Thudufushi Island Resort

We have just returned from our 9 night honeymoon stay at Thudufushi. This island is excellent. Initially when we were planning our honeymoon, we were spoiled for choice with the many islands that make up the maldives. In the end, we wanted something relatively small and romantic. What a great choice this island was! We have read many of the other reviews and pretty much agree with the content of most. The island itself is better than you can imagine and nicer than it looks in the brochures. The food is amoungst the nicest I have ever eaten anywhere in the world and the effort and presentation that goes into it is unbelievable. When the island is full, there are approximatley 100 guests. In total there are 150 staff from chefs to gardeners. (Though where they all stay you wouldn't know ! The staff quarters are so well hidden in the centre of the island you hardly notice its prescence). We found all the staff to be friendly at all times and the service is second to none. Upon our arrival the restaurant had closed for lunch and we were hungry. One of the bar staff said "wait here a second", and one minute later arrived back with two plates full of fruit and an assortment of cakes. This level of service was par for the stay. Our room, like the majority of them was excellent. The bathrooms are stunning with the open air shower and the houskeeping is excellent. However, during our 10 minute walk around the island, we did notice that you could be lucky or unlucky with the room you are allocated. Some are detached although these are not necessarilly in as good a location. Also, the sea is very close to the decking of some of the rooms (a few feet), therefore guests walking around the island can be virtually walking accross your decking! (This only applies to a couple of rooms at high tide). The snokling is excellent and I was lucky enough to see a reef shark close up ! There are numerous excursions available though we were more than happy with where we were. It is true that the majority of the guests and entertainment staff are Italian, and I would imagine some guests may find them a little overpowering at times, however, we tried to join in with them as much as possible, (playing beach voleyball with them etc) and the majority of the Italian guests would make the effort to speak to you and most of them can speak good English anyway which always helps. The Italian entertainment staff were very welcoming and friendly at all times. We did have a couple of rainy days, but you have to expect that in the Indian ocean, however, as a previous guest stated in their review, when the sun does come out, be carefull, you can burn in 10 minutes ! Our stay here overall was excellent. Friends have asked if we would go back......Yes and no. The island was that good I want to keep that memory of it. I fear if we went back it would not live up to our expectations or memories of how good it was the first time. However, perhaps in many years when our memories have faded a little I am sure we would return. In fact, a couple we met there said that out of the four times they have been to the Maldives, this was there favourite island. If you are reading this review and considering going, i would say that you won't be dissapointed!

What a fanastic place! We had two weeks, beginning of September and it exceeded even our optimistic expectations. The weather was poor on arrival and for three days or so - a large Indian ocean storm - but it did little to dampen our enthusiasm - we acclimatised and waited for it to turn better. Wow and how - it was wonderful, a gentle breeze, hot sun (you need to be very careful as only 250 miles from the equator and very strong) and gentle lapping waves. The snorkeling is very very good (we don't dive - so can't comment) with trips to other areas also very good. Ok nowhere is perfect - but first the very best bits:- The food is fabulous, lobster /prawns extra but great treat (ask for table to go out on beach if you have this). All the staff are friendly with 1staff to every guest, a nice ratio. The trips on offer are very good value (snorkel from Dhoni, deep sea fishing and best of all, the Robinson crusoe are a must!) The rooms and bathrooms very acceptable with free minibar. You get there by seaplane! A few bits they could improve:- Improve ratio of Brits to Italians (they are mostly quite young and don't mix with anyone but there own) Better the plastic sunbeds - they are really not in keeping. Be more aware of peoples capabilities on the snorkelling trips from the Dhonis - we stopped in the middle of nowhere and all jumped off the boat - quite frigtening to some i'm sure - but to counter this the leader is a good swimmer - just be aware though! So to sum up - fabulous place - the negatives are really minor, (always book a beach villa - some are even detached (17/14/43) and from 5-45 all have merits only the lower and higher numbers a bit too close to the central bar/restaurant areas for our liking.) Don't hesitate with this place book it now!! (we think 1/2 star better than Arthuruga)

