We visited Milaidhoo over a 10-day period in June 2022 for our 25th year anniversary. Being from the United States, this was quite a daunting booking. Despite our decades of travel both inside and outside the U.S., we did now know, nor had we ever met, anyone from the U.S. that had been to the Maldives, and we were unsure what to expect. Booking a vacation of that distance and at that budget level is a bit unnerving to say the least, thus perhaps explaining the small group of visitors to the Maldives originating from the U.S. If you are stateside, or really anywhere else, and are curious how this destination was selected and what our experience was like, as well as answers received to many, many questions, this review may be helpful. We’ll briefly describe how we picked Milaidhoo based on what our personal wish list consisted of, and then what the experience was ultimately like (spoiler, the actual experience exceeded every expectation we could have imagined, and if you go there, you’ll understand why – however, to describe all of what Milaidhoo is in an online review is quite impossible).
HOW WE PICKED MILAIDHOO
The Maldives was selected for our 25th anniversary as means to tick off a bucket list item. Simple as that really. That decision being made fairly quickly, we then spent months researching Male and the surrounding islands (e.g. weather, what months to go, culture, language barriers, accommodations, staff and resort reputation, snorkeling experience, food, and on and on and on). We basically read every single review on every website that had them (no joke, pretty much every single review ever written on perhaps 50 properties). We also joined forums and asked lots of questions, created pros/cons lists and investigated and summarized minuscule details of each property before narrowing our destination to about five islands – many or all of those likely the same few islands that you have seen mentioned over and over in your own research to this point. From there, we obviously ended at Milaidhoo, and the primary reasons for that, based on personal preferences (personal preferences obviously can differ markedly, but the information herein hopefully will be helpful in any case).
Primarily, we wanted a quiet experience. We did not want crowds of people, jet skis, parasailing, glass bottom boats, loud music and a party atmosphere, but rather the exquisite beauty of the Maldives combined with the ultimate in tranquility and peacefulness. Peace and quiet in the ultimate landscape was the highest priority. We also consciously picked a location where young children were not present (we have children and love them dearly, but wanted more of a couples experience). We wanted 5-star accommodations, food and service, and preferably, though not a deal breaker, a resort that was privately-owned, vs. something held through a large chain. We wanted our own private pool, and private access to the Indian Ocean for snorkeling and swimming. We do not scuba dive, and thus this review is not a great resource for that population as we did not do any research on best dive locations, although just from our research it seems this is a top-10 destination at a minimum. Beyond that, we’ll defer to the diving experts, as we are certainly unqualified there. And lastly, we required that a very, very high percentage of the guests of that resort, that seemed to exhibit similar desires to ours in online reviews, had a 5-star experience and suggested the location as one they would visit again. Ultimately, if you do that work, you’ll most likely come (as we did) to around three or four properties that appear to fit most or all of those criteria. From there, we spent another chunk of time summarizing the smallest details of each resort, and ultimately that led us to Milaidhoo.
OUR EXPERIENCE
As indicated above, we are seasoned travelers, and we tend to allocate our discretionary funds to plan amazing trips. We like to ‘do them right’, and spend our money on experiences that we’ll remember for a lifetime. And so, as an unfortunate byproduct, we are accustomed to having the highest expectations for our trips. Despite those high expectations, and all the angst we had for months prior to departing for Milaidhoo, from the very moment we stepped onto this island we were provided with the most incredible, unexpected and thoroughly enjoyable experience we have ever had on any vacation in our decades of travel. Naturally, it’s impossible to compare a Maldives vacation to, say, a trip through Tuscany, or a stay in the beauty of Ireland, or an African safari, etc. Those are different vacations in completely unrelated experiences. However, Milaidhoo surpasses by leaps and bounds any trip we’ve made to any beach/ocean destination in the past 25 years. And that being said, we view the 10-days we just spent on that tiny island as perhaps one of the best, if not the best destination vacation we have ever experienced.
