Gili Lankanfushi Maldives

Another fabulous experience at the wonderful Gili Lankanfushi. This was our 11th visit to this wonderful island which is truly paradise. There are lots of beautiful islands in the Maldives, and we have visited a few, but what really sets Gili apart is the staff. Every single one of them is dedicated to making your experience the best it can be and they never fail. The villa's are all over water and designed in a rustic, castaway style that makes them feel a part of the island, rather than a hotel that has been built on it. They are large and very comfortable with everything you could need, but if you think of something that isn't there, you can rest assured it will appear in the blink of an eye. The food is amazing, and every meal is an event. Our favourites are the themed 'street markets' where your choices are prepared on stalls in front of you, but every meal, is of a standard you would expect at a high end restaurant. Chef Hari and his team are amazing. We should also mention the amazing Japanese restaurant 'By The Sea' where Chef Michio and her team prepare some truly fabulous dishes. We dived most days and the dive centre team, guides, boat crew, are all excellent as is the availability of dive sites. It feels wrong to single out particular staff, as every one, whether they be in F&B, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Gardens, Marine Centre, Spa, go out of there way to make your stay completely enjoyable, and make you feel valued as a guest and returning friend. That said we must pick out the following staff who particularly contributed to our stay: Mr Friday - Zubba F&B - Wabbe, Michio, Ali, Rihaz, See-An, Ghayan, Rohan, Abdul (bar),Hari, Monica & Alisha Dive Centre - Vivienne & Moade thank you for some fabulous dives, Sohee & Gabriel (Mgt) Asst GM - Rodrigo In short, we have stayed in some beautiful hotels all around the world, but Gili is easily our all time favourite, and hence why we keep returning.

We had a wonderful stay at Gili. We had high expectations of this resort which were met. The villa was incredible, and we spent most of our time here, enjoying the ocean and relaxing. We loved riding bikes around the island, and explored the organic garden. We visited for our anniversary and were so grateful for the surprises arranged for us, the team went over and above. Our Ms Friday Naff was a key part of this, thank you Naff. I was sceptical arriving about the buffet nights, as I much prefer a la carte restaurants, but you can always dine from the a la carte, and the Mediterranean buffet ended up being our favourite dinner and evening. Thank you Gili for the splendid stay.

This is my second trip to Gili Lankanfushi, and I must say that it has been a dream to return here. The welcome is exceptional: our Mr. Friday, Thasleem, was always ready to meet our requests, bringing us a smile every day, and he treated my daughter with unique sweetness. The island is impeccably maintained, and the staff at the restaurant is outstanding. The evening dedicated to the Asian Street Market is a must! The sommeliers are knowledgeable and very kind; I greatly appreciated their wine recommendations, especially during the cheese & wine tasting, which I highly recommend. My daughter had the opportunity to engage in various activities: marine biologist Caroline completely captivated her! Additionally, she took tennis lessons with the coach Henrique, who is truly phenomenal! Erin learned so much in just four lessons. The spa offers relaxing treatments, and the staff is well-trained. The villa is continuously cleaned, and it is truly stunning: I recommend sleeping under the stars, as this experience can be arranged. Manager Rodrigo was always very present to ensure everything was going well. This is a place I will return to and will always hold dear. As I leave, a tear falls, and here you truly have not only the idea of a paradise on earth but also the feeling of having found new friends. The best hospitality in the world is at Gili Lankanfushi.

We love Gili! We have stayed multiple times and it is great to see so many Gili friends during our return trips. This must say something about the chances people get to develop and flourish, everyone seems genuinely happy and super engaged. The Villa Suites at Gili to me are the most amazing in the Maldives, I love the big roof terrace and especially the fact that the living room is fully open. For me the lagoon with all the shades of blue remains the most beautiful in the Maldives and I love the breakfast setting with your feet in the sand, under the palm trees from which you walk to the pool area in one minute. Snorkeling in the housereef was super rewarding this time (thanks Matthew) with even an eagle ray jumping our of the water during one of our trips. On a private snorkel excursion we were able to swim with manta rays, an absolute dream came true. We love the food at Gili, everything is pure quality. Dinner at By the Sea, the Indian night and dinner on your roof terrace as the sun goes down are a few of our firm favorites. Yoga and meditation each morning at sunrise were of great quality, what a way to start the day, as well as the 3 spa treatments I had. But the best part is the people who really make us feel at home. A big thanks to everyone, but especially to Rodrigo, Zubba, Boa, Amin, Thasleem, Rohan and Gayan. The wine/cheese tasting we had with Rohan was another highlight, very informative and sheer fun, and for my son the arranged a tasting with non-alcoholic wines and even chocolates. Do not hesitate and book this shoeless paradise! Keep well all and we hope to see you soon!

Superb- we stayed in March 2025 (we also came in 2024) and the island has retained all its charm and excellent service. The house reef seems to be recovering well from the most recent bleaching event and around the villas you’ll see plenty of fish including Eagle Rays and Sting Rays A really special place !