Sun Siyam Olhuveli

I decided to spend two weeks in the Maldives for a treat to celebrate my 70th birthday. I flew out the week after my birthday and was met at the airport by CJ who said they were waiting for some other passengers who were flying in and then we would set off to the resort. The health & safety briefing on the boat was exceptional and life jackets were issued before boarding the boat. The journey took about 45 minutes and on arrival we were greet by several of the staff with drums and hanging a garland around our necks and greeting us. I was met by the guest host Looth who took my bags and then drove me to reception. Looth is a charming young man with excellent English, and he went through all the things to understand about the island and places to visit as well as giving me his contact number should I require anything. He introduced me to the App that the resort has specifically for guests staying there which in my opinion is one of the most comprehensive and detailed fully working apps I have used for hospitality and hotels. Looth then drove me to my villa and I discovered that I had been given an upgrade to the original one that I booked as this was really big with amazing views of sunsets. In the room there were chocolates, wine, a fully stock mini bar. It had the best shower I have ever used and a bath on the balcony as well as a bath in the villa. The bed was so comfortable, and the pillows felt like sleeping on clouds. Everywhere was very clean and I appreciated the daily visits in the morning and evening by Sujette who made lovely messages and things out of towels. As a solo traveller I was a bit nervous about being on my own for two weeks but I need not have worried as all the staff at the resort were absolutely fantastic. I soon made friends with many of them, and I was impressed by the level of customer care they gave. Nothing was too much trouble and even when I needed help to get over to Dream Island all I had to do was ask for a buggy and either Damon or Dude would come and collect me. The island also has an excellent electric bus service which runs regularly from Dream island to Olhuveli island and I made use of this as well. The two buffet restaurants have a fantastic selection of food to suit most tastes, both at breakfast and in the evening there was a good variety. I found that although I had booked Premium all inclusive I could not manage food at lunchtime so just stuck to breakfast and evening meal. I also ate at Namaste, Syam Orchid and Mahgrib restaurants on several occasions. Without doubt these restaurants are first class and I enjoyed everything that I tried in them and I cannot thank the staff and chefs enough for making me feel so welcome. My favourite bar was the Dhoni bar, this was because it is adults only and is quite peaceful to spend the day there. The pool is lovely to swim in and I met and talked to quite a few interesting people there. For the more energetic visitors there is lots to do around the island. There are plenty of water sports on offer, a gym, art classes, dance evenings, cocktail evening and snorkelling around the house reef. My advice is to pay attention to all advice given on where to swim as there are some very strong currents in certain areas and as a strong swimmer myself, I was aware of this. I also met a very interesting and dedicated member of staff – Shaun who was very knowledgeable on both cricket and wine and a trained sommelier. He would seek me out every day and I got the opportunity to see his amazing wine cellar on Dream Island at the Mahgrib Grill. If you get the opportunity to try some wine tasting, then I recommend this very much. Finally it was time to go home and the transfer from the island back to the airport was just as smooth as when I arrive. I just want to say a huge thank you to the following for making my holiday so special and I hope to come back and visit again in the future. To my friends in the Dhoni Bar who served me with constant Bloody Gins, Kahled, Hafeez, Akash, Thiri, Hoodh, Lucky and Doss. Thank you to Mohammed who I first met in the Sunset Buffet, lovely Karina, Sang and Chef Nasir from Namaste and also Mutie, Ibrahim and Enuu from Mahgrib – you are all excellent employees and a credit to the company! Read less

The holiday was perfect! Staff is amazing and welcoming, everyone is greeted us every time ☺️ Assel helped us to check in within 10 minutes on our arrival and explained everything that we need to know. Assel was very helpful and was available all time for our questions. Also we had birthday celebration and hotel gave us birthday cake, room decorations and bootle of sparkling wine! Food in the buffet is amazing and has various of options everyday on breakfast lunch and dinner. For kids they also had a big option of food. And waiters in buffet are very nice and welcome. Water is clear and nice to swim. Also we had great experience in Ocean spa with amazing massage with stunning view. Also boat transfer was fast and safe. We liked our stay. And we recommend everyone to visit this hotel. Read less

