Maldives – Vilamendhoo Island Resort and Spa

Nestled amongst the natural island vegetation is the garden rooms. With a king size bed and private porch guests have privacy between each room. The rooms are situated in a prime location close to the island’s facilities, main restaurant and bar. Guests will also receive a nightly turndown service as well as have access to an outdoor sitting area, sunbeds, a stocked mini bar and a refrigerator.

Other amenities include a personal safe, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, TV, complimentary Wi-Fi and tea/ coffee facilities. The partially open-air bathroom has its own rain shower as well as double sinks, bath accessories, bathrobes and a hairdryer. The garden room can comfortably occupy 2 adults and 2 children making it the perfect spot for families.

These double stand beach villas are adjoined to each other and offer space and comfort. Located on the beach, guests are just steps away from the ocean and are lucky enough to wake up to sandy views each morning of their stay. The villas can occupy up to 2 adults and 2 children and are decorated with tropical décor to complete the island feel.

Air conditioning and an overhead fan will keep guests cool on the hottest of days and a rain shower with bath accessories will allow you to cool off in comfort. Amenities include a stocked mini bar, refrigerator, tea/ coffee facilities and Wi-Fi. An outdoor sitting area provides privacy and comfort and other features include beach towels, bathrobes and a partially open-air bathroom with double sinks.

Just a few steps away from the shore and sandy beach is the standalone beach villas. Perfect for families travelling together the villas give guests a beautiful ocean view to admire during their stay as well as a private porch to laze on in the sun. The tropical décor with tile flooring will immerse guests in the island experience as does the open-air bathroom that comes complete with double sinks, bathrobes, a hairdryer, bath accessories and a rain shower.

Wi-Fi, a TV, personal safe and air conditioning is all provided as is a nightly turndown service to make the family stay more comfortable. This villa is perfect for 2 adults and 2 children and features a stocked mini bar for adults as well as a refrigerator, tea/coffee facilities and complimentary use of assigned sunbeds.

Maldivian inspired beach living is offered in the Jacuzzi beach villa with a private sundeck and a private walled-in outdoor area for the utmost privacy. Located in the ‘adults only’ area of the island it makes for the perfect spot to holiday with a loved one, especially with amenities such as a king size bed, mini bar, refrigerator and an open air bathroom with double sinks. Other features include air conditioning, ceiling fan, tea/ coffee facilities, a rain shower, and TV, Wi-Fi and bath accessories. A nightly turndown service is sure to make your stay more comfortable.

These over-water villas offer guests a private sundeck with stairs that lead directly into the sea. Exclusively for guests aged 18 and over, they are perfect for couples but can comfortably occupy up to 3 adults. The king size bed and Jacuzzi make for comfort and romance whilst the TV, mini bar and refrigerator make perfect additions to nights spent in.

The bathroom is partially open-air with a rain shower, double sinks, hair dryer and bath accessories provided by the resort to make the stay feel all the more luxurious. Other features include a personal safe, Complimentary Wi-Fi, air conditioning, complimentary tea/coffee, a ceiling fan and beach towels. The tropical décor and wooden floor completes the island feel and a nightly turndown service keeps your stay feeling neat and hassle free.

The benefits of all-inclusive means all you can eat buffets that feature food from around the world are on offer. Each restaurant features live cooking stations and unique theme nights to give guests a taste of local cuisine at least once a week. Funama caters to the garden rooms and beach villas whilst Ahima caters to adults in the Jacuzzi beach villas and Jacuzzi water villas. Ahima also caters to adults only in their restaurant and is designed with a modern look. Each buffet restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Located on the eastern side of the island this restaurant features Asian cuisine and a dedicated live station for traditional Japanese teppanyaki. Reservations are recommended and the restaurants is located atop wooden stilts above the blue lagoon, making it a desirable spot to admire the views of the Indian Ocean. Dishes include sushi, Thai cuisine, Vietnamese flavours and so much more.

Open for dinner, Hot Rock is a restaurant and bar where meals are prepared on hot, volcanic rocks. The menu features pick’n’mix skewers as well as a main course menu to indulge in. Reservations are recommended to experience this unique dining spot.

