Hi all - I have tentatively booked an 8 night stay (for the price of 7) at the W Retreat in the Maldives for October. I have been reading / researching a few resorts extensively and would like to know if anyone has stayed at any of these to see if I made the right choice, or change while I have the opportunity (can change before July)

We have booked:
W Retreat - Beach Retreat, includes breakfast and seaplane transfers

Compared with:

Baros - Deluxe or Water Villa, could include breakfast or half-board and speedboat transfers (My hesitation is its proximity to Male making it not feel as much like a remote locale, and also the unsightly sea walls and neighboring garbage island I have seen in reviews) This package would be about 20% cheaper than the W.

Four Seasons - Beach villa, would include breakfast and transfers. My hesitation here are the number of family reviews I have read, and I am interested in a more adults-only experience. But I am wondering if anyone has been there, if they can comment?

Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru - Oceanview villa, would be all inclusive (this is more expensive but is all inclusive) Hesitation here is that it seems almost too small - we want romance and seclusion but still a variety of things to do and at least 2-3 choices of places to eat, as I know the islands will all be somewhat limited

Lastly, we originally were also considering Mauritius or the Seychelles, but it seems that the Maldives has more of the desert island feel, less of the large resort feel .If anyone can comment on that, it would be much appreciated. Many thanks!

Hi Rachel,

I've stayed at two resorts in the Maldives but not at the ones you've mentioned. I've also visited Mauritius several times and can comment that the Maldives will definitely have more of a "desert island feel". Mauritius felt like a crowded Hawaii IMO.

Another regular poster here, Cicerone, might know of or have stayed at the resorts you're asking about and I'm sure she will chime in later.

Thanks for the quick reply - can I ask which you did stay at? We also looked at the Soneva resorts (though were not able to find as good of a deal) but would be willing to play around with the number of days if a particular resort was worth it.

Also thanks for the heads up re: Mauritius. We originally wanted to do a Kenyan safari and end there, but think we will hold off on that one.

Rachel

Rachel,

We have stayed recently at the Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili a few times but before that, around 17 years ago, we were at another resort which I cannot remember the name. Both Sonevas are beautiful and very different from each other. If you want to know more let me know.

Hi - We love them both, but the price of Sonenva Gili (through my agent) is about GBP 1,000 more than the W for the two of us. Fushi is more affordable, but we can only do the lowest level room and at the W the lowest room looks quite a bit larger and has a pool. Wish I could do them all. I do LOVE the idea that Fushi has an observatory, and the outdoor cinema - did you take advantage of either? Is the diving/snorkeling onsite very good as well?

Thanks again-

Hi Rachel,

Yes we have explored most of the Soneva Fushi island and we did that by the bikes provided for each villa. The villas are spread around the island and most are right on the beach. Ours had a big saltwater swimming pool and beyond that our own little private beach with some great snorkeling about 10 - 15 meters out. Very pristine corals and abundant fish life - I've dived and snorkel around the world.

The vegetable garden and the restaurant across the rope bridge there is very nice. The other main restaurants offered a lot of varieties which is good for being in the Maldives.

If I may recommend - try calling their office in Bangkok and ask for a special deal or package.

I assume you are aware that October is part of the rainy season in the Maldives. While you can still have an enjoyable vacation, you may have whole days or afternoons of rain, or even just overcast days. Snorkeling and diving can be a bit affected with clouds and currents. As long as you know what to expect, I am sure you will enjoy it, but if you were planning on days of endless sunshine, then October would probably not be the best month to go. (I have seen the wish list on your profile, and have to say that Hong Kong is a perfect place to go in the latter half of October! Nice temps and no rain.) On the other hand, as it is low season in the Maldives, you should be able to get some good offers, which you seem to be getting.

An all-inclusive package is quite attractive as food and beverages (esp wine and spirits) at all the hotels is just laughably expensive. You really just have to ignore the prices because there is nothing that you can do as you literally can't go elsehwere. However, an all-inclusive is one thing that you can do, so it might be worth considering if budget is a concern.

For hotels, I have to say quite honestly that I don’t think you would be disappointed with any of the ones you are considering, although I have not seen the Banyan Tree or the Baros. The Baros is close to Male, which can be an issue (even at the Gilli, see below). I know that the “garbage island” is an issue for some hotels in the area, like the Velassaru, but don’t know if it affects Baros. For what it is worth, Maldivians wouldn’t bother with any beach resort close to Male, as they can instantly tell the difference in water clarity; however to someone who has never been, or even to me who has been there about a dozen times, there may be no noticeable difference. It’s all clear beautiful azure stuff to me. Even the water on the beach at the friggin’ <i>airport hotel</i> is gorgeous. What might concern me at Baros is whether there is a lot of passing ship traffic into and out of Male, or whether you can see the city lights of Male from the island, both of which can take away from the “Robinson Crusoe” experience.

