Another heartfelt thank you to Ram and his colleagues for making our special family time so relaxing with attentive colleagues and service from the moment we got through passport control.
This holiday was shared with my wife, daughter and son-in-law and our Grand daughter of 18 months. We were greeted by one of the Atmosphere arrival/airport staff and whisked through to the sea plane check-in - a matter of minutes and then settled into our awaiting VIP transport for the TMA lounge.
A mere 10 minutes later we were escorted to the sea plane and off we go. At no point along this journey so far were we left unattended, you are completely looked after by experienced and kind people.
We were greeted again at the pier by Kanifushi staff and walked to reception and a cold glass of champagne and coconut for the 18 month old. We were in our Beach Villa within 20 minutes.
If you are going for the first time, please take advantage of the Island Tour.
This review is mostly about the people you will meet and be the recipient of there kind service with smiles and genuine interest in wanting to help you.
Kencho - GRO:
Our GRO and has been for several years. If you are fortunate enough to meet Kencho, you will instantly be warmed to her caring personality and knowledge of the Island and everyone that works there. We had an occasion where my wife had a rash develop on her leg, we mentioned it to Kencho and within 30 minutes we were picked up by Kencho, escorted to the Doctor, seen and treated and then dropped back to our villa. Amazing service from Kencho who really goes above and beyond to look after you. She works on her days off, replies to requests within seconds, organises massages/treatments for you - Kencho just wants to ensure that you leave the Island fulfilled and content.
Kuldeep - Just Veg:
We first met Kuldeep at The Spice restaurant a few years back and now works in Just Veg. Such a nice guy who remembers everything about you, what you had to eat last year, remembers your drinks and keeps on top of your meal service. Our last night was a feast where Kuldeep knows my wife is a vegetarian and insisted we didn't need the menu. What came before us was inventive cocktails not on the menu, our favourite Prosecco and a 7 course, stunning meal. It was a combination of everything we like with a twist. Thank you Kuldeep.
Chef Deva - Sunset:
Every day we dined at the Sunset whether it be breakfast, lunch or a specialty night, Chef Deva would make conversation at our table, asking if there was anything specific needed and if we were enjoying our food. We have known Chef Deva for some 7 years now and he is so consistent. On one day, he was very proud to show us his certificate for Departmental Trainer October 2025, he was really happy with being recognised and for his Bosses, please note that he was so pleased and proud to show this to us. It means so much to him.
Ali Muhammed - Buggy Driver:
Again, we have met Ali many times before and so pleasant, bubbly and caring - flowers given to the ladies and genuine greetings upon arrival and departure. He would always help my daughter and baby to climb on board and would not leave until he knew that they were safe. When not on his buggy, you could see he was happy with all clients and waving as we pass by.
Engineering Guy:
I'm afraid that I didn't get the name of this guy who helped but after a down pour, the roads can get a little flooded in places and he recognised that my daughter and I would need to push through this flood, however he was having none of that and put the pushchair on his service vehicle and called for a buggy to collect us, he could have left us to it but this is what makes this Island so special, the people.
Riyaz - our room attendant:
We always like to keep a tidy room and respect that these guys have to deal with all sorts of mess but Riyaz is just a nice guy, gets stuff done, organises the mini bar and keeps us topped up with everything. The beds are made immaculate and the evening turn down service was always completed whilst we were out. I also want to thank Riyaz for the lovely heart shaped painting he gave us upon departure, it provides happy memories. We also had a visit form a previous room attendant, Adam, who we enjoyed conversation with, again a great guy.
Gobi - Bar Manager:
Again, we met Gobi back in 2018 and enjoy chats with him when he is not busy and like many colleagues, just remembers what we like and have our drinks on the table almost within seconds. The cocktails are great and makes a cracking Mint Mojito with half sugar, very refreshing.
Basu/Bashurnda - Liquid/Pier Six:
I have never seen this lady not smile, she is a lovely, caring and helpful member of the team who tells me she enjoys working on the Island and the variation is jobs she has. I watched one day when she was dealing with some rather demanding clients and jus smiled and supplied there drinks, totally professional!
Renu - Sunset Bar:
From serving drinks, meals and singing, Renu is a star, such a smile every day when we saw her. She performed at the Repeaters party and sang with a smile, she wanted to please everyone with her performance and when we spoke to her the next day to congratulate her, she said it was familiar faces that helps her along. When four of us wanted to drink Prosecco, she would organise a bottle to the table rather than keep pouring and up and down etc. As it happens, she consistently kept our glasses topped up and our plates - and our tummies!!!! An absolute star.
Thapa - Sunset Bar:
Such a humbling guy, very tentative and always ensuring you are happy with your food, your choice of table and if you needed anything to go back to the room with. He asked every day about the baby and if we needed anything for her, quick on his feet and always got time for a wave even if we were not on his service.
Ikram, Bharath & Thusrana - Sunset:
As above - these guys all work well together, smiling away and all of them popping over to our table to see how we were doing and if we needed anything else. Checking our glasses again and if we needed more food.
Mr. Priji at the live Dosa counter and Mr. Praveen at the Tandoor counter.
These guys made our meals extra special with their delicious food and friendly service. Mr. Sugaram at Spice Restaurant Management with amazing service
Christy - The Spice Welcome Host:
When my daughter made her first visit to the restaurant, she was greeted with a huge 'Christy smile' and the first thing she said was 'Welcome back Matilda' our grand daughter. My daughter and son-in-law were humbled with Christy remembering her name and tears were shared. Again, such a bubbly, knowledgeable member of the team who takes great care in those visiting the restaurant. A lovely lady to have front of house. It was great to see her again.
Everyone at Essens and in the Children's Club are all super friendly, knowledgeable and ready to help.
Ram Bhoyroo - General Manager:
There was not a day go by that we didn't see Ram either on foot, in the bars, restaurant etc. Always asking if everything is ok, was there anything else we needed and please enjoy your day. I see how you speak with your colleagues, how you motivate them and have knowledge with Chef Deva that your colleagues are all super happy with how they are treated and of course respected. Whilst some team members have natural hospitality personalities, they and others still need guidance and reward which we know you provide them with to help us enjoy our holidays. So, this is a huge thank you for what you do behind the scenes that most won't see. At the Repeaters Party, you genuinely thank us all for returning and also, show your respect to your colleagues publicly. Having got to know some of your colleagues a little better than most, I can tell you that what you are doing is working - thank you.
Summary:
If you've got this far in reading this review, you'll probably digest that the people who work on Kanifushi make the difference. Everyone from the management to the landscaping team, the engineers and front of house staff all say hello, you are not ignored - book your next holiday here.
