Drift Thelu Veliga Retreat

The island is very small with 30 rooms. It is very calm and super relaxing! We booked a water villa and it was simply amazing to wake up everyday and see the ocean. Our villa was on the ocean side which is better since you have more privacy. The other side is Laguna and it faces on the beach where are located the beach villas indeed. All the staff is great especially Hari from the bar. Special thanks to Andrea from Turisanda who is the resident Italian staff for any support. During our stay I took the Open water diver license through the Dive Corporation which is situated in the island. My diver master instructor Dude is amazing and he really makes you confident and teaches you everything. Lovely experience we want to come back!

Another absolutely fantastic trip to Drift. Pure relaxation Every member of staff are always smiling, eager to help and great fun. We stayed for three weeks on this paradise Island for a true Maldivian experience and cannot wait to return next year hopefully. As always Angel Fish organised everything to perfection arranging the perfect stay. Maria and all the staff made us feel totally at home again and we cannot thank you all enough. Kenny enjoyed the fishing trip as always!!! Thanks once again to you all With Love Denyse and Kenny

If you want a Maldives experience where the emphasis is on simple, small island, great reef and diving with a great restaurant, then Drift could be the place. This is not where you go for live bands, large restaurants with endless choices or loads of live entertainment. The perfect bit of quiet paradise for snorkellers and divers. And don't book with anyone other than Angelfish Travel, who know the whole of The Maldives better than anyone, and all from the team's personal experience.

What an absolute jewel of an island! From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed by a professional and incredibly friendly team who made us feel right at home. The warmth and hospitality of everyone here truly made our experience special. The dive centre deserves a special mention – it’s exceptionally well-run and staffed by a remarkable team of divers, all led by the fantastic Dude! Every dive was an adventure, and their knowledge, safety, and passion for the ocean made each outing unforgettable. This is more than just a beautiful location – it’s a place full of heart and soul, made magical by the people who call it home. We’ve are already planning our return for next year.

The resort epitomizes customer service. Everyone who works there is pleasant, goes out of their way to make your stay extra special. The beach rooms and water villa’s are amazing. Hospitality services outstanding with twice a day turn down service. Food extraordinary, wide variety. Maria is worth a special mention for being always pleasant, quick to respond to any request and making everyone feel welcome. Diving was great, although the dive trips were 45 minutes to an hour away for most dives. Boat specious and crew very helpful

I spent 9 days at this resort just before Christmas. The island is very small but also very beautiful, truly a paradise– white sand, Palm trees, clear water. It is really quiet- perfect for relaxing, a barefoot island. I stayed in a Beach bungalow which was perfect as you get 2 Sundbeds and a parasol right outside of the bungalow. Even the occasional rain did not spoil my holidays, as you could still sit outside your Bungalow on the daybed. The accommodation was small but clean, with 2 Seats and a Bench inside, a big closet, safe, hairdryer. There was a Nespresso machine and tabs were replaced, but not the milk. 2 small bottles (less than 500ml each) are provided every day. The sink is in the room, shower and toilet are outside. I was worried at first about spiders getting in but there were none. What is a bit of a hassle is that the lighting in the room around the sink is really bad. The yellow lights around the mirror give your face a yellowish-green look and it was better with them turned off. You should invest in better lamps around the mirror or at least provide a vanity mirror with lights. I had half board, so I had breakfast and dinner included. Breakfast had many choices but I would have liked more variety with the fruit. Dinner was really good. There was a different cuisine every day, which is repeated weekly. There was also a cook which prepared some dishes fresh for you. I really loved the variety, especially the salads. Also the dessert was not the usual bland buffet cakes but always special dishes representing the cuisine off the night. There is also a nice bar where you can watch the sunset an have some nice cocktails – I loved the Mango Martini. Service was really good and staff really friendly. What was really nice was that I got a nice breakfast the morning I was leaving, even at 5.30 am! The island was beautifully decorated with lights for Christmas. I had a nice, relaxing massage in the spa. What was very disappointing during my visit was, that none of the tours I signed up for were happening – Manta experience, Whale Shark and Coral Garden snorkelling. Apparently the weather was not good enough/too much wind. The one day where it was ok to go, there were not enough people signed up. There were 3 with me but the minimum for each tour were 6 people. This should be revised. At a small resort like this, 6 people are 10% of guests . The minimum should really be adjusted to 3 guests, especially if the weather cancels out many excursions. Unfortunately like this I got to see hardly any fish. At my previous visit to the Maldives at another small resort, also in December, there were Reef sharks swimming by the breakfast bungalow, stingrays and many fish. At Drift there was nothing. You can see one or two fish by the corals next to the boat jetty and there are some corals scattered around further out. However, due to the current being quite strong and me not being a good swimmer I did not dare go out by myself. What was