Just returned from two fantastic weeks at Kihaa. We travelled from Manchester UK, to Male via Doha. We transferred to the island by seaplane which was an absolutely amazing experience. For both our arrival and departure, there were reps from Kihaa who met and / or accompanied us on our transfer. This was a fantastic service which was really appreciated with this being our first Maldives trip and unsure of this route The seaplane dropped us at a small platform off shore and we transferred across to the arrival jetty by boat where we were welcomed by resort staff who offered us cool towels and a refreshing drink. The resort is beautiful and only takes 20 minutes to walk the whole perimeter. The beach is pristine and sand soft. The water is clear and so many shades of turquoise; however, sometimes difficult to walk into due to dried coral so we wore beach shoes. We also saw the bioluminescence in the sea at night which was quite an emotional experience We saw lots of beautiful fish, sharks and rays. We also went on dolphin excursion and snorkelled with turtles which was a bucket list experience. The dive team were both helpful and knowledgeable The resort has its own reef and although it has suffered bleaching a number of years ago, we were advised of an ongoing conservation programme and there’s now a lot of healthy coral both soft and hard on the reef and lovely colours with plenty of different species of fish. We stayed in a lagoon prestige villa for our first week which was directly on the beach with a private veranda and designated loungers. The villa was traditionally decorated and very comfortable. For our second week we were supposed to stay in a water villa; however, the refurbishment programme was delayed due to bad weather end of 2022 so they were not finished. As an alternative, we were offered a beach suite with infinity pool which was newly decorated and absolutely stunning. Directly on the beach with amazing views of the sunrise. The villa also had its own garden room with swing seat which was lovely to spend time in. Both rooms had partial outdoor bathrooms which was definitely an experience as you never quite knew what insects you might be sharing with !! We received daily housekeeping and turndown by Ganesh & Siide. Our bed was also beautifully decorated for my birthday and our anniversary. Food was served in a buffet restaurant, although a La carte options were also available. There was also a chilled room with deserts salads etc and a pasta / grill station where the chefs cooked up delicious food to order. All food we ate was delicious and the head chef was always around discussing with guests and checking everything was ok. We were also presented with personalised cakes on my birthday and anniversary with staff singing “happy birthday“ which was very special. Anjana and Ibrahim were our main waiting staff and they both knew our drink preferences and were looked after really well. We frequented the undhoali bar and Rachel and Tu De were both fantastic bartenders. We had the Gold AI plan and there was decent of choice of beers, wines, cocktails and soft drinks. We were served local spirits; however branded selections were available at additional cost. Management are the eyes and ears of the resort. They welcomed us on arrival and they waved us off when we left. They eat alongside guests and are continually chatting and making sure guests are ok. We chatted with them on a number of occasions and they told us about the ongoing developments that were underway. We had 2 minor issues with our room, both were dealt with immediately. There is a lot of ongoing refurbishment at the moment. Those areas are sealed off and in no way impacted negatively on our stay. We were allowed the opportunity to view the water villas due to be completed soon and they will be absolutely stunning ! Overall, we wanted out first Maldives visit to be as authentic and non commercialised as possible and this resort ticked all our boxes. It was so relaxing with sufficient activities available. We loved every minute of our stay and every staff member was so pleasant and helpful (too many to mention by name but all fab). I know there are so many other islands to visit; however, based on our personal experiences, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend and have already considered revisiting. Thank you Kihaa and every member of staff for an amazing holiday…
We stayed at Kihaa for 5 nights, from Tue Aug 23 to Sun Aug 28, in a Lagoon Prestige Beach Villa. TL;DR: Kihaa's best asset is its people, and the best person on the entire island is Hameed, our butler. The quality of the room is very good but the bathroom is completely outdoors and may be a turn-off for some people. The island views are fantastic. We didn't feel that there's really any appreciable difference looking from the oceanside or the lagoon side. Rain is a daily occurrence this time of year, usually (but not always) brief. The spa has a very nice and attentive staff with good technique, but the physical plant is not in the best condition - the jacuzzi, the steam room, and the sauna were all out of service, and the robes were one size fits some, making it difficult for larger people. The food was both a highlight and the most problematic part of the trip; we strongly suggest skipping all-inclusive and going with just breakfast