We are ten days into a fifteen night holiday at Velassaru, and we are having the most incredible holiday here.
We are so lucky to have visited the Maldives previously to this (to five different resorts) and have been fortunate enough to experience much of what the Maldives has to offer.
Each resort has been a unique and ultimately fantastic experience, however Velassaru is already our hot contender for favourite.
We arrived at Male on 6th October in a terrible downpour, and after a short 20 minute wait at the airport we headed on foot (2 mins walk) to the harbour. The short speedboat crossing was a little bumpy, something we have never experienced before on our arrival in the Maldives. The boat crew were calm, courteous and professional, regularly checking we were ok and zipping/unzipping the window/sides to ensure we stayed dry and comfortable. All very reassuring.
It continued to rain as as we arrived at Velassaru 25 minutes later, and resort staff greeted us with umbrellas and took us straight to reception for welcome drinks and cooling scented towels, and after a brief welcome we were escorted to breakfast.
The first thing that immediately stuck us was the beautifully appointed restaurant and bar area, cleverly designed to feel modern and luxurious, whilst reflecting all the charm and traditional characteristics of Maldivian culture and architecture.
A fine balance, and something they seem to have got very right here. We have visited a number of other resorts where this approach has become confused, and we have previously felt these resorts lacked the essence of the Maldives, too clinical and contemporary.
Everywhere you turn here, there are well appointed, comfortable ‘named’ zones to rest, eat, entertain, sleep, and everywhere is immaculate from gym to washrooms, and from beaches to gardens and infinity pool.
Fabulous little touches, the paper bags with popcorn at the cinema nights, the ice-cream bicycle that tours the island twice a day with a delicious selection of ice cream (and a very smiley member of staff- thank you Omary!) the fresh fruit sticks at the swimming pool, all make you feel cared for, valued and thought of as individuals.
Comfort, for us, is priority. With a strap line of ‘luxury undressed’, we had high expectations about the level of comfort we could expect at Velassaru prior to our arrival. This resort has absolutely nailed it. The sun loungers are all high quality and in a great condition, all have luxurious padded cushions and are plentiful around the island. Every chair we have found (in bars, restaurants and general areas) we have been happy to sit in for hours watching the world pass by.
Towels are high quality and plentiful, so no need to carry around with you, and the products used on the island (L’Occitane) are great quality and available in all rooms, including shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, and body lotions.
Safety is also clearly a priority, so we are pleased to see that safety is taken very seriously here, rooms fully equipped with life jackets, torches, there are flag systems in place along the beach, maps with recommended snorkelling areas etc. It sounds like the basics, but in our experience not every resort is the same in this regard.
I experienced a medical issue here, a week into the holiday, and after reporting it to reception the doctor was located and within ten minutes we were in his immaculate clinic and I was being treated. Super reassuring. (Thank you Doctor Hassan)
When we arrived we were upgraded to an incredible room, we had originally booked a Beach Villa with direct beach access, however as we have visited their ‘sister’ island Kurumba, we received the upgrade to Beach Villa with Pool. As repeat visitors we also benefit from a generous discount on food and drinks and also a 30% discount in the private restaurants.
The Beach Villa room is stunning, with a large comfortable king size bed, high quality linen, duvets and pillows and our absolute favourite, a huge garden bathroom, with two outdoor showers, (three if you count your outdoor shower next to the private pool) freestanding bath, double basin and private loo. And of course those beautiful L’Occitane products.
Then.. THE VIEW!! Just absolutely incredible!! I thoroughly recommend a beach villa or beach pool villa with direct beach access, the view is just breathtaking. That said, we have walked around the island and all of the accommodation here is amazing and just a short moments walk from the beach. You will not be disappointed whichever room, villa or suite you book.
Our room boy, Rauf, is super attentive and ensures we have everything we need each day, topping up tea, coffee, milk and water as well as replenishing the towels and leaving our room immaculate after every visit.
Ameen, front of house manager at reception is also fantastic, he has been on hand throughout our stay organising and recommending, he os extremely knowledgeable due to his extensive time on the island and is a credit to the resort. Extremely courteous and professional and well organised.
I particularly like that the team upsell products and services with keenness, but it’s not pushy nor repetitive, this is something that can really be a problem for us on holiday so it is appreciated that it’s very subtle here.
Wherever we have walked on the island, we have found the staff to be courteous and polite, gardeners stop work to smile and say good morning as you pass, managers stop to ask how your day is, and it all seems so genuine and effortless. It also feels (most importantly) unobtrusive and they seem to judge instantly how much interaction you want to have in that moment.
Staff here seem to be relaxed and happy whilst also maintaining exceptionally high professional standards. Many staff we have spoken with have been on the island for years, some are even ‘repeaters’, and this speaks volumes for how the resort is managed, of course it’s not just the staff that benefit from this it’s also the guests.
Our mealtimes have been greatly enhanced by the resort hospitality team. We have enjoyed the company of Ruchira, Riya, Aiham, Ziyan, Zaideen, Valentina at breakfast and dinner in Vela and Etisian.
Ruchira is exceptionally professional, he manages his team seamlessly, and is clearly well respected amongst them. His management and fabulous team has ensured we have everything we need each time we arrive in the restaurant, and because of this every mealtime is a special occasion. The team clearly know how judge guests mood and how much interaction is required, something very appreciated by us.
The chefs are all welcoming and friendly, as well as being extremely attentive and they are flexible with menus, a great plus point. We met and chatted with a lovely Norwegian family, who were travelling with a daughter suffering from Celiac Disease, and they were so delighted with the care they received while they were here and the Gluten Free food the chefs prepared each day for their daughter.
Riya, Aiham and Ziyan are all very young, but are a real credit to the resort, they seem very keen to learn and always appear to do everything they can to ensure guests are happy and comfortable, welcoming into the restaurant and serving throughout the mealtimes. They are also very funny, and we have thoroughly enjoyed our evening conversations and in particular enjoyed the origami gifts and masterclass!!
We are on a Half Board package which includes our food in the Vela Buffet in the morning and evening, which is plentiful and varied. There is a different theme each evening (Italian, Arabic etc) We have also eaten in Etisian, where I had the best tenderloin steak I have ever had. The service was exceptional (thank you Valentina and Zaideen) We plan to eat in the Teppanyaki restaurant and we also have a set dinner with wine tasting booked so plan to leave a further review once the holiday is over regarding our experiences.
My husband has also planned four dives, which I will also cover, along with other general points about the island.
If you are thinking about a visit to Velassaru, don’t hesitate! We cannot find fault with anything at all on this little piece of paradise called Velassaru and can honestly see ourselves returning again next year!! It’s absolute heaven. Thank you to you all for such a wonderful experience.
PS as for the weather, it was forecast to rain every day on the weather forecasts I saw before we left England. We had rain on arrival, and for that full evening, but it has been beautiful every day since. Between 29-31 degrees. We have visited the Maldives off peak 5 times (May x 2, June, Sept, Oct) and once peak (April- too hot for me!!) and only once experienced bad weather longer than a few days. It’s absolutely beautiful off peak as well as on, and even if you have a downpour or two (or even a storm) they are incredible to watch and pass quickly so stop worrying, pack your sunscreen and your case and head to Velassaru!
