Meedhupparu Island Resort, Raa Atoll, Maldives
Hotel Information
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
Meedhupparu Island Resort in Raa atoll which spreads over 43 acres of land base, has a lush and thick vegetation all around. This island is the only resort island in RAA atoll which is about 130KM from the airport island in Male' atoll. loading...
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Meedhupparu Island Resort Reviews
" nice sea beach shame about resort "
Submitted By: bessm0rrell
Just arrived back from 2 weeks at Meedhupparu,flight gatwick ok did extra leg room had a 3 hour wait for the sea plane not very helpful with imformation about what was going on.Resort was DEFINATLEY NOT 4 star tried to upgrade but were told nothing available staff member who finally came to sort out the safe was rude general service was not good ,had the sea wall view but not as bad as thought .Shared room with local wild life which was ok geckos ants and cockroaches .weather,Sea, beach, fish, snorkelling and diving all great. This was our 3rd visit to the maldives so we knew what to expect and we were disapointed with this resort ,had read the reviews but didnt think much about what was said but now have to agree with the bad bits so wont be going back .Managment need to look at their attitude to wards their guests and not rely on the good weather factor to put it all right!!!!
Advice: better resorts to go to
Activities:
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- Date of Holiday:Mar 2009
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Cosmos
" our opinion "
Submitted By: colman
After reading many bad reviews on Meedhupparu we thought we would tell of our personal experiences there.
We had a lovely spacious room which opened onto a most beautiful beach close to where the air taxis & boats berthed. Further along the beach - the other side of the jetty - the sea wall did prevent direct access to the sea but there was a stretch of sand between the rooms & the wall. The sea seeped through the wall & provided pools of water with lots of fish including rays & baracuda.
The restaurant served a great variety of food - something for everyone I would have thought with themed evenings eg. Chinese, Maldivian & Valentine's Day.
We found all the staff to be friendly & courteous. Everywhere on the island was clean & tidy but with a natural appearance where the gardens were concerned.
Behind our room was a maintenance yard (fenced off) creating some noise most days but not much of a nuisance. It certainly could not be considered as 'building work'.
Although when we first booked our holiday we were not allowed all inclusive, when we arrived we were able to upgrade. This is definitely necessary as all drinks (including water) & food are expensive.
Fish feeding, disco, pianist, live band & Balinese dancers provided entertainment along with pool & table football in the evenings.
Overall we had a wonderful relaxing time & were very sorry to leave. This was our third visit to the Maldives & we would say it was on a par with the other two islands - each being slightly different.
We had a lovely spacious room which opened onto a most beautiful beach close to where the air taxis & boats berthed. Further along the beach - the other side of the jetty - the sea wall did prevent direct access to the sea but there was a stretch of sand between the rooms & the wall. The sea seeped through the wall & provided pools of water with lots of fish including rays & baracuda.
The restaurant served a great variety of food - something for everyone I would have thought with themed evenings eg. Chinese, Maldivian & Valentine's Day.
We found all the staff to be friendly & courteous. Everywhere on the island was clean & tidy but with a natural appearance where the gardens were concerned.
Behind our room was a maintenance yard (fenced off) creating some noise most days but not much of a nuisance. It certainly could not be considered as 'building work'.
Although when we first booked our holiday we were not allowed all inclusive, when we arrived we were able to upgrade. This is definitely necessary as all drinks (including water) & food are expensive.
Fish feeding, disco, pianist, live band & Balinese dancers provided entertainment along with pool & table football in the evenings.
Overall we had a wonderful relaxing time & were very sorry to leave. This was our third visit to the Maldives & we would say it was on a par with the other two islands - each being slightly different.
Good for: Beach
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2009
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Cosmos
" Near to paradise "
Submitted By: foot_loose
Having read some of the other reviews after booking and before going, I was quite concerned about what awaited us. This holiday was our first long-haul exotic holiday and was to mark a special occasion.
The flight was fine (Monarch). Cabin crew were polite and efficient, leg room was OK even without paying for extra. Reception at Male airport was satisfactory with easy transfer to the terminal of Maldivian Air Taxi. We had to wait nearly 2 hours for our flight to the island, sitting in a lounge with a video on a loop about the island with some background music that nearly drove me mad! The sea-plane flight by Twin-Otter was interesting (a novel experience for us I mean.) The plane is rather noisy though.
Staff at the island were all very friendly, polite and helpful. Room was comfortable and clean. Only issues were a rodent living in the outside bathroom and some nail heads projecting from the room's wooden floor. Both were reported and neither dealt with though the rodent did disappear. Our "room-boy" Mohamed was charming as was our waiter who looked after us the whole time we were there.
Food was plentiful and reasonably varied. There are various curried dishes most days but also a variety of other dishes. At lunch, there was a choice of a buffet or a menu with several options. We chose the latter most days and the food was more varied, nicely presented and usually hotter. Often the food from the buffet was not very warm. If you are only half-board, the cost of food will soon add up as it is not cheap eg $12 for a portion of chips as a snack.(we were entitled to this free as part of all-inclusive deal along with local beer (which was OK if weak lager is your thing) and un-branded spirits.
There is plenty of room on the white sandy beach so you are not cramped by your fellow guests. Our room was on the north side of the island where there is no sea-wall and we could see the beach and sea from our veranda. The wall is round the west end and of the island. It is plainly necessary and though not attractive, I don't think it would have spoiled our stay greatly if we had had a room facing it.
There are plenty of fish to be seen snorkelling from the beach in the shallows over the reef. We saw a reef shark, sting-rays and a great variety of beautiful fish. The last three days the wind picked up and the sea was rougher and swimming from the beach was harder as the water over the reef is quite shallow. We took a couple of boat trips to go snorkelling elsewhere and though we saw a turtle and also a manta ray as well as many other fish, they were in deeper water and not so clearly seen. The trips were still fun but be warned, the currents can be quite strong and even with fins, it was necessary to swim quite hard just to stay still! The boat was always on hand to pick you up when you had had enough.
One matter I think people should be aware of; when you buy items eg souvenirs from the shops at the resort or even use the internet (or book trips)a 10% service charge is added to everything so a $70 excursion costs $77 and 10 minutes internet us costs $3.30, not the $3 they tell you. It was the fact that items bought from the shop (even things like sun-screen) also have the 10% added when you come to pay. Although the forms you sign for excursions do say there is a 10% charge, I do not recall seeing anything in the shops.
There is a water-sports centre with one catamaran, one jet-ski ($50 for 10 minutes), fins ($26 per week), snorkels etc for hire. There is a qualified dive instructor and sailing skipper (not that we did either of these activities).
All in all we had a fantastic, very relaxing fortnight. We returned to snow in the UK after a delayed flight (the plane from Gatwick coming out to us was delayed by snow).
The flight was fine (Monarch). Cabin crew were polite and efficient, leg room was OK even without paying for extra. Reception at Male airport was satisfactory with easy transfer to the terminal of Maldivian Air Taxi. We had to wait nearly 2 hours for our flight to the island, sitting in a lounge with a video on a loop about the island with some background music that nearly drove me mad! The sea-plane flight by Twin-Otter was interesting (a novel experience for us I mean.) The plane is rather noisy though.
Staff at the island were all very friendly, polite and helpful. Room was comfortable and clean. Only issues were a rodent living in the outside bathroom and some nail heads projecting from the room's wooden floor. Both were reported and neither dealt with though the rodent did disappear. Our "room-boy" Mohamed was charming as was our waiter who looked after us the whole time we were there.
Food was plentiful and reasonably varied. There are various curried dishes most days but also a variety of other dishes. At lunch, there was a choice of a buffet or a menu with several options. We chose the latter most days and the food was more varied, nicely presented and usually hotter. Often the food from the buffet was not very warm. If you are only half-board, the cost of food will soon add up as it is not cheap eg $12 for a portion of chips as a snack.(we were entitled to this free as part of all-inclusive deal along with local beer (which was OK if weak lager is your thing) and un-branded spirits.
There is plenty of room on the white sandy beach so you are not cramped by your fellow guests. Our room was on the north side of the island where there is no sea-wall and we could see the beach and sea from our veranda. The wall is round the west end and of the island. It is plainly necessary and though not attractive, I don't think it would have spoiled our stay greatly if we had had a room facing it.
There are plenty of fish to be seen snorkelling from the beach in the shallows over the reef. We saw a reef shark, sting-rays and a great variety of beautiful fish. The last three days the wind picked up and the sea was rougher and swimming from the beach was harder as the water over the reef is quite shallow. We took a couple of boat trips to go snorkelling elsewhere and though we saw a turtle and also a manta ray as well as many other fish, they were in deeper water and not so clearly seen. The trips were still fun but be warned, the currents can be quite strong and even with fins, it was necessary to swim quite hard just to stay still! The boat was always on hand to pick you up when you had had enough.
