OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi

We chose this resort for our honeymoon, neither of us having ever visited The Maldives before, and we were not disappointed. Having read various reviews, we opted for a water villa and specifically requested a west facing one by emailing the resort a couple of months before we arrived, so that we could enjoy the Maldivian sunsets. The west facing villas are all numbered in the 600s. We were very lucky to be given Villa 641 which opened out onto a particularly sandy bottomed part of the lagoon - some of the others had a lot of rocks on the ocean floor. It was also a good distance away from the bar area, so we were never impacted by the noise of loud music etc. The water is quite deep outside the water villas (at least 6ft), so not great for people who aren’t confident swimmers but life jackets are provided and there were plenty of other people making use of them quite happily in the lagoon. We travelled here with Virgin Atlantic, and their policy is not to accept bookings to the water villas if you are bringing children younger than 12. However, lots of other tourists did have younger children staying in the water villas with them - not sure it was worth the money for them as we didn’t see any making use of the access via the steep steps down into the ocean. The life jackets provided were all adult sized and it wouldn’t be suitable to use inflatables in the lagoon. My husband is a keen snorkeller and there was plenty of marine life to see whilst we were here, without needing to pay for snorkelling excursions. There were plenty of snorkelling experiences on offer, including one with Manta Rays ($250 pp for 3 hours) and another with Whale Sharks ($500 pp for a full day) as well as some less pricey options but all were non-refundable, with no guarantee of seeing the specific creatures you were hoping for. We were lucky to see rays, sharks and all sorts of exotic fish in the immediate vicinity of our villa. Snorkelling equipment is available to buy in the resort shop but it is very expensive - we were pleased we brought our own with us. One experience which we did opt for was dinner in the underwater restaurant. We booked it via the app before we arrived, but have since found out that once you arrive, you may be offered a small discount via the app. There was no problem getting a table, but I would advise opting for an early sitting in the evening as you choose which table you would like on arrival, and the tables on the outer perimeter definitely gave a better view of the marine life. Children under 13 aren’t permitted in this restaurant in the evening, which is why we chose dinner rather than lunch, when they are allowed. The food we had was amazing - not a lot of choice for vegetarians, however. Service was brilliant - staff were very attentive and really couldn’t do enough for us. Mery and Shani served us for the majority of the evening and they helped make the whole experience very enjoyable indeed. The underwater restaurant is not cheap - the cost is $125 pp plus tax and if you have a bottle of wine (cheapest is $45) , the cost soon mounts up. All in all, we paid $390 including wine and tax, but as it was our honeymoon, we were prepared to pay that. The rest of our meals were included in the ‘Fushi plan’ which is all inclusive, and were at the main restaurant ‘Element X’. We thought the overall standard of food was really good, with loads of variety and plenty of options for vegetarians. All of the staff here work really hard and were so helpful. Wherever we went in the resort, we were greeted with a smile and a cheery ‘hello’, from the reception staff to the bar staff and room cleaners. We felt so welcome. The room cleaners did a fabulous job each day and they were always so polite and helpful. In particular, Mohamed and Sajan did a great job. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and felt that, for us, it was a great introduction to the beautiful Maldives. Read less

We are a family of 4 with 2 kids under the age of 5. Quite simply this holiday ticked every box. The hotel is perfect with all the facilities you could want or imagine. Highlights were the amazing kids club, the easily accessible beautiful beach coves and the restaurant area. (Read other reviews that go into far more detail on these) The things that made our holiday were the staff and in general the Maldivian culture. The staff were some of the warmest, kindest, generous, attentive that I have experienced. In particular having two young kids at certain times can add stress but this hotel and the way they deliver service removes this completely. Very much a family vibe but they do have an island opposite which focuses on adults. So all boxes ticked ! We will definitely be back ! Read less

Accommodation was very clean and modern, housekeeping came around every day and the resort was very well looked after. The food was extremely tasty and changed in the buffet, the Under Sea Resturant was something very different and a once in a lifetime experience. The staff were also attentive to every need and all very friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are gutted to be leave such a beautiful place. Thank you Oblu Experience Ailafushi for a fabulous holiday we won't forget. Read less