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Of all the new resorts, Vilu Reef has perhaps the BEST natural assets. The concept and design is also good, but there are rather too many rooms squeezed onto the space and the build quality is not the best.

Maldives Islands Resorts

An ideal resort island geography is to have the house reef close-by on one side and the beach sheltered lagoon on the other. Swaying palm trees across the island and leaning over the water's edge. That is how its is here, on the north-east tip of Dhaalu Atoll. It is not only close by, but the reef drops off into the atoll's most northernly channel. This means great diving and snorkeling, but it also carries a danger of strong currents sweeping into and out of the atoll. Aware of this, the guest relations staff regularly check conditions and advise guests accordingly. Just snorkeling here could bring you face to face with dolphins, grey reef sharks or even a whale shark.

Maldives Islands Resorts

The 'beach side' of the resort looks into the calm water of the lagoon. Ideal for water sports, the centre is larger and more active than most. The house reef side has beach as well, it is just not so wide and the corners suffer from a degree of erosion. The sand on the lagoon side is also wonderfully fine and deep. The jetty is on this side next to the main bar and lounge. By happy coincidence this faces west, so the deck of the bar is a perfect place for a sundowner.

Maldives Islands Resorts

Coming off the jetty into the bar and lounge you see and feel the beautiful design concept. The roof is a swirling, thatched Nautilus shell, cowrie shells decorate the bar, shell-patterned textiles in muted turquoise green cover the cushions of the low slung wicker chairs that are spread around the white sand floor. Excellent, and none of the other buildings quite live up to it.

Maldives Islands Resorts

The reception building is rather more functional. It has the shop, gymnasium, table tennis room and restaurant. The bar has the pool table ($ 5/- an hour). In the centre of the island is a rough tennis court, an OK badminton court and a good volleyball court. Evenings are usually quiet, partly because most guests like it that way and partly because its not easy bring in live acts all the way from Male'. Meals are all buffets; good but not exceptional, apart from having two Maldivian nights a week. Most people are on Full Board, about a third a Half Board and around 10% the British are on All-Inclusive. A decent coffee shop is open 24-hours a day.

Maldives Islands Resorts

The sixty-eight beach rooms look attractive: shell-shaped, with a good interior design that fits in a second bed and opens out to the beach. The walk-in clothes closet is an unusual and useful addition. Closer inspection turns up rather a lot of cheap, thin wood masquerading as quality. Built quickly, maintenance is already an issue. And you may not have a view of the beach. Most rooms are next to the beach, but a few are just behind the rooms that are just behind the beach front rooms. On top of this congestion, there are twenty-four Garden Rooms built inside the winding path that runs behind the beach rooms.

T'phone No: + (960) 335762 (Maldives), Fax No: + (960) 335763 (Maldives)