Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa

From start to finish this holiday was nothing but perfect. Travel arrangements, internal transfer, welcome, accommodation, food, diving and mostly the people, this holiday was exactly what we wanted. We arrived on the 28th Dec and stayed for 14 nights. Obviously Christmas decs were still around and then onto new year, but the island was still the beautiful island we had seen on so many photos. We stayed in a jacuzzi beach villa, 201. Perfect location, with our 2 sun loungers in a beautiful location directly outside our room. Room was always cleaned well and minibar always replenished daily. We did have one incident in our room, which was dealt with professionally and swiftly by the management. My husband is padi qualified and dives most days. I felt very safe and comfortable to be alone, walk around the island and to take meals alone. The diving centre was amazing. Very professional and the set up was the best we have ever seen. In fact so good we will be returning next march. The whale sharks were one of the main reasons we choose this location and we were not dissapointed. Thank you to all the dive centre team. Meals were fabulous. We were served for the 2 weeks by Meezad. I wouldn't normally pick out one person as everyone was great, but he looked after us every morning, non and night. We had a wonderful new years eve dinner, with the most spectacular buffet I have ever seen. Meezad just made it even more special with his kind, attentive, and friendly manner. We had booked to go again after Christmas but due to covid 19 we have revoked for March 2021. We cannot wait to return to this paradise island in the Indian ocean. Thank you Vilamendhoo.

I first heard about Vilamendhoo from a member of the dive team at Meeru in 2004, on our first ever visit to the Maldives, I booked for 2005 but due to unforeseen circumstances, had to revise our holiday plans. I had always wanted to visit the island and finally, 15 years on, I did. It was well worth the wait, having visited 4 other Maldivian islands on 5 occasions, although they were all wonderful, Vilamendhoo was better, I couldn't find fault at all. The food was outstanding in taste and presentation, the room was fantastic, the all inclusive included items in the room/fridge, things that were replenished once daily. The bar staff in the main bar were all brilliant, remembering every detail about customers preferences very quickly. A special mention for Robin, if ever there was a person suited to his job, I'm yet to meet that person. His attention to detail was outstanding, his hospitality, kindness and sense of humour just make that bar special, it was a nice place to relax. I used the gym, as a keen road cyclist I did my best to retain some of my fitness on the bikes in the gym. I also made use of the free once a day Kayak use, a nice way to see the island and get some exercise. Could anything be improved? If it could, I didn't find it, this island has got a great reputation, it's well founded too, I only hope that it's not 15 years until I return, after my first visit I would like to return many more times, if I had to, I would go to another island in the Maldives, but I would always worry that they couldn't match Vilamendhoo because they appear to have harnessed perfection.

The resort is nice and fine, but the schedule getting there and leaving from the island is not worth the trip that cost $ 370 per person Arriving in Male a 13 hour trip from Amsterdam, we had to wait 3 hours in a lounge before we were able to board the seaplane. Including the flight time we arrived in the very late afternoon, which was a pitty. The day before our holiday was to end, the island was ‘locked down’ because a local working on the island had symtones of the corona virus and was tested. Nobody could leave or come to the island. The next day at 8.30 am the ‘lock down’ was cancelled, the locale was tested negative. As required we went to the reception and we were told seaplane we could see the depature time on our television and if not someone would come to notify us. Whatever happened we could make use of our beachvilla untill 1 hour before departure. At 11 am a guy from the reception come to see us and told us our seaplane flight was scheduled at 3 pm. We had to evacuate the room at 12 noon. After bargening we could leave the room at 1 pm (at 10 to 12 our keys were blocked, so back to the reception again). Having had lunch at 1 pm we went to the reception area to wait to for our scheduled seaplaneflight at 3 pm. At 2.15 pm the reception were checking everyone to go on the plane. At that moment we were told the flight was fully booked and we were scheduled for the flight at 4.15 pm. Till 3 pm no new tourists came on the island. So why we couldn’t keep the room till 3 pm, I really din’t understand. Of course many sorries from at least 4 member of personeel (one after the other higher in rank). 3 days lost: 1/ the day of arrival because of the long wait, 2/ the day of the lock down, because they told us to cancel our flights and reschedule, so we spend lots of time on the internet and trying to contact airlines, 3/ the day of departured because of not necessairy waiting and waiting. They told us the whole operation was costing a lot of money as if. We should be sorry for the management. The people who were sheduled to leave the day before were, were staying for free and of course they had to pay back the people that were supposed to come the day before and couldn’t come because of the lock down. Later in the conversation the managemnt told us they had a 100% occupancy year around. So no need to feel sorry. However we had a nice holiday, but at the price you pay, you expect a professional staff. That was not the case.