You have got to go!

We have just returned from what was our second visit to Vilu Reef and hopefully not our last. The island is kept to a high 4* standard and is very natural looking. The island has alot of vegetation compared to other islands in the Maldives, the island is well maintained. The beach is even swept twice a day.

Again we received excellent customer service beyond our expectations from all the staff on the island during both stays.

We stayed in a watervilla on our first visit which was of outstanding quality. The watervilla includes a private decking area with jacuzzi ( you can be seen but others so bewarned ! )and steps down into the warm crystal clear waters ( more like a stepping into a warm bath ). If you stay in the watervillas you can use the a la carte Sunset restaurant for breakfast ( included in All Inclusive package ) which is located above the ocean at one end of the water villas, all other meals from here are chargable but well worth a visit as the food and service is fab. This time round we stayed in a Beach villa. Again outstanding facilities which included an outside bathroom. You have a private decking area complete with two sets of sunbeds, one to drag in to the sea when the weather gets too much.

The freshwater pool on the island is one of the largest in the Maldives situation overlooking the lagoon The staff hear will remember your choice of drink and room number the whole holiday, you cant beat the service.

The food in the main restaurant is also of a high quality with a good selection for everyone. Be prepared to put on weight! At the Sunset restaurant you can book specials meals/menus to eat on the beach eg Lobster. They set up a private table on the beach lit up by candlelight and the moon, very romantic.

I would reccommend to stay on the reef side of the island if in a Beach villa as these have better views as less shrubbery in front of them. Dolphins swim pass daily on this side, so a good chance of spotting them during your stay.

Good choice of excusrions available at reasonable prices. Take your own snorkeling equipment as this can work out expensive to hire. Big game fishing well reccomended.

Add on a seaplane transfer if not already included in your package as its a great way to take in the breathtaking views, it takes approx 40 mins from Male and is an excellent start to your holiday, dont forget your camera!!!

All in all a Fab 4* with great facilities and customer service. Well worth a visit.

We would like to say a BIG thakyou to the following members of staff who really made our holiday special. Mohammed ( food & drink coordinator ), Naajja and Doreen from guest services and Sherpa & Januki from the pool bar/area. THANKYOU!!!!

An absolute gem

Just returned from a fantastic week at Vilu Reef. Our second trip to the Maldives and hopefully not the last. The standard at Vilu Reef is exceptional. The food in the main restaurant was of a high standard and the service was superb. We didn't eat in the a la carte restaurant but we got upgraded to a water villa on our third night so we did have breakfast there which was the most beautiful start to the day as the restaurant is next to the pool and over the ocean. The freshwater pool is huge compared to other resorts in the Maldives and the staff here are very attentive. The house reef has an amazing array of marine life and you certainly won't be disappointed. The spa has wonderful treatments at reasonable prices so spoil yourself at the beginning of your holiday with a marine scrub and finish it with a hydrating coconut treatment. I would highly recommend the beach villas on the reef side and the beach villas on the lagoon side are more secluded with a lot of shrubbery in front and set further back from the beach. The garden villas are set back into the island behind the beach villas and you would probably wish you had paid the extra once you get there. The water villas are stunning with a jacuzzi bath on the decking although people walking past can see you! Beware! I would have no hesitation in recommending this resort. First class.

Sought Paradise and Found it.

The BEST holiday ever,and that's saying something having travelled the world. Listed as a 4+ in the brochure does'nt do it justice.

The food was absolutely 5 star,Head Chef spent 8 yrs in the Dubai Hilton.The staff are wonderful and so helpful and extremely well organised,nothing is too much trouble.

The snorkelling (take your own) was brilliant with reefs very close by,even those not too keen to venture would'nt have a problem.Available also is night and big game fishing and can vouch both were fab.

We stayed in a beach villa which leads straight onto the sand/into the sea,you have your own sunbeds & parasol,beach towels also provided clean every day.The room was 5 Star also and so very clean.We got to enjoy a water bungalow as we had a free upgrade for the last 6 days and that really was something special.

They also put on some really good local entertainment to which all seem to enjoy.

To sum this up I would rate this resort an easy 5+ and if I can be of any help please feel free to email me; michael.morris37@tesco.net and I'll send you some photos if you wish.

Heaven!

