Royal Island Resort Maldives

This was our 7th time to the Maldives in the past 26 years, but our first time in the wet season in Sept/Oct. Weather is truly unpredictable and turned out to be fantastic in our entire 8-night stay with no rain at all. Maldives has retained its peculiar charm and we keep coming back time and again in the past 26 years, even the environment has somewhat deteriorated in the past decades. We have been to Sun Island, Four Seasons Kuda Hurra, Lux (formally White Sands), Kuda Fushi, Kuramanthi, Angsana Velavaru. Each resort is unique but our stay at Royal Island Resort was unforgettable, largely because of the resort's natural environment, and also the outstanding service of its incredible staff, in particular, - Murali, Made, Budi, Sandan, Naseerd (all from the bar and restaurants); and - Mark, our resort host Unlike many luxurious resorts, Royal Island may look understated in comparison but not at all. It is blessed with its natural beaches and beautiful vegetation. The entire island is very tidy. It stood out with its classic, antique vibe and authentic good old Maldivian feel. The accommodations were not ultra modern but comfortable, tidy and clean and bed sheets were spotless. It is located in the wonderful Baa Atoll close to the well-known world heritage bay for manta ray snorkelling every year. Its gym is well-equipped, tidy and clean and opens around the clock. I highly recommend their Premium All-Inclusive package which made our dining experience varied and enjoyable over the 8 nights there (choice of buffet or A-la-carte, and plentiful choices for drinks). If the good old rustic authentic Maldivian feel is what one is after, in our experience, Royal Island is an outstanding resort where one can truly relax and enjoy.

nothing much I can think of, probably a refurbishment of the tennis courts would be nice

Lots of different dishes to choose from, vegetarian, vegan, fish and so on. The chef even made extra, very tasty dishes for us since my partner has several allergies/intolerances Very good staff. Helpful and really dedicated to make our stay and transfer comfortable, and it really was. Very clean rooms. Great snorkeling. Beautiful vegetation on the island.

Not much negative but some small things: Some of the food on the buffet was a bit bland. Also drinks are expensive, one soda is about 8 usd. The bed was very hard, but after pointing this out we got an extra mattress which fixed the problem. Note that the bathroom is outdoors and might we warm, and might be visited by lizards and insects. Some reviews mention problems with mosquitoes. We had heavy rain one day and after that there were some mosquitoes, but overall not a problem.

Staff were fantastic. Food was very good too. Room right next to the water with a sandy beach.

My room was quite uncomfortable for me. Entire bathroom is outside behind a wall and terrorized by mosquitoes. Windows didn’t open to listen to waves in the ocean side. Generator was too nearby on the land side.

We had a very enjoyable stay at Royal Island Resort Maldives. The staff at the water sports and diving centre were exceptionally professional, friendly and helpful. A special mention goes to Ruttey, who taught me windsurfing. Thanks to his excellent instruction, patience and encouragement, I was able to learn the basics in just four days. I really enjoyed the course and can highly recommend it to anyone who would like to try windsurfing. Also, special thanks to Zain, who took care of us underwater. The full-board dining was also excellent, with a good selection and consistently high-quality food.

The main downside was the high price of almost everything not included in the full-board package. The accommodation itself was also relatively simple and somewhat basic compared with what one might expect from a resort in this price category.