Kuramathi Coconut Village Reviews

Firstly the flight was good as we upgraded with first choice, so we had extra leg room and we were pretty comfortable, although didn't get any sleep due to the stewards having a bit of a get together in the galley, also making lots of noise and near enough impossible to sleep.

Arrived and was very tired so not happy that we had to wait in the airport cafe for an hour before our so called speed boat took us to the resort, this is not a speed boat and the journey was not enjoyable as it took 1.45 hours to get to the resort with the rough waves. Upon arrival, the resort does look lovely and it does seem like paradise. You are then asked to sit in the reception and wait for someone to give you your keys, you then follow a man to your room who walks at incredible speed and doesn't say a word to you, he then stands outside your villa and waits for a tip! Quite funny really so gave him 2 dollars.

The rooms are nice but basic, we stayed in a deluxe beach bungalow and i wouldn't say it was deluxe. You have to pay if you want a hairdryer, the boys on reception pocket this money and are not the most helpful and they only have 5 hairdryers for the whole resort.

The outdoor shower is very different and a bit scarey to start with as you do imagine creepy crawlies dropping on you, but this wasn't the case only one incident with a giant ant on my face but it soon drowned when i threw it on the floor. It was nice to have an outdoor shower and quite funny to see the fruit bat hanging off the banana tree watching me in the shower.

The beach is not what we imagined to be honest, there are no sun loungers for the village guests all you get here are hard upright plastic chairs, although they do have your room number on, nobody pays any attention to that and some greedy people think that they need two chairs each, one for their bag and one for their butt. So we tended to lie more on our towels on the sand. The chair hoggers tended to be German or Italian unfortunately and just left their towels on the chairs all night.

The weather was lovely for the whole two weeks, even though the weather reports stated thunderstorms we felt 4 drops of rain the whole time we were there. There was always a nice breeze to go with the beating sun but because of the breeze however the sea could be quite rough and we would reccomend beach shoes if going in the sea as there is a lot of coral and small shells and rocks which really hurt your feet especially when you stubb your toes on them.

The pool area was lovely although we refused to pay to use it in principle. It was situated by the spa which is very nice, had a thai massage but left feeling very bruised and tender so didn't go back for another one.

The main reason for choosing this hotel was because of the diving and the local dive called Hammerhead Point. We signed up for diving and did 16 dives each and also a nitrox course. The dives were mainly very good and saw loads and loads of colourful fish, sharks, morays, turtles and eagle rays which was very exciting, however some of the dives were very difficult as there is a very strong current and depending on which guide you have depends on whether you swim against the current or with it. Sam likes to prove how good a diver he is and tends to swim against the current which means you use your air up very quickly!!!. Thomas, Micheala, Laura tend to stick with the current which means the dives are more enjoyable with them.

The diving here does work out even with discount about 50$us each, as the dive school charge you for the dive, they also charge if you use anything other than a 10litre tank aswell and we took our own equipment so if you had to hire anything it would cost you more. They also insist you have a dive computer so either buy one before you go or pay to hire theirs per dive. The hotel then charge you to go on the boat aswell, even though most of the dive sites are within a 5 minute ride.

The boys on the boat are brilliant, they really do help you in any way they can, and the dive safaris are definately worth a go, we did it twice. Saw dolphins from the boat but unfortunately not on the dive. We were also told that hammerheads had not been seen in the area for at least 3 weeks so we didn't bother doing the dive as you pay to basically dive at 25m in the blue water and see nothing but plankton. Not for us!

The Indian restaurant was very nice but you are better off waiting for the buffet night and booking through your waiter as you get discount this way. We ate most nights in the Haruge restaurant which was nice, not the best food we have ever eaten but nice all the same. They do focus on fish a lot which was a bit of a problem as we don't eat fish really but still managed to eat the mutton curry or beef dishes they normally have as an alternative. Fish buffet night was a big problem though so didn't eat much this night but it was only once in the fortnight. The coffee bar is nice but you have to pay for cappucino and espresso, so a way around this was to ask for a pot of hot milk, and some coffee so you could do your own. You also don't get ice crean on the ai, yet cocktails and baileys are included, very strange!

Our allocated waiter wasn't the best and we nick named him willow the wisp as he was a nightmare to find, however he was a lot better the day before we went as obviously he knew we were going and wanted a tip! His name was Shahim so if you get him good luck as he is hard to understand and whispers aswell, oh and that is when you see him!