Just returned from a week at Thudufushi and we still haven't come back down to earth yet. What an amazing place. Spent alot of time trawling brochures and internet for an island to suit us and got completely dazed by all the choice but, thanks to TripAdvisor, I think we made the perfect choice. Weather: Was worried about the weather (went in early May - the start of the wet season) and the locals said the rains should have started by then but we were extremely lucky and had none whatsoever. 95-100 degrees every day, not much cooler in the evening (around 80). Room: This is the only thing that initially disappointed us as we were, niavely, expecting it to look like the brochure picture - it didn't. It was much more basic (room no. 1). However, it was directly on the beautiful white sand and turquoise sea so we soon stopped worrying. The view was spectacular. The room had everything you need, a fridge (for my chocolate supply!) and superb air conditioning etc. Outdoor shower was fab and the whole place was very clean and secluded. Food: Plenty to choose from at each meal. As buffet style it could get same-y if you put a bit of everything on your plate each night so we tried to stick to pasta one night, fish the next, curry the next etc. Worked well and we didn't get bored of the food. All very fresh and puddings are to die for! Restaurant: You get the same table and waiter for the whole holiday. Luckily we knew this from reading TripAdvisor so steared him towads the edge of the restaurant, next to the beach. Tipping: No need to tip any staff until the end of the holiday. We were advised to tip no more than $10 for our waiter and the same for our roomboy. If you are happy with the boat trips then they ask that you tip the captain of the boat about $3 each time. We didn't hear about tipping other staff (watersports/bar tender/spa etc) so apologies if we were supposed to! Insects: A few ants on the decking but thankfully no mozzies as they smoke the island out every 10 days (the process is called a 'who'). Not every island does this so take some spray in case you visit another island. Trips: Sunset fishing trip was fun - a few fish were caught and were on the menu the next day. The trip to the local island (not a tourist one) was good. It was interesting to see how true Maldivians lived. Women have to cover their thighs and shoulders though. You can be stranded on a deserted island for 4 hours. We were going to do this (how cool would it be to tell your friends that you've been stranded on a completely deserted island) but we noticed that a private sun seeker boat had anchored up by it one day and they were all swimming on the shore. This is illegal however but we would have been annoyed if they were there when we'd paid to be on there. Staff: Italian run island so all main staff were italian. The waiters, workers and roomboys were all locals though - quite shy but very pleasant and polite. Snorkelling: My husband isn't a strong swimmer so he borrowed a life jacket from the watersports centre. Glad he did as we saw some amazing creatures whilst snorkelling. Turtles/black tipped baby reef sharks/the whole cast of finding nemo/sting rays/eagle rays/moray eels. On the deep sea snorkelling trip we swam with 3 manta rays. We did a trial dive and are now keen to learn to dive. Refurbishment works: We went the week before the island was shutting down for 2 months to carry out refurbishment works. However they'd already started working but we never heard them at all. I think we were on the better side of the island as we were away from the drilling etc but i didn't hear anyone complain.....in fact, i didn't hear anyone complain about anything all holiday!!!! Overall opinion: This really was paradise and we would definitely go again. In fact, 80% of visitors at Thudufushi are returning visitors - that just goes to show that it is consistently popular. It wasn't too touristy and is very small (only around 47 villas and everyone keeps themselves to themselves during the day). It takes around 10 mins to walk around the whole island. Don't go here if you want loud fun in the evenings as it's still quiet, although light entertainment is available). You never tire of looking at the sunsets/turquoise sea/white sand etc.

We went to Thudufushi for our honeymoon in September. The weather in the first week was fantastic and in the second week clouded over most afternoons but didn't stop our enjoyment. Yes, there were predominately Italians on the holiday but we really didn't find this problem. The waiters in the restaurant are Maldavian and very attentive - the food was fantastic - the puddings were to die for! I had my birthday out there and they brought me a cake and sang happy birthday. The bar staff were Sri Lankans and enjoyed to talking to you and having a joke with you. The entertainment wasn't much to write home about it as it usually ended with YMCA but it was amusing to watch. If you're a smoker, they provide free cigarettes on the bar. The snorkling was amazing, we saw a huge jelly fish, a turtle, dolphins and even a shark! All in all i would recommend this place and would definately return.