included and do the rest al a carte, which is both a much better value and much cheaper. Hameed ------ Hameed, our butler, handled absolutely everything for us and took personal care of both me and my wife. He is a Maldivian and has a family in the islands. His life story and his dedication to hospitality and humanity is compelling, and I do feel my life will be forever better for having met him. There really is no service that Hameed could not provide; he was able to get me diet Coke when there was none in the mini-bar. He arranged 2 private lobster dinners for me and my wife, and served them to us personally. He made our spa appointments. We would text Hameed what we wanted for lunch or dinner and when we would arrive at the restaurant, and Hameed would order it for us and make sure it was ready ... and then he would show up at the restaurant to make sure everything was as we wanted it to be. Hameed also cleaned our villa whenever we asked. And when it started to rain unexpectedly, he showed up with umbrellas. And he danced with us and made us feel comfortable at the Maldivian dance night. In short, Hameed is the best person on an island of great people. Accomodations ------------- The Lagoon Prestige Beach Villa is a circular room equipped with the modern conveniences you would expect in a hotel room. It has one queen sized canopy bed in the middle of the room and a twin-sized bed in an alcove that we used as a shelf for our suitcases and stuff. There are two armoires, a table and chairs, and a long desk with a mini-bar underneath and a television on top, along with plenty of room to work if that's really your thing on vacation. Internet works well inside the villa. I can honestly say we never turned the TV on the entire time we were at the resort. The room has an air conditioner that you can control and set to any desired temperature. The bathroom is located outside behind the main room. There is a privacy wall, and the sinks, tub, toilet, and one of the two showers are covered by an overhang; the 2nd shower is located completely outisde for those who like that sort of thing. While this might appeal to some, I did not like getting up in the middle of the night from my 21° C room and walking out into a very 28° C steamy jungle just to go to the bathroom. Walking back into the air conditioned room after being in the hot outside was also a shock. And there are small lizards that crawl along the walls, which while they don't bother me, they might bother others. All that said, the room is clean (thanks to Hameed!), comfortable, and has the amenities you need. Food ---- There are really only two restaurants on the island, although they are building an Asian restaurant they hope to have open later this year. The first is the main restaurant with the buffet. The second is the steak house. The steak house is independently run, while the main restaurant is owned and operated by the resort. The majority of guests are on all-inclusive plans and eat in the main restaurant at the buffet every day, three meals a day. The food quality at the buffet varies widely but tends to be so-so. There is a live station where the chefs make something at each meal, and these options can be quite good. At breakfast there are fresh omlettes and pancakes. On the other hand, a lot of food is uninspiring and simply heated/cooked and put into warming trays with minimal efforts to enhance it. For example, at breakfast there are trays of boiled eggs, beef sausage (which are beef hot dogs), beef bacon (pre-sliced and heated), baked beans, cooked vegatables, and white rice. There are also lots of pastries which appear to be pre-bought but were of good quality. The fresh fruit was definitely an asset; the tropical fruits available are rarely seen in the US on a buffet or even the typical supermarket. Dragonfruit rules! Instead of the buffet, we recommend ordering al a carte for anything but breakfast. The restaurant's al a carte menu is made fresh when you order and it has some really good stuff on it, including a fresh cream of mushroom soup and a chicken quesadilla done Maldivian style that is really good and not what you'd expect. You can also go to the steak house for lunch or dinner, and the food there is first rate. It is also almost always empty, as the restuarant is not included on the all-inclusive plan. We got first class service and near instant preparation of our orders just because we were the only ones in the restaurant. And the food is GREAT. The ribeye, the carapccio, and the smoked and braised beef rib were exquisite, and the burger we had for lunch was one of the best burgers we have had. Finally, I want to mention the private dining options. In practice, just about anything on the menu at the main restaurant can be brought to your villa or even to the beach. Just let your butler know. They also offer 2 lobster dinners which vary according to the sides offered with a small difference in price. The lobster is the locally caught spiny lobster - please ask Hameed how they do that here! - and it is grilled with lemon butter. It is truly awesome. I could have eaten it every night. And Hameed set my wife and I up in the wine room, by ourselves, and brought us each course himself. A truly great romantic experience. While we were at the island, we met the chef that the resort has brought in to update