One matter I think people should be aware of; when you buy items eg souvenirs from the shops at the resort or even use the internet (or book trips)a 10% service charge is added to everything so a $70 excursion costs $77 and 10 minutes internet us costs $3.30, not the $3 they tell you. It was the fact that items bought from the shop (even things like sun-screen) also have the 10% added when you come to pay. Although the forms you sign for excursions do say there is a 10% charge, I do not recall seeing anything in the shops.
There is a water-sports centre with one catamaran, one jet-ski ($50 for 10 minutes), fins ($26 per week), snorkels etc for hire. There is a qualified dive instructor and sailing skipper (not that we did either of these activities).
All in all we had a fantastic, very relaxing fortnight. We returned to snow in the UK after a delayed flight (the plane from Gatwick coming out to us was delayed by snow).
Advice: A beautiful tropical island.
Activities: Snorkelling among the beautiful coloured fish
Good for: Beach
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- Date of Holiday:Jan 2009
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" We stayed for two weeks on the... "
Submitted By: Corinne Corinne And Paul
We stayed for two weeks on the island, we previously been to Olufishi , north Male and what a difference! How I remembered the Maldives was out of this world scennery, friendly staff where nothing was enough and pure relaxation..
From the start Our sea plane was delayed and we were welcome by the australian rep so we thought. We only realised later on that she was not the rep, but indeed the wife of the hotel manager. We were given our room key and advised to go for lunch, which was finishing in 1o minutes. After a long trip, this was just too much and no one seemed to care!
Our room was facing the sea wall and we never unpacked and asked for a change of room . The change was done on the third day.
All i say is that we end up complaining quite a bit and never did they apologised or showed sympathy. They just tell you to sit down and wait. Jeanette seem to think it was ok to face a wall in the Maldives!
The room was ok, do not look up in the bathroom as the cobweb are not cleaned away. the bathroom outside is poor and the generator loud.
The food is always cold and we both ended up at the doctor due to food poisoning or with the drinks. The bottles are the bar are filled with their own drinks and quite poor and give you sore stomach.
I put our name down for an upgrade towards the end of our stay and again they told us that we would receive a letter with an answer, they can never agree to anything straight away as they don't seem to know anything! the staff are most 'all men and cannot communicate well with women and are quite rude. You just need to talk to the managers directly as the staff don't understand you or just don't care, they just seem in a daze most the time.
The island is beautiful , the beach out of this world as are all the Maldives but they rely on this too much and get away with murder. how can any managment think this is acceptable to have renovation for days on end? serve cold food? don't clean the pool? don't respond to complain? there is a lack of customer service and you do feel they are blaze with all the complains they receive and just ignore it.
We ended upgrading to the water villa and this is pure bliss, calm , beautiful and a lot of thought have been put into it not like in Meedhu.
They cannot do enough for you and this is all comfort and good food with a great service. Julian our butler was great at his job.
I would only recommend the villas , the rest of the resort it not a 4 star and need a serious clean up with the place and the managment.
Expect a two star for the accomodation and service.
Expect a 5 star with the villas and the Maldives to its best
From the start Our sea plane was delayed and we were welcome by the australian rep so we thought. We only realised later on that she was not the rep, but indeed the wife of the hotel manager. We were given our room key and advised to go for lunch, which was finishing in 1o minutes. After a long trip, this was just too much and no one seemed to care!
Our room was facing the sea wall and we never unpacked and asked for a change of room . The change was done on the third day.
All i say is that we end up complaining quite a bit and never did they apologised or showed sympathy. They just tell you to sit down and wait. Jeanette seem to think it was ok to face a wall in the Maldives!
The room was ok, do not look up in the bathroom as the cobweb are not cleaned away. the bathroom outside is poor and the generator loud.
The food is always cold and we both ended up at the doctor due to food poisoning or with the drinks. The bottles are the bar are filled with their own drinks and quite poor and give you sore stomach.
I put our name down for an upgrade towards the end of our stay and again they told us that we would receive a letter with an answer, they can never agree to anything straight away as they don't seem to know anything! the staff are most 'all men and cannot communicate well with women and are quite rude. You just need to talk to the managers directly as the staff don't understand you or just don't care, they just seem in a daze most the time.
The island is beautiful , the beach out of this world as are all the Maldives but they rely on this too much and get away with murder. how can any managment think this is acceptable to have renovation for days on end? serve cold food? don't clean the pool? don't respond to complain? there is a lack of customer service and you do feel they are blaze with all the complains they receive and just ignore it.
We ended upgrading to the water villa and this is pure bliss, calm , beautiful and a lot of thought have been put into it not like in Meedhu.
They cannot do enough for you and this is all comfort and good food with a great service. Julian our butler was great at his job.
I would only recommend the villas , the rest of the resort it not a 4 star and need a serious clean up with the place and the managment.
Expect a two star for the accomodation and service.
Expect a 5 star with the villas and the Maldives to its best
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" Rated 4 for all inclusive 10 for th... "
Submitted By: Steve Hamer
Rated 4 for all inclusive 10 for th water villas
I’m just back from the resort and yes I did have a marvellous time but there are some caveats. My wife and I are not serial complainers and have never moaned about any past holidays but this time we will be seeking a response from the tour operators. Unfortunately the areas that affected our holiday are on the whole beyond their control – the experience would have been the same whatever tour company we booked with and I believe those who booked through Kuoni paid significantly more for the same experience.
For the first week we stopped in the all inclusive area of the island and this wasn’t too good. The positives first:
The location is stunning and the wildlife spectacular, however as a fellow guest stated this is one of the areas where the hotel management has no direct influence. The sea is sapphire blue and gin clear with a profusion of fish and reasonable corals where these haven’t been too damaged by clumsy snorkelling. Over our stay we saw rays, sharks and turtles all within easy snorkelling reach. There are numerous fruit bats gliding round and looking magnificent as well as assorted crabs scurrying on the beach and throughout the island. We stayed August/September and the weather was fine even though we were in the rainy season. Yes it did rain but the odd tropical deluge added to the holiday excitement! Our room was near the Ayuverda area and set in a beautifully secluded and tranquil location. However others were not so lucky and they were faced with a concrete wall holding back the seas which had encroached and created a semi-stagnant lake of salt water up to their hut. If you get one of these rooms seek a change soonest; several did and were happier with the results.
The shopping area is also reasonable and allows you to stock up on those things you forgot like sun cream, snorkelling bits and bobs etc… Talking of which the staff at the watersports centre were to a man (or lady!) exceptional, very friendly, and the services were reasonably priced. However they are ceasing operations there and going elsewhere; I got the impression that the resort management had a hand in this.
Now the negatives:
The food was abysmal.
The men choice was repetitive and unimaginative. I am willing to try anything and embraced the Maldivian cuisine having the curries for breakfast but whilst the food was ‘different’ to start with it soon became unappetising and the alternatives were in the main unpalatable. Those who know me would find that statement incredible – I am omnivorous, relish new tastes and sensations and on the whole I am incredibly accepting of varying culinary standards. After 3-4 days we became aware that a fellow guest sharing our table and arriving on our flight had an upset stomach. That evening my wife and I also fell ill with severe cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea and took to our beds for 24 hours (48hrs for my wife) We had half expected a mild stomach upset and had packed Immodium in anticipation but this was of a different order of magnitude and not a tummy upset. The diarrhoea was severe and at one stage I was passing blood. Having cruised in the past where such illnesses require the crew informing I went to see the resort manageress and doctor as soon as I was able to get up and around but they didn’t seem too perturbed and blamed the sea water! For a few days we did not dare stray too far from a WC and so had to cancel some of the excursions we had booked.
When we started to recover from the nausea associated with the illness we were able to take food again and paid far more attention to the food hygiene. This was wanting in many areas. Food (pizza slices) was placed straight from a fridge onto a serving hot plate. Food was left uncovered and soon attracted flies; the temperature of many of the food tureens was at best tepid.
As a result of the illness and experiencing cold food we started to seek out food that was cooked and served immediately to ward off the bugs. So it was omelettes for breakfast and hot pasta for lunch and dinner.
The staff at the bar were with few exceptions rude, surly, and unprofessional. It was an ordeal at times to place an order. Again I must point out that I always take the time to learn a few local words – please, thank you etc. and tip. In fact it was only because I had tipped two of the more professional waiters that I was able to have a tolerable evening in the bar, Talking of which the resort appears to be having an identity crisis; we suffered karaoke, discos and TV concert broadcasts as ‘entertainment’ I guess I am like many others and went to the Maldives for a relaxing experience and not to have an 18-30 holiday.
