Veligandu Island Resort and Spa

Ramona Comanescu

We had an amazing week, beyond words. The buffet is definitely a highlight: very high quality and diverse food, we looked forward to it every day. Especially the cake section, and the different cuisines! The house reef is not great but I knew that before booking - the snorkeling excursions more than make up for it, on the nurse sharks and turtle ones we were taken to some amazing reef nearby. The ocean centre staff goes above and beyond to make sure they find you that sealife. We also got to see plenty of marine life from our deck, sting rays, eagle rays, black tip sharks and jellyfish. We stayed in a sunset ocean villa and it was absolute perfection, it has a net where I spent many hours looking at the water. We tried the pool villas as well, but much preferred the original ones which involve less walking, feel closer to the water and just look gorgeous. Also loved the yoga pavilion, the gym and the massages. Spent a lot of time researching resorts and I chose Veligandu mainly because it seemed to tick most of my boxes, and it did - small size to not feel crowded and walkable everywhere, amazing food, gorgeous beach area, a range of activities and excursions, beautiful ocean villas, and reasonable price for what you get. Overall an amazing stay I will remember for the rest of my life, thank you for all the experiences!

たぬき

It’s unfortunate that I have to give this rating, but based on the issues we experienced during our stay, I have no choice but to rate this resort one or two stars. Regarding the buffet-style meals, the dining area was outdoors, and large flies were swarming over some of the dishes. When we picked items that flies were particularly attracted to, they followed us to the table and persistently hovered around us throughout the meal, which completely ruined our appetite. At this price point, I expected much higher standards of hygiene. The seaplane transfer arranged by the resort from Malé to the resort was delayed by 40 minutes without any notice or explanation. There was no apology for the delay. Similarly, on the return trip from the resort to Malé, the seaplane was delayed again. After checking out, we were told the flight would be delayed by 40 minutes, but we received no further updates or instructions during that time. In the end, the departure was delayed by 70 minutes, and we were genuinely worried that we wouldn’t make our international flight. Once again, no apology was offered. While we were assigned a personal staff member after arrival to help with various matters, the only communication method available was WhatsApp. We don’t use WhatsApp and requested to communicate via email instead, but were told that wasn’t possible. In comparison, even taxi drivers in places like Bali are prepared to use multiple communication platforms like WhatsApp, WeChat, KakaoTalk, or LINE. Email communication was also unprofessional. When we inquired about our seaplane departure time after making the booking, the reply didn’t include the departure time and instead was a long, unrelated message that left us frustrated. While the facilities were clean, likely due to recent renovations, and there were some positive aspects, I find it hard to believe this resort receives so many five-star reviews given the poor service we experienced. Considering the high price, I would recommend looking into other options instead.

Yannick Bettoni

Our stay at Veligandu is absolutely amazing. The island is easily accessible by seaplane from Malé within a short flight and truly feels like a dream island. The three restaurants (one buffet, two à la carte) and the two bars offer top-quality food and drinks, complemented by exceptionally friendly staff. There’s no shortage of leisure activities, including fitness, padel tennis, pickleball, excursions, table tennis, billiards, water sports, and spa treatments — ensuring plenty of variety and entertainment. Almost everything can be conveniently booked via the hotel’s user-friendly app. Depending on the location of your villa, the walking distances might be a bit longer, but the hotel staff is always available to provide transportation via golf carts upon request. The newly renovated pool villas also stand out for their exceptional quality and comfort. A special highlight is the personal guest host (in our case, Naaif), who is always reachable via WhatsApp and provides outstanding service. Need different gym opening hours? No problem — the next day, they were adjusted just for me. A different pillow? Medication for seasickness? Everything was handled promptly and with incredible efficiency. The room service (Ahmed) was also excellent, ensuring a perfect stay. A great tip is to upgrade to the all-inclusive package, which covers many paid activities, drinks, and access to the à la carte restaurants at no extra cost. Veligandu - hopefully not our last time here!

Jörg Kletzing

Well, in fact it seems even trial to describe perfection in the common categories. On a scale from 0-10 (best grade), this is a 12. We are still here, regardless already special thanks to Ryan, Abo and Yamin for their supreme caring!

Mindaugas Zeromskis

Beautiful place. Friendly staff, modern rooms (we stayed at ocean sunset pool villa), amazing food, and gorgeous beaches…