We spent an unforgettable 8 nights at the Royal Iceland Hotel.
+ Stunning island, green, cozy, spacious enough but not too big. It's nice to walk along neat paths among dense vegetation, there are a lot of beautiful flowers, everything is very well-groomed and clean.
The beach has fine white sand, the entrance is gentle, the depth is sufficient. The bottom is clean ,but in other places there are fragments of coral , I recommend wearing sea shoes at all times.
The reef is very beautiful, a huge variety of fish of various sizes, colors and patterns , there are small reef sharks and nurse sharks, turtles and rays. It is very convenient that you can snorkel everywhere (except for the eastern and western ends of the island, where the current is strong enough ).
The pool is large, there is jacuzzi and kids area.
The villas are a little tired, but equipped with everything you need, we stayed in a beach villa in the North-Western part of the island. The villa was a little far from the main restaurant (10 minutes at a leisurely pace), but we had an excellent beach, a wide coastline, protected from the wind. In the room there are kettle, tea bags, instant coffee, a minibar with a decent selection of alcohol and soft drinks, replenished daily. Cleaning is done twice a day, requests are fulfilled carefully and promptly.
The food is excellent quality, varied and very tasty. Lots of fruits and a large selection of desserts. Each day is dedicated to the cuisine of a specific region (Asian, Thai, Maldivian, international). It is very convenient that a specific table is assigned to you for the entire duration of your stay. The service is very polite and attentive (thanks to our waiter Nasir). The bar near the pool has a pleasant atmosphere, drinks are of good quality, very friendly waitresses, two billiard tables. Live music in the evenings.
The Fan Pub hosted themed parties several times, karaoke, a decent bar and billiards.
Everything in the a la carte restaurant is also very tasty.
A wonderful SPA, with a charming courtyard, a waterfall, outdoor massage rooms, surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers. The therapists are excellent (Luh, Mei, Patma), the reception is very polite and friendly.
There are many activities on the island: table tennis, badminton, squash, tennis court, volleyball and football courts. Various water polo and volleyball tournaments were held. There is a pool party once a week in the afternoon, with an open buffet.
We took All Inclusive, it was very reasonable. Although if you are not a special eater and do not drink alcohol, Full Board will probably be quite enough.
There is a shop on site with souvenirs, beachwear and swimming and snorkeling equipment; the prices are quite decent; it was more expensive at the airport duty free.
The diving center organizes the rental of masks, snorkels and fins; we rented them for free.
The excursions included fishing and dolphins, both successful.
New Year's dinner was excellent in abundance and variety, the hall was beautifully decorated, and there was live music. The New Year's party was at the pool bar, singer Cristina and Dj Alex from Romania and it seems like a Filipino couple perfectly performed hits from different years. It was fun. Fireworks despite the rain. The next morning, brunch until 2 pm, everyone slept well and did not remain hungry)))
Separately, I would like to note the hotel staff, very welcoming and friendly, they are greeted very warmly, upon arrival immediately surround you with care, check-in is fast, they take into account your wishes (we asked for villas from 200 to 220, they gave 218). They assign host who stays in touch with you, informs you about events and helps in organizing excursions. Our host Nipun, a very polite and friendly, responsive person, responded promptly to all requests. I injured my foot in the last days of my stay, and he quickly resolved the issue of organizing a wheelchair all the way to my destination.
Special thanks to Mr. Aaron Rodriguez, guest service, for the high professional level of work.
I thank the restaurant workers Mithila, Nasir, Damit for their attentive and friendly attitude.
Special thanks to the hotel doctor for her professional attitude, unfortunately I didn’t remember her name.
- Mosquitoes and flying ants are treated regularly, but they are still there, take repellents.
- The weather let us down, it rained 4 out of 8 days, although it was not the season. It’s certainly not the hotel’s fault, the cyclone…. There's nothing you can do.
- It took a long time to get to the island, a grueling connection in Male for 5 and a half hours, after 2 planes, one night flight. Short domestic flight. Then wait about half an hour at the local airport and transfer by speedboat. It is advisable to choose a flight arriving in Male at 9-9.30 as the domestic flight in the morning is at 11.35. On the way back it was easier, picked up from the island at 10.30, domestic flight at 12.00, took off 40 minutes late, so we didn’t have to wait long in Male.
