Vakarufalhi Island Resort

My partner and I visited Vakarufalhi between 26 March and 10 April 2006 and were very impressed. We very rarely return twice to a place, but this is certainly an island we will be going back to! The bungalows were spacious, with your own private beach. It felt like we were on our own little paradise island (only seeing other people walking around the island and at meal times!) The food was first class, bar staff extremely friendly and the overall holiday first class. My boyfriend dived and thoroughly enjoyed it, the snorkelling off the house reef was fab with plenty to keep me entertained - turtles within touching distance and plenty of 'Nemos'!! We didn't see a single mosquito in the two weeks!

We’ve just returned from a fabulous holiday spent at Varafakulhi. We would really recommend this resort. It is very quiet and peaceful and absolutely beautiful. My husband spent the week snorkelling around the island and was rewarded on the last day by seeing a whale shark, just metres off the house reef, which he found terrifying but absolutely amazing. It doesn’t get much better than that! The food was lovely. We also treated ourselves to a massage in the spa which was amazing. However, not cheap at $55 for 50 minutes. We booked all inclusive but wouldn’t do this again as it certainly wasn’t cost effective for us. In the AI option water, beer, wine and local spirits were included, but not cocktails. We mainly stuck to water because it was so hot, so we really didn’t get our moneys worth. We had room 146 which proved to be an excellent location for the duration of our stay because it was quite breezy, so never became too hot. However, I do understand that the breeze can change sides of the island! It was also a great location because we had the sun in the afternoon, and were able to watch the sunset from our sunbeds every evening. We went with Hayes and Jarvis/ Airtours, and flew with Thomson. Whilst spending 11.5 hours in a plane is never fun, I couldn’t really complain about the flight. The food was good, but you have to buy your own drinks, so you may want to take your own on board which will be cheaper. Finally, I’m glad to say that we didn’t have a problem with mosquitoes at all- didn’t get bitten once. They’ve obviously taken steps to tackle the issue that they obviously had earlier this season. We’d definitely recommend this island if you are looking for peace and tranquillity.

My husband and I visited Vakaru 20th Feb - 6th March. This was our third trip to the Maldives but the first to Vakaru. We went to relax, enjoy a tropical, tranquil location & snorkel on a good reef. We noted the comments on the 'dead reef' but have to say that we thought there was plenty of live coral mostly the hard sort but also some soft complete with 'Nemo' fish. We were not disappointed with either the reef or the resort. The beach accomodation is well appointed, spacious & was well cared for by our room boy Mohammed. Unobstructed view & direct access to the beach from your room. [Compare this to Lily Beach resort (I use the term loosely) which we visted for one day where you get a small box with no beach view & no direct access.] I agree with Harold (with whom we often chatted) that the snorkelling is very good - the only proviso is that I wasn't so keen if the sea was a bit choppy (but this was just one day) as you are out beyond the sea wall. We don't dive so can't comment on this aspect. The food is excellent; plenty of choice at all three meals and the Asian night was our favourite. We also had the special lobster dinner one night which was very tasty. You won't starve - I put on 4 pounds. We didn't have any problems with mosquitos but I was nipped by an agressive Picasso trigger fish under the jetty!. The entertainment is very low key so if this is what you are looking for then Vakaru is probably not for you. The restaurant service was generally good, the bar staff in paticular were excellent (good range of cocktails around $7-9) and all the staff, whether restaurant, bar, reception or the room & garden boys were all very friendly - as were the other guests, many email address being exchanged prior to departure. We would certainly recommend this picturesque island if you like informal resort with friendly service - definitely the no shoes variety. Carole Broom Cambridgeshire

we enjoyed our stay very much (21 Feb/March 9th), great food , excellent snorkelling, diving not so good.& if there were not so many other islands to try would return.Staff excellent and a lovely relaxing holiday. we saw only two children, both teenagers and well behaved as were the other guests. we saw no mosquitoes, bitten on the ankle once by an ant. Great Holiday. Harold Carter York

