We adored our stay at Gili and would happily return. A very relaxed atmosphere, but combined with superb service, a magical setting and beautiful views from our villa. What made it so special? Early morning and evening snorkeling trips directly from our villa to spot the Eagle Ray and Reef sharks; the best spa we've ever visited with superb therapists ( Dr. Sohal Shah, the visiting yoga specialist was first rate); breakfast in an idyllic setting on the beach; David (the GM) and his senior management team, always in evidence throughout the day to ensure that everything was running smoothly; an outstanding tennis pro (Rodrigo, thank you). Any concerns? We deliberately wanted to stay somewhere close to Male to avoid a transfer by seaplane, which meant we were at Gili within 30 minutes of emerging from the airport. However, it does mean that you can see Male in the distance from Gili and see and hear the seaplanes at certain times of the day. It didn't bother us remotely, but if you're after total seclusion and silence, it just might. Overall, the quality and variety of the food is very good. However, the buffet lunch was limited and repetitive, but the a la carte option was good; the Japanese restaurant was first class; the evening buffets were very varied. Because of the size of the hotel, the range of options was somewhat limited and an additional restaurant would be a major plus. Oh, and the wine list and sommelier were very impressive. (Rowan was extremely knowledgeable and his wine tasting is highly recommended) The scuba diving was very good but the dive team was rather lacking in warmth and engagement. The watersports facilities were good, but minimal effort had been put into promoting them. Frequently, there was nobody there at all! Izzie was the standout member of the team - full of energy, charm and enthusiasm. The pool table and table tennis were welcome distractions when the weather changed. We had a superb time, and would like to thank David, the GM, and his entire team for making our stay so special.…
Gili Lankanfushi is certainly not like anyone of those island-hotel-resorts you have been to in the Maldives !!! Although it caters to a sophisticated high-end well-travelled population, they conjugate “luxury” at the simple present tense. The most important word here is “simple” and it is synonymous of “natural”. Simple & natural as the heavenly beauty of its site : just check a few of my pictures posted and you will have a visual translation of it. Simple & natural as the accommodation. We have gone with the utmost experience which we can recommend to you without reservation. The Sunset Crusoe Villas will plunge you in the middle of the lagoon as if you were alone on this island ... Simple & natural as the design, decoration and raw materials for all the villas. Needless to say that you will feel the luxury, the utmost comfort but you will not see it. The color coding and material choice are simple and natural : wood, palm, glass, cotton and linen for the materials, while the colors go from pale grey, white, sand, and natural wood. How can you go wrong ?!... The designer studio which excelled in this exercise has clearly opted for giving the nature the place it deserved : the blues of the sky and of the waters, the yellow of the sun, the white of the sand and the green of the luxuriant nature, are the only elements of color in the resort. Simple & natural in the service offered with so much attention, generosity, and true care by the local & international team. You do not know when they sleep as you see them all day and night - like a swarm of bees - by you when you need them and vanishing in their bee hive to allow you to have your privacy and feel detached from the societal environment. Simple & natural like all the genuine products of the earth and of the sea that Executive Chef Harry along with F&B Manager Rodrigo will be composing with mastery to offer you the most varied and unlimited fooding experience as we haven’t had in a long time. Simple & natural as the activities you will try like we did, ranging from a romantic dinner on the sand bar under the stars, a sunset in this rustic but über-luxurious small wood sailboat, a snorkeling moment on the reef by day or by night, a detox relaxing afternoon at the Spa floating on the turquoise waters of the lagoon and receiving healing treatments by Sara, or any of the other therapists. Simple & natural as the management team from GM David, Deputy GM Nicolas, E.Chef Harry, F&B Manager Rodrigo, Maître D’ Siyam, and our amazingly devoted “Friday” : Mister Fiyaz himself ! Simple & natural as - last but not least - the guests during the week of our stay : so discrete and friendly, so much in adequacy with the spirit, the values and the DNA of this one-of-a-kind island-hotel !!! I am thrilled to have experienced with my partner this exceptional holiday and - needless to say - that we will be back sooner than later : we will book the very same villa as we felt it was our new home !... …
Shazu was our Ms Friday and she looked after us throughout our stay in a way that just made you feel like you could finally breathe a sigh of relief in the knowledge that she would just take care of everything. All the staff made us feel like that. We can't wait to go back.
We have only heard of what heaven looks like. But this time we saw it. 3 days of a perfect holiday thanks to our Friday Mifzal. Delicious food by Chef Hari and the entire staff was so caring and helpful. The villas were unrealistic it was so well made. Enjoyed the jungle movie, Spa, chocolates for breakfast and the cute tricycle.
This was our second visit to Gili, now as a family of 4. We’ve never returned to a resort before, and amazingly we can’t wait to book to go to Gili again. Everything here is beyond special. The warmth and kindness of the staff make Gili what is it, absolutely magical. Our Mrs Friday, Shazu went above and beyond with everything she did for us, she also formed a lovely friendship with our 4 year old, so much so she keeps asking when she can see Shazu again! All the other staff were so kind to both children and made them feel at home. Our 4 year old made sushi, had story telling, gardening and a jungle cinema! The food is out of this world and you can feel the passion Chef Hari puts into it. The gala dinners for Christmas and New year were just amazing. Our room was immaculate and spacious, a really relaxing place to spend lots of our holiday. There are so many activities on offer, we haven’t even scratched the surface, but a highlight for us was the sunset dolphin cruise. Many thanks again, especially to Shazu. We hope to see you again soon. …
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