Click to watch AdventurPro featured in the Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa Promo in The Maldives: June 2016!

 

Vilamendhoo Island Resort and Spa, Maldives : Surreal, Breathtaking, Tropical Paradise

Picture this: white sandy beaches, beautiful coral reefs, exquisite shades of turquoise crystal clear water, secluded private islands, and an underwater diver’s paradise. The beauty of the Maldives is truly mesmerizing and will leave you breathless. It is the perfect tropical escape for honeymooners, divers, or an amazing tropical holiday. The Maldives are located in the Indian Ocean southwest of India and Sri Lanka and are an archipelago made up of 26 coral atolls, which are made up of over a thousand islands. After researching all the islands and connecting with a few directors in the tourism industry as well as upon being invited to multiple locations, we chose Vilamendhoo Island Resort and Spa! 

Adventur Pro’s Top Reasons to Stay at Vilamendhoo Island Resort and Spa

1. Location- Vilamendhoo Island Resort is surrounded by a beautiful lagoon and has an extensive house reef that stretches 900 meters long by 250 meters wide which equates to about 55 acres. Upon arrival, the island is only accessible by seaplane from the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. Once arriving at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, you are then chauffeured to your seaplane which is truly the most exciting “taxi” in the world. Please be aware, you will be about to live an extraordinary experience!! Flight duration is about 30 minutes. During flight, we had a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful crystal clear water, islands, sandbars, lagoons, and coral reefs. The takeoff and landing was very smooth and was truly a once in a lifetime experience. One recommendation when booking the seaplane is to make sure that your international flight arrives early due to the last seaplane leaves at 3pm, so if you are not scheduled for arrival before 3pm, you will need to arrange overnight accommodation in Male. Upon landing and stepping foot out onto the platform of our hotel, we were then welcomed by the wonderful staff and the director Areef. We at Adventur Pro want to personally thank Areef for being so professional, welcoming, really going out of his way to make sure we had an amazing time.  In addition to our welcome, they even had coconut drinks waiting for us as soon as we arrived as we proceeded to check in. As Michael and I looked around the resort, our faces were filled with excitement and the grounds were truly spectacular!!

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2. Accommodation- There are 184 rooms at Vilamendhoo including 30 jacuzzi water villas, 111 beach villas, and 13 garden rooms all featuring tropical decor, a king size or twin beds, wood or tile floors, private porches with furniture, air-conditioning, an overhead ceiling fan, sitting areas, stocked mini bars with refridgerators, complimentary tea/coffee, IDD telephone, 32 inch flat screen cable tv, dvd, and cd player, iPod connection, highspeed broadband internet connection, personal safe, partially open-air bathroom with double sinks, a rain shower, bath accessories, hair dryer, nightly turn down service, bathrobes, complimentary use of chaise lounges at the pool and beach and beach towels.

  • Jacuzzi Water Villas: The jacuzzi water villas are located over-the-water in the lagoon which is a short walk along your private jetty to this secluded hideaway featuring a larger bedroom, wood floor, an ipod docking station/ sound tower, a tea/coffee expresso machine, a spacious bathroom with a private, walled-in outdoor area featuring a jacuzzi for two “under the stars”, a wooden sundeck with chaise lounges, a shade umbrella, tropical plants and a beautiful view of the lagoon. There is also access from your sundeck to enter the ocean and swim out to the house reef.

During our stay, we stayed in a jacuzzi over water villa (Villa 318), and all we could say is WOW! We highly recommend this villa and were very impressed with it. From the moment we walked down the private jetty and entered in our villa, we were overwhelmed with excitement and left speechless. On the table, there was a giant fresh fruit basket left for us with a beautiful card from the resort manager Jen to welcome us. Our bed was also lavishly decorated with beautiful flowers freshly picked from the island that left us in awe. Later in the evening, we were surprised with Moet Chandon and matching champagne glasses. The hospitality at this resort was beyond our expectation and exceeded high standards by far. In days to follow, we were surprised at dinner with a beautiful table setting with fresh picked flowers from the island as well and the staff even went out of their way to surprise Michael with a birthday cake for his birthday. We were blown away by the service and are so appreciative of the staff for making our stay an experience of a lifetime!