After a week of this we could no longer stand it and for $450 a day upgraded to the water villas. Despite loosing the all inclusivity this was the salvation of the holiday and more like the experience we were seeking. As a result we had a blissful week with professional courteous and motivated staff in a stunning location. There was nothing that was too much trouble and I would have no hesitation in recommending a stay there.
The all inclusive area may suit some but I honestly believe not the majority. If you are a honeymooning couple either stay in the water villas or go for a quieter more romantic island. Same applies to the more mature couple travelling without children (we’re in our mid 40’s) If you are in your twenties and would miss the local or have young teenagers that would otherwise get bored the all inclusive side would possibly suit you. It seems as if the management cannot decide what they want the resort to be – romantic and peaceful or buzzing and full of nightlife. Most of those I spoke to wanted the former and the management seem to driving towards the latter. (One night as we were walking towards the pier to watch the nightly fish feeding – a must see! – we heard an announcer shout via an over amplified PA to twenty or so sparsely scattered people who had paid a supplement for a beach BBQ “Don’t go anywhere yet the games are about to start”)
The island is beautiful and with a small amount of effort could be a premier resort all round. I understand it is going all half board soon, if this is done, the staff trained and motivated and the food hygiene improved significantly and its identity crisis remedied then it would be a remarkable destination, As it is only the water villas offer the holiday that I could recommend anybody.
I hasten to add the flight with First Choice was fine (we paid for the premium upgrade, two ten hour flights adds to a day of your 14 day break!) and the holiday rep was always available and even provided my wife with some anti histamine from her own stock to treat a weeping insect bite when she came to visit the island. I would travel with this company again
I’m just back from the resort and yes I did have a marvellous time but there are some caveats. My wife and I are not serial complainers and have never moaned about any past holidays but this time we will be seeking a response from the tour operators. Unfortunately the areas that affected our holiday are on the whole beyond their control – the experience would have been the same whatever tour company we booked with and I believe those who booked through Kuoni paid significantly more for the same experience.
For the first week we stopped in the all inclusive area of the island and this wasn’t too good. The positives first:
The location is stunning and the wildlife spectacular, however as a fellow guest stated this is one of the areas where the hotel management has no direct influence. The sea is sapphire blue and gin clear with a profusion of fish and reasonable corals where these haven’t been too damaged by clumsy snorkelling. Over our stay we saw rays, sharks and turtles all within easy snorkelling reach. There are numerous fruit bats gliding round and looking magnificent as well as assorted crabs scurrying on the beach and throughout the island. We stayed August/September and the weather was fine even though we were in the rainy season. Yes it did rain but the odd tropical deluge added to the holiday excitement! Our room was near the Ayuverda area and set in a beautifully secluded and tranquil location. However others were not so lucky and they were faced with a concrete wall holding back the seas which had encroached and created a semi-stagnant lake of salt water up to their hut. If you get one of these rooms seek a change soonest; several did and were happier with the results.
The shopping area is also reasonable and allows you to stock up on those things you forgot like sun cream, snorkelling bits and bobs etc… Talking of which the staff at the watersports centre were to a man (or lady!) exceptional, very friendly, and the services were reasonably priced. However they are ceasing operations there and going elsewhere; I got the impression that the resort management had a hand in this.
Now the negatives:
The food was abysmal.
The men choice was repetitive and unimaginative. I am willing to try anything and embraced the Maldivian cuisine having the curries for breakfast but whilst the food was ‘different’ to start with it soon became unappetising and the alternatives were in the main unpalatable. Those who know me would find that statement incredible – I am omnivorous, relish new tastes and sensations and on the whole I am incredibly accepting of varying culinary standards. After 3-4 days we became aware that a fellow guest sharing our table and arriving on our flight had an upset stomach. That evening my wife and I also fell ill with severe cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea and took to our beds for 24 hours (48hrs for my wife) We had half expected a mild stomach upset and had packed Immodium in anticipation but this was of a different order of magnitude and not a tummy upset. The diarrhoea was severe and at one stage I was passing blood. Having cruised in the past where such illnesses require the crew informing I went to see the resort manageress and doctor as soon as I was able to get up and around but they didn’t seem too perturbed and blamed the sea water! For a few days we did not dare stray too far from a WC and so had to cancel some of the excursions we had booked.
When we started to recover from the nausea associated with the illness we were able to take food again and paid far more attention to the food hygiene. This was wanting in many areas. Food (pizza slices) was placed straight from a fridge onto a serving hot plate. Food was left uncovered and soon attracted flies; the temperature of many of the food tureens was at best tepid.
As a result of the illness and experiencing cold food we started to seek out food that was cooked and served immediately to ward off the bugs. So it was omelettes for breakfast and hot pasta for lunch and dinner.
The staff at the bar were with few exceptions rude, surly, and unprofessional. It was an ordeal at times to place an order. Again I must point out that I always take the time to learn a few local words – please, thank you etc. and tip. In fact it was only because I had tipped two of the more professional waiters that I was able to have a tolerable evening in the bar, Talking of which the resort appears to be having an identity crisis; we suffered karaoke, discos and TV concert broadcasts as ‘entertainment’ I guess I am like many others and went to the Maldives for a relaxing experience and not to have an 18-30 holiday.
After a week of this we could no longer stand it and for $450 a day upgraded to the water villas. Despite loosing the all inclusivity this was the salvation of the holiday and more like the experience we were seeking. As a result we had a blissful week with professional courteous and motivated staff in a stunning location. There was nothing that was too much trouble and I would have no hesitation in recommending a stay there.
The all inclusive area may suit some but I honestly believe not the majority. If you are a honeymooning couple either stay in the water villas or go for a quieter more romantic island. Same applies to the more mature couple travelling without children (we’re in our mid 40’s) If you are in your twenties and would miss the local or have young teenagers that would otherwise get bored the all inclusive side would possibly suit you. It seems as if the management cannot decide what they want the resort to be – romantic and peaceful or buzzing and full of nightlife. Most of those I spoke to wanted the former and the management seem to driving towards the latter. (One night as we were walking towards the pier to watch the nightly fish feeding – a must see! – we heard an announcer shout via an over amplified PA to twenty or so sparsely scattered people who had paid a supplement for a beach BBQ “Don’t go anywhere yet the games are about to start”)
The island is beautiful and with a small amount of effort could be a premier resort all round. I understand it is going all half board soon, if this is done, the staff trained and motivated and the food hygiene improved significantly and its identity crisis remedied then it would be a remarkable destination, As it is only the water villas offer the holiday that I could recommend anybody.
I hasten to add the flight with First Choice was fine (we paid for the premium upgrade, two ten hour flights adds to a day of your 14 day break!) and the holiday rep was always available and even provided my wife with some anti histamine from her own stock to treat a weeping insect bite when she came to visit the island. I would travel with this company again
-
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Paradise Lost.
This was... "
Paradise Lost.
This was our third trip to the glorious Maldives. We originally booked Herathera, but as the travel date got nearer I was increasingly worried about what I was reading on the website of this new resort, so decided to alter our destination to an already established Island, and the only one in our price range was Meedhupparu.
As we have been to the islands before, and love them, we had some preconceived ideas about what to expect. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this Island. However, for someone who has never been to the Maldives, and who is on a restricted budget, there probably isn't a better Island for an introduction to the Maldive holiday experience.
The food is fantastic, there is always a good choice of dishes, even for fussy eaters. The staff are brilliant, polite, unobtrusive and dignified. Our room boy came in twice a day and left the villa spotless, a good indication of how well trained they are.
The entertainment was, shall we say, there if you want it! They have a group now and again, a Karaoke evening (not as bad as it sounds) and a few themed nights too, where, if you're that way inclined, you could dress up in, say, native Maldivian dress or whatever you want.
There is a dive school and a watersports centre here. Trips are arranged to local reefs for snorkelling and diving. They have a 3 seater SeaDoo for hire ($50 for 10 minutes, $90 for 20 minutes).
There are other trips too. A visit to a local inhabited island, another to a deserted island for a day where you have a BBQ and snorkel etc, and a trip called "Lovers Paradise", where just the 2 of you can go to a deserted island for the day, with food, a couple of sunbeds, a parasol and an urge to be by yourselves!! This was the only trip I wanted to do, but it was fully booked from the moment we got there, which was a shame.
The rooms are dated now, being 8 years old, but they are gradually being refurbished to very high standard. I suspect also that prices will go up in the near future too, either with a change to half board basis or an increase in the AI price.
