My family chose Velassaru resort in the Maldives for a
number of reasons. There were numerous good reviews on travel sites, a good
choice of restaurants even though the resort is relatively small resort,
individual bungalows for each room and wide variety of activities available. We
wanted a resort that was a relatively short speedboat transfer because there’s
nothing more annoying than arriving at your holiday destination and having to
travel for another good couple of hours. The resort was also quite secluded, it
quite often seemed busy at breakfast times but during the daytime it was very
easy to find a nice quiet piece of sand on the beach and relax on the sun
loungers.
We were greeted, upon arrival at the airport, by a very
polite and happy Velassaru staff member and taken to the speed boat for
transfer. The boat ride is where it really begins. You even get a bottle of
water and a cold wet flannel as you cruise the Indian Ocean on route to your
destination. As you approach the Island there are staff waiting to greet you
with a refreshing fruit cocktail and lots of love. Your bags are taken straight
your room for you and the check in is hassle free. Then you’re whisked away to
your room and given a quick tour.
On our first morning we were all astounded as the sun came
up and revealed the beauty of the Maldives Islands which was concealed by the
dark night. The beautiful sun, the clear water and the exciting marine life all
made for a darn good experience. It was such a pleasure to be snorkelling in
the pristine water or even reading a book on the deck of the water villa. There
was really nothing I could complain about, save for perhaps the cost.
The diving was fantastic; it's all that it’s hyped up to be!
The sea life was amazing and even though in the low season, the views was still
pretty good. Even better for me was that on most days I dived I was the only
guest on the boat so it was like a private underwater adventure!
The room was spacious, clean and well equipped. We opted for
a beach villa this holiday and were pleased to find that the hotel photos
accurately depict it as a well-furnished, spacious room opening directly onto
the beach and the beautiful Indian Ocean. The king-size bed was the most
comfortable I have slept in. The indoor/outdoor bathroom was incredible and the
outdoor shower was a completely new experience for me. There was nothing the
hotel hadn't thought of - they provided flip flops, umbrellas, a bag to
transport your towels to the beach, big bottles of water provided free each day
along with a Nespresso machine and tea-making set in your room. Although the
room was spacious it was also surprisingly cosy.
There are five restaurants on offer, plus room service, and
all of them are at a very high standard ranging from fine dining to casual
dining. You will be extremely satisfied with food, it’s not cheap but it’s
relative to its location on the planet. Be prepared to pay $25-$40 for a main
in three of the restaurants and upwards of $40 at the two fine dining
restaurants. Remember that you will still have to add drinks, desert, a tip and
starters which for two could quite easily come up to around $150+. It’s worth
every penny so prepare yourself for this prior to heading out so you don’t have
to worry about money. It will be like this on the other decent islands too.
The choice of food was excellent and the spread over a
variety of restaurants, unlike a number of resorts we looked at that seemed to
only have a single buffet restaurant. We paid for the Indulgence package, which
is buffet breakfast, a la carte lunch with drinks in the only restaurant open
at lunch, and then a la carte dinner with drinks in any restaurant. The price
is $115 ++ (ie + 10% service + 6% tax) per person. A nice three course dinner
with wine at the a la carte prices could easily cost you that - so if you want
anything at lunch (just a salad or some fruit or an ice cream) it is worth it.
Plus the package includes free snorkel gear, a sunset cruise and a kayaking
session (in a clear-bottom kayak - amazing).
The a la carte dinners were great! The modern European
cooking at the seafood Sand restaurant was great - the friendly head chef came
over to talk to us after our meal. The buffet food at Vela was also great - we
had dinner there when we arrived late, and breakfast there if we were awake -
and it was certainly among the best hotel buffet food we have had.
The infinity pool is amazing with great poolside service and
spectacular views. Pimms by the pool is the perfect way to relax, plus it only
costs around $8+. I’d definitely recommend that you make use of ‘Happy Hour’.
It’s absolutely fantastic at the Fen Bar from 9-10pm. It’s a great bar and the
cocktails are half price cocktails! You'd be silly not to make the most of it as
the drinks are great and the bar staff are excellent.
I would give the service a 10/10 and there’s no need to say
any more. The staff are extremely helpful, from those at the reception, to the
restaurant to those at the diving store. They are attentive, polite, helpful,
go the extra mile all the time so you will be made to feel you are the only
people on the island.
All in all, Velassaru was fabulous. The room we had was
spacious, attractive and comfortable, the food was really notably good, and the
service was impeccable: polite and friendly, attentive but discrete. I would
highly recommend this Maldives resort for any sort of summer holiday. The
location is amazing and on most parts of the island you will see pure
uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean. You even have the island wildlife - a
few Cranes, little cute black birds that don’t really like flying, BATS and
very cute lizards. Plus the swimming and snorkelling are amazing- I saw
dolphins, stingrays, sand sharks, and many fish of course. I would definitely
go back – it’s plush, unpretentious, boutique, classy and well-priced with a
decent reef, great food, and perfect staff.
Title: Whispers at Moonrise