I stayed with family of 2 small kids. Stayed in a grand beach villa. The villa was very nice with a nice view with all the basic ameneties. Half board package included breakfast and dinner which I would say was ok. In lunch I used to order in villa. Beach and views are mesmerising. Prices across the Island are in dollars and you have to pay for everything. Activities you can do by yourself is snorkeling by renting gear from there. Usually the snorkeling trips are for very advanced swimmers, however you can opt for beginners diving. The reef along the island is crazy beautiful. You will see mantas , sharks etc. Near the dive center , its amazing reef and you ll see what not. Overall its a nice resort. Its just that its a bit pricy which you have to bare in mind. Otherwise its worth a visit. I would recommend a 3-5 night stay for sure. Read less

We have recently returned from this paradise after 2 weeks of pure heaven and luxury. Olhuveli never disappoints! We arrived at Male on the 30th of October. It was very swift through the airport and on to the boat. On our crossing to the island the lovely crew spotted a huge pod of dolphins and we were able to watch them play at the side of our boat which was truly magical❤️. Once we arrived at the resort we were given the usual warm welcome and met our fantastic host Looth. What a fabulous host, we are not needy travellers but he always was checking in with us making sure we were enjoying our stay. Checking in was a breeze with passion fruit cocktails and cold towels to refresh us was such a lovely touch. We are repeaters to this resort and always stay in a Grand Water Villa on Dream Island. The room was ready, pristinely clean with a fully stocked fridge and the bed decorated to welcome us. Fruit and wine were provided with a lovely note from the management. Alamin kept the room lovely for us the whole of our stay. Over the next 2 nights we enjoyed the most amazing entertainment including Bollywood dancing and Dj Ikonik. I don’t think I’ve ever danced so much in my life. My husband and I never take for granted the beauty of this island. Surrounded by crystal clear waters, sand like sugar and lush greenery creates this paradise and you can’t take your eyes off of it! We ate at Malify as our main restaurant ….i just need to say WOW!!! The food was just amazing and the chefs cater for your every need. Fresh fish cooked to order, huge roasts, beautiful fresh fruit and salads, fantastic Indian food, a plant based section, ramen soups freshly made and of course the pasta station. It really doesn’t get better than this. As a party of 4 we all said it’s the best food we have ever eaten! Shout out to Proodip for our amazing omelettes in the morning! He is the master of eggs!!!! Thanks to Panda one of the many waiters who make sure your dining experience is amazing. The beaches are breathtaking and tended to everyday by a committed team that always say hi when you see them. The underwater life is magical and we were lucky to snorkel with rays, turtles, sharks and lots of beautiful fish. Throughout our stay we were entertained by the Island band, High Tides. These are fantastic musicians, singers and really know how to entertain. Joseph and the gang can play any request you have. We enjoyed some fabulous meals at Namaste. This is the best Indian food we have eaten, a big thank you to Chef Nasir, luckily we were still able to do up our belts on the aircraft home. Farra and his team hosted us, the service is excellent and WOW! This guy can sing!!! The Maldivian night was spectacular! The food at Magrib was to die for and the string on the beach was heavenly. We were hosted by Rohan who is simply just the sweetest soul with a smile that just makes your day! Island pizza is always our go to with fabulous burgers and pizzas. A big thanks to Sunny and the team for taking care of us. We ate at Siyam Orchid, the fried chicken in plum sauce is to die for. A big thanks to Akash for looking after us! Big shout out to Sean for sorting out all our bookings, he’s a star! We spent our days chilling at the Dream bar and pool. For me this is the prettiest part of the resort. The drinks are ice cold and the cocktails delicious. Sujith / Anton and his team were super hosts working extremely hard spreading joy and happiness in every interaction. A big thanks to Rohan…again, Bidhan, Niru and Mahi. Our evening pre dinner drinks were spent at the Lagoon bar. This bar is hosted by the wonderful Daminda and his fabulous team including Neha. This is a lovely setting to see the sun set on an elevated decking surrounded by baby sharks whilst enjoying an ice cold beer …or two! Ultimately the resort is breathtakingly beautiful but the real stars of our Maldivian heaven are the staff, just beautiful souls. We can’t wait to return ❤️🐠❤️🐠 Read less