One asked by many people is what the weather is like in August. Well, for us this time it was not as good as we have had previously. We had some rain most days, but it was never cold and we got fantastic suntans. It is adviseable to put your suntan lotion on first thing in the morning whether its sunny or not, as you can get burnt through the clouds very easily. One advantage of Meedhupparu is that it is one of the most northerly islands and as such, at this time of year, gets the better weather. If it's raining in Male chances are it's sunny here.
As I said before, if it's your first time to the Maldives you won't be disappointed with this Island.
This was our third trip to the glorious Maldives. We originally booked Herathera, but as the travel date got nearer I was increasingly worried about what I was reading on the website of this new resort, so decided to alter our destination to an already established Island, and the only one in our price range was Meedhupparu.
As we have been to the islands before, and love them, we had some preconceived ideas about what to expect. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this Island. However, for someone who has never been to the Maldives, and who is on a restricted budget, there probably isn't a better Island for an introduction to the Maldive holiday experience.
The food is fantastic, there is always a good choice of dishes, even for fussy eaters. The staff are brilliant, polite, unobtrusive and dignified. Our room boy came in twice a day and left the villa spotless, a good indication of how well trained they are.
The entertainment was, shall we say, there if you want it! They have a group now and again, a Karaoke evening (not as bad as it sounds) and a few themed nights too, where, if you're that way inclined, you could dress up in, say, native Maldivian dress or whatever you want.
There is a dive school and a watersports centre here. Trips are arranged to local reefs for snorkelling and diving. They have a 3 seater SeaDoo for hire ($50 for 10 minutes, $90 for 20 minutes).
There are other trips too. A visit to a local inhabited island, another to a deserted island for a day where you have a BBQ and snorkel etc, and a trip called "Lovers Paradise", where just the 2 of you can go to a deserted island for the day, with food, a couple of sunbeds, a parasol and an urge to be by yourselves!! This was the only trip I wanted to do, but it was fully booked from the moment we got there, which was a shame.
The rooms are dated now, being 8 years old, but they are gradually being refurbished to very high standard. I suspect also that prices will go up in the near future too, either with a change to half board basis or an increase in the AI price.
One asked by many people is what the weather is like in August. Well, for us this time it was not as good as we have had previously. We had some rain most days, but it was never cold and we got fantastic suntans. It is adviseable to put your suntan lotion on first thing in the morning whether its sunny or not, as you can get burnt through the clouds very easily. One advantage of Meedhupparu is that it is one of the most northerly islands and as such, at this time of year, gets the better weather. If it's raining in Male chances are it's sunny here.
As I said before, if it's your first time to the Maldives you won't be disappointed with this Island.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Hi the Maldives is what the brochue... "
Submitted By: Mr Brian,Sue Hollins
Hi the Maldives is what the brochue says paradise,the flight with monach was not that bad but book extra leg room.The resort was good,rooms spacecious kept clean by your room boy every day don t forget to tip him every week.Staff very good but bar staff need to learn how to say please,thank you and smile more.All inclusive is not ALL,You pay for wine,cocktails ect.Food is very good plenty of choice staff very friendly.Some rooms face sandbags but this is essential to protect the island from the rising tides but the sandbags on the south side of the island need to be tidied up,appart from this the island is very beautifull and a total relaxing holiday and we meet some lovely people.The trip to Meedahu is well worth a visit a real eye opener,take sweets for the children and watch them smile.Would I go back YES.
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" I have never written a review about... "
Submitted By: Mrs L Harbour
I have never written a review about anything before, but after reading some of the shocking reports on this site.... and many others.... I felt compelled to add my views.
We booked our holiday to this resort in Sep 07 for our belated honeymoon. after locating some of these sites and reading the reviews, I was really apprehensive about going and moreover, the amount of money that we had paid.
First of all, the flights:
A few months before our flight we were sent a letter telling us that we would be flying via Manchester so that they could fill the flight. Having had the same treatment from Monarch on a flight to Jamaica previously, I should have known better. As we boarded, one man was saying that he had booked the extra legroom with Thomas Cook and had paid a long time in advance.... he received a letter the Friday before the flight (on Mon) and by the time he had got the letter, Thomas Cook were closed and he could nothing about it. But to be fair to the travel company, they did offer him a free drink on the flight as compensation!!!!!! Appalling!!!
The flight out there was pretty terrible. This was due to the juvenile staff laughing and joking and not really paying attention to what they should have been doing... if they had managed to do it with the ability to crack a smile to the passengers then I could have accepted this a bit more! Furthermore, before we landed, we were given a card that had to be filled in an given to customs at Male.... if half of us had done this before then it would have been self explanatory, but to be handed the card with no explanation was extremely poor customer service. The flight back was much better, albeit some fool of a passenger decided to get off at Manchester instead of Gatwick and so we had to await all of the baggae to be unloaded etc etc.
Arrival at Male:
The airport is pretty poor, but this was to be expected. The sea plane queues are horrendous as you get the usual people pushing in front of you and being a general pain. The sea plane flight was amazing. I do not need to say anymore!
The Island:
This was paradise and then some. We arrived and landed on the sea and got off at the jetty. The sea was clear and you could see all of the amazing fish and coral. The sun was out and the beach was pretty empty. Fantastic. We were met by the Australian lady who is the guide on the island. She walked us around and gave us our keys and then off we went to find our bungalow. We were lucky as we had a room right on the end. (It was 276 I think, but as you look from the end of the jetty where the beach bar is, our 'house' was right at the end on the right hand side) We had the pick of the beach and literally, we could walk about 5 steps and the sea was there. We did have sand bags right outside... which many people on here have moaned about, however, if these were not there, then the island would not be as it is. They are sea defences and need to be there. There is no one point where you would sit out and stare at them. Some people are real whingers.
The resort:
The rooms are basic, but are nice enough. We spent very little time in our room and so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. You have a sofa, a bed, a kettle, a safe and a hairdryer. The only issue is, that if you want to straighten your hair, there are no plug sockets near to a mirror... oh, and they are UK PLUGS!!!!! You have an indoor shower and an outdoor shower. It is a bit of a shock to the British system when you open your bathroom door and find there is a huge open doorway to the outside shower!!! A bit wierd the first time you go to the loo! There are geko lizards everywhere, including your room, but they are harmless and really cute. Also, the bats are HUGE and they are truly amazing to watch! The food is fab, a bit monotonous, but if you like fish you are on to a winner. I am a really fussy eater and I never went hungry. The drinking.... this was a big thing to us (have to be honest. We are both 27 and met up with 3 other couples who were aged from 21-35) the all inclusive is a bit naff. The bar shuts at midnight and the local spirits are a little grim, gin tastes like tequila etc etc. Get yourself a good waiter like 'Speedy' and you are on to a winner. The beer, Bintang and Lion is really good. Places like the beach bar only serve all inclusive drinks until 6pm and the food there is not included. Basically, on the all inclusive, you get your meals in the main restaurant and bar snacks that are at a set time every day (usually chicken nuggets, pizza or samosas) and the drink in the beach bar from 10-18 and the main bar from 10-00... I think. The disco is great, it was usually only us 8 that were in there, but it was a laugh all the same. This is on a Mon, Wed and Fri and is open from 22-02. The drinks in here are all inclusive until midnight, so carry as many from the main bar as you can, or stock up in the dicso! They do not like you stocking up by the way! Cocktails and a lot of other things like Jack Daniels are not all inclusive.
Try out a massage, this was amazing, we had the honeymooners package which was a pedicure, facial and full body massage. Try the night fishing ( I did not do much fishing, more hanging over the edge of the boat!) the beach BBQ (You pay to eat your all inclusive on the beach and have a disco etc, we just paid for our drinks which was $15 each. Seems daft when they are all inclusive anyway, but on this night it included some cocktails, and when they are $5 each anyway, you get your money back) and the deserted island (this is where you can hire a deserted island for half a day. The locals take you out on a boat and drop you off with sunloungers, an umbrella and a picnic, great if you are on your honeymoon) and lastly, the group island. (this is another desert island but you get to hire it with your friends. Only issue that we had the whole hol was when we did the group island. We had an amazing day, but the boat got moored out because the sea was so low. This meant that we couldn't get home. We had to sit in the boiling sun on a clear deserted beach all day until we were finally picked up at 7pm. I look back now as it is chucking it down outside and wonder why we thought this was such a hardship! It was more an inconvenience, meaning we almost missed our all inclusive meal, and one couple booked the A'la carte restaurant for the ruby wedding anniversary and missed it. The australian lady was useless and actully we rarely saw her. She was never around when there was a problem. Waste of space. In the end the manager gave us the trip half price.