Which Four Seasons property are you considering? There are two. I have stayed at both (much more frequently at Kuda Huraa), and they are extremely lovely, but they are different. In terms of privacy at the Four Seasons, the villas at the Landaa Giraavaru are more spread out (the island is larger) and would offer a bit more privacy, IMO. However, I have to say that I have not found either to be in any way overwhelmed by kids and families. I never spend any time at the main pool, which may be a place where people with kids congregate. (In addition to the main pool, the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru has a “quiet pool” which does not allow kids. Many larger Four Seasons resorts have these pools. But you may not end up spending any time at the pools when you are surrounded by all that lovely beach.) I also don’t spend a lot of time in the game centre/internet lounge where again you probably would find kids esp. teenagers in the evenings. If you spent every moment at the water sports centre, you probably would encounter children there, but once you take a kayak or boat out, you will be on your own. You do see people at both resorts with children, but that seems to be mostly walking on the paths and occasionally in the restaurants. Even at Kuda Huraa, which is smaller, the beaches on both side are decently long and always seems pretty empty even when the hotel is well occupied. People go out for the day in boats, people stay in their bungalows. The restaurants don’t seem crowded at all. The bar at sunset is never crowded (and you don’t find any kids there anyway.) The house reefs at both, which are quite large, never seems to have more than half a dozen people in it an any one time. In my experience you really do not see other <i>people</i> very much, let alone kids.

For the Soneva hotels, of the two I preferred the Fushi. I think the Gili is too close to Male, you get boat traffic, the views aren’t as good, and mostly it just does not feel remote enough. However, if truth be told, I actually prefer either of the Four Seasons over the Sonevas, but that is mostly because I like the room decor better, it wasn’t a service issue or anything. My main issue with the Soneva hotels is that they are more rustic in décor than sleek modern. I am just not a fan of the heavy, rather chunky furniture, unfinished woodwork, rope ladders in some rooms, etc. It’s a little <i>too</i> Robinson Crusoe for me and is almost kitsch. I also have a bit of a personal issue with the whole you-must-take-off-your-shoes mentality. I don’t like to be told what to do, esp with regard to how I may choose to relax on my holidays.

I have been to the W, but have only stayed in the water villas, which IMO are not well designed. They are set up so that there is not much privacy between them, and can be noisy. I can’t speak about a Beach Oasis (which you refer to as a Beach Retreat above, I assume they are the same). However, as there is land space between the beach villas, as opposed to the water bungalows where the units are actually connected, the beach villas should be quieter and offer more privacy. The island that the W is on is fairly small, even by Maldives standards. But even the Soneva Fushi, where you can ride a bicycle, is not huge. And there are only a limited number of restaurants on each island, and basically no where else to go, as each resort is usually not close to any other (at the Kuda Huraa you can go to the Donveli for a meal, but it’s not that exciting). So if you are a person that needs shopping, museums, nightlife, etc than the Maldives are not the place for you. If you want a large selection of restaurants, you might want to stay at the Conrad.

The thing that might concern me at the Banyan Tree is that from the resort map posted on their website, it is pretty clear that the “ocean view” villas are located <i>behind</i> the beach villas and are not on the beach at all. This is relative I know, as it is a small island, but if you are paying those prices, it seems to me that you ought to be on the beach. I also wonder about obscured views from some of those villas, as the view may be partially blocked by the beach villas or trees. This is something you might want to clarify. It sounds like you can get a beach villa at other resorts, so perhaps those would be better options.

There is a brand-new Shangri-La hotel all the way south in Gan which you might want to look at. They are currently offering specials like a half board option (breakfast and dinner) plus round trip flights from Male, pay for 5 nights and get 2 free nights. See http://www.shangri-la.com/en/propert...llingiliresort. The hotel is a few minutes’ boat ride from Gan which is actually a very charming little place, it’s a string of islands put together and it actually would be “worth” and afternoon visit, there is a little village with lots of the coral buildings still left, some shops and a few restaurants along the beach roads. You can bicycle along the whole chain which is fun. It is much, much more charming and interesting than Male, which is quite a crowded tiny city that is not worth spending any time in.

In any of the resorts, when making a booking, you should specify a preference for reef or lagoon side if you can. The lagoon side is where the boats and seaplanes generally dock, and there may be noise issues, although I have not really found this to be a problem. (Seaplanes don’t run at night, but boats often will.) I usually prefer the reef side, as I like to be able to go from my room right into the reef for snorkeling. It’s also pleasant to listen to the surf hitting the reef walls. However, I also prefer the sunrise side, as seeing sunrise from your room is really lovely. (You can always find a place on the island from which to watch the sunset, many resorts have their bars oriented toward it.) Best of all, the sunrise is also moonrise side, and seeing a full moon rising up over the water in the Maldives is just magnificent, so having this from your room is quite special. (Assuming your trip coincides with a full moon.) The best combination of course would be a reef side which is also sunrise side. So look at maps of the resorts, ask questions, and see what works. (For the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, which I know the best, you want to be on the reef side, which is the sunrise and moonrise side. If you end up on the lagoon side, IMO, you should not take any of the beach bungalows which are the first 3-4 next to the dive shop and reception area, these would be the nosiest and not have the best views. Ask for a villa as far down the lagoon beach toward the end of the lagoon and near the over-water bungalows as they can put you.)

Wow!! This is so helpful! I will go back and re-evaluate everything, and maybe revisit the current prices and see what makes sense.

