also have a friendly game of football on a Sunday with the vistors and I believe they have only ever been beaten tiwce by us. Plenty of choice with food with a three week rotation, and something for everybody no matter how fussy you are. Big thanks to Jay Jay. Beaches beautiful even if it was a bit coraly in some parts, sea crystal blue, fish colourful and pleanty to see. If you want to see some excellent coral and fishes then do the loveboat cruise, out of this world. Although I didn't get the WOW factor on arrival and was disapointed at the room I have to say WOW now.I know this is long and drawn out but I could carry on and make it even longer but I won't. I would recommend this island and hope to go back to the Maldives next March. I would go back to Meeru without any doubts but there are so many other islands to visit. The service throughout our stay was second to none apart from the rep the not so delightful Wyndham Peters, who you never see and when you do tells you bare faced lies that your flight is on time and that you will be leaving on time when he knows for certain that the delayed Gatwick flight is going home on your flight. Come on reps have the courage of your convictions and stop lying, nobody begrudged the Gatwick people from taking our flight after being delayed 48hrs plus (hope you all got home safetly, we left two hours after you). Many thanks to everybody for a brilliant holdiay.

We we just got back from Meeru a little over two weeks ago and I just want to go back. I was so beautiful, everything I imagined and more, true paradise! Right from the moment we touched down at the airport in Male people we so friendly and helpful. We boarded our speedboat to Meeru and after an exciting 45mins of watching flying fish we were greeted with the beatiful sight of Meeru Island, white sand, turquoise sea, green palm trees it was just amazing. We spent the next two weeks just relaxing and getting tanned. It's not the sort of place to go if you need 'entertainment' although each night there was a planned event such as live bands, crab racing etc which were quite interesting. The food was lovely, there was a wide range available each day such as spicy food, pasta, salads, rice etc and the puddings were to die for! The service was incredable, the waiters in each bar and restaurant were polite, happy and helpful always checking to see what they could do for you. I would definatly recommend going all inclusive as you are constantly drinking fluids due to the heat as this can so mount up. The weather was perfect, the first couple of days were slightly cloudy but still around late twenty degrees and the rest of the fourtnight was mid thirtys! Although there were very hot periods such a midday it wasn't too much although it would have been for small children. The wildlife was great, I saw dolphins, flying fish, fruit bats, geckos, herons, rays, baby sharks and all kinds of beautiful tropical fish. This is the trip of a lifetime, not to be missed!!!

My Husband and I have just returned from a weeks vacation at Meeru. We stayed from the 5th - 13th March. We opted for a standard room as we didnt plan on staying in the room for the whole vacation (we went with a group of 10 people so only used our room for sleeping. Had we have gone on our own then i would have definatley upgraded to a jacizzi land villa) The place is perfect. The staff are so friendly, nothing is too much trouble for them. The food was fantastic. we ate at the bufffet style restaurant most nights and could not fault this at all. As we are both vegetarians we usually have complaints about lack of choice but it was unbelievable there were so many dishes to choose from. I would even go as far as saying that it had the best choice for Veggies over any hotel that i have ever been to and yes i have stayed in 5 star hotels. I can not offer any comments on the rest of the food though (meat dishes ect.) We also dined under the stars at the Asian Wok and this was a beatiful experience and again the food was gorgeous. Waiters are so friendly and helpful. We took a few day trips. I would certianly recommend the sunset cruise. To see the dolphins was superb. I wouldnt bother with the submarine dive as you can see better fish snorkling. The night fishing was ok but i was a little freaked by the fact that they dont hit the fish over the head to kill them, they leave them flapping about the boat for nearly 2 hours to die which i found a little cruel! Talk to the staff they are so informative about the way of life in the Maldives its fasanating. We did not wear any shoes for the whole week, yes parts of the island were coraly but the whole island is made from coral so what do these people expect! We walked round the island every morning and every evening. There were people raking the sand all day long, the place is spotless. They had some good entertainment on in the evenings, a couple of really good bands, a disco night, crab racing (was a little but disapointing). Ignore the bad reviews. This place is simple, if you like sand, sea, great food, great service and a little bit of coral you will love Meeru.

