Meedhupparu Island Resort

I have only just discovered this web site and reading all the reviews and discussions felt that I should write about our experiences of the Maldives and Meedhupparu. Firstly I must say that we had a wonderful time at Meedhupparu and it was the best holiday we have ever had. We had such a great time that we have booked to return again later this year and we are really looking forward to it. We went to Meedhupparu for two weeks in Sep/Oct 2004 for our honeymoon. Our flight was with Monarch (economy), which we had heard did not provide the best service and was quite cramped. This turned out to be correct. For a long haul operation we were shocked to discover that you had to pay for everything you ate or drank (except for the included meals which came with drinks). This is more of a hassle than anything else as you can't move in the seats let alone find some change for a bottle of water. We were very lucky flying out as we sat in a row of three seats and the third seat was not occupied. As the flight was an evening flight we both managed to get some sleep and it wasn't too bad a journey. Our return flight was a nightmare. The plane was full and cramped and the flight was at lunchtime. I couldn't move or sleep comfortably. If you are planning to use Monarch then I would strongly suggest that you upgrade to the larger seats in premium class, which are like the normal seating in normal airlines. Both the outgoing and return flights were on time and we arrived on an overcast day in Male. I had read reviews of Maldives holidays on the Internet before I came and they all said that you should hurry to the seaplane as the first in are the first out and you could be waiting for hours for your plane. We were the first people to arrive at the seaplane terminal (it's a 5min bus ride from the main airport) and we were the last to leave 3 1/2 hours later. Meedhupparu charters a seaplane or two and they go back and forth to the island. This is why progress can be slow and there can be a long wait. It is no great hardship, although frustrating as you just want to be on the island! There is a small cafe at the seaplane terminal and you can watch the planes going in and going out which was quite interesting and passed the time. There is no air conditioning at the terminal so ensure that you wear or take light clothes in you hand luggage. The seaplane will take you to Meedhupparu but a speedboat will take you main luggage. Your luggage might not get to Meedhupparu until late in the evening so you need to take all you need for a day in the heat in your hand luggage. The seaplane journey was fantastic! The views of the islands are spectacular and make sure that you have your camera to hand. The engines are loud but that wasn't a problem for us. The journey takes about 45mins. We reached Meedhupparu and were immediately struck by how beautiful the location was and how helpful and enthusiastic the staff are! We left the seaplane and were met by our holiday rep. She took us to the main reception and we had a drink and a cold towel while we completed the registration process. The island itself is amazing. The sand is sugar white and there are loads of lizards and fruit bats to see! The sea is pure green and blue and you just have to walk down a jetty and see all the fish swimming around the reef in crystal clear waters. It is very hot and humid. The temperature doesn’t change much throughout the year but the humidity and rainfall does so check this out on the web before you book if this is likely to bother you. The standard rooms are bungalows. Each bungalow is two separate rooms and all the bungalows are grouped into about ten or so and are horseshoe shaped in groups around the perimeter of the island. Our bungalow was in the middle of the horseshoe shape and was quite far back from the sea. All rooms are quite basic but have tea/coffee making facilities and have outside and inside shower. They have a decked section at the back of the room facing the sea. The rooms all have hairdryers and the electrical sockets are UK style. Rooms have beach towels provided and also have a plug-in mosquito repellent. Rooms also have a very good air conditioning system. Rooms also have a mini bar which is not included in the All Inclusive option. You do get two 500ml bottles of water in the mini bar per day which is free. We found that you could ask at the main bar for big two litre bottles of water (also free) and take them back to the room. The food at the buffet style restaurant is absolutely fantastic. There is something for everyone. There is quite a large Italian presence on the island and this is reflected in the food. There is always pasta and ice cream available. The Maldivian cuisine is fantastic and if you like spices (like me) then you'll be delighted at the curries for breakfast, lunch and dinner! There is lots of grilled fish and there is always something different to try! When you first attend the restaurant you are allocated a table for the entire duration of your stay. Tables are in twos or fours. We were initially sat at a four seater with another couple. We asked for a two seater table as it was our honeymoon and wanted private meals - not to be anti-sociable! It must have been quite busy as we had to wait for four days for a two seater table to be free. We were exhausted by the end of out first day. We had a brief look around the island, had dinner and went to bed. I got up at 3am or so to get a glass of water. While I was drinking