Dhawa Ihuru

This was our seventh trip to the Maldives. We had previously stayed at four different resorts, but this was our first visit to Dhawa Ihuru. We travelled as a family of four – two adults and our two adult children, aged 20 and 22 – and stayed for 14 nights in two Beachfront Jet Pool Villas with the Premium All-Inclusive package. When choosing a resort in the Maldives, our most important criteria are an easily accessible and fishy house reef, a small “no shoes” island, traditional Maldivian design and good food. Dhawa Ihuru offered everything we were looking for and turned out to be our best Maldives experience so far. Excellent and varied food Occupancy was unusually low during our stay, as elsewhere in the Maldives, because of the conflict in the Middle East. Only six villas were occupied when we arrived, and even at the busiest point there were around 35-40 guests. As a result, all meals were served à la carte rather than as the usual combination of buffets and set menus. We initially wondered whether this would limit the choice, but there was no need to worry. Lunch and dinner were four-course meals, with a choice of three starters, three main courses and three desserts, as well as a soup. The menus changed daily, the portions were generous, and the food was consistently varied, beautifully prepared and full of flavour. With the Premium All-Inclusive package, we could also choose one lunch or dinner each day from a larger separate menu, and everything we tried from it was excellent. On Fridays, guests were taken on a two-minute boat ride to Dhawa Ihuru’s sister resort, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, for a buffet dinner. As both resorts are part of the same hotel group, it was also a lovely opportunity to experience the neighbouring island. A beautiful and well-maintained island Dhawa Ihuru is a small, peaceful island and, of the five Maldivian resorts we have visited, by far the best maintained. Staff were constantly trimming the vegetation, clearing dead leaves and working to prevent beach erosion, leaving the island exceptionally clean and beautifully cared for. Mosquito treatment was carried out several times a week, and we were hardly bitten during our 14-night stay. Having previously stayed only in Raa and Lhaviyani Atolls, we were slightly concerned that being close to Malé might mean more rubbish in the sea and on the beaches, aircraft noise or boat traffic. We need not have worried. The beaches were remarkably clean, we barely noticed any noise, and the short boat transfer from the airport was a real advantage. A wonderful house reef The easily accessible house reef was one of the main reasons we chose Dhawa Ihuru, and it did not disappoint. It is close to the beach and can be snorkelled all the way around in about an hour. It is a very fishy reef, with varied corals, shoals of fish, several areas of anemones with clownfish, and daily sightings of blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, including some fairly large ones. Boats run several times a day to the sister resort, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, where we were lucky enough to see a large group of eagle rays on the house reef. We also saw a sleeping turtle during a night snorkel at Dhawa Ihuru and joined a fantastic guided snorkelling safari to nearby Baros Reef. Excellent housekeeping Our two Beachfront Jet Pool Villas were kept immaculate by Fazleen and Moosa, who cleaned them twice daily and quickly learned our routines, usually servicing the villas while we were at breakfast or snorkelling. We especially appreciated that the second service was completed before dinner, so we always had fresh towels and tidy villas when getting ready for the evening. Every morning, they put out the cushions on the sun loungers, chairs, hammock and daybed, and brought them back inside at night. They also created lovely towel art on the beds and beautifully decorated our bed for our wedding anniversary. Outstanding service Every member of staff we met was friendly, welcoming and genuinely committed to making our stay enjoyable. Don, Subhasis and Akash at Velaavani Bar were always cheerful and made excellent cocktails, while the service at Riveli Restaurant was equally good. Yoga at the egg station was always smiling and made the best Eggs Benedict, and Eni was always warm and welcoming. A very special thank you goes to our assigned waitress, Mamta, who made a real difference to our holiday. With several menus and four people ordering multiple courses, often with unusual requests, there was a lot to keep track of, but she handled everything effortlessly and always got every detail right. Mamta was professional, knowledgeable and attentive, with excellent timing and helpful wine recommendations. She was also warm and friendly without ever being intrusive, and always seemed to know exactly when we were in the mood for a chat. We sincerely hope she will still be there when we return. We hope to return After seven trips to the Maldives and stays at five different resorts, this was our best Maldives holiday so far. There was genuinely nothing we could fault. Thank you to everyone at Dhawa Ihuru for making our 14-night stay so memorable. We had a fantastic time and very much hope to return next year. Read less

We had an amazing family vacation here and truly enjoyed every moment. The atmosphere was peaceful, the surroundings were beautiful, and it was the perfect place to relax and spend quality time together. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and always willing to help, which made our stay even more enjoyable. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and the overall experience exceeded our expectations. Whether it was enjoying the scenery, the facilities, or simply making memories together, everything felt special. Thank you for making our family holiday such a wonderful experience. We would happily recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxing and memorable getaway, and we hope to return again in the future. And these are our stars: Front Office: Sambe, Food & Beverage: Mihaadh, and whole team, Housekeeping: Moosa, Boduberu team Read less