Kuramathi Maldives

Kuramathi is an amazing resort in a truly beautiful location. Getting to the island is by 2 means - seaplane or boat. We opted for seaplane and the airport lounge for the seaplane immediately showed that we were going to a 4* resort. The seaplane was a great experience to see the various islands as we flew over them. As we arrived we were met with a drink and a welcome pack including restaurant reservations for the first 3 nights. We were then taken by golf buggy taxi to our room and the luggage followed after in good time. There is a range of rooms to suit all budgets from garden villas to the honeymoon suite. Our room had Aircon, WiFi, a comfortable large king bed, mini bar fridge (alcohol chargeable), safe, internet enabled TV, separate outdoor bathroom with a shower and double sink. In the garden a better shower and a hot tub (be warned the hot tub is fresh water filled and we had to get the water changed as there were bugs in it - chlorinated water is always more hygienic). The selection of restaurants and bars is very good if you invest in the select dining option, otherwise from the receipts we have been signing it could be a very costly holiday indeed. As such in my opinion it is better to invest in that option even against 'better' rooms if you are considering that as an option. Rooms are made up in the morning and turned down in the evening (only aspect was that the staff wouldn't replace a glass that had liquid in it so if you want clean glasses make sure they are empty!). There are multiple bookable restaurants and it is advised to book these as far in advance as possible to ensure you get the restaurants you wish to visit. All restaurants offer a wide variety of food covering all aspects. The issue with dining mainly sits with the accommodation of vegetarian/vegan options. There does not seem to be consistency across the various bookable restaurants in relation to what they offer. One night the only real vegetarian options in the Thai restaurant consisted of tofu, only to be told after ordering that they had run out... But this was just one restaurant, on one night. Other restaurants had better choices. The resort has never felt crowded. Staff are always warm and friendly. A perfect place for our honeymoon! Update: The return journey was unfortunately the most stressful part of the holiday. The seaplane was over an hour late, but the staff were helpful and got us as far as they could through the airport and thankfully the flight was delayed... Meaning we caught the flight with 5 mins to spare!!! It also has to be noted that we booked through Kuoni and they were helpful at the airport both ways but we found the rep on site did not add anything to our experience, in fact we found it that she had been in contact with another couple on a regular basis even helping them get an item from the Male. We heard nothing from her... Thankfully the resort covered all the bases and we didn't need her support which was just as well. In summary, an amazing island, perfect for honeymoons and time to relax!

Kuramathi is an amazing resort with all the wonderful amenities for a great couples/family stay. The food is delicious, the staff is very friendly and there is a myriad of activities one can do while staying here. Ismail, especially is a great professional and had so many details with us since day one! Super recommended!

Going to the Maldives has been on my bucket list for some time. After a LOT of research and some help from the lovely Michael at Kuoni (Metrocentre branch) we decided on Kuramathi and I can't imagine a more perfect holiday. After a long flight from the UK we couldn't keep our eyes open on the speedboat and fell fast asleep. When we opened our eyes it was as if we had arrived in paradise. Beautiful white sands, impossibly clear waters and the bluest sky. After a mercifully quick, but informative check-in where we were given our first three night's dinner reservations (we booked select AI) and we were whisked off to our room where our bags were dropped off soon after. ROOMS - our first room was a delux beach bungalow. Air con kept it cool, our housekeeper kept it impeccably clean and it was very close to the beach. These rooms are in a horseshoe formation spotted on various points of the island, but ours was very close to the beginners snorkeling area which was great for me to build my confidence. I would definitely recommend requesting to be near here if you're not the strongest swimmer to practice. Our second room was a pool villa and all I can say is wow! From the huge bed with incredible views of the sea to the private pool that lights up of an evening this room had everything; it was exactly how you picture the Maldives. If you can stretch to it for a few days just do it - you won't be disappointed. FOOD - we went select AI and it was more than worth it! We dined in every single restaurant and found we kept repeating ourselves 'this doesn't feel like all inclusive dining'. The food here is exceptional for an AI resort! Fresh seafood, fillet steaks, scallops, and oh the desserts. We never struggled to get a reservation when and where we wanted and the service in all of the restaurants was very attentive. BARS - again, we tried them all. We loved the Fung bar and the Laguna bar - they had a lovely laid back, but lively feel. Cocktails were great and service was quick. We had the champagne bar included with the select AI and enjoyed popping in there for a glass of fizz before dinner, but were often the only people in there after the sun had set. I would guess this is because there was only really the cava by the glass included so perhaps having some nice cava cocktails included up there for select AI might mean it is better utilised. SERVICE - every single person I encountered seemed to want to make our stay the best it could be, but there were a few people who really stood out. Joy (from Inguru), Thaksala (from Palm and Vie Belle), Lorraine (from Island coffee shop/BBQ) and Rimi (from the Champagne bar) all went above and beyond to make things perfect. Also, I have to make a special shout out to Chourouk who works at guest services at reception - she really went out if her way to make sure our holiday was the best holiday ever. Nothing was too much bother, she followed up on every request and even anticipated our needs with helping plan our last night. We will definitely be returning to Kuramathi and I am sure when we do she will have been promoted - she is a total star! See you soon Kuramathi ❤️

