Kuramathi 2023

24 May 2023 | markmM4027UP

Unbelievable!!!!! Having planned and saved for this once in a lifetime family holiday for 3 years, when we finally arrived at the island, it totally took our breath away. From the approach to the island from the boat, to the minute we arrived back in Male, it exceeded all of our expectations. All of the staff were lovely but we have to say a special thank you to our housekeeper, Ihufaan, who made our whole stay perfect. Our room was immaculate every day and was always really pleasant to talk to and kept us informed of the best places to see everything. We stayed in a Delux Water Villa at the end of the landing which was perfect for views of the island, the sea life, and more so the unbelievable sunsets on the Sandbank. All the restaurants and bars were exceptional, with all local and international foods you could imagine. Without doubt, a really special place and definitely cannot wait until we return.

A Taste of Paradise

23 May 2023 | 123maidmarion

My husband, 17 year old son and I had been anticipating this holiday for months and we were NOT disappointed. It is the most fabulous place, like stepping in to a travel brochure - but better. We stayed in a two storey beach house for ten nights and it was perfect for us all. We were on the lagoon side of the Island and most of the time it felt like we had the beach all to.ourselves, even though the other houses were occupied. The sand is powdery white, the sea is warm and clear turquoise, the sky is azure blue. And the Sandbank - swoon - will blow you away.... Loved ALL the restaurants, the food is top notch and the staff extremely nice and friendly all over the island. Cocktails in the Laguna Bar at sunset is a must. And we really appreciated the little touches too; the Long Island Tea on arrival, the decked area and beach swept for debris every day, the fresh coconut our room boy bought one morning. We cannot fault this place, we absolutely loved every minute!

Dream come true!

22 May 2023 | rushi2602

Mesmerizing property with amazing service and location was so beautiful. We stayed in the overwater villa with pool and I was awestruck by the beautiful view, serene island, scrumptious food. We would recommend to go for full board or all inclusive package for a fulfilling experience.

Paradise

22 May 2023 | IrmaV14

Kuramathi is for years on our bucketlist. We wanted to spoil ourselves and having never visited the Maldives. so finally we booked for 12 nights. From the moment we arrived at the seaplane terminal and then the island reception we knew we had made the right choice. The island is so beautiful and unspoilt, with a very beautiful tropical nature. You can see the care every single member of staff has to make this island fantastic. You can certainly find your own little piece of paradise anywhere around the big island and with its 3 swimming pools you can be in a different location everyday. There are nine restaurants on the island, three of which are for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are another a la carte restaurants to also choose from, if you choose all inclusive select. It is totally worth to make this choice, the quality of food and choices is amazing. The snorkelling around the reef is also amazing, with abundance of tropical fish, clear blue water and white sand you definitely won’t be disappointed. We saw the rifsharks, turtles, rays, morene, and so on. The villas are beautifully designed and spotlessly clean. We had a over water bungalow at the reef side. A lovely authentic bungalow, with everything we needed. Especially the view at the sea. And good WiFi. All the staff we encountered were very welcoming and friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. I would recommend this island to anyone and we are looking to back a next time.

Finally in paradise

22 May 2023 | I7041YMirmav

Kuramathi is for years on our bucketlist. We wanted to spoil ourselves and having never visited the Maldives. so finally we booked for 12 nights. From the moment we arrived at the seaplane terminal and then the island reception we knew we had made the right choice. The island is so beautiful and unspoilt, with a very beautiful tropical nature. You can see the care every single member of staff has to make this island fantastic. You can certainly find your own little piece of paradise anywhere around the big island and with its 3 swimming pools you can be in a different location everyday. There are nine restaurants on the island, three of which are for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are another a la carte restaurants to also choose from, if you choose all inclusive select. It is totally worth to make this choice, the quality of food and choices is amazing. The snorkelling around the reef is also amazing, with abundance of tropical fish, clear blue water and white sand you definitely won’t be disappointed. We saw the rifsharks, turtles, rays, morene, and so on. The villas are beautifully designed and spotlessly clean. We had a over water bungalow at the reef side. A lovely authentic bungalow, with everything we needed. Especially the view at the sea. And good WiFi. All the staff we encountered were very welcoming and friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. I would recommend this island to anyone and we are looking to back a next time.