my wife woke up and was staring at me with massive eyes and a look of absolute horror on her face. I turned around and on the wall only a few feet from me was quite possibly the largest spider I have ever seen. I know that these sorts of stories are prone to exaggeration but I can honestly say that this one was about 6-7 inches wide and it was big. I am not afraid of spiders (my wife is terrified) but I was afraid of not knowing if this one was poisonous or dangerous. It's easy to say now that we should've called reception and got someone out. We were tired, scared, we didn't know that reception was 24hrs and we thought that it is a tropical country so we should expect some exotic animals to be around. My wife was quite concerned by this point and keen for the spider to leave. I opened the double doors and attempted to encourage the spider to leave quietly without a fuss. The spider responded to this encouragement by racing around the room. We've all seen exotic spiders on TV and in the zoo etc. They crawl around slowly and thoughtfully. Not this one. I have never seen anything move so fast. It raced up the wall and onto the ceiling where it fell off and onto the floor - it raced past me and back up the wall. It was moving fast and on one visit to the floor dropped a little white parcel. It then stopped and hid in the corner of the room. We were curious about the little white parcel so I bent down to look. It was a matured egg sack of some sort and literally hundreds of tiny spiders were leaving it and spreading out across our floor. I quickly scooped up the white sack and put it outside. We tried to remove all the little spiders but there were still quiet a lot in the room. The mother spider was a lot calmer after that and eventually left via the open doors. We eventually got back to sleep. The next day we told the story to our rep who had never seen or heard of spiders on the island. She told us that we should've called reception asap and they would have sent someone to sort it out. We changed rooms that morning. Got a really good one right on the beach and close to the dive school. During our stay the first weeks weather was really hot and sunny. The second week was overcast and a lot of storms were passing by. They were quite exciting to watch as the weather there is very dramatic. We did not go scuba diving but we did go snorkelling to the drop off and back. Around both jetties are loads of really interesting fish and a huge shoal of tuna! The aquatic life really was very impressive. It was my wifes birthday while we were there and that evening we had the lobster dinner on the beach. The meal was fantastic and they decorated the table and made a card for her. As part of the dining on the beach experience you get a boat ride around the island in the dark while sipping coffee. The service all over the island was 1st class. Everyone is genuinely eager to help and are friendly. During our stay we also dined to the Air Conditioned a al carte restaurant. This was a great dinner also. I would recommend eating there. It's not part of the All Inclusive option but the food, wine and service is fantastic. The All Inclusive option is very good. Obviously extra things like cocktails, imported wines, beers and spirits are extra. Prices for these items are really cheap - so it's no problem if you do have to pay for something. Domestic beer, wine at dinner and normal spirits are all part of the All Inclusive package. I have to add that as the Maldives is a Muslim country the staff don't drink and as a result have no idea how much spirits to put in drinks or cocktails. We were having to ask them not to go too crazy with the spirits as we were getting half and half Gin and Tonics! We paid extra for the beach party night. A local team of dancers and drummers turned up to entertain us and there were free cocktails and limbo. The cocktails were loaded and I don't remember much about that evening. The Italian presence is not a problem. There is a large (but well hidden) amphitheatre where Italian entertainment occurs. We never heard it and if you can hear it from your bungalow then ask to me moved to a different room. The crab racing was the only interference during the holiday as the Italians occupy the usually quiet bar and give it a Butlins vibe with the crab racing. A television will appear in the bar if an important football match is on. The staff at the hotel all seem to be big UK football fans. This was never a distraction as the matches are all on quite early and we were always doing other things. During the course of our holiday we became incredibly aware of our surroundings following the spider incident. Checking ceilings, walls etc! No one would tell us if the spiders on the island were poisonous. About halfway into the holiday I was sitting just outside our new room on the decked area reading a book. My wife was looking up at the underside of the roof of the bungalow and commented that there were a couple of "large twigs" sticking out from the wooden structure. As it turned out there were eight large twigs and a large body and our second spider was nested just above our heads. This time we were on the phone straight away. We still were unaware if these spiders were poisonous and we didn't want to risk it! The maintenance guy turned up about half an hour later and he was obviously very afraid of the spider. In fact we were standing closer to it than he was prepared to get! By this time we were well used to the spiders on the island. The