Island Break

It was a really upsetting experience. Some people were using the sunbeds on the public bikini beach because nobody was working there. Then two people from this place came over yelling at everyone to get out, saying, “You’re foreigners!” They were incredibly rude, and I’ve never seen people working with tourists behave like that before. They act as if they own the beach. This hotel isn’t even beachfront. Stay away.

The brothers running the place treated us like friends, not just guests, and did everything they could to make our stay pleasant. They helped coordinate transport from the airport, offered to move us to another room if we wanted, and prepared fruit and vegetables in small pieces for our baby. They also arranged fishing, turtle snorkeling, and shark point tours. We were traveling with our baby daughter on our first trip to the Maldives, and couldn’t have picked a better place. We’ve been to more than 30 countries, but this was the best service we’ve had at any stay, five-star or otherwise. All praise to the brothers from Gustav, Julia, and Edda.

The room was basic, very clean, and had a vintage feel. We had a lovely view over the garden. Our package included breakfast, so we tried the traditional Maldivian breakfast, which was delicious. The hotel staff member who met us at the jetty was sweet and even cooked a meal to suit our tastes. We enjoyed the food so much that we tried several Maldivian dishes on the menu, including tuna, octopus, squid, and snapper. Our host also showed us the ferry schedule for the return trip and came along with us to feed the rays. Beautiful setting, great food, and a friendly host.

The guesthouse has a relaxed atmosphere, a terrace with a great view, and the bikini beach and chill-out area are right in the backyard. The island is tiny, lovely, and very green, and the snorkeling around it should be terrific. The host is helpful and speaks very good English. It’s a family project they run themselves, and they do it well. There are a few comfort compromises, which is to be expected in a guesthouse. My room was neat and had what I needed, though it wasn’t luxurious, and the furniture and tech were rather low-end. The hotel food was very good, but there wasn’t brewed coffee at the time. I’d recommend it.