OBLU SELECT Sangeli

We recently stayed at Oblu and had an absolutely exceptional experience. From the moment we arrived, even though the initial welcome was a bit off due to a new staff member, the rest of the team made our stay truly phenomenal. A special shout-out to Shiva and his team in F&B for their outstanding hospitality, and a huge thanks to Mahinder for making our anniversary dinner extra special. We can't say enough good things about the chefs, especially Ravinder, Kamal, Sridhar —the pastry chef—who created incredible dishes and desserts across all the restaurants. The reef around the resort is breathtaking, and the shark diving experience is a must-do. We also loved the spa, the amazing all-inclusive options, and staying at the beach villa with a pool was just perfect. The food variety is incredible, from Indian to Italian to Asian cuisine, and everything in between. The Just Grill and the adult side pool were definitely highlights, and the Maldivian night with dancing and singing was so much fun. In short, the whole experience was fantastic, and we can't thank the staff enough for making our stay so memorable. Read less

We’ve returned three times since 2019 because you can enjoy a beautiful reef right in front of the water villas, a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere, excellent food in all three restaurants, and, above all, the kindness and professionalism of the entire staff. All you have to do is arrive and… let yourself relax, until the bittersweet moment of saying goodbye — knowing you’ll be back again soon. Read less

A little slice of paradise 🌴💙 This our 2nd visit to the Maldives, we were slightly worried that it may not be able to top our last visit but we were blown away! We were quickly greeted by the hotel representatives at the airport who took us to our boat. The transfer was 55 minutes and a very comfortable journey! We were offered refreshments and cold towels by the staff and luckily spotted a dolphin on our ride to the island! 🐬 On arrival we were greeted by friendly faces, a glass of fizz and some traditional drums! I would highly recommend completing your check in information prior to arrival via the app. This made everything super easy and a very short wait before we were on a buggy on the way to our water villa. On the app you can also make special requests, mine was to be closest to the adults island (room 444). Sara gave us a tour of the island before taking us to the villa and showing us around! Sara was extremely helpful, she provided us with her WhatsApp number incase we needed any assistance whilst on our holiday and checked in with us to make sure we had arrived home safely! Thank you for your kindness. Our water villa was amazing!!! It is without a doubt the best room we have ever stayed in. The room was clean, spacious and beautiful. Our mini bar was replenished daily, my husband was very happy with the variety of beers! Throughout our stay we saw lots of marine life, which was spectacular! Most days we saw lots of beautiful coloured fish, reef sharks, stingrays and luckily on the last day a turtle! We were completely fascinated! 🐢 🦈 The house reef is very good and snorkelling around the resort was amazing! The bathroom was so spacious and relaxing, the bath tub looking out to sea is very special! ! We were looked after throughout our stay by Kader! He ensured our room was clean morning/evening and made us smile every night with his inventive animal towels! Kader was always so kind and attentive to our needs. Thank you for all your hard work! 🥰 There are two parts to the island, the main resort and the adults only side! We spent most of our time at the adults only, which suited our needs perfectly! Most lunch times we ordered beside the beach bar and spent most afternoons having a cocktail on the loungers. We are extremely grateful to the staff who looked after us whilst there, after a couple of days they knew our drinks request and would bring drinks over when noticing our glasses were empty! The restaurants are wonderful, we enjoyed Just Wok the most! The food was delicious and they accommodated with no issues our request of 'no nuts' as my husband has a severe allergy! The 5 course menu was so delicious. I would highly recommend booking via the app prior to arrival to ensure you get a reservation on an evening. The buffet restaurant has a really good variety with live cooking stations which are a highlight. Breakfast has great options, we opted for eggs benefit/omelette's most days which was freshly made on request! 🍳 We were slightly apprehensive prior to arrival regarding my husbands allergy however every dish is clearly marked out with allergens which made us feel at ease. The rock bar is beautifully located with a great view of the sunset! There is live music every night and a selection of drinks. I opted for a rum punch which was delicious. Included in our package we had two treatments each in the spa! We both had a massage and facial, this was so relaxing and wonderful! You are also taken on a fishing trip, which was lots of fun, we managed to caught a fish and a beautiful sunset! The weather in the Maldives is always a topic of conversation! We came last year at the same time and had spells of rain however luckily this year we had sunshine every single day! Take lots of factor 50! 💛 Overall, we had the most spectacular time and couldn't have of wishes for better service! All the staff we met had a friendly smile, this is from the front of house, bar staff, cooks and cleaners. Everyone is genuinely so helpful and without a doubt make this island so special. Thank you so so much! ✨ Read less

