Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa

If you are into snorkeling, the house reef is exceptional. Stayed in an over-water bungalow, which was perfect in all senses. Everything was clean, service was excellent, food was good and fairly varied (main restaurant, didn't try the speciality ones).

After five trips to the Maldives, we had always said we wouldn’t return to the same island twice. With so many beautiful places to explore, it felt unnecessary. That changed with Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa—a resort that genuinely has us considering a return visit. We stayed in a Jacuzzi Beach Villa in the adults-only section, which was quiet, relaxing, and ideal for unwinding. The room was modern, clean, and well-maintained throughout our stay. Although we didn’t use the jacuzzi (the ambient temperature was more than warm enough!), the villa itself was comfortable and offered easy access to the beach and the rest of the adult-only area. The resort’s house reef is a true highlight. Entering the water from near the water villas, you only need to swim a short distance before the current gently guides you along the reef's edge. It’s an ideal snorkeling experience for all levels. The reef is vibrant, healthy, and teeming with marine life. We spotted turtles, blacktip reef sharks, rays, puffers, octopus, and an incredible variety of reef fish. It's a snorkeler's dream and something we enjoyed twice daily. We also took part in the manta ray and whale shark excursion, and it was nothing short of extraordinary. While sightings can never be guaranteed, we were incredibly lucky and got to swim with both. These moments were unforgettable and absolutely worth every penny. (We’ve attached some photos to share just how magical it was.) Dining at the resort was another highlight. The buffet restaurant offered a wide variety of international dishes, changing daily and allowing us to try food from all over the world. A special mention must go to the Beef and Ale pie—truly one of the best we've had, anywhere. Being a barefoot island, we didn’t wear shoes from the moment we arrived until the day we left—which our feet weren’t happy about! The island paths are well-maintained, clean, and easy to navigate. There are no buggies zipping around either, so walking is peaceful and uninterrupted. The public toilets were spotless throughout the stay, which we really appreciated, especially considering the barefoot setup. Although we didn’t use the gym, water sports, paddle/tennis courts, football pitch, or mini golf, all of the facilities appeared well-kept and popular among other guests. One of our favourite routines was enjoying a drink by infinity pool during sunset, followed by dinner at 19:00. The sunsets here are something special—calm, colourful, and endlessly photogenic. Walking around the beach at any time of day offered countless photo opportunities and a real sense of tranquillity. We also joined the excursion to a local Maldivian island. While it wasn’t the most exciting trip, it was interesting to see a more authentic, non-tourist side of island life. If you're looking for locally made wooden crafts, it’s worth the visit. We bought a beautifully hand-crafted wooden manta ray that was clearly made by local artisans—not the kind of souvenir you’ll find mass-produced or at the airport (where most of the offerings unfortunately looked like they came straight from a factory overseas). The staff at Vilamendhoo were friendly, professional, and consistently helpful. The cleanliness of the island stood out, both in the rooms and the public areas. Everything ran smoothly and felt well-managed from start to finish. All in all, Vilamendhoo left a lasting impression. It combines natural beauty with great service and unforgettable experiences, and for the first time in all our Maldives visits, we’re seriously thinking about making a return to the same island. That says it all.

We had two fantastic weeks on Vilamendhoo Island. We felt like we were in paradise and wanted to stay a little longer. The island is the perfect size for our taste - not too small but all places are within walking distance. The wild and natural vegetation with palms and trees and the really dreamlike stretches of beach we really liked. The pools and restaurants are also fantastically located. The rooms were modern, clean and great equipped. We were super satisfied with our standalone beach villa and could not have asked for a better location. Most of the rooms/beachvillas are great from the location and have a great stretch of beach. You have to honestly say, however, that there are also a few rooms that have a less than optimal location (not a nice beach or densely vapid). We also found that the garden rooms on the island are a bit superfluous and did not find it well solved that the sunbeds from the garden rooms were partly simply parked at the bungalow numbers 131,132. We wouldn't have liked to live there. On Meeru Island there were in comparison two large pools by the sea with enough sunbeds where you could stay (we had the garden room there). We really liked the house reef where we snorkeled several times a day and could admire many schools of fish and other sea creatures. It is really fantastic to be able to snorkel directly from the beach. We had booked full board as a catering type. Here were 3 meals included in buffet form. The buffet restaurant offers an incredible selection of food with great quality. We especially loved the Curry’s, the Pasta Station at noon and the great theme nights in the evening. At meals there was always water at VP and also in the room was after cleaning, which was done 2 times a day always water ready. You could also buy a Vilamendhoo bottle and have it filled with water again and again - a great concept ! We drank a delicious cocktail in one of the bar from time to time. Personally, we think it would be nice if there were some cocktails with fresh fruit juices (Passion Colada). We would have liked to have paid a slightly higher cocktail price for that. The live music was really great and we loved listening to it. Especially the live band was meegaaaaaaaaa! All the staff on the island we had contact with were extremely friendly, accommodating and nice. Just great what you do every day with your work. You are the heroes of this island 🥰 Thanks for everything !

This is a fantastic island I would return in a heartbeat. Excellent snorkelling. Wonderful beaches, food and service. The perfect getaway for a quiet relaxing holiday. Be warned however that forgetting the simplest items like after sun etc will cost you a small fortune in the island shop.

We just had 11 amazing days at Vilamendhoo! The moment you land from the 25 minutes sea plane until you leave, it felt that we were in paradise! Where do I start? Rooms: We had a jacuzzi beach villa so we could use the adult only restaurant area. Large room, big firm comfortable bed, it was kept spotlessly clean twice a day, beautiful outside bathrooms with a great rain shower and double sinks. Our own numbered sun loungers and tables on the beach area. Mini bar is topped up once a day- we had AI but if not the prices are very obvious on the mini bar list. Island: No shoes, beautiful sandy areas everywhere to walk on. Beautiful palms and jungle walks across the island. Gardeners work tirelessly to keep it looking well pruned, swept and well tended for. Reef: Incredible variety of corals, fish, turtles, reef sharks, even eagle rays and we saw lion fish and an octopus! Current is strong in certain areas so you always need flippers. Then it is like swimming in a massive aquarium- the water is so clear and blue and the fish are often so close to you- beautiful!! Food: The Ashima restaurant, adult only, was amazing. Different theme nights which change every 14 days-the food area is kept spotless and the food trays hot and always well topped up. Fresh fruit always available, often mango, guava and papaya, kiwis, melons , small bananas, star fruit and many other choice. We didn't try the snacks and also the Hot Rock as that was not part of the AI and we do this at home anyway. The Asian wok we visited once- disappointed as quality not as good as the buffet restaurant but included in the AI so we went once. Staff: You are allocated a waiter but you can sit wherever you like- we loved this arrangement, our waiter was very helpful, knew our drinks quickly and always happy to give suggestions for something different. Evening entertainment: It varies from karaoke, acoustic singer ( he was quite good), saxophone ( not very good), Maldivian evening-Ok but seen much better. We went to play games and not be entertained. However, if you want an island with great entertainment every night then sadly look elsewhere. We absolutely loved this island and would definitely go back. Our fifth visit to the Maldives and definitely the best!!