Spent a week on Vakaru mid Feb 06. Did a fair bit of research on different islands before finally opting for Vakaru. We were not disappointed. We flew with Emirates directly from Glasgow via Dubai. Seamless transfer from Male to the Seaplane terminal and after less than a half hour wait, we were off on the 30 mins seaplane journey, via Sun Island and Mirihi. The seaplane drops you at a small pontoon where Vakaru staff collect you immediately in a dhoni and 10 minutes later, you arrive at the island. The main things about the island that are worthy of note, apart from the obvious beauty of the place, are the staff and the food. I guarantee you will put on pounds! You can eat as much or as little as you like. THe choice is excellent and very varied. Breakfast covers everything from fruit to cooked. Lunch is a full 3 courses, as is dinner, and if you are still hungry after that, the bar serves good snacks such as pizza/burgers/sandwiches. Different food on every day and night. The evening buffets, particularly the traditional Maldivian night, were excellent. Excellent curries and fresh fish. My husband and I are not huge fans of lying around on a beach all day but the tranquility and beauty of the island is just fantastic. We were only there for a week. When we return to the Maldives, we would say that 10 days would probably be ideal. We hired snorkel sets for a few days and also used the spa. Other than that, enjoy just stepping out of your beach villa, lazing on your sunbeds on your own part of the beach, eating loads and enjoying cocktails at the beach sunset bar between 6pm and 8pm before another feast at the restaurant. Would not hesitate to recommend this little island - you will have a great time. We were gutted to leave.

We were at Vakaru for 2 weeks at the start of November 2005. My opinions, the good, the bad, and the ugly, are provided as follows. The Good The staff are attentive to your needs and I thought that the food was good, although the chef sometimes seemed to disappear every morning when you wanted an omelette making. Also good is that you do not get the staff pestering you or hanging around on your last few days waiting for a tip. Of particular mention must be the room boy who serviced the room efficiently twice per day, and served us really well for our meal outside the bungalow. The poor guy was run ragged with the amount of work he had to get through. The island itself is good, not great, and only a 3-star resort in my opinion. You don't need any shoes while you're on the island – trust me! The dive centre is good, although overall a little expensive. A tip is to find a buddy and do a few dives from the piers to save a bit of cash. The staff at the dive centre were also good and I liked their stringent attitude to safety, although some other guests didn't seem to concur. I correctly got a ticking off on my last dive for having a dive time of 65 minutes. Having said that one guy turned up without being able to prove his proficiency (open water), and with just a check dive he was allowed to dive from the boat and in currents; this surprised me. The island is encircled by the house reef and there are a few places, mainly on the west and south sides, were the lagoon drops in depth suddenly; up to possibly 8 metres dependent on the tide. You should be aware of this if you have children or are nervous about the depth of water while snorkelling. The snorkelling is good; black tip reef sharks and rays were seen regularly in the lagoon while I was there. The Bad I felt that the island needed a bit of TLC. For instance there were several stain marks on the walls in our bungalow (143), and there was a plethora of disused sandbags on the beach in the area of this room; it spoilt the sunset somewhat. There are also tree roots sticking up from the ground, and with poorly lit paths you can easily stub your toes. The weather was good although one day the rain came down in some style. At dinner we had to run the gauntlet, and when we got to the dinning area everybody else seemed to have umbrellas from their rooms. After we'd finished drying off there was a fruitless search for the umbrella in room 143. The Ugly The mosquitoes were a big problem throughout the vacation. I never once saw the island being sprayed with anti-mosquito spray. The mosquito cover over the bed was useless because it had several holes in it. One night I was bitten about 15 times on my feet and ankles. Plug in repellents were also used (our supply), but there were so many mosquitoes that it made little difference. In 2004 we went to a different island in Maldives (Laguna), and it was sprayed every day with anti-mosquito fog. I was bitten only once during that time. On the day of departure I made a conscious effort to note the bite marks on the other guests, and it was remarkably bad. We had complained to the reception about the mosquito problem and been provided with a spray for the room. This was only ever going to be a temporary measure as you are not going to be in your room all the time. A note was delivered at our room to say that they would commence "a spraying schedule" about a day after our departure. Absolutely no use to us, but I suppose those mosquitoes must have died with full stomachs!! Other My advice is that if you don't want to go home anaemic and looking like you've got chicken pox, take a lot of water resistant anti-mosquito repellent. It will cost you a fair bit if you buy it on the island. I would only return to the island if it was a lot cheaper. I think that the island as a whole needs a bit of upgrading before it can be truly classed as 4-star. Note that on the website for the island the guest book contains the comments that the island's management want you to see (not surprisingly). I sent in two reports and neither were published. You are better off reading unbiased opinions such as this one. The sea plane ride was an experience and the waiting was minimal. The view is predominantly sea but you do see a few islands at the beginning and end of the short journey. The holiday was booked through MyTravel, flying with them and Monarch. I'd read internet reviews claiming poor service from the aforementioned companies and thought that it couldn't be that bad, but believe me they were. I made a mental note not to book with MyTravel again after the poor quality of service received. With MyTravel Air and Monarch you get less space than sheep going to the slaughterhouse. You are better off having a short stopover in Doha or Dubai to stretch your legs and avoid DVT. My wife and I stayed on a full board basis and felt that the AI option was not viable. This was because unless you drink lots of what's on the AI menu (water, draught beer, house wine, soft drinks) it's not cost effective. Yes the drinks are expensive, but unless you are there to be drinking all the time it's probably not going to be worth it. I have a drinks price list from the holiday; email if you would like a copy. Finally, I have read some comments about Maldivian Islands that complain about the fact that there is nothing to do. There are some islands that provide lots of entertainment; Vakaru is not one of them. One of the main reasons for choosing Vakaru was because of the peaceful nature. My last tip is to do some research before you book; if the island has only 50 rooms you can bet your last quid that it will be quiet, and 450 rooms suggests that it'll be a bit lively – it's only common sense. Summary A nice quiet island where you and the mosquitoes are likely to be well fed!