First, the lesser important items. The rooms are expansive --- we stayed in both an ocean villa and a beach villa (we split the week as many travelers do here). Both villas have private pools, private water access, beautiful and well-maintained rooms, bathrooms, pantries/bars and patios, and likely, views like you’ve never seen in your life. The view is perhaps not unique to Milaidhoo --- the Maldives is a different kind of beautiful. Beach vacations, sunsets and beauty that we thought could never be topped, were all completely blown away by what the Maldives offers. You pay for that beauty with long days of travel to/from the Maldives (more on that in a moment), but for us, with a stay of at least 7 – 10 days minimum, the payback is certainly there many times over. Despite villas being in proximity to each other, particularly with the Ocean Villa’s, we never saw or heard a neighbor. The ocean is a great sound barrier, and further, the villas are thoughtfully designed with privacy and peacefulness in mind. Waves, turtles, and dozens of species of reef life all are steps from our private pool and patio, and make that crystal clear turquoise water extra welcoming. Additionally, we found that the guests at Milaidhoo, almost without exception, had the same desires we had --- to be alone with each other, to enjoy the beauty of the Maldives and the Indian Ocean, and to find that perfectly serene experience. It was alone time with each other to the extreme, and a forced relaxation that is welcomed and unlike anything we’ve experienced. If you are looking for loud gatherings, parties at the bar at night, blasting resort music, etc, then this is most certainly NOT the resort for you. If you are looking to get away to an absolutely magical place and let the cares of the world melt away, Milaidhoo may be the getaway for you.
The island itself is equally beautiful and peaceful at all corners, and can be walked in about 15 minutes --- it’s not large, but every inch is thoughtfully dedicated to everything you may need for serenity. There’s a snorkeling and dive shop that is expansive, a small gift shop, a wonderful walking path around the island, and a spa that you definitely won’t want to miss. Given the size of the island, the number of villas/guests is quite small compared to other properties, and that just adds to the feeling of being on an incredible island all by yourself. In mid to late June, when we were there, the resort is between 50 – 70% full, and at any location you may be on that island with that capacity, you are on average either alone, or one of a half dozen people, other than breakfast where we typically saw the most people – up to a dozen some mornings. The weather that time of year is mostly sunny to partly cloudy, typically with rain for an hour or so each day. We had days it was beautiful all day, and days it was overcast most of the day, and both were a welcomed change and had zero impact on the scenery. We did the ‘half board’ plan, which included free breakfast/dinner each day, excluding alcoholic drinks. The food is absolutely 5-star. The breakfast buffet, which others in the reviews do mention, is beyond words. Of all the high class resorts we’ve stayed, we’ve never seen anything like that. There are several lunch/dinner restaurants to choose from --- Ocean, which is the main dining (“main dining” sounds so plain, and that is most certainly not what you get --- Ocean is 5* food with views that will leave you breathless). Daminda Piyal Perera, the chef, is one of the more talented chefs we’ve come across, and his dishes are only equaled by his smile and friendly demeanor as he frequently greets the guests at the restaurant each night. He’s the personality and type of talent you’d expect at a Michelin star restaurant. Then there’s Ba’theli, which is more authentic Maldivian food, 5*, on the famous wooden boats built to be fixed in the lagoon, where AJ and Baby (most staff have nicknames and we’ll use those often in this review) had us laughing each night with their stories. At Ba’theli you’ll often see eagle rays, sting rays and nurse sharks cruising below your dinner table (nurse sharks are a docile shark and not any threat to humans, as is true for the other few species of sharks you may or may not see in the Maldives reefs). Believe me - we have a strong fear of sharks, and it was so safe at Milaidhoo that we actually went out snorkeling looking for them --- unfortunately did not end up catching any on our GoPro. Then there’s the Shoreline Grill, which is hibachi on steroids with chef Aaron --- a true master chef who makes everything he cooks from scratch, including sauces, soups and the like. He’s a real talent, and impressive to watch. We’ve all been to the hibachi restaurants in the United States, and as you might agree, they tend to be quite similar. This is not your standard U.S. hibachi. As with most things at Milaidhoo, we were blown away by the talent of the chef and the service of the restaurant’s smiling staff. For lunch and bar, we preferred Compass, where Asanka frequently came to us with drinks served in ways we’ve never seen before. We had drinks served in ice sculptures that took Asanka a great deal of time to assemble (for many, he started them hours or days before he served them to us), but even the ones that came in glasses were worthy of multiple photos before drinking. And the staff at Compass, Lucky, and Miyuru are truly lovely people that had us smiling and laughing as we watched the vibrant sunsets over the Indian Ocean. And then there’s your personal butler, and that promise is kept in every regard. Any need, question, and so forth is addressed in minutes by a text or call to your personal butler (they provide the phone, and also use WhatsApp), and you’ll see that individual when you arrive and likely multiple times per day as you go about your day on the island. Abdulla, our butler, has been at Milaidhoo since they opened, and he is one of the kindest, most helpful and most responsive individuals we’ve ever met. Your butler will check in with you to be sure your every need is met, and that your experience is everything you want it to be. You need something or have a question – you get a personalized response, often in person, in minutes. Abdulla won our hearts and is truly one of the gems of the island. The individual that made up our room multiple times per day, Hakeem, is also one of the nicest individuals we’ve ever met, and his care of us and our room was top shelf in every way, including messages written in flowers and leaves on our bed or in the bath many nights, funny animals made with towels that posed on the corner chair, among other smiles we received from Hakeem.