its food and beverage options. He was a great guy and very interested in what we and other patrons had to say. If the resort listens to him, I think they will upgrade their food offerings pretty quickly, as they have most of the pieces of what they need to do a great job already in place. Spa --- My wife and I both like massages and spa treatments. The spa is built out over the water in a big round building divided into a waiting area, changing rooms, treatment rooms, and a sitting room over the ocean. We were able to get several services over the course of our time there: we both had 2 different flavors of full-body massages, and she got a pedicure while I got a reflexology treatment. The staff in the spa is extremely friendly and service oriented. However, the spa facilities were not as good as one would expect at a 5-star resort. The sauna, the jacuzzi, and the steam room were all out of order at different points in our stay. And the robes they had were one-size fits all, which don't really fit all and were way too small for me. And they didn't have the modern foot baths used in most places for pedicures; they were bringing heated water in a bucket. Still, it was a calm relaxing experience and I'd go back for another massage so I guess that means it's good, yes? Drinks ------ There are 2 bars on the island, both of which are staffed by good bartenders. Some drinks are included in all-inclusive plans, others are not. We weren't on all-inclusive, so we drank whatever we wanted. Alcohol selection was good if not complete, and drink prices were actually some of the best values on the island - $5 for a beer or gin and tonic! Other Activities ---------------- Lots of other things go on at the island. There's fish feeding every day, and it's a great way to see the sharks and the mantas along with a bunch of other fish. There is scuba diving and snorkeling along the natural reefs that surround Kihaa and the surrounding islands. There are movies and dancing almost every night and there are two big pools. We never ran out of things to do. We liked walking all the way around the island, which can be done in 20 to 30 minutes, and looking at all the surrounding islands, the boats, the reefs, and other beautiful sites of the Maldevian atolls. If you have things you want to do or need ideas, ask your butler - they know everything going on and can help you make arrangements. Conclusion ---------- Kihaa is a great place to visit and has great people. The facilities are good but not great, but more than sufficient for such a beautiful magical place. I'd highly recommend Kihaa for anyone to visit.…
We had a wonderful stay on Kihaa! The rooms are comfortable and clean. The food was very good. Raj met us on arrival and kept in touch ensuring that we had all we needed and kept us informed regarding activities and trips. We went on the Sunset Cruise and the Dolphin one too which we very much enjoyed. We went snorkeling twice with Ocean Dimensions. Once to snorkel with turtles and the second to snorkel generally and to take a walk on a sandbank. Abdul and Edward were excellent Guides. It is well worth going to the talk given by Arianna, also from Ocean Dimensions, re the ecology of the islands and preserving them. It was so interesting. We went jet skiing too and came across several pods of dolphins. A wonderful experience. I didn't catch the guides name but would like to thank him for sending us photos and videos of our experience. Special shout out to Tude, Rachel and Giri, the best bar team. They were very welcoming and lovely to talk to. Ibrahim served us in the dining room very often and again he was very attentive. All the staff are wonderful. The island is truly beautiful.…
Over all we had a fabulous 10 days holiday on Kihaa . Our Villa was lovely we had prestige Villa 102 so had access to our own bit of beach snorkelling was great ,every evening at 6.30you could go to the jetty and watch them feed the stingrays and the sharks absolutely a must. Kihaa is a beautiful island it seemed like we were the only people there. THE GOOD bits:- Sayel and Sonia kept our room clean and tidy they came in twice a day ,at night they turn your bed down , they made sure we had everything we needed Kept our mini fridge stocked with-cold soft drinks and fresh bottles of water each day. Nothing was to much for them thank you for looking after us so well. Todae and Rachel looked after us at the bar they were fantastic they remembered our names what we liked to drink really great to sit and chat with while they worked. The restaurant was buffet style but you had servers who would bring you Tea or Coffee at breakfast fresh chilled water , then lunch time they would fetch a drink from the bar you could only have beer ,wine or soft drinks . You were always offered fresh fruit at breakfast and lunch and dinner was ice cream I loved the coconut one. Anjana which I hope I’ve spelt right was our main server she was very quietly spoken she was an absolutely delightful lady a great front of house in the restaurant. Ibriham was also very nice to. Now the not so great . Half the island is being refurbished but no one tells you that ,over all that was ok as it made the island a lot quieter seems like you were the only ones there. Our meet and greet person who’s your Buttler! Was Honey how it sounds maybe not spelt was not very