Soul soothing Trip

27 May 2023 | 143abhayb

I'm glad I choose this place for my honeymoon. It was so relaxing and multi cuisine buffet was awesome. The employees there were so friendly and helpful. Island was clean. Check-in and check-out process was smooth and fast. Must visit place.

Heaven

28 May 2023 | markbStirling

We went for my 50th birthday and having wanted to go to the Maldives for at least 20 years this was beyond my wildest dreams. Everything was superb food was out of this world, staff were beyond fab and drinks on tap. We went AI Select and best choice of restaurants we love love loved it!! Now want to come bask asap this place is like being in a film cannot wait to return some day.

Fantastic Kuramathi!

01 Jun 2023 | RussD463

This was our 6th visit to wonderful Kuramathi and once again another fabulous holiday. The island was as well maintained as on previous occasions, a big shout out for the gardeners and maintenance teams for keeping the island perfect. We stayed in a Deluxe Water Villa with views towards the sand spit and lovely sunsets. The room itself is spacious and immaculate. Our room guy did a great job at servicing the room keeping it clean and tidy. We have our favourite restaurants; Island Barbecue, Tandoor Mahal, Siam Garden, Teppanyaki and Palm, all once again producing amazing tasty food. The staff at all the restaurants were again fantastic, this also includes our buffet restaurant that we used daily for breakfast and lunch. Our favourite bar is Fung bar, great staff and excellent place to hear the house band and other entertainment. We did use the other bars ; Laguna and Dhoni both are great for sunsets . Getting up and down the island is easy either walking or the easiest way is to use the frequent buggies driven by the fab buggy drivers. If diving is your thing, then Rasdhoo divers are amazing, quality equipment, safety first and the dive sites are wonderful. They also offer the full range of dive courses and training. There is also some great snorkelling and again the equipment is of good quantity. Kuramathi is amazing with fantastic staff, too many to name and yes we will be back

Kuramathi resort is a true paradise on earth

03 Jun 2023 | nagarajansubash82

Kuramathi island resort is unbelievably amazing. It was an dream come true stay with family on our anniversary. Excellent food , cleanliness, amenities and hospitality. We will definitely coming back .

Reset your mind

06 Jun 2023 | Alpacc

Reset your mind This was our 3 rd time back to kuramathi and it takes your breath away .I cried when I arrived and cried when I left .It’s a truly special place for all its wildlife and plants which are kept so beautiful.we arrived by seaplane which is a definite must for the experience and views and the organisation is perfection . We were greeted by our Kuoni rep Angelo who is amazing and tells you everything you need to know about your stay ,and is also very present throughout your stay if needed . We also have to mention Mufeed who looked after us so well and couldn’t have been any more friendly they work so hard . We opted for the select ai which was perfect and we had our favourites which were island bbq and inguuru amazing seafood and the staff were brilliant,especially Grace .The buggies around the island are very frequent so no need to walk but it is also lovely to take your time and explore as I said reset your mind . This island is an absolute must to visit and we would love to come back again someday to this little piece of heaven on earth.🥰Thankyou kuramathi

Kuramathi a beautiful place for families.

07 Jun 2023 | 873eberhard

A wonderful resort, also for families with kids. We are now the third time here and definitely not the last time also because of the great guys from the excursion center. We did quite some trips with them for snorkeling and it’s great to go with them on tour and listen to them and their advices. A special thanks to Ahmet who accompanied us with the whale shark trip yesterday and last year to see the Mantas. He always had a caring eye on the kids and all guests that needed support. His knowledge about the sea, the fishes and what to explore was outstanding. Special thanks also to Adam who was always available with great help and guidance around the sea live and excursions and who created some beautiful animals with banana leaves for the kids 😉 A highlight is of course the food here, highest quality and delicious. Also to mention the diving school is excellent. Worth to mention also is that the island is quite large, with a lot of different things to see. A highlight is the sensitivity for the environment. They take care of reducing plastic, bins are everywhere, the eco center organizes regular information sessions and the sea life. Fishes are not fed here 👍just for tourists fun, contrary to other islands. You feel that they really care. We are looking forward to coming back next year.

Best resort ever

16 Jun 2023 | Quest51271491254

Kind personel, great food, wunderful accomodations and great activities! Never had the time to get bored but also a please to come at ease. Good coctails as well! Although check in advance if you booked an all in and not just full board. Basic all in is the one I would recomend! Hope to come back again!

We recommend this resort to the future visitors.