Overall we enjoyed the holiday, we have no major complaints and although we have a few niggles we did actually have a really good time as met up with several nice couples which always enchances the holiday.

We would not return here as we think that 3000 pounds could be better spent going to the caribbean. The place is nice but not luxury and we were disappointed as we were told so many great things about the maldives. Kuramathi is certainly not how we would describe paradise.

We are glad we have been now but would only return if we won the lottery and would stay in one of the top resorts. you really need to spend more to get the best islands and we aren't prepared to do that. On the dive safari we visited Mayafushi which was exactly what we imagined the maldives to be like. Obviously smaller resorts are nicer.

Because of the boat ride to the resort we got the seaplane back which was so much better, we got to see so many other islands from the plane and we could stay in resort for a couple of extra hours.

On a positive note, the snorkelling was great, watching the stingrays being fed was very entertaining, and the sand paths were great as you don't really need shoes. Hermit crabs are everywhere and very photogenic, and only had one mossie bite in the whole 2 weeks. Also the air con in the rooms is fab you really can stay cool if you want to.

We flew with Thompson fly which was fine on the way there because we had booked extra legroom seats, but couldn't for the way back and were very uncomfortable and crampt.

The boat transfer was fine- an hour and a quarter. Noone even looked a bit ill- nothing to worry about there. I have heard that on Mondays (the big change over day) people have waited up to 3 hours for a sea plane to transfer them to their resport so bear this in mind if booked one.

The arrival at the Kuramathi is impressive. The jetty is over clear water and white sands and brings you into the shady reception where there was a cold towel and cold drink waiting for us. Lovely. We were driven round to our room on a golf cart- very considerate after a 10 hour flight!

The room was fantastic. We were in a deluxe beach bungalow. It was detached, 4 poster bed, outdoor shower where we could watch the bats flying about in the trees whilst I was washing my hair! Very modern, fridge was cold, air conditioning worked wonders. Couldn't fault it.

We had great weather while we were there- mayb two days with a little cloud. The last couple of days there was no breeze and scorching hot sun. Usually we are the kind of people who think the hotter the better, but not even we could sit out for too long. Better to grab your snorkel and mask and flippers (provided if you are al inclusive) and head out to the reef.

We visited the spa three times and thought it was brilliant and excellent value compared to the price of spa in the UK. We had a couples treatment in a waterside room which was lovely. You get use of the sauna, steam room and jacuzzi included in the price and there is a little chill out area with sunbeds covered in comfy cushions where I did have a quick power nap!

The food in general was excellent. Loads of choice. We are fussy eaters and we didn't go hungry. Always a pasta choice and salads. Loads of fish.

Now for the negatives. At the risk of sounding like a snob, I was hoping for a paradise found. And for natural beauty you really can't get better. It just wasn't as classy as I would have liked. There was a definate sit in the bar all day chav element to the village. Less so in the cottage and blue lagoon from what I could see. Don't get me wrong- we were never disturbed or disrupted, I just felt like I would feel special while I was there and I just didn't. I think the plastic chairs on the beach and in the bar and the huge canteen-stye restaurant don't help. I understand that they serve a purpose and I guess that's what you get on one of the biggest islands in the Maldives. You do also have to bear in mind that it is an island and there are very few things to do.

Having said all that, I don't think I have even felt so relaxed in all my life! You really do have nothing to think about. The all inclusive was great and made it a much more affordable holiday than people give it credit for. If we were to go back to the Maldives we would choose a smaller island with more stars or a twin centre holiday just to ring the changes.

We had 2 weeks all-inclusive and were 'Village People'. We'd been to a smaller island before but this was great for 14 days as it had stuff going on when you wanted it but also you could it if you wanted.

Once we got there the holiday was fab. Staff were friendly and couldn't do enough for you. The rooms in the village are very spacious and have a huge bed (4-poster) and a lovely outdoor shower (the bathroom is indoors!). No tea/coffee facilities. The deck outside is nice for sitting out but beware of the mossies. Take protection and maybe the citronella burners might work too. The air-con works well and there's a fridge in the warddrobe to keep your pants (and water) nice and cool. We also got beach towels.

