OBLU SELECT Sangeli

Our second visit to Oblu Select Sangeli was just as unbelievably amazing an experience as our first. It can only be described as pure bliss - tranquillity and relaxation guaranteed! Reception: From the moment we got off the boat we felt like we had returned ‘home’. We received an incredibly warm and enthusiastic ‘welcome back’ from Sara, our contact from last year. She was yet again exceptionally efficient, friendly, helpful and professional throughout our stay, checking on us regularly without being intrusive. Very much appreciated. Room: Having booked an overwater villa with pool again, we were delighted to find out that we had been allocated the same villa as last year (525). We walked into the villa to find a Welcome Home message on the bed as well as some treats for us to enjoy. This villa is positioned extremely well to watch the beautiful sunsets either from the wonderfully air-conditioned room, whilst taking a dip in the pool, sipping wine on the decking, relaxing in the bath or even whilst taking a shower. An awesome experience whatever way you choose to view it! During our stay our room was serviced by two lovely members of the housekeeping staff; Sikdar, who looked after us brilliantly for the first week of our stay and Kader, who looked after us perfectly during our second week, he had also taken care of us splendidly during our previous stay. Both Sikdar and Kader left our villa immaculate, both inside and out, each day leaving us a different towel creature on our bed ranging from elephants and crocodiles to turtles, manta rays, swans and more. Also worth mentioning are the other members of staff that help service your villa, unfortunately as we rarely got to meet them we do not know their names, however they did a wonderful job keeping our mini bar topped up, our water bottles regularly replaced and the pool serviced. Whenever we did see them they were always smiling, very friendly, polite and respectful. Altogether a superb team. The Resort: Although a smaller resort than some in the Maldives, this is what helps makes Sangeli such an exceptional place. Despite its size there always seems so much to do and time passes far too quickly. The Rock Bar, open during sunset hours only, is definitely worth a visit, no matter where you are staying. The variety of marine life visible from the deck area around the Rock Bar is unbelievable. We loved walking around the island during the day to spot all of the marine life, we always included a visit to the Rock Bar area just to see what was there. These walks were great for spotting black tip reef sharks, sting rays, manta rays, sea snakes, eels as well as the massive array of other tropical fish. A quieter, more relaxing place to take in the beautiful sunsets is the Adult Only bar on the smaller island, set between the two A la carte restaurants; Just Grill and Just Wok. We would definitely recommend experiencing the sunset from here at least once during your trip! All-Inclusive Package Two complimentary trips included in the AI package are The House Reef Snorkeling boat trip and/or the Sunset Fishing Trip. On this trip we were again lucky enough to do both of these during our stay. The house reef snorkeling is an amazing experience on it's own, however it was made even more special for us this year as just as the trip was coming finishing one of the crew spotted some dolphins in the distance as we got closer the dolphins put on a lovely display for us, absolutely magical. The sunset fishing trip is also worth doing, if you get chance. We had a brilliant time and I managed to land a whopper of a fish, a Midnight Snapper, albeit with a lot of help from my husband! Also included in the AI package is a complimentary session(s) at the Elena Spa. We enjoyed our 3 complimentary sessions so much, that my husband and myself extended our final one and then treated ourselves to a Hot Stone Massage – oh my goodness, this was the most amazing experience and we would highly recommend it. A big thank you to all of the ladies at the Spa for helping to make our sessions so relaxing and peaceful, but special thanks have to go to Ratna and Chimina for our final two Spa treatments. Restaurants No matter where you eat whether at the main Courtyard restaurant or one of the two A La Carte restaurants you will not be disappointed. The food is delicious, varied and of great quality and the staff are all friendly, polite and dedicated to ensuring your needs are catered for. We were so well looked after by all of the staff, but a special mention must go to Dinesh, the Courtyard Manager, Chef Rahul and Suri for their wonderful fish dishes. Alivi and Mohammed, who looked after us so well in the Courtyard and Edina who looked after us excellently at Just Grill, especially on our last night when we were presented with a cake for my birthday and a ‘Hope to see you again soon’ message. Of course, we must also mention the wonderful ladies working at the front of house at each of the restaurants, all of whom were always very welcoming, friendly, and cheerful, again a special mention to Moe and Sia who were always very chatty and interesting to talk to and who looked after us so well. Staff Firstly, our visit coincided with the last week of Ramadan, ending with Eid. This meant that a number of the staff were fasting during daylight hours and it was very humbling, to see, that not one member of staff let this effect the level of service they provided, as they all remained professional, friendly, welcoming and refreshingly cheery every day of our stay, even when working in the intense heat of the day, especially when servicing the rooms and when serving food and drink to guests, such behaviour was commendable. It was also brilliant to see and be part of the Eid celebrations! In addition, no matter where you are on the island every staff member will acknowledge you and greet you politely, from workmen through to management, making you feel extremely welcome. Of particular mention during our stay would be Viney, whom we often saw around the island and who made us feel very welcome looking after us superbly, especially when at the Adults only island and Raazee, from the security team, who took time one evening to stop and talk to us, recommending where to see the best sunsets and sunrises on the island. We definitely hope to be back one day soon! Read less

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Maldives, OBLU SELECT Sangeli is an impressive resort setting with serene location. Surrounded by crystal-clear waters and lush tropical beauty, the atmosphere is wonderfully quiet. The villas are well located and thoughtfully spaced out, giving each guest a sense of privacy while still being immersed in the island’s exotic feel. Despite its peaceful ambiance, the resort has many activities for young and old alike—whether it’s exploring vibrant marine life, enjoying water sports, or simply unwinding by the shore. We stayed for 5 nights for their serenity package that cover almost all the activities on the island - snokeling, fishing, massage water sport.We do not feel tired or overwhelm as each activity is one part of the day. The food spread are good as most of the items are international. The staff are pleasantly warm and affordable...they remember you by names!... Kudos The villa are clean and spacious..... Tips - - request for the villa facing the ocean - no regret - try the massage --- really awesome! - Rock Bar - MUST GO in the evening.. enjoy the soothing music by saxophonist Read less