We've just returned from an amazing week on Vakarufalhi. Blissfully peaceful island, with very few kids - perfect for couples. The seaplane to dhoni transfer was seamless, and the welcome to the island, friendly. Thatched, private rooms, overlooking your own stretch of silver sand and azure lagoon. Rooms were serviced twice daily, and beautiful flowers and fish made of palm leaves were arranged on the bed twice during the week. Even the fine coral-sand entrance path was swept to remove footprints. Although much of the surface coral on the house reef was dead, the marine life was out-of-this-world. We saw around 45 different fish species in one week, including black and white-tipped reef sharks and moray eels, and a ray. At 12m, the coral was vibrant. Pro-divers (the dive school) is outstanding. The equipment looks brand new, and the staff are both knowledgeable and friendly. The buffets are amazing - such variety. You can eat as little/much as you want and and can have starter, main courses and desert for lunch and dinner. The gala dinner on 24 December was so beautiful with all the food sculptures, that the island's guests walked around admiring and photographing it first! We'd recommend full-board rather than all-inclusive as drinks are not expensive enough to make AI a viable option, and on AI, you have to buy each drink at the bar, and then take it to the restaurant. I didn't want to leave this incredible island.

When going to the maldives I always try to find an island with a reef, vakarufahi has one but it is dead dead dead. My husband who dives felt that the diving in the area was great the dive school well run and accomadating, however as I only snorkel the reef was a great dissapointment. The facilities on the island are good, rooms large and private, each room having its own bit of beach, food above average buffet style most of the time ensures that there is something for all tastes. A mix of all nationalities nice and quiet with few children. We went all inclusive not sure I would do that again painful having to go to the bar each time I wanted a bottle of water as they would only give one small bottle at a time.......until you get to know the barman.

just returned from the most peaceful and unspoilt place I've been to. Beach houses spacious, cleaned twice daily, partially outdoor bathrooms really unusual.Very relaxed but attentive service, food hugely varied to suit all tastes but not ostentatious at all, very good quality ingredients used. Worried that the rainy season might be disastrous but not a drop was seen. Island very small but if your looking for personal relaxation and no hustle bustle noisy stuff this is perfect. Lots of mozzies though, need repellents if you're easily bitten. Dive school outstanding for learning aswell as pro-stuff. Snorkelling on house reef really easy, turtles, sharks and mantas seen off reef! Don't bother with larger islands unless looking for noise and nightlife, the highlight of nightly entertainment here is the crab racing, really fun. Enjoy.

If you are looking for a small paradise. And if for you that also means luxuraty in a down to earth way. Than Vakarufalhi is the place to go. The island and the resort seem to know how to get it spot on. One example would be the food. Delicious by keeping it simple, using excellent ingredients but avoiding any fancy, dressing up, over the top presentation. So for the Italians are al dente at the start AND at the end of the buffet. For beef lover their piece is grilled or backed on the spot to the requested way (raw, medium or well done). etc etc. This way of thinking can be applied to all 'ingredients' of the island. All you require for comfort is there in very simple way. A specia. note I want to add for the ProDivers dive center which was excellent. Very profesional guides, set-up of the center, equipment, etc.. Next to that they visited the most beautiful dive spots in the South Ari Atol. Independent of distance (40 min boot trip was normal) and participants. So in short, if your looking for a small and simple but very good bare foot island, Vakarufalhi is the place to go. If on top of that, like us, you are very in to diving, you must go there!!