Kuramathi Island Resort

3 readers found this review helpful

was easy through Blue Bay Travel where we saved about £300 on the Kuoni price. Flight was direct with Monarch, a bit cramped but ok. You can fly Sri Lankan or Emirates but not direct and it costs more. A Premium class upgrade is available on Monarch but they get booked very quickly.
Transfer from Male was a 20 minute seaplane flight, well worth the extra £22 each way. The alternative is a speedboat which takes about 1½ hours and can be uncomfortable if the weather is bad.
Last year we went in April and had no rain at all. This year (May 4th-19th) we had a couple of days of rain.
Accomodation
We had a Superior Bungalow literally on the beach, less than 20 feet from the sea. 2 showers, one outdoor and one indoor. Air-con and a huge 4 poster bed, basic but kept very clean by the room boys. Tip them well, they deserve it. The beach was swept clean every day. Any reported problems with plumbing etc are dealt with very quickly.
Food
We were all-inclusive so we used the main restaurant for all our meals. My wife has to be careful what she eats but the buffet style setup with lots of choice was ideal for her. Both of us could always find something delicious. I had a fresh omelette most mornings but there is cereal, fruit, fish curry(!) etc. Everything has lots of flavour and they always have fresh salads at lunch and dinner. The all-inclusive bar (which includes water and cocktails) is open all day and stays open until the last customer leaves.
The highlight of the holiday is the superb snorkelling. You can always see reef sharks (harmless), turtles, rays and dozens of beautiful fish species including anemone fish. Dolphins often swim past. I did an introductory diving course this year which was fun. There are also watersports such as catamaran sailing and windsurfing. The spa is superb. A sunset cruise is included in the price of the holiday.
There is a long sandbank from which you can take superb sunset photographs. Don't miss the sting ray feeding at 6.30 every evening.
There is a gym which I promised myself I would go to every day but I never went once - I never seemed to have the time. Although this is a large island by Maldives standards at about 1 mile long and there are 3 resorts on it, the beaches were always quiet and you could usually find a secluded spot with no people.
We love this beautiful island and would go back again at the first opportunity. In the Village resort you could spend 2 weeks there and never wear shoes! Just our sort of holiday.
Last year was a 10/10 but I have scored this years holiday 9/10 because it was a a bit noisy in the morning as the boats started up and it was a bit smelly because they were pumping sand onto the beach. When we complained, they stopped the sand pumping and offered to move us to a different (quieter) bungalow. Also we had a Premium flight upgrade last year which made the flight more tolerable.

3 readers found this review helpful

I've just arrived home after a wonderful holiday on Kuramathi and am already planning my next trip back!
The flight was long and laborious but I was prepared for this and accepted it. I flew with Sri Lankan Airlines and didn't encounter any problems, the cabin crew were great - friendly and approachable.
I spent the first 11 days in Sri Lanka seeing the cultural highlights - lots of travelling and sightseeing so I was ready for my 10 days on Kuramathi doing very little.
The sea plane transfer took 25 minutes and was great fun - I would highly recommend this - the cost was only £40 return. The plane did two drops so I got two take-offs and landings - I loved it!
All the staff on the island were extremely courteous and respectful. After a few days they were laughing and joking with me and I felt very comfortable there.
Although the Maldives are typically a honeymoon destination I travelled alone and didn't feel lonely at all. It was a safe environment and whenever I went out snorkelling my room boy always kept an eye on me to make sure I came back safely. The snorkelling was great - snorkelling safaris from other islands would come to Kuramathi - that says something! On my next visit to the island I will definitely do some scuba diving.
The entertainment was varied - Terri (singer) and James (musician) were fab - I really enjoyed the karaoke night! However if you just want a quiet drink the surroundings are such that you can find a peaceful spot if you want to.
The cocktails - what can I say? Just fantastic and all included in the price! 10 days wasn't enough time to try them all - I'll just have to go back!!
The food was absolutely superb - when I commented on this I was informed that they had employed a new head chef - so if anyone's been before and was disappointed with the food they should go again! There was so much to choose from - different themes etc.
Overall, I had a wonderful time on Kuramathi and would recommend it to all - great value for money.

1 reader found this review helpful

This was a lovely island to stay on and although the flight was long (as expected), the island more than made up for it. Try and take the seaplane from Male which takes around 35 minutes. The boat trip was 2 hours and a little bumpy! The restaurant serves up some lovely food. The bar stays open until the last person leaves and opens again if you enter! Cocktails are included in the AI package - try "The Blue Maldives". Adoo, our waiter, got to know what we drank with our meals and we didn't need to ask him for drinks - he would watch out for us and fetch our drinks to the table - excellent service all round on this island. If you don't snorkel - learn. You will miss so much if you don't. The reef sharks don't bother you - they do get bigger the further out you go, but they really are not interested in you and will swim away. The sea-life is fantastic. Don't miss the wrays being fed at 6pm - yes, fed. A little man gets in the water with the wrays, they obviously know it's feeding time and he hand feeds them - great to watch and don't forget your camera. I must say I was a little concerned that I would get bored for 2 weeks - but I just did not want to come home and could have stayed for much much longer. Entertainment every night. The locals play football most days and if you go to watch they invite you to join in - there doesn't seem to be too many rules though!! Don't take my what I say as gospel - go and find out for yourself - you won't be disappointed - Kuramathi is a great first time island if you haven't been to The Maldives before - that said, I will certainly be visiting there again in the future and I just can't wait.

