Sun Island Resort

10 readers found this review helpful

We have been to Sun Island 4 times and every time has been fantastic, Don't listen to the people who pull it down, I don't know where they have been if they can complain about Sun island.
You should get a super delux rather than a delux, as this will be on the beach, not in the middle of the island like the delux.
Go and enjoy, it is fantastic.

1 reader found this review helpful

Myself and my new husband went to Sun Island on 1st Dec 2007 for our honeymoon. It was paradise, exactly how you would imagine it to be.
However, we had pretty bad weather, LOTS of rain, high winds and cloud! Obviously this cannot be helped or predicted but it certainly put a bit of a downer on the holiday.
Also, the food in the main restaurant, which is the only one that is All Inclusive, was buffet and catered mainly for people other than the English. A lot of evenings during our 2 week stay I struggled to choose something that I either liked or that looked appealing (and I eat anything!) The other restaurants were not All Inc and were very pricey. The mini bar was not free, neither were the tea & coffee in the room!
The waiters/room boys/ beach boys were excellent and were more excellent the more you tipped them! They remember your name and what you like to drink/where you like to sit etc.
Overall we had a good time but would not go back.
My advice....check the weather, make sure you go well within the dry season, not at the beginning or the end.

2 readers found this review helpful

My husband and I choose to come here for our honeymoon! We were absolutely thrilled! It was amazing, the best place that you could go in your life! It was over a year ago now and it is all I think about!
Be prepared it’s a long flight so a week wouldn't be long enough! The people are amazing and so helpful. The staff are great pool attendant "Murigesh" - lovely little man.
I would go back just for breakfast - the french toast is to die for! Loads to choose from - full English, cereal, fruit, toast, omelette, any type of egg you want, French toast and pancakes and to finish muffins or yogurt and porridge! I am a really fussy eater and never went hungry. They also do sandwiches and tea at 4.30 and biscuits - fab!
The beach is spotless - the whole place is!

The Beauty treatments are amazing, very professional and well planned - you get alot for your money. Honeymooners try the "Lobbi Lobbi" - very romantic although I didn't like the green tea they gave us! But that’s just me, I like my tea just like tea! The milk over there is powder milk and very fattening but the nicest milk I have ever had - very naughty!
I don't want to spoil any other surprises with this Island, all I can say is you will not be disappointed!
Don't bother paying for the other restaurants though because the food is better in the main restaurant than is included in the all inclusive package!
Enjoy, I wish I could afford to go back! It’s worth every penny!

2 readers found this review helpful

This holiday was our honeymoon. We had not picked this island but got put here. It was a very long flight; cos once you get there you get on a sea plane, which took another 45 mins, so take something with you to stop you from being bored and get plenty of sleep on the flight.
Once we arrived the island was beautiful couldn't ask for a better setting for our honeymoon. On the downside my luggage didn't arrive at the hotel for four hours after we did, which didn’t please me as I had now been in the same clothes for nearly 24 hours.
We stayed in a deluxe beach villa. The room was beautiful, lovely view and a mini bar. The air conditioning was fantastic.
We took our tour of the resort with the rep and found out that we got two trips for free, so that was good. A free shopping trip and night fishing, both of which we did and thoroughly enjoyed.
There was plenty to do on resort, lots of sporting activities and spa facilities, so I recommend you take advantage of this as its free for all inclusive holidaymakers. The only treatments that you pay for are the massages, but they are well worth it especially the lobi lobi!
The room was cleaned twice a day and our room attendant was fantastic, we had lovely decorations put on our bed.
The food in the main restaurant was good, plenty to choose from. The only meal that was poor was breakfast, this is due to there being a limited choice, but lunch and dinner were fantastic. We had room service one night which was excellent, good price and very good food. The other restaurants were great Thai, Italian etc... Food was great. Service in the main restaurant was ok, although our attendant didn't like us leaving any food!
The bars! Service was great, but this is the only all inclusive that we have visited where you were really limited on your all inclusive drinks. No cocktails were all inclusive and quite pricey.
The shop was very good value. We brought all of our presents from there, as shops on other islands could not compete.
Entertainment was very limited on the evening. They had a weekly rota, if you are there for two weeks; it got a little boring so we played cards. Staff generally were very good, polite, and helpful. One really good thing about this hotel was you can check your bill whenever you like on your TV in your room and internet access was really cheap.
Overall it was a good holiday and a lovely place to spend our honeymoon.