  • Jacuzzi Beach Villas: The jacuzzi beach villas are spacious, with wood floor, an iPod docking station, a private, walled-in outdoor area featuring a jacuzzi for two “under the stars”, a wooden sun deck with chaise lounges, a shade umbrella, tropical plants, and a beautiful view of the lagoon.
  • Beach VillasThe beach villas are like the jacuzzi beach villas but with tile floor and no jacuzzi nor sundeck.
  • Garden Rooms: The garden rooms are the same as beach villas but located in the garden, not on the beach. They are in 3 blocks of 4 or 5 rooms, and have a privacy screen between each room.

3. All-Inclusive Option: The all-inclusive option is the best way to go especially in the Maldives, and Vilamendhoo is one of the select few resorts that offer an all-inclusive option. There are two main “sister” restaurants featuring the same “all you can eat” buffet style meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, served in traditional open-air, sand floor, thatch roof dining with a seperate table for each guest room. The Funama restaurant is for guests in the garden rooms and beach villas and the Ahima restaurant is for adults only, for guests staying in the jacuzzi beach villas and jacuzzi water villas. We were highly impressed that everyday they change up the menu and they have different themes for each night. They had American night, Mediterranean night, Asian Inspired night, Maldivian Inspired night, Greek Inspired night, and more. The all-inclusive package also includes 24 hour “unlimited all you can drink” alcholic and non-alcholic beverages as well as water, soft drinks, beer, wine, coffee, tea, iced tea in your mini bar. They also include one half bottle of champagne, a half hour group snorkeling tour, windsurfing and tennis, daytime use of the tennis, volleyball and badminton courts, and one sunset cruise complimentary of the resort. You also have free use to the games room, kayaks and windsurfers.

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There are optional a la carte restaurants including the over water Asian Wok restaurant, specializing in asian cuisine and Teppanyaki, the Hot Rock restaurant on the Sunset Bar beach, featuring seafood, steak or chicken cooked at your table on “hot rocks”, for adults only; and 3 other optional al la carte choices. They also have a snack menu at the bars and pools as well as room service and a selection of special dinners served on the beach.

We recommend the all-inclusive plan 100%. It is the most effective way to save money due to you have to remember you are on a secluded island and the only options to eat are at the resort. The all-inclusive plan offerred is very affordable and a great value. The food is absolutely delicious and there is a large variety of different entrees. It is very easy as well because you don’t have to carry any form of payment around at the resort. Duing our stay, we were invited to the VIP  party for management and past guests and upon going we had an amazing opportunity to personally meet the executive head chef of the resort. His name was Marc Ruegg. He was so inspiring and had such a passion for being a chef, his recipes, and creating new recipes for guests to enjoy and let me tell you his recipes are AMAZING! You will not go hungry at this resort, the food is top notch and there is so much to choose from! We at Adventur Pro want to personally thank him for sharing his insight and for all the hard work he does in preparation of his delicious cuisine.

4. A La Carte Dining and Bars:

 

Bonthi Bar
The Bonthi Bar, on the beach beside the Funama Restaurant, with satellite TV coverage of international sporting events and a Disco. There is also outdoor seating on a wooden deck. Hours: 24 hours
Boashi Bar
Located beside the Boashi Bar Pool, at the eastern end of the island. Hours: 1000-2000

Sunset Bar
Beside the Ahima Restaurant and Sunset Pool, designated for guests of 18 years and older… the best view of sunset
with a choice of seating, either inside, on the pool decks or beach. Hours: 1000-2300

Asian Wok Bar
Serving drinks in the Asian Wok Restaurant.­
Hours: 1000-2300

 

5. Activities and Excursions: Vilamendhoo never has a dull moment. Whether you are relaxing on the pristine beaches or scuba diving the beautiful coral reefs, there is so much to do on the island. There are guided snorkel tours, sunset cruises, island hopping, Robinson Crusoe island, whale shark excursions, manta and turtle snorkeling, and so much more. There is also a weekly program that includes football and sports tournaments at the resort. You can also drop by the Bonthi bar to play a variety of board games including chess, checkers, scrabble, and more. Vilamendhoo provides nightly entertainment of maldives culture and history, marine preservation, Bodu Beru dance show, DJ disco, divers’ video night, movies, quiz night, and live bands throughout your stay. They also have a library at the resort if you enjoy reading.