This is our third time in OBLU Sangeli and already planning to come back again next year. In short, the location is breathtakingly beautiful, the marine life is truly magical, the confort of the premises, the delicious food, the hospitality taken to the next level by the hotel crew are the key ingredients that keep us coming back to this beautiful island Sorry for the lengthy review. Located north of Male (Baa Atoll), accessible within 1 hour by speedboat, this is a very convenient location for long haul travellers with young children without compromising about the magical marine life as it’s not too closed to the capital . Upon airport arrival, we were smoothly directed to a waiting area (and regulary updated that the boat would shortly be there). The 55 mn of boat ride went smoothly, under the care of the courteous smiling crew. Trip can be bumpy, tips, take anti nauseous pills or essential oils to ease if the weather is not cooperating. Traditional Drums, warm smiles and refreshing drinks awaited us at the hotel reception upon arrival. No matter how many times we were in Maldives, the scenery is taking our breath away . The different shades of blue combined with the waves sounds crashing smoothly on the powdery white sand beach and we knew we are at the right place for our annual well deserved holidays. Each family is assigned a “butler” who will take notes of all speacial dietary and needs if any. Ours is Mika a graceful nice person . We were quickly whisked to tour the island and bring to our overwater villa. Each villa is a stand alone unit (initial reason for choosing the property) , tastefully decorated and well maintained despite the harsh salty humid environments. The overwater villa with pool is facing the reception (will be at the frontline to see the new boat arrivals) and the without pool villa is facing the ocean for those who liked ultimate privacy and uninterrupted horizons. We prefer the O W villa with pool (less current during snokelling activities). The room is deep cleaned twice daily by our room attendant and will provide any amenities we need. With Every night turndown services, we found sweet treats awaiting for us. What a nice touch! Foods : The main restaurant (buffet style) served delicious, varied cuisine. Predominant cuisine is Indian and Asian food. There are also live cooking stations ( freshly oven baked naan by Nahid the undisputed king, grilled & pasta station (hello chef Torre) , Hamburg station, noodle . Salad stand etc..). Yummy desserts.. After two weeks, we were beyond spoiled, gained a few kilos, as despite the many choices, the chefs are constantly proposing to cook their off the menus specialties and don’t you dare go near the pastry chef, he will stuff you with special desserts if he catches you still hungry. My son has special needs that the chefs were happily accommodating at each and every meal, with such care that we were deeply grateful. Kudos to chef Rahul and chef Vijay for their care . This is a remote island and everything is imported from all over the world so don’t expect smoked salmon, iberico ham, oysters and other fancy seafood instead expect delicate cuisine made with local and imported fresh ingredients. The specialty restaurant (just grill and just wok) are serving fine dining and while the menus are already extensive, the chefs prepared extra dishes for us to try ( still dream about those tuna and beef carpaccio with truffle oil and the lotus roots in oyster sauce from chef Kamal, a very talented young chef) As returning guests with a few anniversaries to celebrate, we were spoiled beyond expectations: surprised candles diners at the privatised pier, special settings dinners at the beach, gifts and more cakes than we could eat. and when we thought how spoiled we are, upon returning to the villa we found again a beautiful cake and bed artistically decorated. In general we found the hospitality and staff in Maldives of high quality but with Oblu Sangeli we discovered a next level of attentiveness and genuine caring. The waiters are cheeky when they get to us better (can’t resist the contagious smile of Safwan and Mohammed) and they know how to balance good distance as not to be intrusive and care . Special thanks to F&B Shiva and his front office team and to Sri the property manager who is such a lovely person. And many thanks for the unsung heroes who work hard to maintain the overall quality of services Activities : Spa: as part of the serenity plan we were entitled to 3 couples massages at Elena Spa ( stands for Element of Nature). Tried the full body massage and highly recommended the stress bustling one. Always amazed by those personalised massages with the right pression performed by graceful yet strong hands. The funny part is hearing my hubby snoring during sessions, this is how good their massages are If I can allow a suggestion: would be great to add a beauty hair saloon and make up / beauty saloon to further enhance the experience of holidays treats (for ladies, after all, we came here to spoil ourself) Snorkelling: we initially choose the island because of its lively récif and we were not disappointed. Marine life at Oblu Sangeli is truly magical, a few steps away from the villa you will find the resident ray manta, many dory and nemo and nurse sharks and other sharks and many many things to observe all days . Make sure to wear the safety jacket ( provided) and bring your own snorkelling gear s if intensive session ( can be also rented for free ). We stayed for two weeks and did not feel bored for one second (activities are numerous sunset fishing . Snorkelling, paddle, yoga , well equipped gym facing the sea, buffet themed. Etc..) On a less positive note, we found some guests were not enough respectful of the récifs/ not awared of the fragility of corals and marine life, walking and thus destroying corals during low tide snorkelling while shouting. Will be good to raise awareness to preserve these fragile ecosystem (multi language flyers in the room maybe?) There are so many more wonderful stories and tips to share but the review is lengthy enough. In short if you are looking for a wonderful island where you will be taking care of with utmost respect while living in paradise destination for a few days don’t hesitate, although if we were truly selfish we should have kept this hidden gem for us. Stayed in July 2023/july2024/july 2025 Read less