5 readers found this review helpful

My husband and I went to Sun Island for our honeymoon the first two weeks of August 2007.
We travelled with first choice and up graded to premier seating. The flight was very comfortable and went over (both ways) surprisingly quickly, I would recommend the upgrade as our baggage was off first both ways, the extra leg room was lovely, and the staff were very attentive and the free drinks were fab.
When we landed we got straight through customs with no problems and didn't have to wait for our luggage. We went straight to the rep who directed us to the little bus which took us to the sea plane transfer. The transfer was quick and the views from the sea plane were amazing.
We were then greeted at the end of the pier at the resort with a cold towel and once in reception we got a cold glass of coconut milk. We were then taken on a golf buggy to our room. In our room we had a cold bottle of sparkling wine and a fruit basket (this was part of the honeymoon package) which we instantly opened to celebrate our arrival.
We had a super deluxe room which was lovely. There was plenty of room and a bath.
The all inclusive was ok but like others have said in the past it’s not exactly all inclusive. We got two 1.5 litres of water a day in our room but everything else out of the mini bar had to be paid for. We did take some things from the mini bar as paying wasn't a problem for us but it was a problem for some and it quickly adds up.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served in the main restaurant where you will be assigned your own waiter who will serve you for all your meals. We had Zico who was excellent, after a couple of days he knew exactly how we took our tea in the morning and knew what drinks we liked with dinner.
There was always a great selection of food. There are several pre made salads, curry, different rices, potato products, and a range of meat products every day. And there is a really good selection of cakes and fruit everyday too. There are also sandwiches and cakes available with tea and coffee from 4 till 6 every day at the coffee shop, this is also part of the all inclusive, next to the main pier.
Drinks are also part of the all inclusive from the beach bar, pool bar, restaurant and main bar. But again only certain drinks are free, these include white or red wine by the glass, beer - Becks - local spirits and soft drinks. The all inclusive was only available until 1 in the morning but to be honest that is quite late enough. Cocktails and some international drinks are not included. But again we were fine.
At the main bar, like the restaurant a waiter will attach himself to you. We called ours smiler as he was always smiling. We tipped him little and often and it kept him happy. But even on the nights near the end of the holiday when we had ran out of little bills he was still attentive. There was some kind of entertainment on in the main bar every night, this would include disco, karaoke, band, singer, and crab racing.
We spent the first few days on the beach which was lovely and quiet and not over crowded like other resorts we've been to. After the first few days we tried the pool out. Like most places it's best to get there early to get a lounge but we regularly arrived after 9 and always got the beds we wanted.
When the pool boy got to know us and we'd given him a tip he would reserve our beds for us. The pool was handy as it meant your drinks from the pool bar were free and cold and we were not far from the main restaurant for lunch. The pool however is need of repair. The floor as you walk in is very harsh on your feet and it is a little grotty. This wasn't a problem it just was not as nice as the rest of the island.
We did visit the Thai and Italian restaurant and they were both excellent. It was nice to have a change from the main restaurant. The pizzas at the Italian are fab!
We also went to watch the shark feeding which was at the Thai, it was an experience, some of the sharks are really big! We also went to the string ray feeding a couple of times which was amazing. They come right up to the shore and I couldn't believe I was actually feeding them. There were lots of different sizes and colours and everyone has an opportunity to touch and or feed them.
I went snorkelling a lot too. The best spot is most certainly by the water bungalows but fish can be seen anywhere around the island. At the water bungalows we saw so many different kinds of fish including a huge black unicorn fish, a box puffer fish and let’s not forget lots of sharks - it was unbelievable.
At first I was a little scared when I saw the two 4 foot black tipped sharks circling underneath me but then you realise they're not interested in you and I started to enjoy them. You don't have to go snorkelling to enjoy the fish. The water is that clear that a lot of the fish including the sharks can be seen from the water’s edge or the piers.
We hired bikes for the two weeks too as it is much quicker and easier to get around the island, it was only $3 a day and well worth it.
We also visited the spa for a massage which was fantastic. The spa surroundings are so beautiful and tranquil we were both completely relaxed for the rest of the day. We also visited the sports centre a number of times to go in the Jacuzzi which was part of the all inclusive and again it was very quiet and relaxing and I would recommend visiting it.
Obviously we visited in the rainy season however, it only rained once during the day for 20 minutes and a couple of times during the night but this was not a problem. Majority of the time the weather was very hot to hot and sunny with a couple of cloudy days thrown in - perfect!
In general I have to say that this was the best holiday we have had. I would certainly recommend Sun Island to anyone - especially those who are going on honeymoon.

