Dhawa Ihuru

We’ve just returned from a 7-night holiday on this very special island and we’re already missing its beauty, charm, and the incredible warmth of the staff. From the moment we stepped onto the island we felt welcome, and every day we were greeted with countless wonderful smiles. The island itself is small, peaceful, and beautifully maintained, which gives it a wonderfully relaxed and intimate feel. We stayed in Villa 30, which has uninterrupted sea views and the most beautiful sunsets. The villa was immaculate thanks to Fazleen, who cleaned it twice a day while always respecting our privacy. They even clear the leaves off the sand! We especially loved the outdoor bathroom. During our mealtimes we were looked after by Mihaad, who worked incredibly hard and patiently answered our many questions. Despite some previous comments about a lack of variety in the food, we found the complete opposite. The buffets were themed, with à la carte meals served every other night. My husband ate eight different types of fish during our stay, all superbly cooked. The food was varied, fresh, plentiful, and extremely tasty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone cook an omelette, pancakes, and eggs Benedict all at the same time before! The snorkelling is fantastic, with very easy access to the house reef and crystal-clear water. We saw hundreds of brightly coloured species, including reef sharks and turtles. The team at the marine centre were always on hand to answer questions or give advice. To sum up, we absolutely loved our little island and would definitely return one day. Thank you for sharing this beautiful corner of the world and for making us feel so welcome. A special thank you to Fazleen and Mihaad for looking after us so well – you both made our stay even more memorable. If you’re looking for warm, personal service in stunning surroundings with amazing snorkelling, Dhawa Ihuru is the place to go. Read less

We have been travelling to the Maldives for 30 years visiting many islands for snorkelling, this was our first visit to Ihuru. We stayed for 2 weeks. The island charmed us. It is small but so well designed that it doesn't feel small. It feels like The Maldives used to feel truly authentic. The dining room and bar have sand floors. The seating is well arranged inside and on the decking with comfortable not quirky trendy uncomfortable seating. The dive centre is friendly, gives info about tides and currents, helps identify fish or nudibranchs, reef access points are clearly marked, there are free snorkelling trips to monitor or clean up the reef, free snorkelling equipment, snorkelling lessons are available and excellent (I witnessed 2 very well done). There is night snorkelling available, talks about the reef, interesting marine films. Visited the Marine Lab on Vabbinfaru, the sister island. At the end of Feb the island was full with 80% repeaters. The reef was full of many different corals with coral restoration programs in place. So like other coral rich reefs I have seen, the fish are smaller and more difficult to see. But there are plenty and the big stuff if you want that - loads of large sharks (black tip, nurse and white tip)- morays, octopus, turtles, even manta (yes 2 recorded viewings in the past two months) etc. It's an easy reef to access, so very good for beginners. There was a lot of debris in the water from the building work going on in the Male atoll, so morning snorkelling was clearer than afternoon. Everyone is on AI which includes some branded not local spirits etc. The minibar is generously stocked with soft drinks, spirits, beer, red/white wine, nuts, pringles, snickers bars, all replaced as soon as consumed. Yet no one seemed to over indulge. cocktails were available all the time and wine with meals. Coffee was good, although instant in the villas with a kettle. We took our own fresh coffee bags. If you want fruit infusions, take your own. Also in the room: mosquito machines, a good hairdrier, USB ports, multiple and square pin sockets. We liked the rooms, well laid out, a good size. The outside shower room had everything we wanted. There is a Kid's club, gym and clinic on the island. Sadly there are also Speedboats not Dhonis (noisy and create choppy conditions and don't help erosion) and Jet Skis. Both this island and the sister Vabbinfaru had lots of beautiful old trees. It really added to the authentic feel of the island. Entertainment starts at 9pm and stops at about 10pm - live music, marine films and the best Bodu Beru we have seen for 25 years. Food was not as good as we had hoped. Chilli and spices were in most things, which caused us serious problems. So much so that my husband ate only bread for the last three days we were there. It was better when meat or fish was grilled but then vegetables were often served in sauces which must have had things in we were not expecting. The food on the set menus (three times a week - a choice of three mains) was variable with one lamb dish inedible by all four of our party. You could ask for things specially, but my husband is not one of those to make a fuss, so he suffered. I also saw a family with a Coeliac who were struggling to find anything she could eat for eg soy sauce, used extensively, contained wheat. You can do it Ihuru - the BBQ on the decking was superb, a really memorable evening. Good food under the stars in the tropical warmth. What could be better? This island is a treasure. An easy quick journey from Male airport means it is a magnet for half term and Chinese New Year holidays. so choose your timing carefully. Read less