sagittarius2411
June 21, 2024
“Where do I begin?” was my thought when I started this review!! As many will know, that’s the opening line of the theme song to the film ‘Love Story’ and perhaps my thoughts were apt as this was our 11th visit and therefore, it must be our very own love story. Let’s start with the accommodation. We always stay in a beach villa - we love the space a beach villa provides & the many different seating options including under cover, in the semi-shade and, of course, on the beach directly outside the villa garden. It was extremely hot this time (end April/early May) so the shade was most welcome. Our favourite villa spot is on the sunrise side where there are uninterrupted views of the ocean and distant views of other islands, there’s usually a nice breeze (depending on the time of year) and a wide section of sand. The housekeeping & gardening team do a fabulous job of keeping our ‘home’ in tip top condition - the villa, the gardens and the pool. Big shout out here to Amin, our room host, and Koeas, our pool attendant who delivered superb service with a smile! As many other guests have said the food, wine and ambience in every restaurant is always sublime. We have never had a meal we were disappointed with. Food wise, Chefs Siddiq, Madan and Vinay always pull out the stops and on this holiday created a number of delicious special meals including two Indian themed dinners AND a stunning dinner on the beach. For the latter we also have to thank the lovely Santosh for setting up a beautiful romantic table for two overlooking the sea. We thought we’d died and gone to heaven that night! We always go for the B&B arrangement which suits us. For breakfast, Jahaz offers everything and anything from fresh bread & pastries (thanks to Tapas and the talented pastry team), umpteen varieties of cut fruit, several cereals, freshly cooked eggs, cold cuts, bacon & sausage through to more exotic options like Maldivian tuna curry. Rasheed directs the breakfast operation and it’s always lovely to be met at the door with a smile and genuine welcome from him. Rosh, Gasim and Zaheem remember our drinks orders and the lovely chef on the fruit and pancake counter (oops, sorry I’ve forgotten his name but he looks remarkably like the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo) would arrive at the table with our favourites without us even asking! Amazing! We like to split our dinners between Meeru and Jing. Meeru’s barefoot setting is very special and the grilled meat or fish dishes are freshly cooked. Zaheem would be there again - always smiling and ensuring our Meeru experience was memorable. Jing is ‘another world’ experience. In a glorious setting overlooking the Indian Ocean with some tables outside on the balcony, this restaurant is everything you ever dream of when you think of the Maldives. With tempting, cooked to perfection, Asian inspired dishes providing meat, fish and vegetable options there are plenty of choices for more than one visit during the holiday.