2 readers found this review helpful

My boyfriend took me to Sun Island for my 21st and I had an amazing time!
Having been to the Maldives before to a smaller island I was a bit worried about what to expect, but as soon as soon as the island came into view after our 3 hour speedboat ride I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed!
We were in a deluxe room which served its purpose as it was right on the beach but on our previous visit to another island the standard rooms were a lot more luxurious.
The beaches are utterly stunning on this island me and my boyfriend walked round the island once everyday which took about an hour.
Was a bit disappointed with the snorkelling but seeing the stingrays and sharks made up for it.
I would definitely recommend going to the stingray feeding it’s out of this world and great fun watch out for the tails though!!!
While we were out there I and James treated ourselves to a massage and a herbal bath at the spa which was amazing it was incredibly atmospheric we booked our treatments for 6:00pm which was perfect as the sun was setting and it created a romantic and relaxing mood. Even if you don’t have a treatment go to look around it it’s beautiful.
The choice of food was good something for everyone I thought, we ate out at the Italian restaurant one evening out on the jetty which was lovely you get 20% discount if you are all inclusive and it is a lovely place with delicious food.
The only trip we went on was the Reef Explorer which is worth doing as the snorkelling isn’t very good around Sun Island we were lucky enough to see manta rays while we were out there which was amazing and we saw a good variety of fish.
One of the things that spoilt the island for me was that it had paved paths to get to everywhere where as on the previous island we had been to it was all just the sand this took away some of the feeling of being on a secluded island which is one of the things I love about the Maldives.
If you are thinking of visiting this island make sure you upgrade to the sea plane not only because the speed boat ride is awful but because it is one of the best parts of the holiday the view you get of the islands and reefs are absolutely stunning something you will never forget. We got the speed Boat to the island but upgraded to the seaplane on the return journey.
Can’t think of anything else I can add really it is a wonderful place but next time we go we will probably go to a smaller island.

1 reader found this review helpful

A very good holiday, beautiful setting, and very relaxing. Location of our accommodation was perfect for us.
Sun Island is larger than many of the other Islands and offers lots of facilities and I think this is a plus even if you choose not to partake in very much on your holiday, as we don’t; at least it gives you the choice.
Offers a few different bars and restaurants in different styles and cuisines so you don't get bored, many of the Islands have only one.
Spa was very good also, lots of treatments. Lots of special touches on the Island if you really want to push the boat out, romantic dining on the beach at sunset, dining on a floating stage in the sea, both with your own chef and waiter!
My only moan would be that the main restaurant lacked intimacy and ambiance in the evening as it was so large and brightly lit. We did have the most fantastic position right on the edge overlooking the ocean, so I won't moan too much!
Food was good standard, managed to cater for all tastes and nationalities and staff were amazingly polite and attentive.
Would certainly return.