We had the most incredible honeymoon at Kuramathi in the Maldives! From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel like royalty. The all-inclusive package was absolutely worth it, with every meal and activity exceeding our expectations. Our Superior beach villa was a dream – spacious, luxurious, and with an unbeatable view of the turquoise ocean. Waking up to the sound of the waves and the sight of the sun rising over the water was a highlight of our stay. The pillows are the fluffiest we have ever felt, and these 5 days we slept like babies!! The food was top-notch, the buffet had a wide range of international and local options and we really liked that every night they had a different menu like American Buffet, Asian Buffet, Italian Buffet etc. We were never bored! We also loved the activities available. Snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, complementary yoga early in the morning by the sea, and the couple's spa treatment were some of the highlights. The island's natural beauty is truly unmatched. We are also amazed by the service, which was exceptional. Every team member went above and beyond to ensure our honeymoon was nothing short of perfect. We were constantly amazed by how personal and caring the service was. We would like to thank Naaish(the head waiter at Laguna Bar), Vinash(waiter at Fung Bar), Sashini(stuff at the boutique of the main reception) , Rauf & Asan our waiters at Haruge restaurant who had always a smile on the face and finally Chourouk at the main reception, the most friendly person in the world, ready to assist you with everything !! We really hope to see you again in the near future! If you're looking for a luxurious, relaxing, and unforgettable honeymoon experience in the Maldives, look no further than Kuramathi. It’s an absolute paradise, and we can't wait to return someday!