good we had no itinerary sent to us saying what was happening ie: night entertainment or trips had no idea there was anything till our neighbours said they were going dolphin watching that was day 5 and showed us what there butler had sent them . Raj was his name fantastic guy he booked it for us . Day 2 of our 10day stay they ran out of beer 6/7 days later they got some not very good forward planning the bar staff were great but I felt sorry for them as so many people wanted beer and it was part of the all inclusive that did make an impact on our enjoyment. Food were to start ITS NOT 5 STAR!! Some of the food was good but it’s buffet so it needs to be kept warm The porridge was lukewarm as were most hot dishes unless you were lucky and they had just put a fresh dishthe best bet was to get the fresh cooked from the live stations .the puddings were mainly pre made a bit tasteless like cheep catering , they always made it look nice with presentation though and I won’t lie I ate them. There homemade bread and butter pudding also the doughnut butter pudding were great even if a little on the cool side. Over all we had a great holiday the staff we had dealings with made it all the better I really must say a big thank you to Todae and Rachel we loved sitting on the swings having a drink or two and talking to you both also keep up training to the young lad who’s name I never got at the bar . I would recommend Kihaa as a great place to go just try sorting the food out as that’s a large part of your holiday experience. Really enjoyed the seaplane transfer Thanks for a great holiday hope to return to the Maldives again . …
Our daughters wedding, From the minute we got off the seaplane the staff were brilliant, the wedding was outstanding down to the last detail, our beachfront bungalow was spacious and clean with an outside bathroom, the bar staff and all the waiters and waitresses were all excellent
I took my husband for his 50th bday!This island was the most beautiful place I ever visited.We had visited a lot of place’s prior and this was number 1.The staff is amazing so nice,and friendly! We stayed in beach villa you can see the ocean amazing.Just sitting outside every morning looking at the beautiful crystal blue ocean was amazing.Susmita greeted us when we arrive at Kihaa,and our departure.Susmita sent me all the events happening on the island every day,and arrange all our excursions we bought prior.My husband loved this plane we had the pool to our selves very quiet and relaxing.The massage was amazing,jet ski tour,snorkeling with the turtles,dolphin watching on boat,sunset cruise,and food was amazing.We went night snorkeling it was amazing saw nurse sharks,fish,sting rays,star fish ,octopus,and much more.I would have never did night snorkeling everywhere in the world than Kihaa Maldives safe.They made my husband a cake,decorated bed,and sang happy bday to him so nice.They had a huge Valentine event dinner on the beach,roses on table for us,heart balloons,swing decorated with hearts to take pics,decorated bed swans and roses,tray with chocolate sweet treats in room,and all food,and desserts heart shape.This island was magical and so beautiful crystal blue waters,and white sand beach just like the pictures.I will definitely be back.I would recommend if you ever have the opportunity to visit Kihaa Maldives you will never want to leave.…
Where do I start what a beautiful island, we were made to feel welcome from the minute we set foot there, we were late arriving but they kept the buffet open for us once we had eaten we were met by our go to man Raj he gave us all the information we needed and was available for anything we needed he messaged to ensure we were ok if he didn’t see us , he also arranged jet skiing to see the dolphins which was amazing. Our room was a beach villa with pool it had an amazing seaview, the room was beautiful large and clean and well equipped we had a garden room with a swinging chair lovely to chill out there, our room man Siddie had left a lovely welcome message on the bed and kept our room lovely. The food was limited choices but what there was we found to be tasty the live food stations had some lovely beef and pasta was very nice, the chef from the kitchen also checked that everything was ok with your food. Ibrahaim was great he knew our names and what we liked and didn’t like very personally touch all the staff are very friendly and helpful in the the restaurant, also bar staff Rachel who has a friendly smile to greet you and Tu De gave a very personal service as do staff from grounds men to managers. My husband celebrated his birthday while there the restaurant staff and Raj brought out a cake and sung to him when we got back to our room Siddie had left a brithday message on the bed. We went out snorkelling with Ariana she was great and took time to talk to us about the marine life around the area. We had the most amazing time and can’t thank kihaa enough we will be back for sure …
Visited Kihaa this month and it is like Paradise. From the luxury Villa with Infinity pool, White Sands and the Staff who can’t do enough for you. A big Thankyou to Vijay who looked after us exceptionally, Shahin the bellboy and Susanna in the Restaurant there are too many to mention and they are all lovely people. I would definitely recommend you Visit this island if you can.