10 Jun 2023 | X9781WFpeterp

It is a lovely place with excellent mix of services rendered and of an optimum size, not too big and not too small. We spent fantastic 12 days there & everything was amazing. Congratulations & thanks!

Absolute Paradise

25 Jun 2023 | 621pecks

Paradise that is how it felt as we landed by seaplane at Kuramathi . We had originally booked to visit Kuramathi in 2020 but COVID put a stop to that ! We rebooked 3 times before we finally made our way in May and it was certainly worth the wait. From landing at Male and being met by a representative from Kuramathi who greeted us took our cases and hand luggage straight to the sea plane to check in. We were taken to Kuramathi lounge where we had drinks and food whist we waited for our Seaplane, it was so organised. The seaplane was great the views of all the islands on the way until we got to Kuramathi where we were greeted with smiles a cold towel and a cold drink very much needed. We were taken to our Beach Bungalow on a buggy with Angelo our rep from Kuoni who was actually on his day off but made time to go with us to show us our Bungalow. We had the most amazing time for the two weeks we were there . The staff are a credit to Kuramathi from the people who keep the Island looking as lovely as it does, the people who look after the rooms, bar staff and waiters at each restaurant they really can’t do enough for you and are always checking everything is ok . We met some lovely people around the island and had special places we went to every day such as the pool by the Spa where we were so well looked after by the man at the bar, he remembered what we had each day and would greet us each day. We loved all of the restaurants and would recommend going select all inclusive which includes dining where you want to for lunch and dinner. I can’t say which one was my favourite as they were all outstanding. We had the Steak Diane and Crepe Suzette at the island BBQ which did not disappoint. The lunches at Palm were great, especially the ice cream ! Duniye was a great experience worth trying we really enjoyed the whole evening there. Siam Garden I think was my husbands favourite we visited 3 times and each meal was as good along with the good service which every restaurant has. We never had an issue booking a restaurant, we would book on the way to breakfast each day. The bars were very good and staff here were always there straight away as you finished a drink ready to get the next one for you. Cocktails were great so many to chose from. We had fantastic weather for the two weeks we were there, just had rain one afternoon and a couple of evenings, unfortunately one of the evenings was the one we had been allocated to go on the Sunset cruise ! We headed out had a glass of bubbly and then had to j head back as a storm was approaching. Typically every evening after that is was lovely. I could go on and on but just want to say I have been fortunate enough to visit many places around the world with my husband and family,but I’m not sure what it is about this amazing place I felt so emotional when I arrived here met by the beauty of the island and lovely people and emotional to leave as I didn’t want to go and since I have been home have been looking at ways to return. We will definitely be back. If you are looking to visit the Maldives I highly recommend Kuramathi, my friend recommended it to me and we met so many people who have been back so many times we can’t all be wrong it is pure PARADISE -Thanks all at Kuramathi we can’t wait to return

Amazing as always

30 Jun 2023 | 42tarynw

This was our 5th visit to Kuramathi. This time we stayed in a Delux water villa usually we stay in a Beach villa. The villa was spacious and it was great to just step into the ocean, very peaceful and relaxing. There are lots of different room types to suit any budget. What we would suggest is you upgrade to select all inclusive where possible. We always go Select all inclusive as the restaurants are amazing. If you love great food you won’t be disappointed. We actually love the fact it’s a larger island as there is plenty of space to find a quiet spot. 3 pools each with its own vibe and plenty of bar options. The grounds staff keep the island looking lovely. All the staff are friendly and polite. Some people have mentioned that the buggy’s on the island are not too frequent. Cannot say we noticed this but then we preferred to walk around the island, burn off some of those extra calories. This is our happy place so much so we’ve already booked our return next year. See you there.😊