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Vilamendhoo’s Weekly Entertainment:

Monday

2100
Ocean Discovery Night at Bonthi Bar
2100
Slide Show – Marine Preservation at Sunset Bar

Tuesday

2100
Karaoke Night at Bonthi Bar

Wednesday

2100
Slide Show – Marine Preservation at Bonthi Bar
2130
Quiz Night at Bonthi Bar
2100
Soft Music at Sunset Bar

Thursday

2130-0030
Disco “Live Band” Night at Bonthi Bar

Friday

2100
Maldives Culture & History Presentation – Slide Show at Bonthi Bar
2130
Bodu Beru Cultural Dance Show at Bonthi Bar
2100
Soft Music at Sunset Bar

Saturday

2130-0030
Disco DJ Night at Bonthi Bar

Sunday

2100
Sports TV Night / Movie Night

Excursions Offerred at Vilamendhoo:

Snorkeling Boat Trip
Experience the underwater wonderland, transported by Dhoni to a nearby coral reef. Rent snorkelling equipment from the Dive Center or purchase it from the Gift Shop. Remember not to touch the coral or any other marine creatures! It is illegal to collect live shells or coral. For swimmers only. Non-swimmers are not allowed. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 1000-1200; Wednesday 1430-1630
US$28 per person, Minimum 10 persons, Minimum age is 12
Sunset ‘Punch’ Cruise
Enjoy a late afternoon boat trip on a local Dhoni while watching a beautiful tropical sunset, with a glass of special punch in hand and if you’re lucky, some dolphins may join in the fun! A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 1700-1830
US$32 per person, Minimum 10 persons
Robinson Crusoe “Sand Bank” Excursion
Your own private sandbank…the ultimate romantic getaway! We drop you off in the morning and pick you up before lunch (enough sun for the day). A picnic breakfast and drinks are included. Rent snorkelling equipment from the Dive Center or purchase it from the Gift Shop. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Daily morning/afternoon – depending on tide
US$245 per couple, Maximum 2 persons, Minimum age is 12
Dhangethi Island Excursion
Visit a nearby local island and see how our neighbors live and work together in more of a traditional lifestyle. Shop for souvenirs in the local shops…take US$ cash. The required clothing to be worn when visiting a local island is at the minimum a short sleeve t-shirt; knee length shorts for women, and shorts for men. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday (0930-1200)
US$28 per person, Minimum 6, Maximum 25 persons
Whale Shark Excursion
Experience the excitement of seeing magnificent Whale Sharks. Hopefully (not guaranteed) see, photograph and maybe swim with Whale Sharks…Rent snorkeling equipment from the Dive Center or purchase it from the Gift Shop. For swimmers only. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 0900 – 1300, Friday, 1400 – 1800
US$55 per person, Minimum 10, Maximum 25 persons
Manta & Turtle Excursion
Experience the excitement of seeing magnificent Mantas and Turtles. Hopefully (not guaranteed) see, photograph and maybe swim with Mantas and Turtles…Rent snorkeling equipment from the Dive Center or purchase it from the Gift Shop. For swimmers only. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday 0900 – 1300, Monday 1400 – 1800
US$55 per person, Minimum 10, Maximum 25 persons
Ocean Discoverer – Full Day
A must for all snorkelling enthusiasts! This full day excursion will take you to the 2 most famous snorkeling spots in the Maldives: Manta Point and Whale Shark Point (not guaranteed to spot them on every excursion). To top off your snorkeling experience, we’ll also visit popular reefs in this area to see as many different sea creatures in one day. Lunch provided on board. Rent snorkeling equipment from the Dive Center or purchase it from the Gift Shop. For experienced snorkelers only. Minimum age is 12. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Daily 0900 – 1700, except Friday
US$265 per couple & US$135 per single. Minimum 6, Maximum 10 persons.
Casting Fishing – Dhoni Half-Day Charter
Use of fishing equipment included; however broken tackle, line or missing lures will be charged to your account. Includes morning coffee and pastry. Beverage is available aboard at Vilamendhoo bar prices (water/soft drinks at no charge for All Inclusive Plus guests). Minimum age 12. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