My boyfriend Matt and I visited Meeru Island on the 12th February for a week all inclusive. Arriving at the island definately had the WOW factor. Infact I had a few tears as I walked down the jetty off the speedboat. What a beautiful place. We stayed in a Jacuzzi Land Villa which could not be faulted whatsoever. I'm a bit of a clean freak and it certainly met the 5/5 cleanliness standard. 4 poster bed, CD player, TV, sofa, dressing table etc. Nice and spacious. Garden area also lovely - jacuzzi, great! The restaraunts were very nice with a wide vareity of food. We tried both buffet ones as we were downgraded for our first night to a land villa and had to use the other one. (Apparently downgrading is a regular occurance so make sure you not only get your refund for the night, 90 USD Asian Wok voucher and fruit basket with wine. But have a trip or something too. We had a spa treatment and they more than made up for not having our jacuzzi for the first night, although it was annoying).The land villa was nice, but not as nice as the jacuzzi land villa. The bar near the jetty was great. We didn't use the village one as we found the central one had a better atmosphere. The was a band one nigt etc. Amazing waiter who spoiled me with gorgeous birds and fish made from palm leaves. Very clever guy! Very accomadating and polite. The Asian wok restaraunt was gorgeous. We ate on the beach which was lovely. Again, faultless. The spa over the water was fantastic. Matt and I had the His and Hers Massage. GO AND HAVE ONE!! We felt like new people afterwards. We took our champagne back with us to have in our jacuzzi on the last night. The waiters were also very polite - I can safely say everyone on the whole island was SO polite. What lovely people! Snorkelling was fab! I loved it. Even if you don't want to go out far, there's fish everwhere. Take an underwater camera with you. Make sure you wear a T shirt though. You're only 3 degrees from the equator and it burns even if there's cloud cover. Balck tipped sharks and sting rays etc etc. Oh and very cool fruit bats! Night sea fishing was fun as was the sunset punch cruise. We saw lots of dolphins really close up. It was great. The pool area was spotless. I never got round to using the pool as I was more interested in the turqoise sea! But it looked lovely. WHITE sand and very very blue sea. AMAZING! I still can't believe how beautiful it was. I didn't wear shoes all week. There was a bit of coral as everone keeps saying but what can you expect?! I was amazed that people rake the seaweed at virtually every wave, surely people don't think they're going to somehow clear the coral off the sea floor and beach in odd spots as well? The place is spotless. I could go on forever. Clean, friendly, good food/drink and range of excursions, beautliful scenery, gorgeous rooms (although I might be a bit disappointed with a standard room, but if you just want a bed and aren't planning on spending lots of time in your room they look fine) lovely people etc. FANTASTIC. For people who get put off by comments from '5* downgraders' who say it isn't quite up to standard then don't. It's lovely. 4* at least and I was very, very happy with that.

I spent a week in this resort October last year staying in a Jacuzzi Land Villa. If this is your first trip to the Maldives you will probably be ok with it, but if you have tried places like The Hilton, or One and Only Resorts and expect these standards then it is definately not for you. When we were being escorted to the villa from the main part of the island I did walk without shoes, but this was definately a bad move, there was a lot of small stones on this path, so my feet certainly suffered. Also shoes were needed when swimming off the beach in front of the villa. The water villa side of the island I did not like at all and was very pleased I had not stayed there - no beach to speak of for sunbathing, I prefer to lie on a beach and this was very narrow. The snorkeling was great and the Love Boat was fantastic - highlight of the holiday, Spa also excellent. Food was ok, but no waiter service, all meals buffet style (a big NO for me).There are 2 other restaurants but these are not included in any of the half/full/AI and offer no discount to eat there. All AI spirit drinks are not branded known names. I went here as an extra holiday last year to chill for a week, you get what you pay for. Fine for a cheapish week in the sun. I would rate this island as a 3 star resort but believe the newer villas might bring it up to 4 star levels.

An absolute fantastic holiday, we could not have wanted anything more. The whole resort was much more than we expected, a friendly, spotlessly clean, Island. We stayed in a Land Villa in the older side of the Island, the location was to die for and the beach was like talcum powder ( I nicked a a coke bottle full as evidence!) There was a little bit of coral on the beach by the Water Bungalows and the Honeymoon Suites but it was to be expected I suppose. I didnt stop us walking barefoot round the Island everyday. The food was superb in the Restaurant we ate in and I can not praise the level of service enough. I have stayed in much higher graded accommodation on my travels around the world and how this is graded as a 3* is beyond me. At least 4* without doubt. Building work will be going on later this year to remove old, tired accommodation. However contrary to what some people are reporting, the work will be done in a very subtle way which should not effect holiday makers too much. Maybe you will have to change the route you walk round the Island slightly, not really the end of the world. All in all a fantastic resort and I would highly recommend it to everyone. Go its excellent.