We arrived at the island by sea plane to waves and smiles from the Italian hotel staff. Our reservations about this holiday were that the weather would be bad (Monsoon Season) and that we would be the only English people on the Island. We had read a review from a UK couple saying the island was full of Italians and they were not polite to the English guests. If this was true, it was probably due to the fact that they made no effort to speak the language of the hotel owners (as us British would expect of them!). We quickly learnt that saying 'Ciao' to the other Italian guests led to broad smiles and appreciative 'hellos' for making the effort to speak a different language. The room was basic but everything we needed, the food the best we have ever eaten and the staff (Maldivian and Italian) helpful and friendly. We met two other English couples, but on one evening we had a Volleyball match were the UK faced Italy, Spain, and the winning team ultimately facing the Maldivan guys (who are fantastic at the game hence us loosing!). On another evening we had a fun quiz night and team Italia beat UK and Spain. They won a bottle of Champagne however shared it with us anyway which we though very kind! We intend to return to the Island but next time, we will learn some more Italian and German so that we can pass the time of day with the other people who are there to enjoy themselves in this Idylic resort. Ps it only rained two days out of seven and even then it couldnt ruin the holiday! - Kate & Ben, East Sussex

I agree totally with the other review here. Whilst I was not looking for 'Little England', the Italians run the island and their Italian guest know this, arrogant and rude. Second rate rooms for everyone else. Bar staff were unhelpful, bordering on rude. I have been previously to the Maldives 4 times and this was the worst by far, there are much better resorts on these beautiful islands.

On my third trip to the Maldives I would say this was the best. Totally unbeatable if it is the true Maldivian holiday that you are looking for, not the concrete vast and inpersonal resort such as Paradise Island. The guests are mainly Italian, as is the entertainment team but all speak perfect English and we found them to be extremely hospitable and friendly. The island itself is beautiful with palm fringed beaches, fruit bats, lizzards and turtles, not to mention the fish. Superb snorkelling yards from your door. Request room 14 as it is by far the best on the island, the others are to be upgraded next year. We followed this advice from a similar internet customer review and we weren't disappointed. Fantastic food, except the Maldivian's can't get the hang of puddings but this is where ever you go in the country. The food is plentiful and delicious so you don't need pudding anyway. All inclusive really does mean that here and even covers your mini bar, laundry and cigarettes!! The spa on the island is well worth a visit with a wide range of treatments using fresh local products. Another delight is the room service with rooms cleaned, towels changed and magnificent floral displays on your bed nightly, see photo - a real work of art! Make friends with the staff which isn't difficult and they will not only go out of their way to be helpful but if you take the time to talk to them they will also tell you things about the country, wildlife and marine life that you would otherwise be oblivious to. All in all it is impossible to fault anything to do with the island, its staff, fellow guests, scenery or service. A tip to anyone wanting to visit the Maldives is do your research properly first. Buy a copy of Resorts of the Maldives by Adrian Neville, a fantastic guide covering all resort islands and believe me you won't go wrong. If you book blindly like one of the reviewees on this resort clearly did you deserve everything you get if you aren't satisfied! Believe me, I am the fussiest of travellers and research everything to do with holidays to the last detail and I could not find fault with Thudufushi. It is the perfect island if you are looking for no news no shoes and a quiet relaxing holiday in paradise. I can't really say more except......GO THERE!!!!

We went to stay at thudufushi - our first trip to the Maldives and found paradise. The purpose for the trip was mainly for diving and we had no preconceptions before we arrived. The hotel was mainly Italian, which we expected after reading other reviews. They were very friendly and everybody was very easy to get on with. We aren't big fans of All Inclusive but the food was outstanding and we found that none of the guests even attempted to get drunk at the bar. We found solitude when we wanted it and joined in festivities when we needed to. The staff had a fantastic friendly attitude and we got to know the dive centre staff, bar staff, restaurant staff and entertainment staff fantastic. Don't expect much from the entertainment unless you just want a bit of comedy though!!! I can understand how some people may be intimidated or put off by the Italian flair for living but we are frequent travellers to Italy therefore we didn't find this a problem at all. We felt the rooms could do with a bit of updating but overall didn't have any complaints at all for this holiday.