third one was spotted in the toilets of the main bar one evening on the wall inside. I figured that if you leave them alone then they leave you alone so we both ignored each other. I expect that I would not have noticed it if I hadn't been looking. There were quite a lot of lizards around the island. Some are largish (4-6inches) and some are small gecko type things. They come into your room often but are not a problem in any way. The fruit bats are really impressive and are huge! We went out looking for them quite a few times. When the fishing boats return in the evening is a really good time to walk down the jetty to see all the rays swimming about looking for bits of fish. By talking to the staff and other holidaymakers you can find out when the turtles, reef sharks etc appears. Sadly we didn't see anything like that at all. There were quite a few rays the sea around our bungalow. They seemed to like the same spots and buried themselves in the sand with only the feather like tail showing. We just had to be aware that they were there when paddling about. We also had a friendly gang of fish that would always swim with you when you went into the sea. About 9 days into our holiday I was sitting on the decking area of the room reading my book and relaxing. An Italian couple had just got to the island and were sitting on the sand for the first time about 30 feet in front of me. They were sitting near the large concrete strips. These concrete strips go from the beach into the sea and are presumably to stop the sand from drifting or to break the waves. The couple decided to wander down this concrete strip towards the sea. It was their first time on the beach and the strips can be slippery so I kept an eye on them. The girl sat down and watched the man stretching and bending over. He then dived head first into the sea. The sea at that point is so shallow and clear you can see the sand at the bottom. The point at which is dived was at most 25 inches deep. The Italian sort of floated face down and his wife/girlfriend sat there and looked at him. I ran across the beach while shouting and got his head above the water. After a little while some Italian men helped me to get him onto the beach. There is a permanent doctor on the island and he attended the incident within minutes. We saw the poor man leave the island on a stretcher and according to our rep he was admitted to a hospital in Male and taken back to Italy. Our rep got news that he had actually broken his back and was for the short term at least resigned to a wheelchair. Obviously don't dive anywhere unless you know the depth of the water. The rest of our holiday passed very uneventfully. Meedhupparu itself is an amazing place and there are some things to do if you want to be active (tennis courts, canoes, scuba) and things to do if you want to relax. My wife visited the Massage centre quite a few times and really enjoyed it. After reading the helpful comments on these forums I just wanted to tell you about our adventures in the Maldives. Please don't let our tales put you off as it really was an amazing holiday. We wouldn't have wanted to go back so soon if there was anything negative about it! We just had a few isolated and unusual incidents! I have been reading that a lot of people think that Meedhupparu should be a 3* and not a 4*. I do agree with this to a certain extent but whatever star rating the hotel has I was never left wanting anything. Everything the staff did was perfect - friendly and helpful and the facilities were just excellent. If anyone is going to be in Meedhupparu from 9th October 2005 then let us know and we could go for a drink in the bar! Also if anyone has info or photos of any recent building work then please drop me a line. Obviously the current building work is of some concern but reading the forums I don't think that it'll be a major problem. The bungalows should be finished by now but I have heard that the building work may move to other parts of the hotel (inside and out) for maintenance work. Does anyone have any news of this? I would also love to know if the spiders on the island are indeed poisonous or dangerous. I would also like to hear if anyone has any news on the unfortunate Italian man and how he is getting on with his back. Also let me know if you have any specific questions about the hotel or the island. George

Just got back from Meedhupparu. Enjoyed 13 nights of peace, quiet and relaxation. Unfortunately spent the first night in a Holiday Inn in Runcorn due to a 22 hour delay with Monarch. Not quite what we had hoped for! FLIGHTS - Don't fly with Monarch. First Choice are much better. WEATHER - Sun, sun, sun. It was hot. It rained at night and we had one cloudy day but still very warm. FOOD - Good. Very nice puddings. DRINK - Beer is cans - Golden Eagle brewed by San Miguel. Wine is only at dinner and lunch otherwise you have to pay. They did diet coke in the main bar but not in any of the other ones. ROOMS - One part of the island was very eroded and the rooms there did not have much beach. Lots of storage space. 2 showers - very handy! POOL - Lovely with swim up bar. No problem getting loungers when we were there. SNORKELLING - Excellent. Easy - you can go off the beach or off either jetty. Take change of clothes in your hand luggage as cases can come on boat and arrive later. Be aware that you may have to share a table in the dining room - most people are sat on a table for 4 with another couple. If anyone wants any other info email me.