We're not sure if the previous poster went to Meeru; 1)Dress Code is perfectly suited to the relaxing atmosphere, the Meeru Village area is fully designed with contemporary wooden furnishings. In the village area, as it happened people generally wore 'Smart' clothes, just with no shoes. And yes, we've experienced more than 'europe'. 2)Beaches are all white sand, and while there is some coral (esp. near the reefs) we walked around the island daily with no footwear. 3)No children in the Village area (18+ only). Not too many in other area. The overbooking is a known problem, however we used it to our advantage (see below) and 50% off sounds good to me! Our Trip Report We booked our holiday with Kuoni after seeing a very good deal on-line back in September. This was going to be our first trip to Maldives; and after 4 months of looking forward to our honeymoon, the time finally arrived! Transfer/Male We arrived at the airport 3 hours ahead of our departure yet apparently we were the last people checking in for our Monarch flight from Gatwick. Warning: the leg room is tiny! Uneventful flight, food was ok better than expected actually; we didn’t watch TV so cannot comment on the programme. We got the very last seats on the plane near the kitchen and toilets, so the entire flight we had people queuing up for toilets or just to chat. Very annoying… apart from the unlucky seats overall the flight was much better than I thought it would be especially after reading the reviews on here and the unofficial Meeru website. We arrived safely in Male, half an hour ahead of the schedule time, customs checks very smooth, got to our boat and left the airport. How glad we were to see that our island was far enough from the airport. We were passing some islands we were thinking of going to for our holiday initially but we didn’t like the fact that you didn’t have the feeling of isolation that you got on Meeru, and that you could see so many islands around and also the planes from Male airport. Arrival at Meeru I am sorry to say this but we did have the WOW factor! And a big one! We loved the view that we got on our arrival to Meeru, the colour of the sea, the glorious sunshine, the jetty area and the restaurant with the pool, it all looked fantastic. Our rep from Kuoni welcomed us and the next time we saw her was on our departure, even though we asked her if she could find out few things, she never even bothered to get back to us, in the end we just sorted everything out ourselves, I am not sure why travel companies bother with reps on the island when the Meeru staff are just so helpful … Anyway we were put up in Land Villa (LV) No. 242, which is slightly set back from the path. We were hoping to get an upgrade so before we arrived we emailed Meeru if we could upgrade our accommodation directly via the hotel as it was our honeymoon but no one got back to us :-( no one really noticed that we were on our honeymoon! I sincerely hope the fruit basket that was in our villa when we arrived (which was rotten and being eaten by some insects!) was just left there by accident and it was not for us … however in spite of that I have to say the Land Villa was very pretty, spacious and very clean. [Some travel guides were disappointed by this accommodation, which is almost entirely wooden except for the outside bathroom, but we found it to be much nicer than for example Helengeli’s concrete ‘sterile’ rooms. The outside veranda/platform was a nice touch too] After getting our villa we managed to walk around the whole island. The island itself is very beautiful especially Meeru Village and the area around Asian Wok. I am not sure why some people are complaining about the interior of the island, it gave us the ‘real’ feel, they are growing their own vegetables and fruit there and at least we felt that we were not staying at some sort of man-made aquarium. The Farivalhu restaurant that has been renovated is very nice and you don’t have to worry about sitting with someone else anymore (as I’ve read on this forum) as you get a table assigned and you will always sit there. The water feature is very nice. In the evening we went for a walk again and went to reception to ask if there is any upgrade available and they told us that the island is in fact overbooked. This was very hard to believe as we hardly saw any people when we walked around the island apart from dinner time, again some people called Meeru ‘summer camp’??? Well we certainly didn’t feel that way… We took up a free offer to transfer and upgrade (HB to Al) to Helengeli Island for 2 nights. Just a quick description of Helengeli: The island has only 50 bungalows and has a very intimate feel. At the southern tip of the island there was something almost like a sand bank which runs out for about 100 metres (by 15 metres wide) which we had to ourselves for the entire duration of our stay! The water around it was very shallow and we could see manta rays and sharks and all sorts of different fish. The bungalows are very basic but adequate with a very nice outdoor bathroom. Everything is kept immaculate. There is only one restaurant and one bar with a terrace overlooking the beach and sea. The restaurant has rather limited selection of food but the food we found to be quite nice. There is an excellent house reef all around the island which is much better than on Meeru Island. We saw lots of fish and turtles which was our highlight! However the water gets very shallow at low tide and there are quite strong currents. The island didn’t have the wow factor we experienced when we arrived at Meeru, however it was interesting to experience a different island in the Maldives. Overall the island is nice, it’s a good place to chill out and relax but we think we would get bored if we spent a whole week there so we were very happy to return to Meeru after the two nights! In my opinion Meeru is much more picturesque. Jacuzzi Water Villa (JWV) 721 Anyway back to Meeru; on our return we were given the same LV, we tried to upgrade again but without success. We were waiting so long for our luggage and were becoming a bit irritated when the phone rang and … we were offered an upgrade to JWV at a very good rate!! That’s why they held our luggage… we were taken to the Meeru Village by buggy and shown our villa. WOW! Now that felt like honeymoon! :-) What can I say, the villas are just amazing. The wood floors, the furniture, the balcony over the sea, ... The Malaan restaurant and Uthuru Bar are very tastefully decorated; we couldn’t believe the décor in the bathrooms! We spent many hours sitting outside of Uthuru Bar on those very comfy armchairs sipping cocktails and watching the world go by… aaaahhhh… Apart from spending 2 nights on Helengeli; we went only on one other excursion to the Meeru coral reef, but weren’t very lucky, the sea was very rough and the visibility was very pour. We wanted to do the ‘Love Boat’ tour but somehow ‘run out’ of time so maybe next time! :-) Spa We tried the ‘Him & Her’ massage and although my husband was a bit apprehensive about being massaged by a bloke, I think he thoroughly enjoyed it in the end, especially the champagne afterwards! :-) I took advantage of a discount being offered for spa treatments and had another massage – Foot Massage & Indian Head Massage with neck and shoulders. It was very nice but sometimes very painful, makes you wonder how come such fragile looking girls have such powerful fingers…! Food As we were on HB we mostly ate at Maalan restaurant, for lunch time we usually went to Dhoni Bar, we really liked it there. For our last dinner we arranged to eat at the Hagern Boat, we wanted to have the lobster dinner. We were really looking forward to it, but when we got there, we sat down and after a little while I thought I was going to be sick! The sea was quite rough that day and the movements of the boat didn’t do me any good! I didn’t see that coming at all… :-( I was so disappointed, I was trying to overcome it but in the end we had to excuse ourselves and leave. The waiter was laughing and said it happens quite a lot when the sea isn’t so calm. We went to the Asian Wok but it was full and the lobster dinner would have had to be booked in advance anyway… so we ended up in Maalan as usual! Home :-( Transfer and flight back was quite smooth; we had just a minor half an hour delay in Male. The flight felt worse coming back home, the seats are extremely uncomfortable! Very bumpy when flying over India. Since I’m not a great flyer I prefer direct flights but maybe next time we would definitely opt for a flight with First Choice. The weather; very sunny and hot the whole time apart from the last two days when it got overcast in the afternoon but quite frankly we were relieved, it was soooo hot. Just wanted to comment on the ‘Us & them’ feeling as mentioned here many times. We didn’t feel it at all, although we spent only 1 night on the ‘other side’ we liked it there as well as the Meeru Village. We would have been happy to stay in our LV if it wasn’t for our honeymoon and for such a great deal on JWV that we couldn’t really refuse! :-) Negatives; there aren’t any! Maybe just maybe the only thing would be to add some sun-loungers for the JWV area. And get rid of the Kuoni Rep please!! Absolutely useless, I knew more about the island than she did… I am quite curious what Meeru will look like after the building work planned for the east side of the island. I think this might prevent from some people having the ‘Us & them’ feeling. We absolutely fell in love with this island; we loved the ‘kick off your shoes and chill’ mood and are hoping to go back sooner rather than later. But as the below report complained, don't go if your idea of fun is wearing high heels in sand(!)