A little slice of heaven…

15 Jul 2023 | LeighAndAneesha

Wow, where do we even begin with Kuramathi?! Everything and everyone was so outstanding - we felt it was only fair to leave a comprehensive review! Though if you want a short summary, here it is: Kuramathi gave us the most incredible experience, in the most perfect setting. We simply cannot fault it. It is truly like you’re experiencing the most wonderful dream, and you don’t ever want to wake up from it! You’d have to experience it to believe it for yourself! Now onto the very detailed version… We booked to go to Kuramathi for our belated honeymoon for 2 weeks via Kuoni, after intensely reviewing other options. Not only was the Kuoni agent singing their praises; but so were our in-laws (who also went to Kuramathi for their honeymoon). We opted to travel by sea plane and to go during the rainy season in June, which made it a bit cheaper. Don’t get us wrong, it was still very expensive! For those wanting to visit in June and wondering what the weather is like, this is for you. Whilst it is the rainy season, we only had about 2 days of rain of the entire 2 week stay. These downpours were heavy; but often cleared up after 30 minutes. Due to the humidity and heat, any evidence of rain quickly vanished. The humidity and UV index are both very high, so staying in the shade and having a break in our room was vital. Mosquitoes are few and far between; but you should keep an eye out for them. We saw a few, and were religiously applying the insect repellent! The seaplane transfer from Male to Kuramathi took about 15-20 minutes, which was way quicker than the boat transfer (and also gave us the most incredible views of some of the Atolls!). We were greeted by our Kuoni island representative and staff from Kuramathi, who helped us onto a boat for a short ride to the island’s port. When the view of the island came into view, we were lost for words. The island is quite big and looks as incredible as one would imagine - almost picturesque. The reception area is cool, clean, and very airy. We were given a cold towel (which was most welcome - it was a toasty 31c and 80% humidity!) and a welcome beverage to get us settled. Once we were all checked in, we had a short wait until we could go to our room, so we were able to go for a much-needed beverage. That was our first experience of the Fung bar. It was peaceful and had the most gorgeous view of the surrounding beach. The waiters were very quick to give us a copy of the cocktail menu, and served our cocktails rapidly. They were the perfect start to the holiday, and gave us a taste of what was to come! A buggy took us to our room. We stayed in a beach bungalow (courtesy upgrade from a beach villa as part of the Kuoni deal we booked). It was perfect for us. The bungalow was a stone’s throw away from a beach. The decking area at the front was nice - it had a bench and a couple of loungers, though we didn’t use it much - we could just stroll down to the sandy shore and find some beach chairs! The room was the perfect size for us. The big four poster bed was lovingly decorated with petals and palm tree leaves as part of the honeymoon package. We also got a voucher for a bottle of sparkling wine and some chocolates as part of this package. There was ample storage for our belongings. Robes, bottled water, and soft drinks were provided free of charge (and restocked routinely). Other drinks are at a premium - prices were clearly shown on the restock/bill form. The bathroom is open-air, which may be a bit strange for those who are not used to it! You’ll see a lot of wildlife - from house geckos to fruit bats flying in the distance. There was also a hot tub on the decking, and 2 showers (1 outdoor rainfall shower). It was actually really nice and very private! Beach towels were also provided, with fresh ones being left for us every day. Best of all - the room had an air con unit! The facilities overall on the island were amazing. Everything was regularly cleaned and serviced. It was all well-spaced for the island size, and nothing was ever too far away. If (for some reason) it was too far, then you can get one of the regularly running island buggies! They got us around the island in no time, no matter where we wanted to go. A big shout out to the drivers - they were always super friendly, courteous, and had the most incredible memory! Sometimes you’d get on a buggy with people going to about 6 different places/rooms, and the driver would almost always remember where to go! That brings us onto the service. We cannot fault the service at Kuramathi. Everything was impeccable. Everyone was so friendly and took great care in what they did. We appreciated how a lot of the staff went out of their way to have a nice conversation with you, and nothing was ever too much for them. This made the whole experience so memorable and we’ll forever appreciate how amazing everyone truly was. We met some incredible people during our stay, and we were