Kurumba Island Resort, Male North Atoll Review

Overall Rating

Staff were generally friendly and the hotel was clean.

All in all, we never got any explanation of the crews failings and instead we were met with a 'sweeping it under the carpet attitude' from the person who had been on duty that night, who refused to accept that her sfaff had failed us and endangered our lives.

I have written this review so that future guests are aware of the standard of health and safety at this hotel. How risks can be taken and lives endangered with no acceptance of fault on their part.
I would never recommed this hotel to anyone and I have no intention of returning to Kurumba as my near death experience will alwasy stay very vivid in my mind

Where do I start.......

Well we arrived at the Kurumba Island Resort and we were initially very happy to be there sending txt messages to friends and family describing our first impressions as 'Paradise'. This did not last for very long............

Our son of 3 years old was not feeling very well and whilst we were having lunch he threw up all over me......not a pleasant sight I agree but its amazing how all the staff in the restaurant literally disapeared from sight. I turned around to look for help in cleaning myself and my son up and realised that the staff had all made a hasty exit. Eventually after standing aorund for aprx 7 mins, they started trickliing back and I was then able to ask for some help and some towels to wipe us up. I must add that the first towel handed to me was a facecloth, hardly adequate, thus adding to my despair and disappointment!.

After this incident, having spoken to the staff member who was apologetic and accpeted that this behaviour was not what would be expected from a 5 star rated hotel, we decided to overlook the incident as my husband and I where determined to enjoy the rest of the two weeks holiday we had booked.

The food was not terrific but decent and unneccesarily expenisve. Staff generally friendly.......Hotel itself definely not a 5 star hotel......maybe 4 Star standard.

Now the reason for the heading to this review is the night we were taken night fishing .......what a nightmare it all turned out to be. As I write this review and recall the events of that evening I must say that I never thought my husband, toddler and I would live to see another day. I must add that I am also 5 months pregnant.

The month of May is the start of the rainy season in the Maldives and when it rains, it is followed by very strong winds and very, very rough seas. Also note that the seas around the Maldives is home to the tiger and the bull shark two of the most aggresive sharks in the world after the great white and you would not want to find yourself in the sea, at night facing any of these terrors!

We went out to sea with 11 other guests and the hotel boat crew to the first spot where we were unsuccessful and the crew decided to move to another spot to continue fishing albeit obvious signs of a heavy storm approaching (they crew should have noticed this and headed back to the hotel immediately). Unfortunately, by the time the crew decided to return to the hotel, the strom was already raging with all of us hanging on to the railings of the boat and praying that we return safetly.

The crew instead of heading for two islands close by decide to take the risk with our lives and head across open sea, into the storm knowing that there was a toddler, pregnant women and other very vunerable guests on board the boat. I must also add that they had tied down the plastic sheeting only on one side if the boat which was a very bad idea as it created a wall which trapped the gusts of wind blowing fiercely around us and resulting in the boat listing to one side.

The boat was tossed from side to side like a toy and four times it almost capsized. All the guest on board were screaming and the crew did not hand out life jackets. In fact, I had to get up despite being 5 months pregnant and struggle to get a jacket to put around my husbands neck as he held my son in his arms. At least 5 fives times I was physically lifted from the seat and slammed back down. Of course I was frightened for my family's life and that of my unborn child.

Eventually after a harrowing 30 mins we arrived battered, shaken and extremely upset and angry at the fact that the crew were not properly trained in health and safety and emergencies in such circumstances. The decsions they took to risk out lives and ride into the storm instead of heading for the safety of a neighbouring island was difficult for us to deal with. They had not used any radio on board to contact the coast guard to let them know what was happening neither did they have any flares which would have been useful if the boat had capsized. Also, if they had been adequately trained they would have realised that the storm was approaching and that it would be potentially dangerous for us to be out at sea and headed back immediatly............most of the guests had expressed some concern on the darkening clouds building up prior to the storm picking up.