Best Gaafaru Hotels

"The most beautiful holidays I've had so far. That's how I imagine paradise.   Arrival Arriving at Male airport for the first time is an experience, the airport is on an island itself and after leaving the airport all you see is clear blue water. Instead of taxis there are speedboats picking up tourists. Kagi island is about 1h by speedboat away (which is practically the better choice for Kagi, since the distance is small and water planes mean much more logistical effort. If you never flew with a water plane and want to experience it, do it on the way back). When we arrived on the island, we were welcomed by very friendly staff and bongo music which was super nice. Maria made us feel like home from the first minute and showed us everything important before leaving us to explore our own place.   Room We booked a pool villa in the sea which was beyond beautiful. The room is big and offers everything you need. Shampoo / conditioner is refilled every day, there is cream and after sun gel, you basically only need sun cream (also available on the island in a shop). The room has its own pool over the ocean and even though I didn't think I would use it, I ended up being in there every evening enjoying the sunset. Same applies for the bathtub, which was in the outside part of the bathroom, I spent some very relaxing evenings in there even when the weather was warm. The only thing to consider, the waves can be loud and crush into the outside of your pool, especially during the night this can be irritating if you have a light sleep. I usually use earplugs, so I didn't bother, but my partner struggled quite a lot. There are other villas with wave breakers in front, can't say if this makes a big difference but I guess so. The downside is the view is not the same with the breakers and for snorkeling it’s harder to get to the nice part of the reef. I would still go for the villas without breakers.   Location The island is small but still offers everything you need. The reef is extremely beautiful, just jump in the water with goggles and you see all kinds of fishes, even some small sharks sometimes. As a diver I can say, the reef was more interesting to explore than many dives I had in my life. The Spa is great and offers various treatments. There is also a modern gym and you can participate in the Yoga lessons every other day. I enjoyed the lessons a lot, even as a total beginner. I already miss them, might start doing Yoga myself now. :) There is also a small diving center. The dive guide was basically always available to us, very flexible and cool. We went for 11 dives in total and we were not disappointed. All of them were special and interesting. We didn't have to worry about anything, the boat brought us directly to the spots and picked us up after each dive, the crew was very professional and experienced. Maldives are great for diving, don’t miss the chance!   Restaurants Main restaurant and a la carte restaurant. We only booked B&B and wen"

"I went there for the first time in 2019. The hotel had just been built. It was called North Luxe at that time, and now it is called Jumeirah. Among the more than 10 hotels I have stayed in, it is the only hotel that can rent windsurfing and various manual water sports equipment for free (I heard that the Jumeirah Hotel in the Maldives where I stayed 10 years ago has now been renamed another hotel). In particular, the hotel is very considerate in protecting the safety of tourists. There are lifeguards sitting on a high platform on the beach, always watching the sea. There is also a lifeguard on the lookout at the end of the water house, and the field of vision can cover most of the water sports area, ensuring that unskilled water kayaking, windsurfing and swimming tourists are accidentally swept away by the tide! Breakfast is good in all aspects. Although the dining environment of Japanese food for dinner is good, I will definitely not order Japanese sashimi next time. I would rather bring a few more boxes of instant noodles. Special thanks to the employee who works at the water sports equipment rental office in the first photo, who looks the oldest and tallest. Every day when I rented a windsurfing, the staff would carefully check the sails and repeatedly remind me to pay attention to safety. On the first day, they were worried that I would be blown away and unable to return, so they taught me how to save myself and swim back. I hope the hotel can convey my gratitude. Next time I come to the Maldives, I will definitely return to Jumeirah Hotel again."

"It is a very good resort and the price is not very expensive. There is a buffet for all three meals. The food is varied and there are many choices. Drinks at the bar are free of charge. There is also a fixed time for afternoon tea every afternoon. It is absolutely amazing. If you're not going to be hungry, I recommend the cocktail Lost Paradise. It's the best cocktail I've ever had in my life. In addition to food, the resort has all the facilities you need, such as water sports and a gym. I went to the gym in the last few days of my stay here. Otherwise, the food is so delicious that I would be afraid of eating too much meat when I go back. The waiters in the restaurant are very friendly, you can also try to chat with them."

"After 11 years, I visited the Maldives again. It is really a paradise, and Patina's service is definitely the icing on the cake for this trip. Patina is a full-time butler-style service. After arriving, you don't have to wait for check-in in the lobby, you can go directly to the room, and then the butler has already arranged everything. Our essentialist is Naaish, a very good butler brother. Every day's dinner reservations and daily activity arrangements are all through the essentialist. They will work hard to solve any problems encountered. On the night of our arrival, we felt that the fence around the outdoor shower area was slightly gapped, and the privacy was not enough. After telling Naaish, workers were arranged to reinforce it early the next morning. If you want to participate in various activities in the hotel, Naaish will give you very pertinent suggestions. In the end, we went to the Dolphin Cruise and saw the dolphins and the sunset, a magnificent moment worth remembering for a lifetime. The other services of the hotel are also perfect. The steak I ate one night required a medium degree of doneness. It was a bit difficult to cut after it was served. I thought the steak knife was not very good, but the waiter didn't think so at all, so I got it from the back kitchen and remade it for me. I ordered a portion, and then the chef came out and explained that because the medium should not be difficult to cut, it must be their problem or the problem of the meat. This operation really made me a little dumbfounded. I ate at the Helio restaurant on the last night. It is very common to have a sudden change in the weather in the rainy season. After the appetizer and the main course, it suddenly rained heavily. The waiter helped us move into the indoor dining area. We hurriedly ate dessert and went back The room, in fact, everything is normal, but within half an hour the waiter brought a new dessert, because we felt that we hadn't eaten it well before. Every day at Patina is really beautiful, and I am very, very grateful to every employee for their service."