The snorkelling is amazing, we even saw a turtle. We went every day and usually did a walk round the island too which takes about 30mins. Fish feeding at 2100 hours from the jetty is a must. The weather was a bit sporadic, but this could not be helped. Just be mindful if you book out of season that there is very little to do in the Maldives if the sun has got his hat off.
People told us that we wouldn't need to take money as its all inclusive, just money for tips. About £150 we were told. THIS IS WRONG! If you want to go on any excursions then they are extra cost. For example, the desert island was about $100 and the massages about $150 etc etc. They do not take payment there, they add it to your room and then at the end of your stay you pay either by cash or card. This is good as you do not have to carry cash around. If your bill reaches over $500 then you will get a letter under your door asking you to pay straight away before they open you a new tab. Make sure at the end of your stay that you check your bill as we had numerous drinks on ours that were not ours. They are fine, but just check. There are a few tourist shops in the main reception and a fab jewellers but thats about it.
Be mindful, that we got speaking to a couple that come to this resort every year. The other times that they went ALL DRINKS IN ALL AREAS were All inclusive and were from 10-00 in both bars. They were friends with the last manager and he told them before he left that the reason behind the cut backs on the all inclusive packages are because by the end of 2008 this resort is looking to go HALF BOARD. Get there before thi happens, as for an all inclusive deal, it is well worth the money. It will be a very expensive holiday if its half board.
Lastly, the water bungalows. Thomas Cook said that we could not book these through them, so we decided that we would book at the resort for the last 2 nights. When we got to the island however, we changed our minds. They are all crammed in and as they come out onto their decking and down the ladder to the sea, they are right in the coral. Also, the cloud was always at that side of the island. If you do upgrade for any amount of time, then you lose you all inclusive and have to pay for your food. This is on a b&b rate and you have to use the a'la carte restaurant which is not cheap at all. If you have a lot of cash to chuck about then do it. People that have remarked on here that they are segregated and the water bungalow people get everything are talking out of their bottoms. Yes, they have a wooden fence around the water bungalows allocated beach area, but they are not treated any better than anyone else, in fact, I would say a lot worse. People that moan are just jealous. Well if they feel like that, then go to Spain and have the same package as everyone else and can fight over their sun loungers and a bit of beach. The water bungalows have a tiny gated area of beach, we all had wherever we wanted! None of this looking into the sea like in Spain and seeing hundreds of people, you can have the biggest area of beach that you want! Also, if you are thinking of topless sunbathing, forget it. This is illegal in the Maldives. On that note, so is taking any porn, alcohol or a bible other than Islam. These will be taken from you at Male and you can collect them on the way out.
We all said at the end of our holiday, 'Did we have such an amazing time because of the island or the friends that we made?' It was clearly a lot of both. It is not a resort for children, albeit there were babies and children there when we were. (I am sure that they should have been at school, but each to their own) I have never gone on a 2 week holiday (apart from the US where it is like England but hot) and been happy, 10 days is always the cut off point for me. But here, I was really choked about leaving. We all had an amazing time and would defo go again. I think we would chose another island, just to see what its like somewhere else. But I would recommend this to anyone.
Absoultely, 100% fantastic!!!!!!!
We booked our holiday to this resort in Sep 07 for our belated honeymoon. after locating some of these sites and reading the reviews, I was really apprehensive about going and moreover, the amount of money that we had paid.
First of all, the flights:
A few months before our flight we were sent a letter telling us that we would be flying via Manchester so that they could fill the flight. Having had the same treatment from Monarch on a flight to Jamaica previously, I should have known better. As we boarded, one man was saying that he had booked the extra legroom with Thomas Cook and had paid a long time in advance.... he received a letter the Friday before the flight (on Mon) and by the time he had got the letter, Thomas Cook were closed and he could nothing about it. But to be fair to the travel company, they did offer him a free drink on the flight as compensation!!!!!! Appalling!!!
The flight out there was pretty terrible. This was due to the juvenile staff laughing and joking and not really paying attention to what they should have been doing... if they had managed to do it with the ability to crack a smile to the passengers then I could have accepted this a bit more! Furthermore, before we landed, we were given a card that had to be filled in an given to customs at Male.... if half of us had done this before then it would have been self explanatory, but to be handed the card with no explanation was extremely poor customer service. The flight back was much better, albeit some fool of a passenger decided to get off at Manchester instead of Gatwick and so we had to await all of the baggae to be unloaded etc etc.
Arrival at Male:
The airport is pretty poor, but this was to be expected. The sea plane queues are horrendous as you get the usual people pushing in front of you and being a general pain. The sea plane flight was amazing. I do not need to say anymore!
The Island:
This was paradise and then some. We arrived and landed on the sea and got off at the jetty. The sea was clear and you could see all of the amazing fish and coral. The sun was out and the beach was pretty empty. Fantastic. We were met by the Australian lady who is the guide on the island. She walked us around and gave us our keys and then off we went to find our bungalow. We were lucky as we had a room right on the end. (It was 276 I think, but as you look from the end of the jetty where the beach bar is, our 'house' was right at the end on the right hand side) We had the pick of the beach and literally, we could walk about 5 steps and the sea was there. We did have sand bags right outside... which many people on here have moaned about, however, if these were not there, then the island would not be as it is. They are sea defences and need to be there. There is no one point where you would sit out and stare at them. Some people are real whingers.
The resort:
The rooms are basic, but are nice enough. We spent very little time in our room and so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. You have a sofa, a bed, a kettle, a safe and a hairdryer. The only issue is, that if you want to straighten your hair, there are no plug sockets near to a mirror... oh, and they are UK PLUGS!!!!! You have an indoor shower and an outdoor shower. It is a bit of a shock to the British system when you open your bathroom door and find there is a huge open doorway to the outside shower!!! A bit wierd the first time you go to the loo! There are geko lizards everywhere, including your room, but they are harmless and really cute. Also, the bats are HUGE and they are truly amazing to watch! The food is fab, a bit monotonous, but if you like fish you are on to a winner. I am a really fussy eater and I never went hungry. The drinking.... this was a big thing to us (have to be honest. We are both 27 and met up with 3 other couples who were aged from 21-35) the all inclusive is a bit naff. The bar shuts at midnight and the local spirits are a little grim, gin tastes like tequila etc etc. Get yourself a good waiter like 'Speedy' and you are on to a winner. The beer, Bintang and Lion is really good. Places like the beach bar only serve all inclusive drinks until 6pm and the food there is not included. Basically, on the all inclusive, you get your meals in the main restaurant and bar snacks that are at a set time every day (usually chicken nuggets, pizza or samosas) and the drink in the beach bar from 10-18 and the main bar from 10-00... I think. The disco is great, it was usually only us 8 that were in there, but it was a laugh all the same. This is on a Mon, Wed and Fri and is open from 22-02. The drinks in here are all inclusive until midnight, so carry as many from the main bar as you can, or stock up in the dicso! They do not like you stocking up by the way! Cocktails and a lot of other things like Jack Daniels are not all inclusive.
Try out a massage, this was amazing, we had the honeymooners package which was a pedicure, facial and full body massage. Try the night fishing ( I did not do much fishing, more hanging over the edge of the boat!) the beach BBQ (You pay to eat your all inclusive on the beach and have a disco etc, we just paid for our drinks which was $15 each. Seems daft when they are all inclusive anyway, but on this night it included some cocktails, and when they are $5 each anyway, you get your money back) and the deserted island (this is where you can hire a deserted island for half a day. The locals take you out on a boat and drop you off with sunloungers, an umbrella and a picnic, great if you are on your honeymoon) and lastly, the group island. (this is another desert island but you get to hire it with your friends. Only issue that we had the whole hol was when we did the group island. We had an amazing day, but the boat got moored out because the sea was so low. This meant that we couldn't get home. We had to sit in the boiling sun on a clear deserted beach all day until we were finally picked up at 7pm. I look back now as it is chucking it down outside and wonder why we thought this was such a hardship! It was more an inconvenience, meaning we almost missed our all inclusive meal, and one couple booked the A'la carte restaurant for the ruby wedding anniversary and missed it. The australian lady was useless and actully we rarely saw her. She was never around when there was a problem. Waste of space. In the end the manager gave us the trip half price.
The snorkelling is amazing, we even saw a turtle. We went every day and usually did a walk round the island too which takes about 30mins. Fish feeding at 2100 hours from the jetty is a must. The weather was a bit sporadic, but this could not be helped. Just be mindful if you book out of season that there is very little to do in the Maldives if the sun has got his hat off.