Returned from Meedhupparu on Tuesday 19 July, only went for a week and unfortunately it rained very heavily, nearly all day for the first three days, however once the sun came out it was very hot and still came home with a good colour. I would agree with other recent reviews the island is a good 3* but not really up to 4* The grounds could do with a good tidy up, you definitely needed something on your feet to walk from rooms to restaurant / swimming pool etc, lots of dead leaves/trees. We were warned about luggage arriving late and yes it was late, we got to the island about 4.30pm luggage arrived around mid-night, what we didn't realise was that our luggage would be collected the night before your leave, you have to get your bags packed by 11.30pm as they go off early the next morning, we didn't leave until 2.45 the next day so left with what youv'e worn the night before, clothes for round the pool the next day and something to travel home with. Had problems with air-con but this was sorted, rooms are large and clean, towels supplied are fine so save space and don't take your own, but take a CD player there is no music or tv in the room, glad we took one it was very quiet otherwise, you dont need any plug adaptors their sockets are the same as ours. If you are travelling with Thomas Cook snorkelling gear is available free of charge but many found the equip to be faulty so if you have your own take it, also the shop to get it from is only open at certain times which sometimes isn't very convenient. Food is excellent, snacks are only avail for an hour in the morning, afternoon and evening, morning is handy if you miss breakfast you can get orange juice, coffee/tea and pastries. On the whole I thoroughly enjoyed my week, due to the weather didn't do any excursions but did have a couple of massages which were well worth it, very relaxing.

We have just returned from Meedhupparu. We were a bit disappointed when we arrived as we were not expecting a dirty old van driving in front of us with the luggage. You would not expect to walk in exhaust fumes when arriving in the Maldives! The island itself is not the best in the Maldives, but it is nevertheless a wonderful place. The hotel should improve the maintenance as there is bear concrete and pipe work visible everywhere. One of my friends even hurt himself on a piece of concrete so he could not go in the water (!) for 3 days. Luckily there is a doctor on the island which is free of charge (even the medication!). You can not completely walk around the island due to erosion what we felt was a bit of a disappointment. The beaches are just breath taking. I have never seen anything like this. Just amazing. The rooms are nice and clean. The air-conditioning works very well and it was sometimes even a bit too cold in the room. The best part of the hotel is the food. The food is just astonishing with lots of choice (fish, meat, pasta, rice, curry, soup, etc). In that respect, do not pay extra for the lobster dinner as it is just not worth the money (43 USD per person). We have done the lobster dinner one evening and it was a huge disappointment (to say the least). All personnel are very friendly and helpful. We were first given a room with only concrete and the sea in front (no beach). Needless to say that the concrete in front of the room really spoils the nice views. We requested another room and were given the next day the best room possible. On the beach, close to the jetty, close to the restaurant and bar and yet very quiet. Finally, we recommend going for one of the snorkelling excursions (+/- 25 USD per person) as the house reef is not what you would expect. There is plenty of nice fish but there is no coral whatsoever. After all, a very good hotel, fantastic food and friendly staff. However, we would not rate the hotel as a 4 star but rather a good 3 star hotel (except for the food which is definitely worth 4 stars).