Absolutely wonderful except for one thing - Snorkeling! Be warned, take your own snorkeling gear. When we booked our holiday we were told by the travel agent that the equipment was available for use free of charge so we left ours at home. We soon found out that this was not so and the cost of hiring two sets was $180 for the fortnight or we could buy the equipment for $183 (about £109). We had no choice but to fork out the $183 (no point in hiring). We subsequently complained to the Thomas Cook Rep. and were reimbursed with the full cost on our departure and given a £100 voucher towards our next holiday!

On another note, the staff are the happiest smiliest people we have ever met and really made our holiday a most memorable experience. Perfect.

Robinson crusoe place heaven

Just retured back we was also there in october last year thats why we went back its a place were every one should try, to the place itself, to all the staff the place is a robinson cruiso place, its heaven very quite and bliss the food is also ok lots of choice if you are a fussy eater like me you are sure you will not starve theres always something for all overhaul on the place i cannot wait to go back the rooms are all loverly i havnt been in the garden bungalows they are not for me they havnt got a beach front view but the beach front bungalows are fab also we have stayed in the water villa the are also fab they are more private than the beach front bungalow but you dont get the beach so what do you do.1 week in 1 and 1 week in the other you wont be dissapointed with this place its a great place it will be our 3rd visit when we return again in sept cant wait any 1 who dosnt like this place well what can i say dont know where you were at the time but i cant fault it

have a great time

Perfect honeymoon at vilu reef

Fortunately we booked extra leg room seats on our flight. With my husband being 6ft 4, these were well appreciated. The seaplane transfer to vilu is breathtaking and the first glimpse of Vilu reef island is impressive.

The welcome was lovely. Bongo drums and fresh scented cool towels. We also had coconut juice straight from the coconut.

Having visited a nearby island (velavaru) on our stay we realised just how visually stunning vilu reef actually is. The vegetation and greenery is well maintained and the thatched roofs of the buildings blend in perfectly with the surroundings. The water villas to the left hand side also looked fabulous. There isn't a lot of information on this island from websites, posts etc and the information we did find seemed to be old. Since this island has been refurbished and the pool and wv's built it is now even more beautiful.

Our Jacuzzi water villa was one of the furthest out. the rooms are excellent. Very modern, spacious and immaculate. We were over the moon with it. the view from the 2 balcony's every morning was glorious, we had coffee looking out to sea - the perfect way to start the day. However it did get a little windy towards the end of the week and the noise from the waves was quite loud (quite exciting really). The jacuzzi is quite small and more like a bath with jets really but great fun. Takes quite a while to fill though. The room boys visit twice a day and always leave your bed in a different pretty style.

Breakfast can be had at the sunset restaurant for all incluse jwv people which is nice, much quieter and waitress service and just at the end of the water villa walkway. Lunch and dinner are held in the main restaurant. We didnt' have to share our table but some friends of ours did, didn't like it and were moved instantly. The food was good, about as good as you can expect from a buffet serving all diffent types of food every day. The only thing i would say is that it could get a little predicatable if you were staying over a week. We ate at the a la carte one night which made a nice change - but was quite pricey for what we got and another night we had dinner on the beach with lobster thermidor, gorgeous - if you like lobster.

Snorkelling was fantastic not just at the reef but over the whole island, and hiring out the canoes is well worth it. The spa is great but be warned they do give a REALLY strong massage which was a bit much for me, however my husband loved it, we paid extra and had the 'milky wrap' which was lovely.

The pool area is beautiful and set almost right at the lagoon. The waiters can't do enough for you and amazingly remember your room number and drink for the whole holiday! They keep it spotlessly clean and are extremely attentive.

Evening entertainment is quiet but appropriately so. The walkways on the inside of the island are sand and lush vegetation with little lamps lighting the way and there is always a little maldivian guy watering the plants or cutting down coconuts. Really adds to the ambiance.

Towards the end of our week it started getting slightly busier, more italians etc - who always seem quite loud! whereas at the start, you could practically walk the whole island (10 mins max) undisturbed. - heaven.

All in all we would come back here in a heartbeat. This island is pefect for the 'robinson crusoe' feeling. Small, exclusice, beautiful.

A relaxing two weeks at Vilu Reef

We travelled to the Maldives with Thomsonfly who were OK but there's just no leg room on charter flights. 11 hours crammed into your seat just isn't the way to start / end your holiday. This is the second year we've travelled to the Maldives on charter flights and we're definitely going to fly scheduled next year. The crew on the plane were fine but no seat back TVs.