4 hours: 0600 – 1000 or 1400 – 1800
US$235 for maximum 2 persons
Big Game Fishing – 36′ Sportsfishing Charter
Use of fishing equipment included; however broken tackle, line or missing lures will be charged to you account. Includes morning coffee and pastry. Beverage is available aboard at Vilamendhoo bar prices (water/soft drinks at no charge for All Inclusive Plus guests). Minimum age 12. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

2 hours: 0600-0800 or 1600-1800
US$235 for maximum 2 persons
Big Game Fishing – 36′ Sportsfishing Half-Day Charter
Use of fishing equipment included; however broken tackle, line or missing lures will be charged to you account. Includes morning coffee and pastry. Beverage is available aboard at Vilamendhoo bar prices (water/soft drinks at no charge for All Inclusive Plus guests). Minimum age 12. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

4 hours: 0600-1000 or 1400-1800
US$705 for maximum 4 persons
Big Game Fishing – 36′ Sportsfishing Full-Day Charter
Use of fishing equipment included; however broken tackle, line or missing lures will be charged to you account. Includes morning coffee and pastry and sandwiches for lunch. Beverage is available aboard at Vilamendhoo bar prices (water/soft drinks at no charge for All Inclusive Plus guests). Minimum age 12. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

8 hours
US$1100 for maximum 4 persons
Turtle Excursion
Experience the excitement of seeing magnificent Turtles at Turtle Reef, 10 minutes by small speed boat. Hopefully (not guaranteed) see, photograph and maybe swim with Turtles… Rent snorkeling equipment from the Dive Center or purchase it from the Gift Shop. For swimmers only. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Daily 1000 – 1100, Friday, 1500 – 1600
US$25 per person, Minimum 2, Maximum 4 persons
Vila Snorkeling Adventure
This full day excursion by dhoni will take you to the 2 most famous snorkeling spots in the Maldives: Manta Point and Whale Shark Point. Hopefully (not guaranteed) see, photograph and maybe swim with Manta and Whale Sharks… Rent snorkeling equipment from the Dive Center or purchase it from the Gift Shop. Picnic lunch (packed lunch), soft drinks (3 per person) and water are included on boat. For experienced snorkelers and swimmers only. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Daily 0900 – 1700, except Friday
US$90 per person, Minimum 10, Maximum 16 persons
Trolling Fishing – Dhoni Half-Day Charter
Use of fishing equipment included; however broken tackle, line or missing lures will be charged to your account. Includes morning coffee and pastry. Beverage is available aboard at Vilamendhoo bar prices (water/soft drinks at no charge for All Inclusive Plus guests). Minimum age 12. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