I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START!! I have worked in the travel industry for 11 years and after that long there is not much that amazes me, UNTIL NOW! I was like a kid again when I saw that sea I truely have never seen anything like it. Everything was fantastic the food, drink, staff and location all100%. My own things to bare in mind would be take a small bag on the plane with you as your baggage takes a while to get to you on the 1st night, also if you like snorkelling it would be worth investing in your own to take with you. We was there may/june time and it did get really hot so when packing re-think the jeans (unlike myself) light clothes is a must. The staff were really outstanding ALI in the bar was the Best! All you need to cope with this utter paradise is a good book, a good factor, a good friend and you will have the best HOLIDAY

We spent two weeks in this paradise yes there were lizards but they are harmless we went with another couple who we have been friends with for many years and one lunch time she thought she saw a budgie run acros the path in front of her it turned out to be a lizard as they can cange to the most amazing colours. Mosquitos usually have a good meal on me but I never got bitten on the island thanks to the lizards they provide mossie plugs in the rooms we only had ours in for 3 nights. The most frightening thing we saw on the island were the men working on the water bugalows with only flip flops on thir feet and no hard hats. Dont go expecting American standards you wont get them any where in the Indian Ocean go for unspoiled paradise and you will find it the insects are part of paradise but they wont do you any permanent damage and if you do get bitten or stung they have their own doctor. Its just FANTASTIC cant wait to go back only waiting for dates to be sorted

We flew with Monarch to the maldives-and I will never fly with them again. After being delayed from Manchester, then flying to Gatwick, and a 15 hour stay in Bahrian, we eventually arrived at Male. Luckily we were on the first sea plane to Meedhupparu and the journey was lovely, I was worried about the plane as I'm a little travel sick, but it was very smooth and the views were magnificent!! Once we arrived to the hotel we were greeted with a cold towel and cocktail and I felt relaxed. The rooms are very basic, after visiting a 5 star in Mexico last Christmas, we have really spoilt ourselves, but to be honest, the last thing you want to do is stay in the room when you have the lovely beaches on your doorstep and the rooms are cleaned everyday. The food is very good, I had pasta more or less every day but my boyfriend had fish, meat etc and he enjoyed it. There is a lot of fish...so be warned. Snacks were available from 4-5 and 10-11, these were disappointing. we were expecting things like pizza, chips etc, but instaed it was biscuits or fish cakes. You could get burgers from the bar, but these had to be paid for. Also, most drinks were inclusive, part from wine, they had no lime cordial and any cocktails had to be paid for. We met 5 more couples whilst away who we spent most of the holiday with and we ventured to the disco a few nights. The disco was excellent, with lots of english music, but drinks were only free till midnight and we were sometimes in the club until 4, and if you wanted to "stock up on the drinks" that wasn't an option as they refused to serve us anymore! I recommend the lobster dinner in the grill bar. A big point to remember is the fact that the island is crawling with insects, lizards are every other step and a few mice were seen, also in our friends room, there was a turantula!!!!! needless to say they moved rooms!-but just do a spot check before you go to bed!! All in all we did enjoy ourselves and the people we met were fantastic.Although I would rate it as a 3 not the 4* that Thomas cook advertise. If you meet Zyheed-he's great!!

