We have just returned from our Aniversary and I am delighted with our choice of island . Over the last 20 years we have returned to quite a few of the high end islands Reethi Rah , Kanahuru , Huvefen to name a few so I have a good idea of just how great accommodation etc can be in the Maldives . Gili may have changed name but this island is as great as you would expect from one of the top 5star islands . We stayed in a Residence suite and it was fantastic Robinson Crusoe chic we were amazed at the size and comfort of the villa the photos do not do them justice . I am not sure that I would have liked the villa suites which are most of the room category's for the island as the living room windows are pull down blinds and not full closing doors so am guessing the air con would not really work in these rooms but we did not hear anyone say this so that may not be the case.
The food was also very good and the fact that you can have your breakfast and dinner served in your villa at no extra charge is also another plus when you have such lovely accommodation . We ate at their sushi restaurant twice and I far preferred it to Reethi Rahs one also the chef was charming and promised to take our teenagers with him to buy his fish if we choose to return at Easter which is a consideration as we feel the size of the villas would accomadate us very comfortably( that is just how big they are ).
Spa was fab very good treatments in stunning surroundings .
Staff well this is what has stuck us both the most, everywhere we have been in the Maldives we have nearly always had very good service but without exception this island has the best staff we felt we have ever come across even the Gardener took nearly an hour showing us around the beautiful vegetable garden our Butler was superb and our room Boy went over and above looking after us .
Also as a last thought we felt the value of drinks at this island was very good A glass of champagne at 25 dollars and they do not do the naughty short measures ! And very nice cocktails at 17 dollars again in a decent size glass , little things like this can make a difference as we noticed last Easter at the Banyan Tree Samui short measure's all the way ...
We met the Manager of the island on arrival and on departure and I would say he is running a really great team as not once did we feel the need to speak to him other to thank him as we left.
So would I recommend this island a big yes so do not hesitate to book .

We travelled to the Maldives via Dubai on the 17th September and stayed at this beautiful haven for 10 days after having 3 days in Dubai. Having been to the Maldives several times I am always excited to return to what I believe to be the most beautiful place in the world. I had never visited in September previously as I'd been told (and read) that high rainfall can be disruptive. I was not disappointed and can honestly say we had some of the best weather I've experienced, even when I've stayed in the Maldives in February.

That said, on our arrival the weather was shocking, the rain was blowing horizontal and the swells of the sea meant our speedboat had to dock carefully. However we were met by Alec (Resort Manager and our Man Friday (Gasim). A short ride on our Golf Buggy took us to our room, our Pier was situated in the perfect spot in my opinion. The rear of our Villa was a sun trap and not overlooked at all. Perfect. Gasim took us to our room and showed us around, the first thing that struck us was the size and quality of the room and its furniture. As a welcome gift the hotel had a gorgeous platter of seafood, some fizz, deserts and delicious entrées.

The bedroom was vast with a hidden flatscreen TV and Bose Surround Sound and ipod dock which played in every single room. There was even an ipod dock which had pre loaded films for us to watch too. The bedroom had amazing views and upon our arrival we even were lucky to see a Turtle swimming past our room as we pulled up. The rooms are split level, there is a lounge area which opens out to the sun deck, the bathroom then flows of the lounge with twin sinks and then a little walk way to the open air shower. Beautiful natural soaps and packaging make this resort feel like a real eco friendly hideaway. Above the lounge, up a spiral staircase is a dining area, day bed and hidden shaded table too.

This island is stunning, the bikes that every guest gets provided with are a godsend, as there is a decent amount of walking to be had. The bikes make it fun, but be careful - some guests clearly have forgotten, or never even sat on one!

We ate in all of the restaurants, and was impressed with all of them. The 360 Degrees experience is beautiful, the Japanese Restaurant is stunning and the main restaurant and bar are also excellent in quality, choice and service. The Maldivian Curry was a favourite and they even made it especially one night when we had a craving for it and it wasn't on the menu.