quite sad to leave because of how astounding they were. Now, the food and drink… Honestly, Kuramathi has some of the best stuff we have ever consumed. Depending on where your room is on the island, you’re assigned to 1 of 3 buffet restaurants (also worth noting that there’s 3 receptions as well). Haruge was the one we were assigned. The breakfast was brilliant, and I am sure the experience at the other 2 buffet restaurants would have been the same. There was always plenty of choice, catering to a variety of cultures. We had the buffet lunch once (which was delicious), as we were on the Select All Inclusive package so we could dine at the à la carte restaurants as well. Of course, these restaurants all had items you could purchase for extra, and often at a discounted rate as part of the Select All Inclusive package. Every single one of these places was absolutely wonderful, and we had plenty of time to sample them all. We even managed to go back to a few of our favourites because we stayed for 2 weeks! At all restaurants, you get a decent amount of bread with butter (sometimes also balsamic vinegar and oil). As tasty as it all was and unless you have the appetite, it can be quite filling. We made the mistake of eating all the bread on our first night, and barely managed our food! Lessons were learned, and only select pieces of the bread were consumed thereafter. Now, a summary of each restaurant that we dined at: Siam Garden - a beautiful Thai restaurant, with very generous portions. Rice crackers were served instead of bread, which was a nice touch. We really enjoyed the experience here and the food was delicious. Kobe - we dined here twice, and the teppanyaki was quite the show! We loved how the chefs got us involved. They were very entertaining, whilst cooking some of the nicest food we’ve ever had. The fried rice was to die for! Island Coffee Shop - we often came here for lunch, and once for high-tea (small bites served late in the afternoon). The menu gave the best lunch variety, for our tastes. Due to the heat and how filling the food was, we often found ourselves sharing a lunch main - no starter, and very rarely a dessert. Highlights were the chicken burrito, steak sandwich, and Coco Choco drink. Absolute perfection! Island Barbeque - this may be our favourite place, as we came here 3 times! The steak diane is one of the best steak dishes we have ever had - so good, that we went back just for it! The flambé desserts were also very tasty. Hats off to the chefs for cooking the flambé dishes in such heat! Duniye - this is a fine dining restaurant. We nearly went back to this one; but the steak diane had drawn us back to the Island Barbeque! The food here was impeccable. From the amuse-bouche, to the vegan caviar - there was real attention to detail. Also, the pork belly dish here was the best pork belly we had ever had. Palm - we didn’t come here for dinner, as the menu was the same as lunch. However, we dined here a fair few times for lunch. Stand-outs were the pizzas, in particular, the chicken satay and thai green curry pizzas. They worked so well! Also, the ice cream parlour has SO many flavours of ice cream. The Screw Pine and Arabica were two of our favourites. Reef - we dined here twice. Located in the same building as Kobe, we were placed with a view overlooking the ocean. The catches of the day were shown to diners on arrival, and the menu offered a variety of seafood. It is definitely worth sampling some of the local fish, and even the mud crab if you don’t mind getting messy! Inguru - this was another one of our favourites! We did come here once for lunch, purely because the stunning views of the ocean were easier to admire in daylight! Dinner was some of the best food we have had. Highlights were the fried salmon sushi and beef tartare. It was so good that we made it our last dinner on the island! Tandoor - as lovers of good Indian food, we were most wary about our experience here. However, it was incredible. The food was well-seasoned, delicious, and perfectly portioned. It was just right! A bonus meal for us was the Romance Dinner, which was situated on a secluded bit of beach near the 2nd buffet restaurant. We cannot stress enough how amazing that experience was - it was worth every penny. The attention to detail in the set-up was second to none. There was way too much food for us, so we unfortunately didn’t finish everything - but it was all delectable. We would say this is a must-do for honeymooners, or anyone celebrating a special occasion. For what you pay, it was absolutely worth it for such an incredible experience. The bars we went to were Fung, Dhoni, Laguna and the Champagne Loft. Everywhere, with exception to the Champagne Loft, had the same menu. Though if you wanted a mix of things, they would easily cater to your needs (as they often did for one of us - espresso martini with banana liqueur anyone?!). The only drink you can have on the Select All Inclusive package at the Champagne