White Sands Beach Resort And Spa Reviews

Exactly as it looks in the brochures - paradise !! Staff are very friendly , courteous and helpful - nothing is too much trouble . Weather was fantastic , resort and accomodation is spotlessly clean and an army of workers keep it that way . Almost one staff member per guest ! Nightly themes for food so very little repitition - if you want something particular just ask . Sea life is something else - we saw reef sharks , rays , turtles , eels and a multitude of beautifully coloured fish just from snorkelling . Diving is to be recommended also - very thorough and conscientious instructors . Speed boat transfer over and sea plane transfer back - both great experiences .

All in all , a great place - cant wait to go back .

The Good Bits: Fabulous relaxing holiday, we booked half board for 2 weeks and used a sea plane transfer, an unforgetable fab experience. It was the rainy season (July to Dec which lessens from Sept). As it was raining when we arrived, we were met by attentive staff with umbrellas. We walked across sands so white it seemed like salt! Our room was very nice, a huge bed, and had an outdoor bathroom very privately concealed by a wall). To take a hot shower while the clouds are raining on you is strange but wonderful. Out of the 2 weeks we only had 3 days of rain - usually no longer than 8 hours, so 11 days of clear sunny skies meant lots of snorkelling, (where the tropical fish we keep in tanks in the uk are swimming freely in the crystal clear ocean). Ray fish come in like clockwork for feeding and the sea creatures are simply amazing. We often walked around the whole resort in less than an hour and hammocks are dotted amongst the trees. We got used to no shoes and it felt odd when we wore them on a boat trip. The staff are very good at their jobs and customer service is second to none. The whole resort is very clean and even the paths and beaches are swept of leaves every day. The spa is luxurious and the Balinese staff offer fabulous treatments. After a relaxing massage, pedicure and manicure we were treated to ice cold cucumber facial, then to finish off we both sank into an aromatherapy bath with luxurious oils and real flowers floating around us, absolutely fab. The room holding the sunken bath has an open wall side which looks out at the ocean so you can watch the sun go down. The ladies are towel dried by their personal attendant.

The not so Good Bits: Expensive bar prices. The mini bar and the shop on the island has the same charges i.e. 4 us dollars for a mars bar or small bottle of water. The food is plentiful and varied, though follows the same each week. The entertainment is a little limited (following a weekly routine so repeats for the 2nd week). We feel a week is long enough to totally relax and, dare I say it, we got a bit bored towards the end of the 2nd week. We took a boat trip to a neighbouring island but, even with the vast savings of touristy souvenirs, the cost of the half day trip is pricey and can't be justified.

Recommended: If you like to drink alcohol (or even copious soft drinks) it would pay to go fully inclusive which entitles you to some water sports and activities but not the mini bar or spa.

Look out for bargain deals, we paid under £850 each for 2 weeks half board, against a brochure price of £1600 pp. We would recommend this resort in the Maldives and especially the Sea Plane transer. We doubt we'd return as it's one of those places that once you've been you've seen it all....but it's most definately worth experiencing at least once.

In a word PARADISE! A last minute booking by myself and my sister for a long overdue one week break and the chance to catch up on some much needed RandR. The White Sands Resort provided all this and much, much more.

We pre-booked the sea plane transfer and although this was only 45 minutes long, we had around a two hour delay waiting for our flight slot. However, on meeting fellow resort guests the next day, we were glad we'd opted for the sea plane as apparently the speed boat option had been quite a long, bumpy and unpleasant ride and many guests were planning to do the return journey by sea plane. We'd initially been a bit dubious that the resort would be full of loved up couples, and although these were plentiful we didn't feel too out of place and met some great people who helped make our holiday experience.

The Resort staff were superb and offered first class customer service. Nothing was too much trouble and customer satisfaction always seemed to be at the forefront of everything they did. We celebrated my sister's birthday during our stay and she was treated to a birthday cake and a specially decorated table at dinner. We were fortunate enough to be upgraded to a water bungalow and enjoyed the sheer luxury of its facilites and location. The bungalows' location also offered a chance for a bit of exercise as it was around a 15-20 minute stroll to the alternative bar based on the island. We stayed on a half-board basis and found this perfectly adequate as we're not particularly big eaters at lunchtime, preferring to grab a pizza or bar snack at lunchtime. Prices are on a par with the UK due to the resort (and others in the Maldives) having to import everything.

On the subject of importing if you buy your duty free on the way out, collect it on the return journey as alcohol is banned from the country. It will be retained on arrival at Male Airport and returned to you on your outward journey.

The Resorts no shoes policy is fab (even during the two half days of torrential rain we had) and very practical. Make sure you drink plenty of water and use high factor suncream or sunblock. We stayed during the rainy season and even though we're both dark skinned, we still managed to burn slightly even after using total sunblock! Don't expect to be partying until all hours every night.

Entertainment is limited and usually finishes around midnight,(the Resort is populated with loved up couples after all!). However, we still enjoyed some good evenings Break up your stay with spa treatments. You'll come away feeling truly refreshed, revived, relaxed or invigorated, well worth every penny. Overall, if you're looking for a Robinson Crusoe type experience and a holiday to remember, then from our experience the White Sands Resort and Spa is just what you're looking for.

We flew with First Direct and decided to upgrade to premium class, this is well worth the extra cost. The leg room is wonderful at 33ins and the food was the best we have had on a flight.

We did wait two hours for our sea plane, but once we landed onto the island all was forgotton because this, without doubt is paradise. We were had a very warm welcome with ice cold towels and fresh coconut.

We stayed in a water villa and it was absolutely beautiful, dark wooden floors, crisp white bed linen and super air con.
But the best thing about the water villa's are the private terraces at the back, oh and I could lay in bath while looking out at the ocean, this was incredible.

The food at the White Sands was always excellent, we were all inclusive which I have never done before but is essential in the Maldives as it is very expensive. A bowl of soup cost about £8, a beer £4 and a Mars Bar £4.

The White Sands have a no shoes no news policy. I took 4 pairs of flip flips and I only needed 1.

If you like to snorkel then the Maldives is for you, the fish are out of this world and will nibble your fingers and take bread from your hands.

Go on treat your self, book a trip to the Maldives, it's worth every penny (our trip cost about £4000 for 7 nights)