We booked our honeymoon around 10 months in advance via Kuoni in Chester, as we had never been to the Maldives before so wanted an expert to help us with which island to choose. We wanted something reasonably large with things to do and good food, and the agent instantly suggested Kuramathi. Everything about this place surpassed our expectations! We flew with Emirates (excellent experience even in economy) and spent a couple of nights in Dubai en route. We were greeted at Male airport by Kuoni and Kuramathi reps who helped us to navigate checking in for the seaplane. This was a lovely experience to watch the islands passing from above, however we have said that we would probably not bother to do it if we came again. The alternative is to take the speedboat, which takes a little longer but is substantially cheaper than the seaplane (which only took around 20 mins). Check in is seamless and we then met our Kuoni rep Mani, who helpfully provided us with her phone number to WhatsApp her if we had any queries during our stay (which we did use several times for silly things like where to buy plasters!). We were then taken to our room, which was a Thundi Water Villa with pool (number 363, one from the end) at the far end of the island parallel to the beautiful sandbank. These villas are slightly more expensive due to their sunset views. Again, if we were to return, we would go for the same room type (pool an absolute essential) but possibly not the ‘Thundi’ ones, as I am sure that even the ones on the other side have fabulous views. THUNDI WATER VILLA WITH POOL: One of the highlights of our holiday was the accommodation that we selected, it was beautiful. We had a private infinity pool of reasonably size with a large deck and stepladder into the ocean with snorkelling straight off the steps. The room itself consisted of an entrance area which we used to store things, a large bedroom with superking bed (very large and comfortable), bar area, and bathroom with his and hers sinks, and a bathtub to look over the beautiful view. The rooms are turned over morning and evening, which was a real treat. A big thank you to Shaneez for always keeping it looking spotless and for helping us with several requests including for more pillows. We had some laundry done towards the end of our stay which was straightforward if a little expensive. On that note, everything is charged to your room and paid for at the end of the stay. We had a special treat on my birthday - the floating breakfast - for $249. Another note, take US dollars with you for tips etc. This currency is widely accepted in the Maldives. We took their local currency which was also accepted. We found the mini bar selection to be a little mean and there were many wines and spirits in the room which were not included in our package and so we did not consume them. A little more choice for the Select Inclusive guests would be appreciated. Also, the option of some in-room dining would be great. FOOD: We were on the Select Inclusive package giving access to the buffet along with the a la carte restaurants. We thoroughly enjoyed every single meal, our favourite restaurants being Tandoor Mahal (Indian) and Island BBQ. Even the buffet was good in terms of its selection. We tended to go there for breakfast and then to the Inguru restaurant for lunch, which seemed to be lesser-known as it was always quiet but you could have a proper meal which is usually our preference. There are certain wine and food items which are not included even on the Select Inclusive package so you need to look carefully at the menu when picking. We are food lovers and were certainly impressed at Kuramathi. There are also several different bars and they have a great selection of alcoholic beverages, and the ice cream at the Palm is amazing. STAFF: We were continually impressed by the attitude and enthusiasm of all the staff that we encountered. You really felt that they wanted to impress you and ensure that you are having a lovely time. Your glass was never half empty in any of the restaurants as they were continuously coming over and offering top-ups. Most speak very good English. We met a lovely chap called Bostan who impressed us with his sandart which you will notice around the island, and he did us some personalised art which was lovely. BUGGY: We were impressed with the buggy system which allows you to get around the island with ease. To walk from one end of the island to the other would probably take around 40 minutes so it is necessary to get to the various restaurants, etc. One suggestion that we had would be to utilise the app to enable guests to ping where they are on the map if they are waiting to be picked up. On that note, the app generally was very helpful, with a live map of the island and opening times for restaurants, etc. WiFi is also good throughout the island. EXCURSIONS: There were plenty of snorkelling and scuba diving options available to guests. We went on three snorkelling excursions: Turtle Discovery (1.5 hours) $59 pp, we swam with two turtles, Aqua Venture (3 hours) $130 pp, saw 6 Manta Rays, 7 turtles and many fish, and the Whaleshark Discovery. This was an 8 hour excursion for $260 pp. Obviously there is a risk that you may not be fortunate to see anything, and we were concerned that this was going to happen on the final excursion, but the wonderful team did all they could to identify a spot that we would see one, and we eventually were able to get into the water and spend a few moments with this magnificent creature. This was quite an experience! Of note, those on the Select Inclusive are provided with snorkelling gear for free. We took full face snorkelling masks which were more comfortable. We recommend taking a Go Pro to capture these moments! We had a cheap waterproof case for our phones which worked reasonably well. You certainly do not need to do any excursions as the snorkelling from the house reef is very good, but I am so glad that we did as these are some of our favourite memories of the honeymoon. In summary, we would highly recommend this beautiful resort and are considering a return trip next year! Although clearly this is an expensive holiday, we felt that it was worth every single penny. It is ideal for foodies, and the excursions meant that we were never at a loss of things to do. We strongly recommend upgrading to a room with its own pool, and having a water villa was obviously very novel and made for some lovely Instagram-worthy photo opportunities. Thank you all at Kuramathi, we do hope that we will see you again very soon! Laura & David Robbins x