We were at Kuredu when the tsunami struck, as soon as we arrived back in England, we booked to go to Thudufushi in August 2005. We have stayed at Kuramarthi, Baros, and Kuredu, and visited other islands on day trips. We researched Thudufushi, and decided that we would visit in the low season (Maldives not England), as this is the time of year when there is a good mix of guests. (not one nationality). However, when we arrived, we found that approx 90+% of the guests were Italian. We felt as though we had 'gate crashed' a private party. The guests were loud, rude and very ignorant. The Maldives is a place where you can relax, chill out and go diving. But, we could not relax or chill out on Thudufushi. I could not even lay on the beach and read my book, as the other guests were shouting and talking very loud constantly on the beach. The animators who were mostly Italian were very nice. The dive centre was fantastic, and we had 4 very nice dives whilst we were at the island, that was the only highlight of our holiday. One of the bar men was very rude, and insulted my husband. This was the final straw, and after being on the island for just 4 days, we decided that we had to leave. I could not stand the constant loud talking, pushing in at the bar, screaming and shouting on the beach. We had to pay extra to leave the island, and Plan Hotel would not refund anything to us, even though the manageress confirmed that in August 2004, approximately 25% of the guests were Italian, not 90+%. Had Thudufushi been the first Maldive island that we had visited, we would NOT have returned to the Maldives. but luckily, we have spent our other Maldive holidays on islands which have been very nice indeed. We have recommended the Maldives to lots of friends and family, and quite a few have now been and really enjoyed it. We will NOT be recommending Thudufushi. When we left the island, we were sent on a dhoni to another island, we had to wait for a few hours to then get a seaplane back to the airport, and then we were put on a small speedboat to Kuramarthi. The boat journey was horrid. The sea was very rough and I can not believe that we survived the 2 hour trip, But when we arrived at Kuramarthi, everything was fine. The staff on the island were very nice, and looked after us. Thank you to Kuramarthi and Kuoni for making the last week of our holiday nice.

I was really quite worried about visiting such a small island as I am not a sun worshipper and I thought what am I going to do for 7 days? Well worry not, I didn't do anything but read books, looks at the stunning views, and eat and drink......the all inclusive at Thudufushi is tremendous, Italian owned and boy do they know how to cook. The fresh fish is wonderful and the buffets are bountiful and so lovely presented. Drinks are great also and if you order wine you get the full bottle!!!! The island is tiny and you can walk around it in 20 mins, but that is what makes this so great, no news and no shoes....pack light, dress down nobody is dressed to the nines and if you pack smart trousers and fancy dresses you are wasting your time they will not see the light of day. The majority of visitors are Italian and we were one couple out of 6 on the Island who were British or at least English as the first language, nothing against the Italians at all, they are very handsome people, but they didn't make an effort to speak and kept to themselves. The bungalows are great, no TVs as the idea is you are switched off, there if piped music available if you need some kind of noise. There are bowls on your veranda to wash your feet when you step off the beach so that the rooms don't get sandy. The room cleaning was superb, but I always felt guilty as I lay on my lounger and our old guy cleaned up the room. Outside bathrooms are fine also (another worry I had) I only once saw a lizard in the bathroom, and I think it was more frightened than me. Airconditioning a god send, but it did play havoc with my sinus, and I had to see the Island doctor, who was fab and gave me free antibiotics. There is a couple of tiny shops on the Island selling very little other than beach clothes and sun cream, therefore take everything you need in the way of toiletries, I struggled to buy paper tissues. The seaplane crossing is wonderful and a sight that takes away your breath, you land out at sea and transfer to a Dhoni that brings you into the island's jetty, a tip is to wear sensible shoes for getting off the plane and on the boat. On arrival they have a cool drink and cold towels waiting for you, then they escort you to your beachside room carrying the cases on their shoulders. You are assigned your own dining table and you stick with this for the stay, this is great as it means you know where to go once you have been the first time and are not looking where to sit etc. My advice is book it, chill out, pack very little and enjoy......