Wife and I visited Meeru on our Honeymoon last year, and it was absoultely fantastic from start to finish! Everything about the holiday was perfect. Jacuzzi Beach Villa's excellent, lots of privacy and nothing better than a dip together after a day of doing nothing! Saw all of the other accomodation when walking the island, all looked at least as good as our room with the exception of the "Standard" rooms. They we in blocks and not as private, I think they were in the process of renovating post Tsunami but couldn't say exactly. Anyway if you can upgrade I'd reccomend it. Food & Drink very good. Lots of choice and quality excellent. All of the staff we met were extremely friendly and very helpful. Couldn't ask for more. I especially like the allocated waiter for the week for meals, makes it all seem more personal. Very relaxed throughout, after all that is what you go on holiday for isn't it? We liked the casual setting of the resturant, no dress code which allowed everyone to make as much or little effort as the pleased. Lots of ways to spend your time on Meeru, you can do nothing or lots, whatever takes your fancy. We found doing nothing difficult so found ourselves walking round the island two or three times a day, I think it is impossible to tire of the beauty of the views. Water sports on tap, snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing, something for most. I even managed to drag myself into the gym a couple of times. Spa excellent, lots of choice and good reports from people we spoke to that had ventured further than the complementary "Jet Lag" massage my wife and I had. Pool was nice, but we only looked at it from the bar! Surrounded by an ocean as inviting as the one around Meeru it would be silly to confine yourself to the pool. Tropical Fish, small sharks, and rays all right on the shores edge. We went on a few trips, all were good value. Lots of choice again. Especially enjoyed snorkelling with the Manta Rays, a must if you like the water. Tipping discretionary whilst on island and didn't feel as pressured there as I have in other locations. The people are great and unassuming, that deserves a tip in my book. Reccomend this place to anyone, I'd visit again in a flash if I didn't have so many other places in the world to see! I only hope that other visitors can enjoy their stay as much as we did.