We just had a peaceful holiday surrounded by nature and beauty in the Maldives. Firstly, the seaplane journey which was included in our all-inclusive package was fantastic. All the little islands with their irridescent reefs made me want to cry. Just like the brochures. Mind you we did have to wait 3 hours for the sea plane after an 11 hr flight, but the sights were worth it. This resort is a do-nothing kind of place on a simple island with clusters of semi-detached bungalows along natural 'jungly' routes. You can easily stroll around the island in 20 mins or less. Apparently the hotel is only 5 years old, and used to be surrounded by beach, but at least a a third is gone now due to erosion. Nevertheless, what's left is still beautiful - varying textures of soft white sand leading to lurvely warm turquoise water-and you can weave through the trees and bungalows where there is no beach. As a beach-baby, best part of the island in my opinion is the south western side, very quiet, wide, teeming with fish and clearest blue water on the island. They are building water bungalows further up the beach but despite concerns, noise was negligable as only one guy was hammering away with a huge sledgehammer (poor thing) and one generator. There is an Ayeveda retreat section on the other side of the island with thatched huts and an even more natural feel and gorgeous beach, but there is a pervasive smell of petrol coming from the dive school, which is a pity. There is a spa offering auyeveda treatments, and classes in yoga and meditation if you're looking to be totally chilled out. Other than that, snorkelling and diving were about the only activities. The marine life was unbelievable. We saw the most amazing fish and that's just from the jetty and snorkel. We were so sad we didn't spot any dolphins, but we were told they do come by regularly. Accomodation was spacious but spare with a bathroom that opens out to an additional open air shower. All rooms are on the beach, some closer to the water than others - we were about 10 ft from the beach and water's edge. Very cool. The breakwater spoils the look but necessary evil I suppose. Rooms are cleaned every morning and evening and clean towels (room and beach) are left at night. There is a minibar with drinks eg a small coke US$3 and miniture alcohol a bit more. The cleaner leaves complementary bottled water every day. The food in one word - fantastic. 5 stars. Fish was on the menu every day and themed nights. Desserts to die for. We only made it for lunch and dinner, and a couple of breakfasts, but they apparently have snack times as well for those who live to eat. Some drinks complimentary like water, soft drinks, some alcohol, premium drinks are chargable eg $3-4 for a Corona beer, cocktail depending on the night. General staff were friendly and helpful, especially the air-conditioning guys who we saw daily as we had air-conditioning problems - units too small for the room and with constant use, they must break down. Cleaners, waiters were all very nice, one or two of the reception/office staff could do with some customer relations training. It would also help if they answered emails. In all though, a very pleasant, laid back holiday in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Wish I were there now.

My husband and I have just returned from this island. Flew with Monarch-Premium upgrade-but would still not recommend, maybe their new planes and service will be an improvement. Waited 3 hours at Male airport for seaplane, but worth it , the flight was brilliant and the views were amazing. Our room on the island was about 10 steps from the sea, you woke up in the morning and could look through the door and see the torqouise sea beckoning you! The island is very clean, service is excellent, We loved the outside shower and this gave us no problem with insects, neither of us were bitten at all during the holiday. We had a couple of lizards on the wall on occasions, but they are entertaining and harmless! The peace and quiet was most welcome, we could walk from the restaurant to our room and see no-one, we could almost have been the only ones there! Mostly english and german people on island as italians have been put off because of the tsunami.We had very little rain, one day all day and then a few short, sharp showers, but it was just the beginning of the monsoon season. It was very hot, the beach is amazing and as for the fish! We spent a lot of time snorkelling and saw so many different and beautiful fish and hopefully came back with loads of photos - if they come out! We will def. go again!!

Can only reiterate what has been said so many times. This place is paradise. We were delayed 3 hours waiting for a seaplane transfer which wouldn't have been so bad if we had been told. Also couldnt get an alcoholic drink (needed one after flight). Once on the Island it exceeded all our expectations. Sand like talcum powder and sea so warm and a beautiful turquoise colour. Whilst snorkelling we saw every fish that was in the fish book bought in the shop "Fish of the Maldives", swam with sting and manta rays, saw the moray eel and the reef shark (he swims by in the shallow water by the jetty (pool/reception side) early in the morning (7 ish). Also saw a turtle, only once, but he was lovely and a dream came true whilst out on the sunset boat trip when we had a close encounter with about a dozen dolphins swimming in the bow wave of the dhoni. The rooms were nice and very clean (cleaned twice a day). Being vegetarian I had a few reservations but believe me you will not go hungry!. Someone else has mentioned the little white ringed bird they called gismo - we called him ringo - and he is lovely although a little demanding if you have anything to eat. Our only regret is that the day before we left a large supply boat arrived and started unloading building materials for them to start erecting 21 water bungalows which will have their own exclusive restaurant and butler services. We feel this will change the Island quite dramatically because in the future you will not be able to walk around the Island.