Reviews of Maayafushi Island Resort Hotel, North Ari Atoll

ISLAND

Always spotless, people raking the beaches early in the morning so you awaken to perfect white sand. I, personally, loved sitting on the jetty/pier and watching the sea planes fly in - always a great photo op. Also the peninsula at the end of the island was lovely to walk down to and when we went there were loads of baby black tipped reef sharks swimming around the island and they seemed to like it there the best! (harmless sharks - i checked.)



ROOM

Kept clean and tidy, beds folded down in the evening into shapes as on other islands but you felt closer to the room boys as ours even left us a message! (which was probably quite hard to write as it was in English!) We still have it.



STAFF

All the staff are wonderfully helpful and make the visit all the more enjoyable. Always someone there to help and they are all very approachable. By far the bar staff stand out the most as they are so lovely and you feel very close to them by the end as they have told you all about their lives and families.



ENTERTAINMENT

Although at first we found it a bit "cheesy" it definitely grew on you, compared to other islands the entertainment was very enthusiastically done by the staff and provoked lots of laughter throughout the evening. Even if you didn't go and watch it was nice to know that it was there. Dads birthday happened whilst we were on holiday and they made a cake as on other islands but it was made very special as the lights in the whole dining room are dimmed as the waiters sing and play the drums and circle the dining room before coming to your table with the cake.



SWIMMING/SNORKELLING/DIVING

Swimming is OK but only in certain parts as there is some shallow areas (as on all islands) and some areas too corally for you to stand on the sand which is a shame. The snorkelling was average in most areas, although around the pier was exceptional. BUT to see the bulk of the wildlife, going on the snorkelling outings is OUTSTANDING. We saw huge sea turtles and manta rays which seemed to glide past about 1m from us! Its was brilliant. Although I myself did not personally scuba dive, my dad did, and this island is well known for being close to loads of great diving spots and the dive centre is amazingly equipped and the staff are very professional.



FACILITIES

Spa was lovely, go and make a booking and have a luxury massage as I did! The girls who do them are lovely and the whole atmosphere in the spa is great. As said before the diving centre is awesome and the people there are really nice, along with the canoe/catamaran hut down by the peninsula. The gift shop is cute and there is always someone at the bar to assist you. Also the is afternoon tea/morning biscuits in a separate little hut which is free and in the morning you get biscuits and croissants (left from brekkie) and at about 3 there is pizza and sandwiches - all with a nice cup of tea was perfect.





OVERALL

The holiday was great, its just such a shame that all UK tour operators have pulled out of the island for some reason. We had already booked as well!

This holiday was truly paradise. I have nothing to complain about; the only thing that upset me had to return home.



The island was so clean and the workers work hard every minute of the day to keep it spotless.



The food was delicious, a huge variety every lunch time and evening, such a healthy choice to choose from. The restaurant staff and bar staff were brilliant, they made the holiday fantastic, so friendly and a pleasure to be around (Benny, Idris, shura, shazam, moosa and Ali the best room keeper ever).



I would recommend this island to everyone and am planning (dreaming, a ha ha) to go back Christmas time or early next year. 100% FAB.

The Island itself was absolutely beautiful and has possibly one of the best diving experiences available at a very reasonable price. It is one of the smaller Islands in the Maldives so was ideal for relaxation.



The Maldivian staff were brilliant, very polite and friendly. The accommodation we stayed in was a beach bungalow which was basic but all you needed and very clean. A room boy came round to clean daily and then every night your bed sheets were laid out in a different design.



The evening entertainment was the downside to the holiday, the hotel was Italian run and very much geared towards the Italians entertainment wise. I guess if you liked sketches like those you would expect in Benny Hill you were alright. However the bar area was such that you mingled and it gave you the chance to meet people and if you got in with the right crowd the entertainment became just a noise in the background. It does have to be said that the Maldivian staff did the entertainment on one night which was a traditional night and very interesting to watch.



The food was fantastic, and plenty of choice even for a fussy vegetarian like me. I would recommend this resort to anyone looking for relaxation and who really doesn't care about evening entertainment.