People told us that we wouldn't need to take money as its all inclusive, just money for tips. About £150 we were told. THIS IS WRONG! If you want to go on any excursions then they are extra cost. For example, the desert island was about $100 and the massages about $150 etc etc. They do not take payment there, they add it to your room and then at the end of your stay you pay either by cash or card. This is good as you do not have to carry cash around. If your bill reaches over $500 then you will get a letter under your door asking you to pay straight away before they open you a new tab. Make sure at the end of your stay that you check your bill as we had numerous drinks on ours that were not ours. They are fine, but just check. There are a few tourist shops in the main reception and a fab jewellers but thats about it.
Be mindful, that we got speaking to a couple that come to this resort every year. The other times that they went ALL DRINKS IN ALL AREAS were All inclusive and were from 10-00 in both bars. They were friends with the last manager and he told them before he left that the reason behind the cut backs on the all inclusive packages are because by the end of 2008 this resort is looking to go HALF BOARD. Get there before thi happens, as for an all inclusive deal, it is well worth the money. It will be a very expensive holiday if its half board.
Lastly, the water bungalows. Thomas Cook said that we could not book these through them, so we decided that we would book at the resort for the last 2 nights. When we got to the island however, we changed our minds. They are all crammed in and as they come out onto their decking and down the ladder to the sea, they are right in the coral. Also, the cloud was always at that side of the island. If you do upgrade for any amount of time, then you lose you all inclusive and have to pay for your food. This is on a b&b rate and you have to use the a'la carte restaurant which is not cheap at all. If you have a lot of cash to chuck about then do it. People that have remarked on here that they are segregated and the water bungalow people get everything are talking out of their bottoms. Yes, they have a wooden fence around the water bungalows allocated beach area, but they are not treated any better than anyone else, in fact, I would say a lot worse. People that moan are just jealous. Well if they feel like that, then go to Spain and have the same package as everyone else and can fight over their sun loungers and a bit of beach. The water bungalows have a tiny gated area of beach, we all had wherever we wanted! None of this looking into the sea like in Spain and seeing hundreds of people, you can have the biggest area of beach that you want! Also, if you are thinking of topless sunbathing, forget it. This is illegal in the Maldives. On that note, so is taking any porn, alcohol or a bible other than Islam. These will be taken from you at Male and you can collect them on the way out.
We all said at the end of our holiday, 'Did we have such an amazing time because of the island or the friends that we made?' It was clearly a lot of both. It is not a resort for children, albeit there were babies and children there when we were. (I am sure that they should have been at school, but each to their own) I have never gone on a 2 week holiday (apart from the US where it is like England but hot) and been happy, 10 days is always the cut off point for me. But here, I was really choked about leaving. We all had an amazing time and would defo go again. I think we would chose another island, just to see what its like somewhere else. But I would recommend this to anyone.
Absoultely, 100% fantastic!!!!!!!
-
- Date of Holiday:Feb 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" We travelled with Qatar Airways via... "
Submitted By: Woody171
We travelled with Qatar Airways via Doha from Manchester. We did have a 6 hour stop over in Doha on the way out, but we used Qatar Airways Al Maha Services and the Oryx Lounge which made it more comfortable. The aircraft were scheduled and so more comfortable than charter and all food and drink was complimentary.
We landed in Male at 07:10 and we were out of the airport by 07:40, checked-in to the Maldivian Air Taxi service and were told our aircraft would be leaving at 08:25. By the time we had been driven across the airport it was 08:10 and after 5 minutes we were told to board. What a pleasant surprise, we were the only passengers on the aircraft, personal service or what! There was spectacular scenery as always with this method of transfer.
Arriving at Meedhupparu, we found that the island was 1 hour ahead of Male, this facilitated the early Sea Plane transfers first thing in the morning (one leaves every morning after staying overnight at 07:00, beware accommodation near the jetty as the aircraft starts up just off the beach, rooms 249-276).
I feel that the accommodation and buildings on Meedhupparu, although lovely are starting to look tired. I believe that some renovation will be done in Sep 2008, but BEWARE, rumours while we were there were saying that this island is stopping being AI and going to HB after the renovation.
Currently, the sea defence work that was taking place late last year has been completed, but I am sure that more will be taking place. Parts of the South side of the island are very badly eroded, especially in the 280’s (we were in 288!) and colourful sandbags were placed on the beach to protect it and a 2 foot drop down onto the beach. However, another thing we found out was that the erosion depends on which season they are in, the dry monsoon and the South side gets it and the wet monsoon the North gets it, the opposite sides getting beach deposits.
The new sea defence wall sits in front of rooms 169-248, with only 1 small gap to get through to the sea. Some of these rooms near the beach are only just still on the beach with unsightly concrete walls in front of them. The best rooms at the moment for beach are 101-155, although some rooms are a bit further back in the undergrowth.
The rooms were comfortable and tidy if, as I have stated, a little tired. Our air conditioning was not the best and worked very hard. Other rooms had newer units which were efficient. The bathroom was large and tidy with a large shower. The drains did smell a little though.
The pool area was where we spent most days (as we had little beach in front of our room) and it was a very pleasant experience. Luckily no lager louts when we were there and very quiet most of the time. The pool was clean and if you are there regularly first thing, the pool attendant gives you a second pair of beach towels.
The main bar was large and spacious, if a little hot in the evenings when there was little breeze. Entertainment was the usual Maldivian fair. The All Inclusive deal does not include cocktails or wine in the main bar. Snacks are served in the main bar between 10:30 and 11:30. The Grill Bar was OK for a late afternoon drink, but we never ventured there in the evening when it was not AI.
The main restaurant was OK if you went at the start of every meal time. Any later and it was like taking part in a rugby scrum. The food was very good quality, although a little repetitive after 2 weeks. We did not try the Fine Dining Restaurant as the menu was limited and didn’t excite our tastes, similarly with dining on the beach. There is a BBQ and music held on the beach every week, but you had to pay extra for this.
The staff we found cheerful and always willing to help, especially an 18 year old who called himself “Speedy”, who had obviously picked up many English sayings in his time there. There was a light out in our room and reception had someone out to fix it within 10 minutes.
We tried the night fishing and I managed to catch 2 fish, better to be called evening fishing, as it leaves at 17:00 and returns at 20:00, only 45 minutes after sunset. The cost was $20 each.
My wife and I booked the Lovers Paradise Island trip, only for the one bad weather day we had, to occur at the same time and so it was cancelled. However, that very afternoon, the people who were due to go the next day cancelled and we booked up within 10 minutes. This is the excursion which made our trip even better. You are taken to a small piece of sand with a few shrubs and left for about 5 hours. You are provided with sun beds, parasol and enough food and drink to sink a warship. It takes 40 minutes to get there and after you are dropped of the boat anchors up about a half mile away. Other than that you are totally alone and able to do what you want. The cost was $95 each.
We both had a synchronised massage in the Spa centre and being our first massage ever, we found it incredible. It entailed two people massaging you in complete synchronisation; one on either side of your body and it lasted for 40 minutes. The cost was $55 each.
This was our third visit to the Maldives and this island, although larger than the others we have been to, was a very pleasant experience.
Our funniest experience: One evening we were returning to our room along a small pathway through the undergrowth and we saw a mouse having a battle with a large crab!
We landed in Male at 07:10 and we were out of the airport by 07:40, checked-in to the Maldivian Air Taxi service and were told our aircraft would be leaving at 08:25. By the time we had been driven across the airport it was 08:10 and after 5 minutes we were told to board. What a pleasant surprise, we were the only passengers on the aircraft, personal service or what! There was spectacular scenery as always with this method of transfer.
Arriving at Meedhupparu, we found that the island was 1 hour ahead of Male, this facilitated the early Sea Plane transfers first thing in the morning (one leaves every morning after staying overnight at 07:00, beware accommodation near the jetty as the aircraft starts up just off the beach, rooms 249-276).
I feel that the accommodation and buildings on Meedhupparu, although lovely are starting to look tired. I believe that some renovation will be done in Sep 2008, but BEWARE, rumours while we were there were saying that this island is stopping being AI and going to HB after the renovation.
Currently, the sea defence work that was taking place late last year has been completed, but I am sure that more will be taking place. Parts of the South side of the island are very badly eroded, especially in the 280’s (we were in 288!) and colourful sandbags were placed on the beach to protect it and a 2 foot drop down onto the beach. However, another thing we found out was that the erosion depends on which season they are in, the dry monsoon and the South side gets it and the wet monsoon the North gets it, the opposite sides getting beach deposits.
The new sea defence wall sits in front of rooms 169-248, with only 1 small gap to get through to the sea. Some of these rooms near the beach are only just still on the beach with unsightly concrete walls in front of them. The best rooms at the moment for beach are 101-155, although some rooms are a bit further back in the undergrowth.
