The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

Overall very satisfied — probably the best resort I have stayed at so far. Special praise for the pre-arrival email communication: every reply was clear, precise, and answered my questions directly, with every single point I mentioned in my emails being addressed. Many other resorts, even luxury ones, do not do this well or give it much attention. Of course, a reminder: things on the island are not cheap. I forgot to bring an SD card and ended up having to buy one on the island at nearly eight times the usual price.

This is our second trip to the Ritz Carlton Maldives. The first was as a couple. This one was as a family with 3 kids. I can categorically state this is one of our favourite resorts in the world. Getting there was seamless. We flew Etihad from Abhu Dhabi to Male and we met by a Ritz team member who escorted us to our boat. They tagged our bags by room (one for our kids, one for us) and handled everything for us. The transfer boat was luxurious, and there were nice snacks. The location is of course amazingly beautiful, but what really makes this resort memorable for us is the people - the Maldivian people are lovely and the staff at the resort incredibly friendly and service oriented. They are definitely one of the best hospitality teams we've encountered after staying at many Ritz Reserves, Amans and other luxurious properties. Our butler Ammadey was so attentive and responsive. All the staff we encountered, in the restaurants, the pool, the excursions, dive center etc, were great. The villas are spacious and luxurious, and the room housekeeping super on top of things. We never had to ask to have our room made-up. They would automagically take care of things while we were out. We had two adjacent over water villas on the side of the island near the Beach, fitness center. The last time we stayed on the oval side near the spa. Both are great locations. This was good with kids as we did a lot of activities. If you're a morning person this side is also good as it aligns with sunrise. The other side is better for sun set. There are lots of great excursions and water activities to do. 1. Dolphin cruise - definitely a highlight. We went out on a traditional Maldivian vessel and it took a while to find the dolphins, but when we did it was a massive pod - maybe 50 of them - spinner dolphins who were fun to watch as some of them did acrobatics. 2. Snorkeling - you can snorkel from your villa and they bring you equipment to do so, but we also chose to do two excursions - a Shark Quest where you go to a reef where you can see Black Tips, White Tips and Nurse sharks. Don't worry they are docile and are not interested in coming close to you. We also did a Turtle snorkeling excursion but unfortunately did not get to see turtles. The clarify of the water is great and the reefs full of sea life. One highlight on the Shark Quest is our guide filmed us and the sea life with a go pro. 3. Water sports - we rented a sea bob a couple of times which was a lot of fun. Especially being able to go under water. We also hired a speed boat to pull us on an inflatable bed / couch at high speeds. It was a rush. Our daughter also went on a Fly board - a board like a snow board that has water jets and is attached to a jet ski. She had a lesson and was able to master getting up in the air and doing turns / spins. She had a lot of fun. We also enjoyed most all of the food options. 1. Arabesque - our top choice of the trip. It's a 10 min boat ride to an island where the Patina resort is based. It's Indian and Middle Eastern food and we all loved it. The serving staff and chef were great. They gave our son a tour of how to use the Tandoor oven. The food was delicious. 2. Eau Bar (Japanese) - our kids loved this place. My wife and I were not quite as enamoured. They did have reasonable vegetarian options (I'm a vegetarian). 3. Locanda (Italian) - one of our sons loved his Tomahawk steak and the other loved his Carbonra. I enjoyed the 4 cheese pizza. We later ordered items from here for room service, and our son loved the bolognaise and we enjoyed the truffle, primavera and margherita pizzas. Locanda is also the location for breakfast. The buffet and a la carte options are strong. I was glad that there was a dosa station which hit my Indian craving. 4. Brasa - steak house the island with Patina. We're trying it tonight. 5. Food trucks - also on the island with Patina. Our sons enjoyed burgers, while my wife and I had Asian food. I had a veggie pad thai which was quite good and my wife enjoyed her Lobster friend rice. There's also a gelato truck. The butler service really is a big plus and makes everything so seamless. The staff remember your preferences (e.g. sparkling water), and go out of their way to make the experience special. We will most definitely be back.

This hotel is absolutely beautiful and truly exceptional. We had an amazing time and enjoyed every moment of our stay. Our butler, Bunyod, was incredibly kind, attentive, and helpful. He made sure we had everything we needed—and often even more. The service throughout the entire resort was of the highest possible standard. We have stayed in many hotels around the world, but nowhere have we experienced such consistently outstanding hospitality. What made it special was that the staff were not only highly professional and competent, but also genuinely warm and caring. You could feel that they truly enjoyed looking after people. The result was a level of luxury without any stiffness or formality—it felt effortless and authentic. Our room was maintained to an exceptional standard. It was spotless every single day, sparkling clean, fresh, and meticulously cared for. The villa itself was breathtakingly beautiful—we often did not even feel like leaving it. The food in the restaurants was excellent. Our favorites were the Italian and Japanese restaurants. Breakfast was delicious, varied, and despite staying for ten days, we never got tired of it. The weather was occasionally unpredictable, but even then everything was handled perfectly. The buggy service ensured we could move around comfortably without getting soaked or muddy. We were impressed by the attention to detail—even larger puddles were cleared after the rain to make guests more comfortable. One of the highlights of our stay was the dolphin excursion. The crew had a more relaxed and informal style, which we really enjoyed, but they were also highly professional. It was obvious that they knew the ocean extremely well and were completely confident they would find dolphins—and they did! We were probably happiest during that boat trip. What stood out most throughout the entire stay was the genuinely kind and human approach of everyone working there. We felt cared for at all times, and it was wonderful to experience a holiday where we could simply relax and allow others to take care of the details for a while. The gym deserves special recognition as well. It was beautiful, well-equipped, and thoughtfully managed. While I was working out one day, a staff member noticed that the sun was shining directly into my eyes and lowered the blinds without me even having to ask. The team also helped me park and retrieve my bicycle, and whenever we were walking around the resort, staff would often stop and ask if we would like a buggy ride, even when we had not requested one. I genuinely liked the people we met throughout the resort and feel very grateful to have experienced this level of luxury—it felt like stepping into another world. My only less-than-perfect experience was a massage treatment at the spa. Unfortunately, it was somehow the least enjoyable massage I have ever had. The therapist was rather rough, lacked sensitivity, and the treatment felt quite basic. Ironically, although it was advertised as an anti-stress massage, it ended up causing me more stress than relaxation. However, during another visit to the spa for a massage workshop, the therapists we met were absolutely wonderful, so I believe this was more about the individual therapist than the spa itself. In any case, this did not diminish the quality of our stay in the slightest. We are incredibly satisfied, had a truly memorable vacation, and leave with wonderful memories. Thank you very much for such an exceptional and unforgettable experience. We hope to return one day.

We would like to sincerely thank you for all the beautiful anniversary surprises you have prepared for us during our stay. Every detail has made this celebration truly special and unforgettable. A special thank you to Ford—please let him know directly that I have left a Google review, and I hope his manager sees it and considers giving him a raise. for his exceptional care, kindness, and attention throughout our stay. His thoughtful arrangements and warm hospitality have made our anniversary experience even more meaningful. We are truly grateful to the entire team for making our time here so memorable. This has been an experience we will always cherish.