4 hours: 0600 – 1000 or 1400 – 1800
US$235 for maximum 2 persons
Highly Recommended: Robinson Crusoe “Sand Bank” Private Island Excursion: We had the opportunity to rent this private island and let us tell you, DO NOT MISS THIS!!! It is worth every penny! IT IS A MUST DO! WOW! We met at the reception in the lobby of Vilamendhoo were we were given a phone in case of emergency, a couple of ice chests filled with soft drinks and a full picnic, snorkel equipment and fresh towels and we were taken to a boat to take us on to our private island adventure. We were dropped off at our island and when we first arrived our mouths dropped! The sandbar was beautiful and went for allmost a mile out into the water that you could just walk in knee high in the middle of the ocean. It was equisite and one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen! They set up a table for us, shade, beach chairs, and our picnic and left us to enjoy our day. It was incredible!
Whale Shark Excursion: WOW! We went on this tour and were lucky enough to swim with 3 whale sharks!! They do not disappoint. The staff has a great eye when looking for them. We took about an hour boat ride out to Whale Shark Point and once we arrived we were in the water in all of about five minutes swimming with these magnificent creatures. The snorkel guide was so informative and great! We will say though do not do this excursion unless you are a strong swimmer. It is a lot of swimming and sometimes with current, however it is an AMAZING experience and if you know how to swim well you will be completely fine!
Diving (Euro Divers)- Vilamendhoo has a third party dive center on the resort called Euro Divers. The diving in the Maldives is spectacular. We were fortunate enough to see 3 octopus (one even changed color), black-tip reef sharks, stingrays, eagle rays, 7 different morray eels, turtles, puffer fish,  and a napolean wrasse, as well as many fish. We did do the manta and whale shark dive but found that you have more luck snorkeling with them. Our guide Magalie was very sweet and had an amazing eye for finding and pointing out sea life. However, unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the rest of the company. They were over-priced and outdated when it came to technology and remembering the dive sites on where to go. The ocean is huge and it is difficult to spot sites by the eye rather than using the appropriate technology. This has nothing to do with the resort, it is just a recommendation for the third party dive center.
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6. Duniye Spa: The Duniye Spa is beyond expectation! The grounds are beautiful. They are located at the beginning of the private jetty where the over-water villas are. It is serene, peaceful, and overlooks the lagoon. They offer a tropical spa experience for both men and women, focused on wholeness, simplicity, purity, and quality. The therapist’s healing energy combined with Asian massage techniques and using only chemical-free pure organic compounds, follows a natural holistic personalized approach to caring for each guest’s health, beauty, and well-being. They offer a full salon offering pedicures, manicures, hair cuts, facials, and massages.
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We had the opportunity of having a couple’s massage done and it was so relaxing and exceeded our expectations. Upon entering the spa, we were taken to our massage room. As you lay on the beds, they have underwater glass where your head faces down so you can watch the fish underneath the villas throughout your massage. The therapists were great! After the massage, they give you an option to soak in a milk bath on the sun deck overlooking the lagoon. They also then take you to the relaxation room where they gave us a holistic spicy tea and we laid on the pillow topped lounge chairs for two and gazed at the lagoon and sunset. It was AMAZING and a definitely must do at Vilamendhoo!

 

7. Adults Only Area: Vilamendhoo welcomes guests of all ages, but one thing we loved about the resort is half of the island is adult only. It is great for the honeymooners and guests enjoying a romantic vacation with their loved ones. Children are accomodated only in the garden rooms and beach villas. Over-water villas and jacuzzi beach villas are adults-only. Adults only facilities are for guests 18 years age and older.

8. House Reef: Vilamendhoo Island Resort and Spa is one of select resorts that has an extensive house reef that is beyond beautiful. There are ten exit points from the lagoon to snorkel the reef. Upon exiting you will see the drop off! You snorkel along the wall of the reef and will see a vast amount of marine life ranging from eels, turtles, dolphins, and many different types of fish. We recommend bringing snorkel equipment on your holiday due to the snorkel equipment at the resort must be rented from Euro Divers and does get a bit pricey. The house reef is a huge advantage to staying at the beautiful Vilamendhoo resort because other resorts do not have a house reef and you need to book a tour and take a boat to go snorkel a reef.

9. Hospitality at Vilamendhoo: The hospitality and staff at Vilamenhoo really exceeded all of our expectations. They were wonderful. They always knew our names all around the resort and were very helpful in anything we needed. The room service was spectacular and was always cleaned mid morning and at night. We were given fresh towels daily and our mini bar was always restocked. We had the same waiter all week and he was awesome! He always had a smile on his face and knew our drink orders by the second day. Azzam at the Bonthi bar was very friendly and great as well! He really went out of his way and we appreciated his kindness and service. Areef, director of operations, was so friendly, informative, and really went out of his way as well to make sure we had an experience of a lifetime. We are very impressed with this resort and highly recommend it!

10. FREE Wifi: Vilamendhoo offers free wifi which is a great advantage to staying here! Other resorts we found charge daily. This is great to keep in touch with loved ones back home or check your accounts or emails without getting charged international fees.

Vilamendhoo offers the perfect package for anyone wanting to go to the Maldives. They are a budget friendly 4.5 star hotel that will make you have an experience of a lifetime! They also offer meeting and banquet rooms, honeymoon packages, and wedding and vow renewals. Book today! You will not be disappointed! We want to thank the staff at Vilamendhoo for having us and making our time an incredible experience.

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