The sea plane transfer went very smoothly and is such a fantastic way to arrive at your island - the views from the sea plane are out of this world. We were given a very warm welcome on our arrival at Vilu Reef and quickly checked into our beach villa (you don't touch your suitcases till you get into your room - just give the porters a couple of dollars).

The room was very pleasant but maybe not quite 4 star. There's a four poster bed and a day bed plus air conditioning. The bathroom was again OK (partly open which is good) but maybe could do with a little updating. A lot of the beach villas like ours are set slightly back from the beach so you don't have a direct view of the sea from your private decking area. It's only a few steps though through the trees till your right on the beach.

We talked to people staying in the water villas who said they were very nice (although it could get very windy on your sun deck) and people who stayed in the garden villas who said they were perfectly acceptable but again could do with updating.

The beach around the island is fantastic and the colours of the sea are incredible. The lagoon side (which we were on) has much more of a breeze and the reef side is where most people did their snorkelling.

There is a really nice pool area with wooden sun beds and the staff here are really attentive and keep your gin and tonic topped up all day !

The main buffet restaurant was adequate with a fair amount of choice but for us felt a little too much like a canteen. They did make a real effort with the food but we didn't look forward to meal times with eager anticipation. Lots of curries (which we love) and there is always pasta each night which is good (they have a pasta chef who cooks your pasta in front of you).

You're allocated a table and waiter in the main restaurant for the duration of your stay and you may end up sharing your table with another couple.

We ate in the a la carte restaurant a couple of times which was good. It's quite reasonably priced if your all inclusive - you pay a supplement of $17.50 per person for a three course meal or $22.50 per person if you choose lobster. I'd recommend you try the place as it makes a nice change to the main restaurant and is in a really good spot near the pool area. Again the waiters here are very friendly.

You can also pay for burgers / toasted sandwiches in the bars / pool area - it's about $7.50 for a cheese burger.

We did a couple of trips - the night fishing is really good fun ($20) and you can catch loads. We also hired their speed boat with two other couples for an hour to go and watch the dolphins - well worth it!

We used the spa quite a lot which was relaxing - they certainly know how to give a strong massage ! It's about $65 for an hours massage which we thought was good value for money.

Make sure you take PLENTY of high factor sun cream. I know people always say it but you'll be amazed just how quickly you burn - especially because of the breeze. Don't even think about going in the sun without plenty of cream on. When we first arrived we had a quick 10 minute walk around the island with no cream on and burnt.

Also there was a bit of a problem with mosquitoes the first week we were there so take plenty of mossie repellent and a plug-in device for your room. There is a doctor on the island if you have any problems but you have to pay for each visit.

All in all we had a really good time at Vilu Reef but I'd probably try a different island next time we go.

Honeymoon from Hell at the Vilu Reef

After much research we booked our Honeymoon at Olhuveli Beach and Spa Resort. Two weeks before departure our Tour Operator informed us that Olhuveli was not opened and we would actually. We were offered a refund, however nothing else was available so we elected to take the alternate Resort - Vilu Reef.

We had to wait several hours for the sea plane transfer to Vilu Reef. On arrival at Vilu Reef, we were told that due to movement of resorts, Vilu Reef would not honour our booking for a Beach Hut. Therefore we were placed in a "Garden Villa".

The room was in a extremely poor condition which was almost identical to an Old American Motel Room. The toilet, bath and shower were all outside in the middle of a clump of trees. Therefore it was always over run with Ants, Insects, Flies and Gecko's.

All the Garden Villa's are situated around the island's incinerator and sewage plant. The atmosphere in and around the rooms was very unpleasant and I wouldn't have wanted my dog to stay in this room. It was almost impossible to sleep in this environment.

After 5 days of telling us to come back tomorrow for a room upgrade we wrote a letter to the manager. We stated that we wanted to be moved to another room straight away or moved off the island.

Given that the Island was overbooked, the only solution was that for the remaining 9 days we would have to move a further 4 times. Therefore staying in 5 rooms over the course of our 14 day honeymoon. Reluctantly we accepted this as the only solution to moving out of our room. We also had to pay $ 800 USD in upgrade fees for the different room types. The manager refused to give us as Honeymooners priority on any room allocation.