2 readers found this review helpful

Being unable to marry in the Maldives my husband and I chose to have a registry office wedding in the uk and a renewal of our wedding vows on sun Island. For anyone who choose a renewal of vows we would advise them to consider booking this direct with the hotel direct instead of the travel agents as this works out so much cheaper as we found out afterwards.
We chose seaplane transfers which we found well organised and we didn't have to wait too long to be transferred to Sun Island. On arrival we were welcomed with cooling cloths to freshen us up and a refreshing coconut drink in the reception area where we signed for our room key and were then taken on a golf buggy to our deluxe bungalow.
We were in 397 and although it wasn't directly opposite the main restaurant / bar we didn’t see the short walk as a problem, in fact it was quite a pleasant stroll in the evening and in the morning. The island itself is beautiful, well kept gardens ( staff sweeping and tending the areas all day every day) the staff are really friendly , not many pass you without saying hello on the way to start their shifts or on the way to staff digs.
Everything is so clean and tidy, staff even keep the parked bikes in order, our bikes would never be where we left them as security would move them keeping a neat row of bikes all the time! To give a rough guide to the size of the island we hired a canoe and it is possible to go round the island in an hour and a half, we also walked round, we did one half one day then the other half the next but it can easily be done in an afternoon.
We hired bikes for the fun of it and found there were plenty to go around and no waiting list. Our wedding was a bit of a worry to start with as our rep James was unaware of the booking but he soon made inquiries and Carole on the guest relations desk stamped her feet with those in charge to ensure that we got the day we had requested!
In all the day went really well leaving my husband and I with some lovely memories of our wedding ( we even inspired another couple to renew their vows !) The only thing we could say we found to be a problem was the tea and coffee in the room, we did take some coffee but ran out in the first week and then started to use the ones from the mini bar but these had to be signed for in the evening when the room boy came to service the room between 6 and 8pm and he would only give us 4 sachets at a time, as we spent most of the time on the beach outside our bungalow and I only drink coffee 2 sachets each was not enough , it also meant that if we had gone to the restaurant when the room boy came we were left no tea or coffee.
This happened on the last night, as the mini bar is closed at 6pm the night before checkout no more is replaced but he also only left half a bottle of water between the two of us even though we were still entitled to 2 bottles . These were very minor issues and I’m sure if we had contacted reception they would've sorted the situation out.
We just felt all inclusive guests should be allowed free tea and coffee in their rooms as well as the bars. A lovely island, lovely people and some lovely memories of a special occasion, we look forward being able to go back one day but maybe to another 4star island .....

2 readers found this review helpful

After spending our first week in Sri Lanka at the Bentota beach hotel where we got married, we were really looking forward to our honeymoon on Sun Island.
However we were disappointed. On arrival at the resort, after waiting 3 hours at the seaplane airport due to a Thomas Cook error, we were told there were no deluxe rooms available (please note we had this holiday booked for over 15 months).
The resort were offering us a Garden Villa plus 80 dollars credit each day as compensation. However, after insisting this was not good enough, all of a sudden there was a deluxe room available!
When we arrived at the deluxe room, it was a twin bed room and the air con was not working! We then complained about this (after a 15 minute brisk walk to the reception i.e. the island is huge.
On doing this we were moved then to another deluxe room the following day which was much better i.e. it had a double bed and the room was bigger and it had an outside shower and was closer to the amenities (only a 10 minute brisk walk).
As well as wearing a wrist band, you also had to carry a key card with you every time you wanted to eat or drink, which we thought was very unpractical.
Your best bet is to hire a bike; however there was a waiting list for this and a charge of 3 dollars per bike per day.
The all inclusive options we felt were not explained properly and very complex. We felt that the staff were not all that friendly only when they wanted a tip!
As we were on our honeymoon, we should have had a bottle of champagne and basket of fruit in our room on arrival, however this did not arrive until the afternoon of our last day on the island!!
Please note they also charge for using the tea/coffee in your room!
On a lighter note, if you want to eat at any of the other restaurants on the island, Italian, Japanese and Thai, as an all inclusive guest you do get a 20% discount.
The Vani coffee shop is open 24 hours and we strongly recommend ordering the double cheese burger and chips when you get sick of eating the same things in the main restaurant.
Note that the coffee shop is not part of your inclusive option only between 4pm and 6pm when you can get sandwiches and tea/coffee only.
All other times, any drinks and food you must buy, however you get 20% off and soft drinks for free when you order a meal.
The sea is lovely, snorkelling is great. You can buy the snorkelling equipment from the shops on the island.

This place is totally unbelievable; you must try the massage they're a little expensive but worth every penny and you really feel like you’re in paradise.
The staff are all very friendly. The bungalows were exceptionally clean.
The food was varied and very good.
Entertainment was a little sparse but you do only go to a small island which is only a mile long by half a mile wide for peace and relaxation, which is definitely what you want.
The taxi service which they put on which are golf buggies come to your door within seconds of you calling for them.
Try the diving, which all the instructors speak very good English and make sure you get to see some amazing sea life, including turtles.
The whole holiday was the best ever and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys peace and tranquillity. 10/10.
If I could go back tomorrow, I would try to make it today!!