The snorkelling equipment is included as are 2 trips- one is a sunset cruise (with sparkling wine) and the other is the trip to Rasdoo, all of 400 metres away, for shopping. Interesting to see normal life but most of the shops sell the same stuff. It's worth bartering a bit if you're tight but as most of the stuff is fairly cheap and the Maldivians are poor then it's not worth reducing them to tears. If the Rasdoo shop staff get a bit much for you (they tend to follow you round and all seem to have degrees in stating the bloody obvious) then just mention football- well Man Utd, Arsenal or Chelsea, that distracts them for a while. The highlight was finding a shop that sold ice-cream.

The beach and lagoon is gorgeous though there is a bit of a grumble about getting chairs instead of loungers. Some people turn up with those blow-up lilo things but they tended to get punctured by the sharks (pink and blue are the colours they go for apparently).

Food is splendid and the dining room is gorgeous with fantastic views over the lagoon. Even though the resort was full we never felt like we were in the canteen at rush hour. It's worth wondering around the buffet and the grill to see what's on. They tend to rotate between set-menu and buffet but the grill is always on so you can pick and choose. They also have theme nights and the Maldivian Buffet was fantastic. The curries are superb and are also available for breakfast. I tried an omelette with curry for breakfast and it was magic. No-one spoke to me for the rest of the day though. The waiters are also excellent and can't do enough for you. They sort out drink orders and water. Beer is always Carlsberg and the wine takes a bit of getting used to.

The Fung Bar is where village people hang out and has a policy of closing when the last person leaves. We never quite managed that feat (due to Rodger and Layla mainly) but did experience the cocktails getting stronger until at 3am we started to stagger and talk rubbish. We didn't make breakfast.

I'd recommend using the Pool ($15 per person for a week, includes towels) and also wear a rash vest/t-shirt to protect your back if you're going to do lots of snorkelling.

The other restaurants are available- Indian, Thai and 2 Grills for when you get bored of the Village Buffet. Get your waiter to book a table and you'll get a 20% discount. We tried the Indian and the Thai and they were excellent (and the Thai had ice-cream!).

The spa is fantastic and we had a couple massage thingy. Two Indian girls leaping about giving us the works followed by a fantastic bath, sparkling wine and fruit. Great value and on your doorstep.

Can't think of anything else about the holiday but it is all good.

The flight with MYTravel is a shocker. I'd upgrade if you possibly can otherwise you'll need counselling to get over the flights. Seats are crammed in (in Cattleclass) and for a long-haul flight the service is embarassing. On the return to Manchester we flew via Gatwick and it took 14-hours. The plane is supposed to be state-of-the-art as it has downstairs toilets, however, this just means they can cram more people in upstairs. In 14 hours we had 1 meal and 1 cold sandwich. Take water and soft drinks with you as none are free and cost £2-3. Throughout the flight an attendant will break into your sleep or the movies and ask whether you'd like to buy something such as beer, wine, cigs, spirits, perfume, snacks, doggie treats, cuddly toys etc, etc. Our luggage allowance was 15 kg each, beware as that's 25% less than normal. In future, if I'm lucky enough to revisit the Maldives, I'd avoid MyTravel (and Monarch were only marginally better last year) and try to book flights through opodo com (via Dubai) and book direct with the resort (kuramathi com).

My wife and I waited 5 years for our honeymoon, whilst we built our house, and I always promised her a honeymoon to remember. We certainly got it....!!

After landing in Male it wasn't long before we were on our way, by boat, to Kuramathi. I suppose in some way we are lucky as we both work at sea and enjoyed the boat trip, a few others were looking a bit green......!!! but hey, when do you get to see the Indian Ocean firsthand. On arriving at Kuramathi we were greeted with friendly smiles and cold towels, and a refreshing cocktail, no bags to carry, and you felt looked after straight away.
After being shown to our to our room I was knocked out...!! 5mtrs from the sea, palm trees, what more could you ask for.

I could go on for ages, but this is a must for anyone who wants a bit of a laugh and solitude at the same time. The diving/snorkling is fantastic and shouldn't be missed. The dive center is GREAT.
Room service is one of the best( Thanks very much Shaid) with your bed made up at least twice a day with different arrangements and flowers.
All in all I could not fault this resort in anyway, and we will almost certainly be going back again.
All I can say to anyone thinking of going here is GO...!!! You won't regret it.

Enjoy
Steve and Justyna