I am aware that it is part of the rainy season - but I thought it was more of the shoulder of it? If it is something to worry deeply about and has a high likelihood of raining more than a few days, perhaps I should reconsider. I am fine with even an hour or two of rain a day as can be expected in the tropics but not sure I want to pay the price and have the long haul if we are stuck indoors.

I would love to go to Hong Kong but as I have married an Aussie and have the privledge of travelling there every 18 months, I think it might be easier to stop over on the way on one of those trips.

We also considered Africa for a part safari part island trip, but the safaris we looked at were so so expensive (easily double what we were quoted for the W even factoring in meals and drinks - and we have a decent budget!) and I wouldn't want to skimp on that portion of the trip.

Anyway thanks for the detailed advice and I hope to make a decision soon.

Luxurylink.com always has deals for several of the top resorts in the Maldives, like the Sonevas. (I haven't used that website for the Maldives but have gotten great deals for other places....)

<b>rachelny04</b>, I have not been to the Maldives in October, but have been in other “shoulder” months like May, which is the start of the rainy season. (October being about the second to last month of the rainy season). I have also been in late June, which is the middle of the rainy season. Of the two, June was wetter and had more cloudy days. The Maldives does not get the huge monsoon rains which India gets, where you can have 30 inches a rain in a month, so I can pretty safely say that you don’t run a chance of being stuck indoors for days on end. However, they do get some rain, and there is more chance of cloudy days, and it is windier. As for October, it could really go either way. You could have whole afternoons of rain. You could have whole overcast days but no rain, which will affect the coral colour and IMO affects the enjoyment of snorkeling. It will be windier, which affects diving and in some places snorkeling, as currents are stronger and visibility is not as good. (Although monsoon winds in October are likely to be less than they are in May, at the start of the season. On the negative side, the stronger monsoon currents have been churning the bottom sands for months, so visibility is less in October than in May, which for a diver is pretty important.)

If you really want to do a lot of diving and snorkeling, most people would say late December through April are the best months for the northern atolls, and the late spring through early fall for the southern atolls. (The south is wetter overall.) However, if those are more minor activities for you, then October is probably fine. A cloudy afternoon does not affect your ability to enjoy a massage at the spa, and actually swimming in the warm sea during a rainstorm is quite enjoyable. The thunderstorms are absolutely gorgeous to watch, as the huge coal-black thunderheads fill the entire horizon and change the colour of the water as the storm approaches. I also think it is a matter of knowing what to expect, that way you can avoid possible disappointment. You could of course have perfectly lovely weather the entire time, it’s just that the odds of this are less than they would be in say February.

On the plus side, the best time to see the giant manta rays in the Maldives is June through October, so you should be able to enjoy that.

rachelny04, in January we went to W, we stayed there for 5 nights, also Soneva Gili and the 7 nights Four Seasons Explorer Cruise.
W Retreat was the last one and we did not like it at all. We choosed a Beach Reatreat and they are beatiful and quite big, with an outdoor Bath.
About privacy, if you stay by your pool side you don't see anybody but using the hammock by the beach you see your neightboors too.

We did not like the service, in fact it was terrible, it seems it is a big effort to help you! Every time I ordered lunch in our room the took the wrong dish, room was made every day at around 13 hours, I told them I wanted our room to be cleaned earlier so when we come back from diving is already done. They did not do it. The resort was full but that is not our fault, specially if I am paying almost 1000 Euros per night, it was High Season.

The resort is too chic for us, music loud everywhere.....When you eat by the main restaurant you can see how they prepar everyting, also listen the noises than come from the Kitchen, the juice maker, the smoke......it is not the idea we have from idilic place as Maldives. We prefer the sandy floor restaurant that other resorts as Soneva Gili, Island Hideaway have....

The best about this resort,IMO,and with no doubt about it is the house reef, which is full of life and very healthy corals! It is fantastic to snorkel there, sharks, turtles......

About diving, the dive club is ok, the worst part is that if you go diving in the morning (recomended, afternoon dives are usually for beginers) you return to the resort aroung 13:30. There are two dives during the mornign and even if you only make one you have to stay all the time on the boat because it does not return to the hotel between dives. We did not like this.

Going in October may have an advantage, specially if you stay at FS Landa, or in any other resort from Baa Atoll, it is Manta Season. From late May to October you can see these wonderful animals even only snorkelling, and if you are lucky you may see also a whale shark.
FS Landa have two kind of Manta excursions, one you go to look for them and the other kind, "Manta on call", the phone you and then take you where mantas have been localized.
There are two different seasons for diving in The Maldives, whilst visibility is usually better during Dry Season, the currents are stronger, and during Wet Season it is plancton season on the East Atolls and you can dive/snorkel with mantas and whale sharks.

We liked Soneva Gili so much that we went back two weeks ago. We stayed there for another 7 nights. Weather was so nice and we dove with huge mantas.
If you choose jetty number 1 on the left side or jetty 2, you do not see the boat traffic.
We prefer jetty 3, I like the lagoon view.

Thank you to all for the very detailed information above.

We are considering the Centara Resort in October - anyone been ?

bkmk