OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO

We have just returned from a two-week honeymoon at OBLU Nature Helengeli, and we can genuinely say it was nothing short of perfection. From the moment we arrived at the airport to the moment we departed, everything was flawlessly organised. The 50-minute speedboat transfer was smooth and comfortable. Upon arrival to the island we received a warm welcome with traditional singing and dancing followed by a refreshing drink — a thoughtful gesture that immediately made us feel at home and part of the OBLU family. We stayed in a Deluxe Beach Villa with Pool, which was stunning. Spacious, refurbished, and immaculately clean, with a huge open-air shower that added to the tropical experience. The villa’s private terrace looked directly onto the beach, complete with a cozy outdoor sitting area. The private pool was a great size and kept clean every day. Having direct access to the beach and ocean was a real highlight. We were also surprised with beautiful honeymoon decorations upon arrival — such a lovely touch to kick off our special trip. The service throughout our stay was absolutely outstanding. Every member of staff went above and beyond to ensure we had the best experience. As part of our package, we enjoyed a complimentary sunset boat trip and morning fishing excursion — both were a lot of fun and we were thrilled when we caught a fish! I participated in a cooking class which I strongly recommend as it’s fun and engaging experience. The Chef taught me how to make 3 dishes of my choice, provided me with spices and herbs as well as recipes to try at home. We also had the pleasure of dining at Just Grill and twice at Raga Route — both restaurants offered incredible food and truly exceptional service. The meals were beautifully prepared and full of flavour. We must also mention the food at The Spice was absolutely amazing! There was good variety of dishes to select ranging from traditional Maldivian and Indian dishes to Asian and European options. Every meal was delicious. The marine life was another highlight. Just knee-deep into the water from the beach, we saw baby sharks, manta rays, silver fish that curiously swam right up to us. Also there was countless of beautiful seashells, corals, crabs, etc. It was like stepping into a natural aquarium. Towards the end of our stay, we had a small issue with some guests passing through our villa and treating it as a shortcut to the beach. We raised it with reception and to our amazement, the response was immediate. Several managers personally came to speak with us and made every effort to ensure we were happy. They even offered us an upgrade to a Sunset Water Villa with Pool for more privacy. When we moved in, we were welcomed with a bottle of bubbly, a box of chocolates, a fruit platter, and gorgeous bed decorations — a truly heartwarming gesture that left us speechless. The water villa is stylish and spacious. A night before departure, the staff in the restaurant had decorated a table for us which was heartwarming. When we returned to villa we were stunned by lovely decoration on the bed. Again, a lovely gesture from the staff. In short, the service is top-class, the island is breathtaking, and the entire experience was unforgettable. We are incredibly grateful to the OBLU Nature Helengeli team and we will return in the future. Thank you for making our honeymoon so special! Read less

We stayed at the resort towards the end of April and we had an absolutely incredible time. It was everything we had hoped for and more. We stayed in a water villa, and it was lovely to have our own pool, so much so that we did not utilise the main or adult only pool. Our villa was always kept immaculate by housekeeping. We had an issue one day with the pool not cleaning itself, and staff were out within an hour of us reporting the issue and it was fixed for us very quickly. All staff across the island were so friendly and welcoming, and the island is so well looked after and just stunning. We loved the house reef, and were fortunate to see dolphins outside our villa, turtle and an array of fish, sharks and stingrays. We were lucky that it was green flag on most days so the current was not particularly strong. For food, we stayed 9 nights so had the pleasure of a meal at Raga Route and Just Grill. Our experience at Raga Route was incredible, the food was delicious and the staff were incredibly good with my nut allergy. I was fortunate enough that the chef cooked me some special nut free accompaniments (apologies I do not know the name of the chef, but we ate there on 29 April) and we were very appreciative of the efforts he went to for us. If anyone only has the opportunity to pick one, I would recommend Raga. We were also very impressed by the buffet restaurant, the food was tasty and varied day to day. For anyone that suffers allergies or intolerance, all dishes are clearly labelled which we thought was fantastic. The bar area was lovely, and often you were served at your table which was a nice touch, there is plenty of games in the bar area too for those that want to play pool. We also loved the popcorn machine! We took advantage of the free paddleboarding, kayaking, sunset cruise and traditional fishing trip and enjoyed all of them. We would like to see a wider variety of excursions that could be booked (some cheaper options too) but really, we went to relax and snorkel so were not too bothered by that and the free experiences were great anyway. This was a bucket list holiday for me and my husband and we couldn't be happier with our experience, it certainly met our expectations and more. Read less