1 reader found this review helpful

Fab holiday, weather poor at begining of the week but got better.
Half board basis and more than enough food to eat and choose from.
All inclusive would have been too much and we would have bewen unable to eat all meals and not everything is inclusive-beware!!!!!
Sea fantastic beware of the diving and snorkl;ing trip as the boat takes you out to the end of the reef up the lagoon near villas 326 & 327-this is a waste of money as if you are at the blue lagoon resort it is minutes away and if you are at the other end of the island-it is max 40 min walk.
Fab holiday and duty free is amazing-and cheap!!!!!!
We are going back next year

1 reader found this review helpful

Excellent holiday-highly reccomended for anyone making a trip here.
Food excellent, weather excellent, extremely clean and friendly.
Amazing trip to the local island of Rasdhoo shopping. This is a real contrast to the fantasy island of Kuramathi.
Planning our next trip already,
We spent £100 on tips for the week that we were there but be aware that everything you spend is put on your key number and you recieve a bill at the end of the week!!!!!
Have a gudn' if you decide to go.

1 reader found this review helpful

This was a suprise holiday booked for my partners 40th.
It was a fantastic holiday and are planning to go back. People are friendly and the weather was amazing.
We had our own bit of beach 15ft from our beach bungalow leading onto the sea.
This is the best part of the island although the other parts of it is nice, it was the more attractive, leading up onto the sand banks.
Sea was lovely to snorkel in and the photo's have turned out like postcards-just from a digital camer!!!!
Highly reccomended.
We flew with Monach Airlines and both there and back the plane was manically busy.
Enjoy if you go.

1 reader found this review helpful

Fantastic place for any occasion. We stayed in a beach bungalow that is one of about 30 semis.
Food good and varied. All Inclusive recommended as you will drink plenty of water.
All inclusive here means almost everything. The few drinks that were not included, were not the sort we drink anyway.
Snorkeling gear included as are towels for the beach. Staff extremely friendly and helpful. Blue ray feeding has to be seen to be believed!
Monarch flights the worst part of the holiday and will never be part of any holidays for us again.
About the best deal for food and drink out of the many islands on offer. Island beautiful and the best holiday we have ever had over the last 20 years with 2 or 3 hols a year.
Expect other Universal Resort Islands as good. Tim & Andrea.

Our third visit to paradise and looking to go again. The pace of life is so slow and relaxing that it is a total chill out. There is simply nothing to do on the island other than swim, eat and drink. Not a suitable holiday destination for those with young children as there is no playground etc. You can join in with the staff in their afternoon football games but be prepared as the pitch is on coral sand.
The journey there is long and the airport can only take relatively small planes so be prepared for an 11 hour flight in a plane suitable for short haul unless you opt for a stopover in Dubai but this can make the journey much longer.. The airport immigration staff are slow and the process is rather long winded.
Once you arrive on the island all this is forgotten. The staff are so helpful and respectful. The food in the all inclusive is varied and excellent quality and if you wish you can arrange to eat in any of the other restaurants on the island with your waiter and get a discount. The bar serves cocktails on the all inclusive (not all of the other islands do) and it's worth trying some of them.
The snorkelling is fantastic and the variety of sea life is amazing. If you want to go and do not swim -LEARN.
This is a fantastic resort with the emphasis on couples and peace and relaxation, just typing this makes me yearn to be back in the crystal clear, warm, safe water. The only reason this does not get a perfect 10 review is the flights.

We had a really great holiday. The restaurant never feels full, the food was really good. Lunch one day would be a set meal with buffet for dinner and vice versa the next day and if you don’t fancy the set meal or any part of it, there is always something else to choose from.
The accommodation is not the most luxurious but we went for the reef, the sun, the sea, the beach so to us it was great. I have been to other islands some better, some worse, this was great. Truly all inclusive, with staff that wanted to serve you. beautiful gardens, fruit bats, stingrays - watch them being fed everyday at 6.30pm. The weather was fantastic, we only went for a week and came back really brown.
The flight is long, Monarch have really bad in flight entertainment but take a really good book. To me the minute we got to the island I was relaxed and I still felt relaxed 2 weeks after coming back! That’s a good holiday.

Overall an excellent holiday, my partner and I really enjoyed it and would return again.
I would say it's a must to stop all inclusive unless you're looking for a serious wallet deflating time.
The food in the village was standard but varied and plentiful. The drinks certainly made up for any shortfall in the food department with cocktails thrown in!!
The deluxe beach bungalow we slept in was a little worn out but very clean. A large bed/living room with a standard bathroom. Worst thing about the bungalow was the absence of a hair dryer so I was informed.
There was a small pool in the middle of the island and I thought it was a bit cheeky that you had to pay for the privilege of using it if you were staying in the village (not that you would want to with all that wonderful beach around you).
Didn't see many children on the island, would say it's mainly couples hideaway to relax, snorkel or dive (watch out for the reef sharks when you get to the dark blue bit of water, don't think they will bother you but they do get much larger) and if you do none of the above the bar is open nearly all day.
I'm sure there's a lot fancier Islands to visit but for value for money I think you will struggle to beat Kuramathi Village.