And that all brings us to perhaps one of the more surprising and incredible things about Milaidhoo. As mentioned above, we have high expectations. We stay in nice places, and we love great service that creates memories we’ll have forever. We honestly thought we had seen it all, and that there were limitations as to how good service could get. Everyone copies each other, and some do it a little better than others, and that’s all you’ll ever get absent a few surprises you’ll get here and there at a dinner, an event or some venue. That belief we held was completely shattered at Milaidhoo. Honestly, it opened our eyes to a whole new realm of possibilities that resorts have when it comes to providing incredible experiences for their guests. We don’t know who will read this review, if anyone, nor where you may have been and the experiences you may have had. However, as seasoned travelers, we are quite confident that those of you that do go to Milaidhoo and come back to this forum will absolutely agree --- the service you get on that island is extraordinary, to the point you are constantly being astonished even if you are among the hardest to please. I suspect if we go back, Asanka, Lucky, the chefs, greeters, servers and others will have a more difficult time surprising us (and unfortunately we’ve been completely ruined when it comes to what we perceive as great service on any future vacation we may take!), but the attention to detail is beyond impressive. Over the early days of your stay you’ll find most everyone you see at meals and in the more commonly visited areas knows your name, what kind of drinks you like, what kind of food you prefer, what your interests are, your dog’s name, your favorite treat, and so on. Please don’t get the sense this is in any way obtrusive --- it’s completely professional, exquisitely done, and just amazing to witness from the guest point of view. On their website, we recalled on our plane ride home that we had read when booking our trip that Milaidhoo considers their guests “family”. Quite honestly, and perhaps shame on us, we sort of blurred over that as a typical claim that any resort might make, and one quite difficult to fulfill. We’ll tell you, you will most certainly circle back to that website quote during and after your stay, and it could not be more true that we were part of their team, their family and shared laughs and experiences together that we’ll just never forget. There are team members at Milaidhoo that cried when we left (as did we), and many Milaidhoo staff have become friends that we hope to keep in contact with for the rest of our lives. What an incredible and special place the owners and management have created – kudos to you for that. The beauty and quality of this resort are enough to be successful, but the people that work at Milaidhoo, and how they go about their work, make this island a hidden gem that we feel very lucky to have uncovered.
THE VERDICT
Yes, it’s a long distance from the U.S., and includes likely a connection through Doha or Dubai, followed by a connection to Male, then likely a Seaplane to Milaidhoo. That alone will be enough to turn many people away. The flight was most certainly long. The Seaplane we thoroughly enjoyed and it was quite an amazing (and very safe/professionally run) experience. If you are someone that has trouble sitting for 10+ hours at a time on a plane, or that just despises airline travel, the nearby Caribbean is perhaps for you. But, if you want to try something quite different --- a real experience and, in our opinion, beauty that surpasses anything you’ll find in the Caribbean, do some research on the Maldives, and in particular see what you can learn about Milaidhoo. And when you come back, take the time on the 10+ hour flight as we did and write a review that honestly and plainly lays it out for others in the U.S. We appreciate those that did that for us, as they helped us make a great decision that fit us perfectly. The more of us that do that and share our knowledge and what we found, the easier it will be for someone to take the leap to fly 8,000 miles across the globe to a microscopic island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Thank you to the ownership, management and staff at Milaidhoo. You created memories for us that we’ll have for the rest of our lives, and we could not be more grateful for that.
Best wishes to all, and safe travels.
