Vakkaru Maldives

An unforgettable stay at Vakkaru Maldives I stayed at Vakkaru Maldives from May 27 to May 31, spending two nights in a Beach Pool Villa and two nights in an Overwater Pool Residence. The resort itself was absolutely beautiful, but what made my stay truly special was Miya (Momyat, Korean Name 은경Eunkyung), who took such wonderful care of me throughout my stay. Miya could speak Korean, which made communication incredibly easy and comfortable. More importantly, she was extremely attentive, thoughtful, and polite. She always paid attention to even the smallest details and made sure everything was taken care of before I even had to ask. Her warm and professional manner made me feel genuinely cared for. My name during the stay was KJ, and I was so impressed by Miya’s service and kindness that she became one of the biggest reasons I would love to return to Vakkaru Maldives. I have stayed at many beautiful resorts, but it is the people who often make a place truly memorable. Miya was one of those people. I’ve also included a few photos from my stay, including one of the Moët champagne I prepared for Miya as a small token of appreciation for all her kindness and care. But She couldn’t have it at the time because she was working.We just toasted and gave her the Moët. Thank you, Miya, for making my stay so comfortable and special. I sincerely hope to see you again on my next visit to Vakkaru. KJ P.S. Every staff member was exceptionally kind, professional, and welcoming—from the restaurant managers and management team to the Vice President and housekeeping staff. Everyone was simply outstanding and made my stay truly special.

Decent but falls short overall and won’t stay again - no single fault, just a hundred small things that detract from the luxury experience you’d expect from a hotel in this segment. Island and rooms: - The island has incredible natural beauty, with perfectly clear water, white beaches, and abundant marine life. - The snorkelling is unparalleled - truly world class. - The rooms are well maintained - they feel brand new. Although a bit small with the front door opening straight to the bedroom in overwater villas; and as others have mentioned, you can hear, and even feel, the buggies drive past at night. Food: - The coffee at breakfast is excellent and Onu is a great restaurant, but the other restaurants are average at best, and Vakku is just bad. - At Vakku, too few staff mean dinner reservations are difficult to secure and dishes can take hours to arrive. - When the kitchen can’t keep up, restaurant managers apologise but do not do anything to rectify the problem - Kitchen bottlenecks can happen, but when they do, offering a glass of wine would be a nice touch. Staff: - There are a handful of staff members throughout the island who are happy, friendly and providing amazing service but this does not generally apply to everyone - it feels like the staff are a bit unhappy here. - The host was friendly but did not offer the level of proactiveness you find at other resorts. For example - there are no buggy transfers to and from evening meals. - The hotel provides snorkelling gear free of charge for the duration of your stay, which is a nice, though the dive staff do not seem particularly happy or enthusiastic to explain things like ideal snorkelling sites. Final thoughts: Overall, my wife and I prefer other resorts in the Maldives because they go above and beyond to surprise and delight wherever possible while Vakkaru slightly disappoints in many areas.

Overall Impression Vakkaru Maldives is a solid option in the Maldives. It is not too far from Malé, although you do need a seaplane transfer to reach the resort. What We Appreciated 1. Natural Beauty & Snorkelling The views are breathtaking, and there is easy access to beautiful snorkelling directly from the island. 2. Kids Club The kids club is well run, attentive, and reliable — a real plus for families. 3. Staff The service on the ground is warm and accommodating. The butlers, restaurant team, and kids club staff are genuinely kind and helpful, which makes a meaningful difference to the overall experience. Areas for Improvement 1. Food Quality The food was underwhelming. Compared to other resorts in the Maldives and elsewhere, it felt very average and not at the level one would expect from a property positioning itself as ultra-luxury. 2. Rooms & Noise Water villas can be surprisingly noisy. Buggies driving back and forth along the wooden walkways create noticeable sound. In addition, the early morning seaplane arrivals around 7AM are loud and difficult to ignore. 3. Reservations & Pre-Arrival Communication The pre-arrival experience was disappointing. Even standard hotels typically send a welcome email with arrival details a few days before check-in — especially properties positioning themselves in the ultra-luxury segment. We did not receive any such welcome email prior to our arrival.

Our stay at Vakkaru was extraordinary. The island itself is very green surrounded by several blue holes wity beautiful corals. The villas are spacious and thoughtfully designed. Our butler Tina went above and beyond in every possible way. She helped to organize our special event and we are really grateful for her dedication. Highly recommended