Kuramathi Tourist Island - Kuramathi Village

We went there for are honeymoon in April 2005, we thought it was the most amazing & beautiful place we had ever seen!!!! We have no regrets about this island & would recomend it to anyone !!

We walked around the whole island exploring, the bars & resturants were excellent & the service outstanding !!!!

We have so many wonderful memories of are 2wk stay & really didn't want to come home !!!

If you want to relax, sunbath on pure white sand,swim in a cristal clear blue ocean,snorkle to see beautiful fish, drink cocktails on the beach, explore what the island has to offer?

Then this is the island for you !!!

For the first time in my life I knew what paradise was like. The staff at Kuramathi Village were second to none and they made us feel like family, I will be back!!!

Problems started from arrival in Male (airport) where the arrivals clerk had no paperwork pertaining to our seaplane transfer. As such (and despite us having the relevant documentation ourselves) we were offered a chance to "get on the boat now as you are holding up the other people" or to wait 5 hours for the next scheduled seaplane (taxi service is not quite an accurate description). Arrival in Kuramathi was chaotic as there was not enough staff to process the amount of people that had just stepped off the speed boat (80ish) so the whole process took in excess of an hour. This first few hours in the Maldives did not set us up nicely to relax and as such any minor niggle became a major problem which the staff just were not able to deal with. (e.g Honeymoon fruit basket not put in the room which would not have been a problem until one of the staff asked how we had liked it! We were then given 3 different versions from 3 different staff members as to what we should have been entitled to which left us confused and as if we had stumbled into some sort of tropical Fawlty Towers episode! Questions relating to the spa were dealt with a grunt and us being directed to a folder on the other side of the reception lobby, our table in the restaurant was allocated and not up for re-assignment despite requests, drinks service was painfully slow in the main bar area (although the cocktails were fantastic and disturbingly strong !!) and the football songs from one group were wholly unwelcome. Maybe in Benidorm but not what you expect in the Maldives ! In short, great scenery, fantastic accommodation but surly, unhelpful staff made this an extremely unpleasant Maldivian honeymoon. My second experience after a perfect first one in Olhuveli is unlikely to tempt me back to the country. Sorry Pio !!

Large Island, so the guests are quite spread out, if you move away from the beach where the bars are, you could be there on the beach on your own. All inclusive works well, better than others we have tried, if you just want simple drinks and a few cocktails then there is no need for any spending money. No shops. No Nightclub. Great Staff both Local and from Sri Lanka. They look after returning guests with top rate rooms and best tables. Food good. bad points, not there for long enough and mobile phone signal. We have been here three times and will come back again, first time in 1994 when it was a lot more rustic than it is now and before Coral Bleaching, but hey ho it's still a great place to chill for a fortnight.

The All Inclusive, staff, romance, totally relaxing. Best holiday ever - paradise.

Top tips: don't change £ to Maldivian currency, they only use US$. We enjoyed the All Inclusive, they had a 12 page cocktail list - hiccup! Saw sharks, fish, rays, lizards, geckos, fruit bats. So cool swimming with the sharks - they are completely harmless. Sea is like swimming in a bath, so warm and clear. The sand was almost white and felt like talcum powder. It is difficult to put the Maldives experience into words. The place is like living inside a dream, everywhere you look is like a postcard.

Kuramathi Tourist Island - Kuramathi Village. Absolutely the best place ever just chill, relax and enjoy. Swim near the huts overlooking the sea and swim with turtles and sharks and lion fish etc etc etc just paradise

What can I say, this island was just paradise on earth!

I planned to go again this year but fell pregnant, never mind, I am sure we will be back there again very soon. Can't wait!

My wife and I have just returned from 2 weeks on Kuramathi. It was by far the best holiday, in the most fantastic location we have ever been on. Our accomodation was room 247 in the cottage and spa, a water bungalow, from which we could go down our own private steps into warm Azure water, teeming with marine life. The reef was a 2 minute snorkel away but can be tricky to get over at low tide, those with children should consider a boat trip, where I encountered grey tipped reef sharks and manta rays, both completely harmless but breathtaking. The room itself was well appointed with all you could need. No television but if you were to want one you need your head read. We stayed on a full board basis and all meals were prepared to a high standard. I would however recommend B&B, as the other restaurants on the island are fantastic, especially the Thai and Indian, reasonably priced too. My wife and I would take 1 starter, 2 mains, 2 deserts, coffee and wine, which came to an average of £50 for us both, not breaking the bank by any stretch. The staff are without exception, polite, friendly and always glad to see a smiling face, from the gardeners to the manager. The cocktails in all bars are well prepared and delicious, Carlsberg in 2 pint steins kept me very happy.

The island itself is one of the largest in the Maldives but nowhere is more than a half hour walk away if you are young, fit and able. There are also regular golf buggies to give you a lift to any of the bars, restaurants or even home to your room at the end of the night. Just ask at reception and one is called for you in 2 minutes, at no extra charge!

We rented one of the catamarans from the water sport centre a couple of times and found them in top order with very helpful staff to launch and recover for you. If like me you can already sail, a 10 minute check of your ability is all that is required for unlimited access. If you are a novice, lessons are also no problem to have arranged. It is quite hard though to motivate yourself to do anything as Kuramathi lends itself to lazy days sunbathing and snorkelling.

There is one large expanse of white beach on one side of the island that is fringed by palm trees, perfect for those days doing nothing. On the other side of the island the reef is only 20ft or so from shore so it can get a bit rocky. However, if you go to one of the smaller beaches on this side you are more than likely to be alone all day, very romantic. The sand bar at the end of the island is great for a romantic stroll at any time but does get some rubbish washed up, thrown overboard by irresponsible sailors. Even though this is one of the larger islands, it never feels crowded and you are unlikely to see more than 5 or 10 people an afternoon, at bar mealtimes of course.

In conclusion, I will say this island is as close to paradise as I have ever encountered. If you are looking for a holiday that is laid back, relaxing and where time stands still go. I wish I could still be there and will definitely return.

Kuramathi is very informal and you can relax in the truest sense of the word - this is what I call a proper holiday. Do as little as you like. As far as money is concerned if you don't want to spend another penny you don't need to. The rooms are very comfortable and all the staff are very friendly. Paradise and we'll be back soon...

My advice to anyone is go and see for yourself and I am sure you will not be disappointed. We are retuning to The Village this April after trying Bandos Island last year, although Bandos was very very nice we just felt a bit more at home at Kuramathi, everyone was very friendly and it was just very laid back. Roll on April! We never had any trouble with paying extra for water when on the all inclusive package. I think as long as you do your research so you know exactly what to expect when you get there, then you can't go far wrong.