Makunudu Island

We visited Makanoodu Island in October and had a wonderful, relaxing break from city life. The island is surrounded by beautiful nature, and it’s conveniently about an hour by boat from the airport. Our rooms were comfortable and well maintained, and staff cleaned them regularly. The natural charm and peaceful atmosphere were a real highlight. We chose full board, which was enough for us. The main difference with full inclusive was alcohol, and we didn’t need that. The drinks we ordered were a bit disappointing, even simple ones like pina colada. Mr.Milon looked after us in the restaurant all four days. He was friendly and made dining a pleasure. Highly recommend Makanoodu Island for a relaxing getaway!

Great location, but the staff are still lazy and cancel activities for any excuse. They refused us a boat trip because they were watching a football match on TV. It looks like nothing has changed in 25 years. Go elsewhere.

The island is beautiful, full of trees, and has a calm old-Maldives feel, being one of the oldest resorts. The interiors are a little dated, though. Getting there is convenient, about an hour by speedboat from the airport, and the transfer times are flexible. The sea was crystal clear and blue. We had all-inclusive, which covered non-motorized water sports like kayaking and snorkeling gear, plus sunset cruising and catamaran rides. Drinks were unlimited and good quality, though it felt odd that you couldn’t take them out of the bar. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style, and dinner à la carte. The food was decent but could use more variety. Milon, the restaurant host, went out of his way to welcome us with a warm smile, friendly conversation, and attentive service. Thank you, Milon. The room was lovely, but the bathroom let it down: the Muslim shower was too far from the toilet to reach, there was a strange smell, just one showerhead, and the tap was old and rusty. Our first impression was poor. We arrived at 7:15 for a 7:30 boat departure, but the resort representative scolded us for being “late.” Another guest said they’d had the same experience. At check-in, the host didn’t know we were all-inclusive and started describing full board until we corrected her. Later, we were charged for sparkling water from the minibar, even though the host had said everything except alcohol was included. When we queried it, staff pointed to the minibar menu, but because we’d been told otherwise, we hadn’t thought to double-check. We were also disappointed that snorkeling equipment was denied. We explained that we swim and snorkel often, signed the consent form, and said we’d stay close to shore, but were still refused because we’d initially said we weren’t “pros” at swimming. This had never happened at any other resort we’d stayed at. The island and location are lovely, but communication and service problems affected our mixed stay. With better hospitality, this could be a fantastic resort. As it stands, I wouldn’t return.

A lovely place to visit, with nice food, good hospitality, and lovely people. The island is very nice, around 3 hector, with a resort of about 40 cottages and nice rooms.