22 Nov Our stay at Velassaru, Maafushivaru & Kandolhu (Universal Resorts) – Review
Hi lovelies,
this year we did some island hopping in the Maldives. In addition to Six Senses Laamu we visited three resorts of Universal Resorts, hence, the same hotel group.
In this blog post I wanna point out the pros (and cons) of each resort. Which island is suitable for you is totally up to your own preferences. Some might prefer a smaller island with more possibilites of relaxation, some others might prefer a bigger island with more action. Hence, this blog post will point out the special features of each island. Which island is suitable for you is entirely up to your own preferences 😉
First of all, here you can see our drone video about Universal Resorts, morever Maafushivaru and Kandolhu 🙂
Velassaru
We were able to spend three days on Velassaru. Unfortunately we were not so lucky with the weather the entire time. That is very unfortunate as the island is stunning. But if it’s cloudy or even rainy of course you won’t see much of it.
First time on the day of our departure the weather was really beautiful and the island shined in stunning colors.
In contrast to the other two islands Velassaru is the biggest one.
What we liked about Velassaru: The spa area including the stunning infinity pool is amazing!
Also the breakfast buffet at Velassaru is simply awesome!
In the evening there was either live music or a great DJ spinning. In comparison to other islands there was always a great evening program.
What we were a bit disappointed about: The dinner buffet at Velassaru is rather modest. The food in the restaurants is amazing but there isn’t much selection at the dinner buffet. We only booked half pension so we were a bit disappointed of the food in the evening. However, like mentioned before: the breakfast buffet at Velassaru is amazing! For me breakfast is the most important meal of the day so that was even more important to me.
Another thing we didn’t like so much about Velassaru (and that is something that is not up to the management because they are absolutely amazing): The guests were not really our type. There were many old rich guys with their young overdresses women and other wannabe rich people. Of course some people might like theses kinda guests. So again this is totally up to your own preferences 🙂
Nevertheless, Velassaru is a stunning island. For those that attach importance to a beautiful beach, a great breakfast buffet, a stunning spa and an amazing evening program Velassaru is probably the right island for you!
Maafushivaru
We were able to spend three days on Maafushivaru. We immediately fell in love with the island. The people there are super friendly (both employees and guests). The atmosphere is super laid back and sporty which is exactly our thing 😀
The food on Maafushivaru (breakfast, lunch and dinner) is amazing! We had half pension and the food was great any time of the day.
Also the spa area and the infinity pool are beautiful on Maafushivaru.
But there are three things which are really special about Maafushivaru:
1) The gorgeous house reef. We’ve experiences it in other resorts that the coral were dead. On Maafushivaru that is not the case. I addition to colorful coral you see tons of turtles, shark, rays and fish. And all that without having to take the boat somewhere else. That is really amazing!
2) The offered excursions are awesome! We went on several tours at Maafushivaru and swam with mantas, whale sharks, turtles etc. The tour guides are super fun and it is a great experience going on some excursions with them.
3) The private island Lonubo is gorgeous! Not many resorts offer the possibility booking your own island. On Maafushivaru this dream can come true. That is really something special and was an incredible experience for us!
Because of the many special features of Maafushivaru we’ve become a great fan of the island (or rather the two islands). Hence, we liked Maafushivaru most. It is also the cheapest one out of the three 🙂
Kandolhu
Unfortunately we were able to spend only two days on this beautiful island. Although Kandolhu is a rather small island we immediately fell in love with it.
The food on Kandolhu is mainly á la carte which is for many people an advantage. It might be a disadvantage for some but for those watching their weight it is definitely a pro 😀 The entire food on Kandolhu is amazing! And the atmosphere is the restaurants is wonderful. For instance you get to enjoy your breaky along with such a stunning panorama 🙂
Also the house reef of Kandolhu is beautiful! You see lots of sharks, rays, turtles etc.
The hotel is managed by a young couple which you can tell in many little things. The whole atmosphere on Kandolhu is incredible!
Three things make Kandolhu really special though:
1) Most likely the most beautiful bathroom in the Maldives. The bathroom in the water villas including the view is really one of a kind!
2) The landscape of the island is stunning! There are beautiful flowers, palm trees etc. You can tell that both the architect and the gardener did a great job!
3) All villas are a dream! We were so lucky staying in a water villa. But also all other villas such as the beach villas (we’ve seen them all) are simply stunning! The design is very special for the Maldives and we really liked that.
For some people that are seeking for a lot of action on vacation Kandolhu might be a bit too small. The house reef is very nice though. And for our idea of vacation Kandolhu is an amazing island where you will find lots of relaxation for sure!
In conclusion we can say that we especially liked Maafushivaru and Kandolhu. Both are islands that we really wanna visit again.
I hope my review was helpful. It might have been a bit to honest and direct for some people but I think only so you can benefit most 😉
If you have any questions let me know 🙂
Xoxo
Maddi
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