Loft was a glass of cava, which was fine for us. The views from the loft were stunning - if you’re lucky enough to sit facing out to the ocean, it is breathtaking - especially if you’re watching the sun set! Similar case for Dhoni, and if you sit out on the decking area which is over the water. The Fung bar was perfect for chilling out in. Laguna was best when it was dark, so you could lie on one of the loungers, looking at the stars. We couldn't fault any of the bars that we went to, and depending on what vibe we wanted, there was plenty of choice for us. As we paid for a couple of extras (romance dinner, and some massages), we did not do any of the other activities/excursions on offer. There was plenty available, and we can see how it catered to a variety of interests! What we did do was visit the spa twice - once for the Kuramathi Moment massage, and a second time for a Maldivian massage. Both experiences started the same - greeted with a cold towel, a refreshing detox drink, and then you’re taken to your spa-preparation area. Here you change into those flattering spa pants, with robes and flip flops provided. You can make use of a sauna, steam room, shower, cold and warm pools before anything else. Then, you can relax with a wonderful view of the beach prior to your treatment. Both massage experiences were incredible; but the Kuramathi Moment massage may be the most memorable and magical experience we have ever had. Again, we’d say this is a must-do for honeymooners and is worth every penny. The ambience of being above the ocean whilst having a wonderful massage was so relaxing. After that, an hour in a warm bubble bath, looking out at the picture-perfect view with a bottle of sparkling wine… Heavenly. It was honestly so beautiful and relaxing. We had a complimentary snorkelling kit; but honestly, you didn’t necessarily need it to experience the wildlife around Kuramathi. We saw plenty of reef sharks, fish, crabs, etc. Even a stingray! We found ourselves spending most of our time looking at the wildlife than we did reading or anything else! As we stayed for more than 10 nights, we had a complimentary sunset cruise. This was a wonderful experience - there’s nothing like watching dolphins whilst sipping on a glass of bubbly! The staff were very experienced and knew where to go so we could have the best chance of seeing dolphins. It was very impressive, and the view of the sunset from where we were was wonderful. The Eco Centre was a very enjoyable part of our honeymoon. Firstly, it’s wonderful that the island has such a facility and how accessible it is. We really appreciated the whale skeleton and looking at everything on display. What made things really fun for us were the marine biologist talks. These were held 3 times a week, and were highly informative. Sara (the resident marine biologist) was a pleasure to listen to. Her passion shone as she shared some fun facts about the local marine life, and answered any questions that guests had. If we wanted a presentation on a specific topic, she was more than happy to oblige! Especially with all the wildlife in the Maldives, the talks were highly insightful. We were also fortunate enough to be on the island when guests were invited to a sea turtle nest excavation. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us, and we felt so privileged to be a part of it. It’s also fantastic how the Eco Centre got the message out to all of the guests on the island, and invited us all to be a part of the event. It felt really special, and also very educational as well. We also adopted a piece of coral as part of the Muraka Project - a coral restoration project. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to help, even if it’s only a little bit. Sara and the team send updates every 3 months as to how our pieces of coral are doing - ours have been set, with our names next to them! It’s very exciting stuff! If anyone stays at Kuramathi, please make sure to visit the Eco Centre and find out more about the efforts being taken to help protect and restore things in the Maldives! This review would not be complete without mentioning the Sandy Bank. This stretch of sand is breathtaking. We visited before breakfast as there was only one other couple on the sandbank. At sunset, it was much busier, and it was easy to see why! The sunset views from here were stunning. Words cannot describe how beautiful this area is. In fact, the whole island is gorgeous - the vegetation, the buildings, the beaches… Everything is absolutely perfect. We could not have asked for a better experience. For those who took the time to read this essay of a review, thank you! We truly hope this is useful for someone looking to go to Kuramathi, and it shows how insanely impressed we really were. We’ve never had the holiday blues this bad before, and we doubt we ever will! A massive thank you to everyone there. We really hope that we get the opportunity to visit this incredible island again in the future.

