The Maldives, a firm favourite with Sally as our underwater specialist and snorkelling master, and a first time for me. 1’200 coral islands stretching out in the warm Indian Ocean with over 150 resorts, would Makunudu stand out?
After a direct flight from LHR we arrived in Male, already blown away by the blues and turquoises of the ocean below and little pops of white and green islands, all very exciting. It is a simple 5-minute walk from the airport welcome to the boat jetty and before we knew it, we were off to Makunudu – 40/45 minutes by boat with water, fresh air and an ice cold, scented towel to refresh us.
On arrival, what seemed like the entire team were waiting at the jetty to welcome us, as well as some nurse sharks right by the boat 😊. Exciting!
Makunudu is a small, 6-acre Island with only 36 rooms making it one of the smallest hotels in the Maldives. The beach bungalows are hidden amongst shady trees and indigenous vegetation which keeps them private and unobtrusive, as well as cooler. With shady, coral-sand paths, Makunudu is definitely a no shoes, no news kind of a place. No televisions, just a wonderful, charming, traditional Maldivian room but with all the amenities that you might need on a desert island.
A simple 1 bar, 1 restaurant affair was on offer but with a wide variety of drinks and delicious food, a mix of a la carte and buffet, salads, fresh fish and seafood from local fishermen as well as vegetarian and dietary requirements all catered for. A well-oiled service by a wonderfully warm and established team and butler who looks after you for your entire stay.
Excellent value with a FB and AI rate as well as special dining options and celebratory moment experiences.
Diving and snorkelling and all things in the water were provided by a 5 star Eco Padi dive centre whose team are on hand to help with snorkelling, non-motorized water sports and fishing or dive trips.
We snorkelled the shortest distance to the House Reef, which was fantastic. The reef continues pretty much around the Island and most of the guests we met spent their mornings snorkelling in different areas and at their own pace and were loving it. They had seen rays, turtles, nurse and black-tipped sharks as well as multiple fish and despite some bleaching from warming seas, the corals looked in good health with some soft corals too. Turtle Point, just a 5-minute boat trip away, was another fantastic option and sits within the Makunudu Atoll so guests have first access there and the island can keep it exclusively if they want to. The Island team have also created 2 coral nurseries which can be sponsored and do a weekly talk about preserving the oceans and what is happening right here in the Maldives. The Manta season from Makunudu is roughly from November to May but they had seen a few just before we arrived, the seasons seem to be changing. Many of the dive sites offer snorkelling and diving options at the same site, which is good for diving/non dive guests. They also offer Nitrox for free and have multiple dive packages on offer.
Night fishing – what fun to go out into the deep and do some line fishing and then eat it the next day for lunch – we combined it with a sunset cruise, and it was definitely one of my highlights.
Our highlights and three words:
- A warm welcome and the staff went above and beyond to make our stay special and to make us feel at home. Everyone gets to know all of the guests and many/most of the staff have been there for 15 years plus.
- Traditional, Maldivian and charming, intimate, hideaway island, relaxed and beautiful – no wonder they have such a high repeat guest ratio.
- The Reef and watersports on offer are superb!
- Simple, serene, a preserved barefoot paradise.
- Our three words: charming, reef, people
- Plans afoot:
- Refurbishing the bathrooms and adding a new shady, private verandah at the back of each bungalow, looking out to the beach. The first 16 rooms to be finished by December 2024.
- Water bottling site – removing single use plastic bottles.
We also discussed many other ideas and options and as these are decided we will share them with you.
Please keep in touch and let us know how we can support you and help,
Helen & Sally