A fabulous holiday at Kihaa! We stayed for 10 days in a Lagoon Prestige Beachfront Villa with Private Pavilion (room 228). The room was very spacious, lovely comfortable bed and the best air conditioning I've had when away and needed. The view of the stunning sea from our bed was wonderful to wake up to. Outside there was a verandah with table and chairs and a pavilion with a swinging day bed, then a couple of steps to our own sun beds/sun shade on the beach. The bathroom was also spacious, I'm not prudish but wonder if those that are would mind the toilet being open air. We had a couple of issues with our room but these were immediately rectified once we had brought them to the staff's attention. It was the beginning of February when we visited and the island was very quiet in terms of occupancy and it was almost like having our own island. We were on the lagoon side, most rooms were occupied on the sunset ocean side, but we loved our side as it had a lovely cooling breeze. The staff were amazing and couldn't do more to help. They were extremely friendly and respectful and what made the island so special. A few names but there were many more that went above and beyond to make our holiday wonderful were Anjana and Ibrahim and all the restaurant staff. Rachel and TuDe from the bar, Eka and Raffik who cleaned our room. The Food - I had read mixed reviews and decided that everyone has different ideas when it comes to food and expectations. Whilst everything we had was lovely, we felt the amount of choice was limited, possibly due to under occupancy at this time. However, this did not affect the quality. We were going to have the 'Romantic Dinner' but decided against it due to the price with service and green tax on top - when I saw the size of the lobster on our last night I was very disappointed we hadn't had this! The friend's that had said it was fantastic and very plentiful! The 'Fish Feeding' was amazing! The Sting Rays and Nursing sharks would come up onto the first one or two steps for their food, an amazing sight. Unfortunately it was the wrong season for the Manta Rays but what we saw was something else! We were also very lucky to see the Bioluminescent Phytoplankton on a couple of nights, a fantastic sight to experience. SPA - We had a Jetlag massage each which we both enjoyed and the Spa was relaxing with beautiful views over the ocean. I also had a foot massage which again was enjoyable although I had asked for Reflexology. We opted for the Seaplane transfer and so glad we did, an experience not to be missed and also a quicker way than the domestic transfer plane. There were staff to greet us both legs of our journey and the transfer was all very easy after a long journey. A wonderful holiday and island to visit! …
So we arrived at kihaa We Was met by some warm friendly smiling staff Some local drum music cold towels cold drinks amazing We went to reception to book in which went nice and quick they then drove us to a nice cool air con room for us to chill while they did finishing touches to our suit Short time later we were there nice big rooms clean tidy massive bed Opened up the folding doors to a veiw of white sandy beach coconut trees blue ocean wow The island is amazing We went to the shark and ray feeding steps massive fish I went down and fed them as well great experience Snorkeling was tremendous sharks turtles rays and thousands of beautiful couloured fish and corals lots different blue green water the centre of the island was amazing agian trees plants birds fruit bats lizards hermit crabs and more Weather was wall to wall sun shine perfect The reception staff were great sumita was a star with a big warm caring heart and was always a what's app away Dinning room again Ibrahim was brilliant covered everything as did all the other staff they were amazing the station chefs were great young man done me spaghetti Bolognese couple of to to times and it was fabulous great skills good understanding of spices ect 10/10 from me The bar staff again brilliant Rachel was a angel as were the rest of the staff apologies I don't remember all your names but will never forget you Guys who cleaned the pool and cleaned beaches every morning always have a smile and a good morning very polite Are room lady apologies for got your name she was great twice a day cleaned our room clean towels plenty of water every day room spot less And she brought her parrots down the beach for us to see they fly free in the island very cool thankyou To some up if you want paradise sun and be looked after at the highest level in amazing scenery Go to this island you will not be disappointed It's great and they are also having a refurb as well Go there you won't be disappointed Cheers. Kihaa From Chris and debs …
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