Baros Maldives is a small Luxury island located in North Male Atoll and as we arrived at Male Airport we were greeted by Baros staff and shown to their private boat, transfer was easy and the staff are full trained should wheelchair transfers be required.

This elegant resort is set in a palm tree lush garden and is surrounded by a vast turquoise lagoon and a magnificent coral reef . The beauty of Baros for me is simple it was the first place I have ever been when I was not forced to be bothered by anyone else's problems with my disability. There is no central hotel but three restaurants and two bars, a reception area and a spa therapy centre. Circling around the white sand island are 75 private bungalows, a very short distance to the sea, the most number of people you will have to be near while you are on you lounger by the sea is 4. The staff are outstanding, discrete helpful and capable.

Getting to the bungalows one can walk the sandy beach one or the firmer wheelchair friendly inland pathway; both will ultimately take you to your front door. With 8" arms and 7 fingers many things are difficult, one of the fundamentals is keys, so it was a relief to find credit card opening doors as I entered my island retreat. Another joy was being 20 paces away from lounger to room. Once settled my husband and I got on with the job of doing nothing, It was a very different holiday experience for us, no museum, no galleries, no ruins, only fish to swim with, giant fruit bats to marvel at and outstanding scenery to gaze upon. No guilt about missing anything, it was all there in the painting before our eyes. On this island one can be undisturbed all day, no one will bother you, the island is private there are no hawker, this alone is work paying for.

There is a fully stocked bar in the bungalow, room service should you find walking to 3 minutes to the restaurant too taxing. The islands gardens are outstanding and provide much needed shade through the walkways which are concrete covered with sand for easy access for wheelchair users.

The bars and restaurant are very expensive, we had half board and could upgrade to the more expensive restaurants at a price. Dinner was good but not exceptional, a safe international menu, The Cinnamon restaurant offers a Maldivian evening once a week where the local cuisine is served and local music played, the food served was beyond delicious, with local produce cooked and presented to perfection but unfortunately it was not available on any other night in anything other than a token gesture, this lack of local food was disappointing, flying halfway to the Maldives to experience French tango music and Japanese sushi as was not quite the evening dining experience I was looking for.

Breakfast on the other hand was five star indeed the restaurant overhanging the crystal clear lagoon waters was a daily pleasure not to be missed. The staff are highly trained in service, and although the breakfast are self service they are on hand to help, they do not fuss but merely appear and take over when needed, the breakfast are a glorious array of anything one can imagine, fresh exotic fruits sliced to choice, champagne and Bloody Mary's on tap every sort of egg while you watch it cooked, and joy of joys Curry should you so wish to get fully into the culture and to my husband's horror, I certainly did.

The great thing about Baros is the snorkelling, Baros is to Snorkelling as Whistler Canada s to skiing in the world of disability participation holidays. one could walk or use the wheelchair sand buggy provided by the hotel to the water's edge, swim 20 meters and be surrounded by a breathtaking world underwater not usually found so close to shore. If you are nervous or a first time snorkeler the exceptional staff offer lessons and support as well as buoyancy aids, flippers and masks. Friendly sharks pass by and shoals of powder blue fish encompassed you as you journey round the Islands corals reef and gaze into the deeper waters beyond. There is no need to climb in and out of a boat to access some of the best snorkelling in the world,

Baros is a dive centre and probably can cater for specialist needs there too but I was happy to snorkel . It offers boat trips and after talking to their "can do" instructor Sugar, I was persuaded I would manage. Again the exclusivity of the island meant there were only three on the trip, the boat was easy to get on to and I was dressed and kitted out before I had time to blink, a great break for my husband. I then had to jump off the boat, something I have no fear or problem with but I felt the boatman's gentle hand holding on to my lifejacket to steady me before I jumped. Sugar guided us over the reefs and regularly adjusted my mask something I find difficult. The landscape underwater was outstanding and with cliffs dropping steeply away from the magnificent coral reef, feeding turtles to watch and a plethora of colourful sea life to discover. When it came to climbing back into the boat I was helped from top to bottom, without fuss or fear or further discussion.

At the Baros resort there is a special sand friendly wheel chair there for to customer use and larger rooms. The paths around the island look sandy but are concrete, from the jetty to the reception you'll find decking and level access to shore. The rooms are all spacious and fitted out to five star luxury with the beach bungalow having the most amazing outdoor private bathrooms. All taps and controls are to easy use with whatever part of your body you utilise. I would not recommend the water bungalows for those with upper limb disabilities or weakness as there is only ladder access to the sea at this point.
The staff will help you in any way they can. You pay for privacy and peace at Baros and sometimes in life that is a price worth paying.

Disability needs are never the same for anyone, make sure your requirements are made clear before confirmation of any booking.

Thank you to all staff at Baros for such a wonderful holiday. From the moment we entered the airport terminal to the moment we left the terminal, friendly Baros staff where their to help. The transfer from the airport by luxary speedboat was a great way to start the holiday and also meant we had a full last day in Paradise.
We spent most of time Diving so a special mention to Reg, Ahmed and Kiko who were fantastic guides to discovering the underwater world of the Maldives. Also we stayed as a family so Baros is not just Paradise for honeymooners!

My wife and I went to Baros in March 2010. We stayed in one of the water bungalows and it was genuinely incredible. The service from the staff, the food and the beautiful beach and water were fantastic.

One of the best holidays we have ever had and memories that will last a lifetime.

My wife and I spent our 10 night honeymoon on this idyllic island and absolutely loved every second of it. Baros itself is beautiful, set on a lush tropical island surrounded by a clear blue sea and soft white sands.

We could not fault the place at all.

We stayed in a deluxe villa but having compared it to others on the island we were more than happy with it, especially as our bit of beach had the sun all day. Admittedly the pool water villas will be a must next time! We stayed in villa 109 and was well looked after by the attendant.

The food was fantastic in all three restaurants. There was plenty of choice in Lime and something different for everyone. We tried cayenne once which was nice but preferred Lime in terms of menu range. We dined at the Lighthouse restaurant once and had a fantastic evening, the food and service was excellent, yes its more expensive but worth it especially with the view. We would recommend the lighthouse bar for early evening drinks whilst watching the sun set and eating delightful canapés.

We even had a sandbank dinner which was our favourite experience of the holiday. We would highly recommend it as a ‘one-off’. To be waited on and looked after all evening and served fantastic food was great and dining under the stars and moonlight in the middle of the Indian Ocean was something else. Our waiter, Hussein and chef, Indy were both terrific and took care of us.

Which leads me to all the staff, they were all amazing with no exception. They are all genuinely warm and friendly and want nothing but to share their special island with you. Special shout outs go to Shuhan and Andrea who were both brilliant and extremely helpful. In the lighthouse bar Yenny and Nitin were fantastic; in the Lime Swati and Faisem were also fantastic and looked after us well.

I can only support everyone’s comments on the reef, it was stunning. Not having snorkelled on a reef before it was amazing to see the variety of marine life including sharks, turtles and numerous fish. Be sure to go snorkelling from the bit of beach near the cayenne restaurant and swim out past the lighthouse as around here was arguably the best coral. For the novices amongst you, the discovery scuba dive is worth doing, thanks to Ahmed for taking us out on the reef and showing me the ropes. A tip though – be sure to specify up for whether or not you want them to take the dive centre’s camera as a bit of confusion almost led to a $35 charge to the bill.

Overall, had a fantastic time and would definitely return one day. Yes it’s expensive but it is what it is, sometimes you pay more for the quality and given its location then it’s actually fairly reasonable.

We are suffering from a major Baros blues hangover!