The rooms were comfortable and tidy if, as I have stated, a little tired. Our air conditioning was not the best and worked very hard. Other rooms had newer units which were efficient. The bathroom was large and tidy with a large shower. The drains did smell a little though.
The pool area was where we spent most days (as we had little beach in front of our room) and it was a very pleasant experience. Luckily no lager louts when we were there and very quiet most of the time. The pool was clean and if you are there regularly first thing, the pool attendant gives you a second pair of beach towels.
The main bar was large and spacious, if a little hot in the evenings when there was little breeze. Entertainment was the usual Maldivian fair. The All Inclusive deal does not include cocktails or wine in the main bar. Snacks are served in the main bar between 10:30 and 11:30. The Grill Bar was OK for a late afternoon drink, but we never ventured there in the evening when it was not AI.
The main restaurant was OK if you went at the start of every meal time. Any later and it was like taking part in a rugby scrum. The food was very good quality, although a little repetitive after 2 weeks. We did not try the Fine Dining Restaurant as the menu was limited and didn’t excite our tastes, similarly with dining on the beach. There is a BBQ and music held on the beach every week, but you had to pay extra for this.
The staff we found cheerful and always willing to help, especially an 18 year old who called himself “Speedy”, who had obviously picked up many English sayings in his time there. There was a light out in our room and reception had someone out to fix it within 10 minutes.
We tried the night fishing and I managed to catch 2 fish, better to be called evening fishing, as it leaves at 17:00 and returns at 20:00, only 45 minutes after sunset. The cost was $20 each.
My wife and I booked the Lovers Paradise Island trip, only for the one bad weather day we had, to occur at the same time and so it was cancelled. However, that very afternoon, the people who were due to go the next day cancelled and we booked up within 10 minutes. This is the excursion which made our trip even better. You are taken to a small piece of sand with a few shrubs and left for about 5 hours. You are provided with sun beds, parasol and enough food and drink to sink a warship. It takes 40 minutes to get there and after you are dropped of the boat anchors up about a half mile away. Other than that you are totally alone and able to do what you want. The cost was $95 each.
We both had a synchronised massage in the Spa centre and being our first massage ever, we found it incredible. It entailed two people massaging you in complete synchronisation; one on either side of your body and it lasted for 40 minutes. The cost was $55 each.
This was our third visit to the Maldives and this island, although larger than the others we have been to, was a very pleasant experience.
Our funniest experience: One evening we were returning to our room along a small pathway through the undergrowth and we saw a mouse having a battle with a large crab!
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- Date of Holiday:Mar 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" This was my second trip to the... "
Submitted By: Mr J Walton
This was my second trip to the Maldives, unfortunately, my experience was nowhere near what I experienced the first time round.
Positives
The room was very spacious and kept very clean by the hard working fella who looked after us. There is ample room to store all your clothes etc. The room I stayed in was situated just far enough back from the beach in the shade which was nice if I needed a little break from the sun.
The entertainment was enjoyable discounting the karaoke evening, unfortunately there is always the odd idiot who believes he's a comedian and brings the tone down with foul language!, not good in front of children!. I've been to the Maldives twice and Sri Lanka once and I would say the entertainment here was slightly better.
The vast majority of staff are very helpful, always speak and smile. The lad who looked after our table at breakfast, lunch and dinner was extremely good.
The beaches are beautiful.
The snorkelling is very good and there are plenty of fish especially off the pier. I found myself snorkelling for up to 2 hours at times without noticing the time had passed so quickly.
Negatives
The customer service desk. Our air-con decided to pack up half way into the holiday. It took 8 requests (Which included the lad who looked after our room asking twice), and 3 days to fix. The problem was only sorted when my wife finally lost her patience with the problem. I personally went with little sleep for 3 nights which in my opinion isn't a relaxing holiday!.
All inclusive dining. Without a doubt the worst experience of the holiday, not just down to the resort but the animals who ate there. I don't feel there is enough room between the service area and the first set of tables meaning that you are constantly bumped into and pushed out of the way. I can only compare breakfast, lunch and evening meal to a free for all. I can honestly day this was my worst eating experience of any holiday, seriously!!. I also felt the food was extremely average, not what I had experienced on my last visit to the Maldives.
Sales. I was pestered to eat either on the beach or in the fine dining restaurant on numerous occasions, which is very expensive, seriously, you can eat a 3 course lunch at Gordon Ramsey’s Claridge's for less than one course in the fine dining restaurant, this is not an exaggeration. I also thought the trips were expensive.
Water Villa's. I've read on here about "us and them", this was definitely apparent. OK, the Water Villa's are classed as a separate resort with their own pool, bar and dining area which is what would be expected. However I felt particularly aggrieved when the residents in the Water Villa's made their way to the main bar and were served straight away whether there was a queue or not. I have stayed in Water Villa's before and yes I would definite expect a higher spec room, but not for other holiday makers to suffer at my expense when it comes to service. It was quite strange, you were kind of made to feel like second class guests.
Cement filled sandbags. OK, the island has to be protected and compared to some islands the wall that has been erected is very acceptable. However, there are sections of the island where empty bright yellow sandbags have been dumped just off the beach which are quite ugly. You can walk most of the circumference of the island and enjoy the view, but there are a couple of spots which reminded me of just finished new build estates back in England!.
I hate to be the person who has a moan, however a holiday is what you make it and I did still enjoy myself, however this was not the holiday in paradise I had looked forward to so much.
Positives
The room was very spacious and kept very clean by the hard working fella who looked after us. There is ample room to store all your clothes etc. The room I stayed in was situated just far enough back from the beach in the shade which was nice if I needed a little break from the sun.
The entertainment was enjoyable discounting the karaoke evening, unfortunately there is always the odd idiot who believes he's a comedian and brings the tone down with foul language!, not good in front of children!. I've been to the Maldives twice and Sri Lanka once and I would say the entertainment here was slightly better.
The vast majority of staff are very helpful, always speak and smile. The lad who looked after our table at breakfast, lunch and dinner was extremely good.
The beaches are beautiful.
The snorkelling is very good and there are plenty of fish especially off the pier. I found myself snorkelling for up to 2 hours at times without noticing the time had passed so quickly.
Negatives
The customer service desk. Our air-con decided to pack up half way into the holiday. It took 8 requests (Which included the lad who looked after our room asking twice), and 3 days to fix. The problem was only sorted when my wife finally lost her patience with the problem. I personally went with little sleep for 3 nights which in my opinion isn't a relaxing holiday!.
All inclusive dining. Without a doubt the worst experience of the holiday, not just down to the resort but the animals who ate there. I don't feel there is enough room between the service area and the first set of tables meaning that you are constantly bumped into and pushed out of the way. I can only compare breakfast, lunch and evening meal to a free for all. I can honestly day this was my worst eating experience of any holiday, seriously!!. I also felt the food was extremely average, not what I had experienced on my last visit to the Maldives.
Sales. I was pestered to eat either on the beach or in the fine dining restaurant on numerous occasions, which is very expensive, seriously, you can eat a 3 course lunch at Gordon Ramsey’s Claridge's for less than one course in the fine dining restaurant, this is not an exaggeration. I also thought the trips were expensive.
Water Villa's. I've read on here about "us and them", this was definitely apparent. OK, the Water Villa's are classed as a separate resort with their own pool, bar and dining area which is what would be expected. However I felt particularly aggrieved when the residents in the Water Villa's made their way to the main bar and were served straight away whether there was a queue or not. I have stayed in Water Villa's before and yes I would definite expect a higher spec room, but not for other holiday makers to suffer at my expense when it comes to service. It was quite strange, you were kind of made to feel like second class guests.
Cement filled sandbags. OK, the island has to be protected and compared to some islands the wall that has been erected is very acceptable. However, there are sections of the island where empty bright yellow sandbags have been dumped just off the beach which are quite ugly. You can walk most of the circumference of the island and enjoy the view, but there are a couple of spots which reminded me of just finished new build estates back in England!.
I hate to be the person who has a moan, however a holiday is what you make it and I did still enjoy myself, however this was not the holiday in paradise I had looked forward to so much.