The hotel also puts on Buffett nights too, but don't be fooled. Our expectation was surpassed, this was like no other buffet. The Street Market was out standing, every Chef demonstrated their talents and their national dish, be it Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Maldivian or European. It felt rude to walk by so obviously we sampled every stall. ;)

We also sampled the spa too and encourage anyone to give it a try, some of the best therapist in the Maldives have worked and trained here - and the views from the top deck are gorgeous.

Give some the excursions a try too, we went on a Dolphin Sunset Cruise and a Private Snorkelling Trip to some of the best reefs we've seen. The Marine Biologist on the island is probably of the most enthusiastic guys on the island too - and so experienced.

The Island even has an open air cinema which you can hire for a private showing, my other half arranged it as a surprise. Give it a try too - its super romantic. You are literally in the middle of the jungle watching your favourite films on the big screen.

Above all else you will not be disappointed, and your Man/Lady Friday will not let you down. If you are lucky to have Gasim you will have the most magical stay ever. Such a gentleman and understand guests and hospitality inside out.

We also wanted to extend our thanks and appreciation to Gasim, obviously, Alec, Our Room Master Farhaam and the Food and Beverage Manager Prasanna. Thank you for making our holiday the most fabulous we've ever experienced.

My only fault, not staying long enough.

We were there for our honeymoon for 5 days between Nov 19 - Nov 24. We were thinking about cancelling because the forecasts were saying rain everyday (for Male though, you won't find any weather forecast for the island of the resort you are thinking about booking), but went on anyways. We had two 20-30 minute showers and that's it.

Arrival:
They picked us up from the airport and we took a very comfortable ~20 minute boat trip to the resort, there we met our Mr. Friday Shifaz (kind of a personal assistant resort assigns to you) and took a golf car to our room directly. I very much liked to skip the boring check-in procedure.

Pros:
The staff is very friendly and helpful, never seen the like of it. We stayed at a Villa Suite, the room was perfect. It is twice the size of our apt in NYC. You are in a small island with only 40+ villas. So pretty much where ever you are, you feel like you own the island. The water by the villas are shallow so not very ideal for swimming or snorkeling but the beach by the restaurant is amazing, the best I have ever seen. They have a large house reef (at a reasonable distance from the beach, but you can kayak to a small island by it and park over there) and occasional snorkeling tours. They don't charge anything for kayaks or snorkeling equipment - our very helpful mr. friday Shifaz sent us them and we held onto them during our entire stay -. And the best part for me personally was being able to smoke anywhere I want, the beach, pool, porch of our room, restaurants etc.. Staff was bringing an ashtray the moment they saw me. Since its a very small resort, everyone gets to know you very quickly. They organized a dinner at the beach one night as a honeymoon gift, it was a bit dark :) but very beautiful. You travel around the island with bikes they give to you. Biking around the island was also very fun, you're riding on paths covered by trees all the time. All in all, we had a honeymoon we will never forget. It is an expensive resort but was totally worth it.

Cons:
The cons exist If you are there with a budget (we were).
Food is pricey, we usually skipped breakfast and had the lunch buffet (which was amazing) for around $40 per person and in room dining. There are no grocery stores on the island so make sure you buy a lot of snacks at a duty free or something before you arrive Male. You won't find anything after you land.

Departure: Similar to arrival, they dropped us a the airport and someone helped us with the luggage and escorted us until the passport control.

Gili Lankanfushi can simply be described in one word "perfect". Crystal clear waters (great for snorkeling), amazingly beautiful villas, attentive staff, excellent food, what more could anyone ask for? From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave all staff members including the General Manager IAIN and your Mr. Friday make you feel special as they always address you by your name and are very welcoming. Even being a single traveller, the staff goes over and above to make you feel comfortable. The spa is delightful. If you are fortunate enough to go for a massage, you will have a full view of the water and fish through the glass that is located on the floor. The overall environment on the resort is very quiet, tranquil and relaxing. There is a lot of attention paid to detail and the customer service is outstanding. The food as well is amazing whether you dine at any of the retaurants or order Villa room service. Do yourself a favour and try the Wine Cellar for dinner. The food is delightful! I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. It surpassed all expectations I had. Thank you so much for the best vacation of my life.