It is very popula but not sure why or if that is a good thing!

18 Jul 2023 | awayfromLA

Kuramathi is among the 18 Maldives resorts we have been to so far. It is easy to be impressed with one’s first or second Maldives’ resort experience, but I admit post that many it is harder to be impressed. The reason is, understandably, you wish any new experience incorporated what you liked about the previous experiences, but that is impossible. Each Maldives resort has its own virtues and as such caters to specific expectations, tastes and tolerances. The only constant among Maldives resorts is that they all have warm, good-natured, friendly staff. So I will as usual list my list of pros and cons and leave it up to the reader to decide if Kuramathi is right for them. Pros: It is a large island, over two KM long, allowing guests to spread out. That means the resort developers had the real estate to offer lots of amenities. There are many lounges/cafes and sitting areas for recreation so you will not spend your entire stay in one or two bars or lounges. You can essentially spend five or six days there and go to a different lounge or restaurant each day. This also means if you are a walker, you can have 20 to 30 min walks as you go from one end to the other and walk among trees offering shade. This is because Kuramathi is an older resort built on a real island. Many newer Maldives resorts are on converted or even artificial islands where landscaping is sparse and too young to provide much of a shade. In truth I have stayed in very nice rooms in resorts in which there were hardly trees. In the newer resorts you get nicer rooms, but when you step outside you see mostly structures and little landscaping. For me, Kuramathi at times felt like being in a Thailand or Philippines island resort where you can hear birds and the rustling of the fully grown tall trees. If you are not a walker, then there are “buggies” that come in both directions on a regular basis to take you where you need to go. All Inclusive and Full Board plans are reasonably priced & offered on any platform on which you do your booking. One frequent irritation I have with most Maldives’ resorts is a common practice of getting you on the little things. That does not happen at Kuramathi. Their approach is volume; namely having several hundred guests staying with them at any given time. Good Size rooms – just about all water villas and most of the beach villas are spacious. I was in particular happy to see a wide area as a terrace outside our water bungalow, allowing two or more people to create their own separate space to relax. Cons: Guest Mix – Kuramathi is about volume: at any given time there are anywhere from 400 to over 1000 guest staying there. It has 400 rooms of just about every type: from large 220 meter 2-bedrooms to smaller beach villas. That means it caters to travelers of a much wider range when it comes to price point. With smaller beach villas offered with full board costing only in the $300 range – and probably offered for even less to Chinese tours – the resort also appeals to the lower end of travel budgets. This is not Ozen by Atmosphere costing $1200 a night where only Elite Chinese would come to. Kuramathi also appeals to that class of Chinese tourists renowned all over the world for arriving in large groups, having “lively” family exchanges at their tables, walking into your picture frame to take their own, and essentially being there for their TikTok or Instagram picture or video to be taken at any cost. Busy even in the Low Season – most of our Maldives trips have been in the low season because we like the fact that between June to Sep most resorts have a 30 to 50 percent occupancy. That is not the case here. Even in June they had over 80 percent occupancy, thanks to Tiktok, Instagram and Chinese tours that have made taking a selfie on the long Kuramathi Sandbank a must for Chinese crowds seeking their me-too moment to keep up with the Joneses. In fact, upon arrival, our Coordinator was only happy to tell us about how to get to the Sandbank for “your Instgram pictures”. I cringed at the idea. I am a pro photographer and despise what instagram has done to some of the beautiful places I have known & photographed, but she knew how well that plays out with their more regular guests. Lack of Esthetic Beauty – A large resort has a definite benefit in that there will be more amenities as I noted above in the Pros; however, it also means the management cannot make it all very pretty, neat or appealing. Much like Olhuveli in Maldives, Kuramathi has long walkways with fully grown trees that are enjoyable to walk under, but in the tree covered areas on either side of walkways there are undeveloped sections with puddles of water-soaked organic materials that smell. So long walks are possible here and enjoyable, but one has to accept running into patches that produce mosquitoes and smell if it has recently rained. This is not Anantara or Kudafushi where the island is smaller and therefore every meter of it has planned landscaping and esthetic beauty. Also, Kuramathi is an older resort and was built when the new trend of five-star resorts with high esthetics had not quite taken hold. Food Quality – I was not impressed with the food quality that is part of the Full-Board package, but I would say it was adequate. Variety was slanted more toward the spicy offerings which are more appealing to the Indian and Chinese guests - which I suppose given the guest Mix here was understandable. Conclusion: If you are gunning for an Overwater Villa in a Maldives resort, you can do much better than Kuramathi even among other four-star resorts. If you can only afford to spend $300 to $450 a night, then this a decent value, especially given the reasonable cost of Full Board accommodation & ease of transfer. With taxes included, we spent $3000 for a four-day stay in a water bungalow, and I can vouch for the fact that a $750/day budget can get you into much more “boutique” five-star Maldives resorts in the low-season where food is better and the guest mix is a lot classier. Moreover, Kuramathi has both remodeled and older water bungalows – and unless you choose a deluxe water bungalow or one with a pool, you will get a very old bungalow as we did. Our room esthetics represented a minimalist approach of older resorts. We were also told by other guests that in villas on land there were cockroaches, but then that is not surprising in an island as large as this one. More generally, if you get bored being on a small island that you can walk around in 10 min, then Kuramathi is in that sense unlike most Maldives resorts and would be more suited to you. If you on the other hand are on a romantic – especially if on a honeymoon – trip, I would advise against this resort: its beaches are not that inviting, and the one nice beach at the end of it where the sandbank is has no lounge chairs and during sunset you will be sharing the sandbank with many dozens of other guests all competing for a chance to shoot a selfie at a good spot. For us, this was an attempt to try another large scale resort and we found out that we missed too much the boutique esthetics of the many smaller resorts we have been to in the past.