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" After reading previous reviews we... "
Submitted By: Mrs P Evans
After reading previous reviews we were apprehensive about the holiday - but honestly didn't need to worry. Paradise is what we hoped for and paradise was what we found. I will skirt over the nightmare outward journey with First Choice - the cabin crew were unhelpful and not very pleasant- a smile would not have gone amiss - not what we expected at all. Also, I object to the scam of having to pay for everything on board the plane - except the "meal" We normally travel on schedule flights so this was somewhat of a culture shock to us all. However, once the plane landed at Male everything changed. I saw a guy holding up a First Choice board and approached him and told him our destination. We were then rapidly taken to see the First Choice rep who explained that we had to hurry because there was a seaplane due to leave and if we missed it we would have a 3 hour wait. We were taken to the plane and embarked immediately. So far so good! The seaplane flight was incredible - make sure you have your camera handy for the views of the other islands. It took about 40 minutes and we landed at the south jetty to be met by staff who gave us a whistle-stop tour of the island before taking us to the reception. Once there we were given ice cold cloths and a cold drink before having a reception chat and allocation of our rooms. Our request for ajoining rooms was granted and we wandered off to find the rooms. Very spacious and spotlessly clean the whole of the week we were there. Our room boy was Hasim.He cleaned the rooms twice a day- also creating lovely designs when he turned our beds down at night. The other reviews have already spoken about the beautiful sealife and wonderful snorkelling opportunities, so I won't repeat all that - suffice to say everything was wonderful. It averaged about 29 degrees during our stay - very pleasant. We were allocated our own table and waiter in the restaurant, and although one of our party is a fussy eater he always found plenty he enjoyed. The variety of food was extensive and catered for all nationalities. People we spoke to came from Russia, Germany, UK, France & Poland - we had quite a few amusing conversations trying to understand each other with plenty of sign language. The men in our party went scuba diving for the first time and the instructor was very patient and helpful - it's worth having a go if you have never done it before - meanwhile we ladies made use of the massage facilities -superb! My sister in law had not previously had a massage, and was a bit dubious but afterwards she said that her next one would have to go some to beat the one she had on the Island. All of the staff, without exception were friendly and helpful and genuinely seemed to want to make the stay as pleasant as possible. As for going back there - roll on, can't wait. One point to remember - take a cozzy,shorts and suncream in your hand luggage. Our cases came by boat so didn't arrive for about 6 hours - so you could potentially swelter in your warm UK clothes otherwise.
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" just returtned from meedhupparu... "
Submitted By: Mr Ian Laughlin
just returtned from meedhupparu island in a word AWESOME staff very helpful and chatty , nothing 2 much trouble for them, food was excellent rooms are clean and spacious everything you need for a relaxing holiday in the sun . do go on the excurions to other islands to see the locals its an eye opener .the sea plane is an experience 2 snorkling is must all types of creatures from clown fish reef sharks sting rays trigger fish sea snakes morray eels ect ect. we flew emirates via dubai superb meals and as much drink as u want plenty of leg room individual tv screens on your seat and so many games, tv film and radio channels to choose from you can even see what the pilot sees on take off and landing ect. the island does cater 4 children but i personly wouldnt take kids,to a place like this as there is nothing 4 them 2 do.we were told by the rep NOT to feed the fish bread as it kills them but at 9.30pm you can watch the staff feed the fish on the jetty take a camera with u at all times as u will be surprised what u see . early morning the dolphins swim past we were lucky enough to see them. dont be put off by the other comments that have been left about the island by other people.and yes girls leave the high heels at home you wont need them..... shorts and t shirts and your cozy is all you need. and smart and casual for the main dining room and bar thats it hope this has given some light on meedhuparu
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- Date of Holiday:Jan 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" Just returned from the island after... "
Submitted By: Mrs K Mennour
Just returned from the island after spending Xmas and the New Year. If you want a chill out and relaxing holiday this is the place to go. It’s a long distance from anything else and there’s not much to do, so it was just what my husband and I needed. There is a wide range of guests staying including eastern European, French, Italian and German and I did not see any loud or drunk behaviour.
I wouldn't expect much entertainment and generally alot of guests retire early. The bungalows are spacious for 2 people and the bathroom bigger than mine at home, bottles of water are provided for you every day and your room cleaned twice a day with fresh sheets and towels. All bungalows are arranged in a horseshoe shape all around the island apart from the area of the water villas and you walk directly from the beach onto your patio.
Every member of the staff greeted us politely with a smile and were helpful and you'll get to know them all by name. They work extremely hard and generally remember what you drink with your meal.
Snorkelling is a must and vary your routes and if you get a chance go diving, I have dived all around the world and although the seas looked quite quiet it’s unbelievable what you come across, stingrays, hammerhead sharks, turtles and so many fish. Take some of the bread at evening and morning and feed them. One review talked about the crows, I found them good companions.
The only bad comment I have is that Thomson is the worst travel company I have ever flown with. Our flight was delayed leaving Gatwick which made us late for the Seaplane so we were put onto a boat with no water, food or anyone who could speak English for over 5 hours, when originally we were told that it would be about 3. On the return journey we were picked up very early and had to wait at the airport for 5 hours. Thomson's communication is terrible and don't expect much on the plane journey, having paid for a meal thats just what we got, 1 meal to last us 10 hours. Also make sure you leave room in your hand luggage as you have to take the blanket and pillow Thomson provide on the plane with you to the resort; they don't say much about the camping requirements in their itineray.
Had it not been for the peaceful and not to mention beautiful crystal clear waters or the white deep sandy beaches our holiday may have been spoilt because of Thomson.
I wouldn't expect much entertainment and generally alot of guests retire early. The bungalows are spacious for 2 people and the bathroom bigger than mine at home, bottles of water are provided for you every day and your room cleaned twice a day with fresh sheets and towels. All bungalows are arranged in a horseshoe shape all around the island apart from the area of the water villas and you walk directly from the beach onto your patio.
Every member of the staff greeted us politely with a smile and were helpful and you'll get to know them all by name. They work extremely hard and generally remember what you drink with your meal.
Snorkelling is a must and vary your routes and if you get a chance go diving, I have dived all around the world and although the seas looked quite quiet it’s unbelievable what you come across, stingrays, hammerhead sharks, turtles and so many fish. Take some of the bread at evening and morning and feed them. One review talked about the crows, I found them good companions.
The only bad comment I have is that Thomson is the worst travel company I have ever flown with. Our flight was delayed leaving Gatwick which made us late for the Seaplane so we were put onto a boat with no water, food or anyone who could speak English for over 5 hours, when originally we were told that it would be about 3. On the return journey we were picked up very early and had to wait at the airport for 5 hours. Thomson's communication is terrible and don't expect much on the plane journey, having paid for a meal thats just what we got, 1 meal to last us 10 hours. Also make sure you leave room in your hand luggage as you have to take the blanket and pillow Thomson provide on the plane with you to the resort; they don't say much about the camping requirements in their itineray.
Had it not been for the peaceful and not to mention beautiful crystal clear waters or the white deep sandy beaches our holiday may have been spoilt because of Thomson.
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- Date of Holiday:Dec 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" Chose this destination for our... "
Submitted By: Mrs Samson
Chose this destination for our honeymoon and became very apprehensive when we read some of the reviews. Glad we did not decide to change our destination as the island was fantastic.
Staff could not help you enough and nothing was a problem for them. I can be a fussy eater but found that there was always something nice to eat and the desserts were to die for! Other good point was that they did not cover the food with sauces but allowed you to pour your own sauce over your food if that was what you wanted.
Another great idea that they have is allowing you to charge anything you buy/excursions you go on are all charged at the end of the holiday. This allows you to leave any cash behind and in turn means that you really only have to tip at the end of your holiday rather than a few times each day.
Not the place to go if you are looking for a lively holiday but to get some chill out time - fantastic!
Only downside as many others have mentioned was flying with Monarch - nightmare. We paid in advance for the extra legroom seats which were a waste of time. The plane was freezing, the film choice was awful (children's films on a predominantly adult flight) and be warned if you have the extra legroom seats you can't see the TVs anyway. Will never fly Monarch again.
Staff could not help you enough and nothing was a problem for them. I can be a fussy eater but found that there was always something nice to eat and the desserts were to die for! Other good point was that they did not cover the food with sauces but allowed you to pour your own sauce over your food if that was what you wanted.
Another great idea that they have is allowing you to charge anything you buy/excursions you go on are all charged at the end of the holiday. This allows you to leave any cash behind and in turn means that you really only have to tip at the end of your holiday rather than a few times each day.
Not the place to go if you are looking for a lively holiday but to get some chill out time - fantastic!
Only downside as many others have mentioned was flying with Monarch - nightmare. We paid in advance for the extra legroom seats which were a waste of time. The plane was freezing, the film choice was awful (children's films on a predominantly adult flight) and be warned if you have the extra legroom seats you can't see the TVs anyway. Will never fly Monarch again.
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
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Advice: small but perfectly formed
Activities: the lunch menu makes a nice change
Good for: Beach