Apart from our room troubles we also felt uncomfortable around the staff. One member of staff told me that he was paid USD 200 per month and how he could not support his wife and children on this salary.

At our arrival meeting we were told that it was expected that you should tip your room boy, food and drinks waiters $ 20 a week. As we were all inclusive this was also a surprise.

Overall we had a very unsatisfactory honeymoon living out of our suitcase. We could have tolerated the resort if we were placed in Beach hut from the beginning. Based on the attitudes of the staff and management I couldn't recommend Vilu Reef to anyone.

Amazing island

I'm really surprised that there aren't more reviews for this resort on here as it is such an incredible place.

First thing is that it is a small island, less than 400m x 200m but then that's a good thing as you get to know so many more of the people there including the staff. Its also just big enough that the resort never feels crowded. Towards the end of our second week there, all of the rooms on the island were booked up and you did notice that there were more people around, but the nearest people to you on the beach were still a fair distance away, and there were never really too many people around the pool.

We went for 2 weeks and specifically picked the island because we were learning to Scuba Dive. In fact we did a PADI Open Water referral course there and it was fantastic. They take you out on the Dhoni (type of boat) to any one of about 30 reefs nearby (though they do have their favourites and you'll have to put in a few requests to not go to the Lhohi Caves every day!!). I can't praise the Dive School enough (thanks Yari) they certainly knowe what they were doing and were sooo friendly. If you are a really good diver or just beginning like us, I'm sure there is tons to see. Also I have to mention the Dhoni Crew. Thanks to the Doctor, Captain and the other guys.

Anyway, back to the review. It is certainly a no shoes island. There really is no need to ever wear your shoes when you are there which was a really nice touch for us. Meals in the buffet restaurant were ok. Not exactly amazing, but I certainly found plenty that I liked each day and it was all well prepared.

Evening entertainment is interesting, I'm guessing that Crab Racing is a staple for all islands in the Maldives? but great fun. Also, you have to check out Enrique Inglesias the house band singer. At least I'm sure that's how he'd like to be known. All in all the evenings are great fun if you don't expect too much.

One last thing, you absolutely have to try an evening meal from the speciality restaurant on the beach. One of the most romantic settings that you could imagine. Just keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain if you go during the rainy season. That happened to us one night and the waiter that had spent a few hours decorating the table had to throw it all away. Poor bloke. Still we tried again a few nights later and he did a great job.

Stunning beaches, turquoise water and hardly any other people around. Paradise island? I think so yeah.

A little piece of heaven!

My boyfriend and I booked a late minute deal to Vilu Reef and even though I'd gawped at every site I possibly could about the place - nothing prepares you for how stunning the Maldives really is. You travel by sea plane for 35 mins from Male airport which is a beautiful introduction (although we ended up being left til last to get on one of the planes and got dumped in the Indian Oceon on a float waiting for a boat to come and get us!! BUT WE LOVED IT!). The welcome we received was lovely and from then on we just had the most chilled week imaginable. We upgraded from a garden villa to a beach villa (well worth doing and only costs an extra £40 or so) and luckily were on the breezy side of the island. It's worth noting that the breeze changes sides throughout the year, so I'd recommend telephoning to find out which side the breeze is - it's definitely needed. I was concerned about it being rainy season but we'd be shouting at the clouds to come our way just for some rest from the sun!! Mornings are perfect for sunbathing, afternoons better for a siesta or lots of swimming and snorkelling. Worth wearing a vest/t-shirt whilst doing so as both of us are sporting burnt backs! The beach villa was STUNNING, lovely size, huge bed, with wooden loungers on decking just outside or plastic ones to move on to the beach. They provide beach towels every day. The bathrooom is half outside...it was heaven. No grumbles at all. The buffet was varied, tasty and plentiful, my only teeny gripe was that the meat tended to be a tad overcooked but with the amount of fresh fish on offer I wasn't bothered. Entertainment is minimal but appropriately so I think. There are 100 or so rooms and it takes about 10 mins to walk around the Island. Definitely a couples only place, was absolute heaven not wearing any shoes for a whole week, though the decking can be a bit hot! I'd say the place consists of 30% Italians, 30% Germans, 20% English and 20% others. We'd definitely go back. The staff are amazing - my boyfriend played badminton with them on their breaks. They were so happy. All in all GREAT value for money.