Bandos Island Reviews

Our holiday started at Manchester Airport. We had travelled the night before from Belfast. We upgraded to Premier on the flight. We were worried about a 10 hour flight, but need not have worried. we were looked after very well.

On arrival in Male we only had a short wait before we boarded our boat to Bandos. 20 minutes later we were in reception.

Bandos is just beautiful. Everywhere was very clean and tidy. We were relieved of our luggage (which was delivered to our room) and had a nice stroll to our apartment. The apartment was ample for our needs. It was only a very short walk to the beach and we could return for a drink or lunch and still see our sun beds.

Bandos is not a place to go if you want a lot of entertainment. It is a place to recharge your batteries. you can go on trips or join a diving class or just hire snorkel equipment. The snorkeling is fantastic.

All the staff on Bandos are extremely friendly and very helpful. You tend to be 'adopted' by staff in the bars and restaurant and they look after you for your whole stay.

We will definately return to Bandos for another holiday

If anybody is looking to book to go to the Maldives then I would definatley reccomend the Bandos resort!This was the best holiday I have ever been on and would love to go back.

Being the one of the closest islands to the airport we had only a 20 minute transfer by speed boat (good if you hate boats or sea planes like me!)we were greated at the island with cocktails and cooling face towels which was a good start!

The accomodation was amazing! We stayed in a jaccuzi beach villa which was well worth paying the extra money to upgrade. The rooms were cleaned on a daily basis and we were brought fresh towels every day.
We stayed on bed and breakfast basis which was definatley the best choice as you are limited to where you can eat if you go all inclusive. The food in the harbour was excellent and resonably priced.

All staff were very helpful and friendly.

Travelled 09/01/2007, paid for Premier Economy seats for extra leg room but no extra width, cabin crew very attentive.
Stayed in Jaccuzi beach villa, lovely layout but the cockroachs were a nightmare despite using spray from uk and the one provided by the hotel, even found their way into the toilet paper.
We went full board which would of been good value but so many flies and they had access to the food because the lids were kept open on the servers. All dining areas are open to the breeze which also meant the food was invariably cold. No mattresses or parasols are provided on the beach and the sun is hot. The staff are helpful and pleasant.

All things concidered once we had captured the bugs each night the holiday was enjoyable but this resort only just makes a 4 *

Very simply - it was paradise.
Flight out in premier class - well worth the extra, but flight attendants had no regard for passengers on an overnight flight. Announcing sales of duty free when everybody was trying to sleep at 02-30 and putting cabin lights on, was most inconsiderate. But that was the only blemish to an otherwise very good flight, time wise, comfort and food. Well worth the supplement. Return flight nothing like as good. Obviously we still got the leg room, which is what you are really paying for, but we couldn't sit together despite guarantee of this when booking, food very average, flight delayed a few hours. Not good, but paying an extra £10 for the Emirates executive lounge at Male was well worth the extra. Book this with the rep on the island.

Accommodation - we were in a Beach Villa. Spectacular duplex room. Outside bathroom to die for, very good accommodation. Sensible mini bar prices and even UK premier league on the satellite TV. 10 yards and you were on a beautiful white sandy beach. Spotlessly clean beach, towels replenished as often as you wanted, and the house boys excellent. Island could probably do with some more sun beds to stop the practice of people putting towels out very early in the morning. Sea crystal clear, fabulous fish and coral, dolphins, manta rays and reef sharks all seen from the beach. We met people who had booked a standard room and they upgraded after 5 days as the beach villas are certainly worth the extra. However, that is not to say the other rooms are not adequate, but if you can afford the supplement, upgrade.

We choose to go on a bed and breakfast basis. Good choice as we understand the buffets for half board, whilst perfectly good got very repetitive after a few days. Our choices were - 'coffee shop' more like a very good harbour side restaurant, fabulous choice, excellent portions and reasonable prices, we ate here most nights and were never disappointed, just the opposite. Sundowners bar had great food menu and we ate there, usually for lunch, where after a few days we learnt that one portion with two forks/plates was more than enough for lunch, again sensibly priced. There was also a very good 'gourmet dining' restaurant, quite expensive - but we never really thought we could do it justice so didn't try it.

Overall we would go back tomorrow, it was really great. The Maldives people were just brilliant, always smiling, always helpful, and always there for help and assistance when you needed them.

Bandos is a beautiful island kept clean and tidy by the staff. Weather was fantastic, thanks goodness for air-con in the rooms. We went half board and meals were buffet style so you could fill up or just have a light meal. We found that we didn't need any more food during the day.

The drinks were not that expensive and the groups that we watched were very good.

Snorkeling for the first time was magnificent, take your own equipment as it is expensive to buy in the resort shop, but quite cheap to hire at the diving centre. Underwater the variety of fish and the odd shark was unbelievable.

Walking around the island brought it own experiences watching furit bats, cranes and other brightly coloured birds. Friends had watched the dolphins at sea first thing morning but unfortunately we missed them!.

We went on two excursion, one to Manta Point's was a magical experience snorkel ling above 10 foot long manta rays(this was their mating season!!). The other night fishing and a bar-B-Q which was fun and enjoyable catching local fish with a reel and line. The guides were fantastic, funny and informative. Both excursions cost £25-£30 approx experiences we would not have missed.

Overall a fantastic resort. Well worth visiting!!