Outdoor dining is to be enjoyed at Bonthi Bar whilst sipping on cocktails. Open 24 hours a day, comfortable outdoor seating makes it a wonderful spot to admire the Indian Ocean and marine life beneath the overwater wooden deck. Family friendly, the bar offers satellite TV coverage as well as resort presentations for those who want to learn more about Maldivian culture.

Serving multiple ice cream flavours and smoothies, Boashi bar is the spot for poolside refreshments and relaxing in the sun. It is family friendly and allows parents to soak in the sun as kids play in the pool.

Open to guests aged 18 and over the Sunset Bar provides access to the freshwater infinity pool with a spectacular view of the ocean. The bar serves cocktails and is perfect for taking in the sunset. Guests can also choose between indoor and outdoor seating.

A memorable dining experience can be had at Vilamendhoo on the beach near Ahima Restaurant. The food and beverages team will arrange a candlelit dinner or alternatively guests can dine on their own private terrace or the beach in front of their room.

An extensive in-villa dining menu is available to guests who wish to dine in the comfort of their rooms and breakfast, lunch and dinner can be provided as well as desserts. A champagne breakfast option can also be ordered for couples and includes a full American breakfast, half a bottle of champagne and is enjoyed in complete privacy.

Over 99% of the Maldives is made up of water and coral reefs so staying at the resort makes for the perfect opportunity to witness the marine life that lives below these waters. Both beginners and experts are welcome as there are options for those of every level with the help of the island resort’s very own dive team. Expand your knowledge and swim alongside sea turtles, sharks and manta rays.

Snorkelling can be assisted by Providers that aim to get beginners comfortable in the water and it allows guests to see the bright coral that makes the Maldives so full of marine life. With its own house reef and options such as night snorkelling for those seeking an adventure, it’s something you won’t want to miss when staying at Vilamendhoo.

Due to its naturally hot location the waters of the South Ari Atoll make for the perfect water sports environment. Guests can try stand up paddling, kayaking, jet skiing, water skiing, wakeboarding, mono skiing and knee boarding all with the assistance of staff to help beginners.

Acitivities on land at the resort include tennis, badminton, football, tennis and golf. Guests can take part in the guest vs staff football matches on Sunday and for those who simply want to keep up with their fitness regime they can use the fitness centre or take a swim around a freshwater swimming pool.

Venturing in the open sea is what makes the Maldives such a desirable location to visitors. Alongside snorkelling and diving which invites guests to swim alongside schools of fish amongst coral, guests can spend an entire day at sea on an Ocean Discovery Tour.

Alternatively guests can set sail in a traditional Dhoni or even go on a sunset cruise to spot dolphins as they swim in pods. Visiting local islands to witness Maldivian culture is what travel is all about as is fishing in the clear waters. The sharks, sea turtles and manta rays all await your welcome.

Evenings at the resort provide guests with a wide variety of things to do such as disco nights, DJ nights, karaoke, cultural dance nights and presentations about the marine life that surround the island. These events are held at bars and along the beach depending on the entertainment of the night.

The island resort is home to its own spa that provides treatments for both the body and mind. The spa has a whole team of professional specialists and therapists who provide holistic treatments and therapies inspired by the healing traditions from Asia and Africa. Healing Earth and Pure products are used; organic and eco-friendly brands that are used for massages, couple treatments and more.

Developing sustainable tourism is important to Vilamendhoo Island Resort and Spa and they believe that by incorporating protection of the environment into the resort’s experience they can better protect it for future generations. Nature walks are incorporated into staff training and special events are celebrated in relation to Environmental Awareness for both guests and staff. This includes World Environment Day, Earth Hour and Beach Cleaning.

Guests are encouraged to get involved with beach clean-ups and education programmes ran by the resident marine biologist. Learning about the rare marine life and how their preservation is vital is a unique opportunity when staying in the Maldives and with presentations available for those keen to learn, the environment is constantly being remembered as an important part of the island experience.

Knowing how important the local community is to the island, Vilamendhoo ensures that it supports the community back. The resort and spa actively contributes to the sustainable development of the local community and environment through various corporate social responsibility programmes.

The first priority to fill positions at the resort is always with locals which is why the majority of staff is Maldivian. Other events in the community that are supported by Vilamendhoo include blood donations, local sporting events and inviting locals onto the property to take part in cultural nights and earn extra income.

It is a policy of the island resort that fresh fish is purchased from local suppliers only, supporting the community as well as to know the chain of where it is sourced. Net fishing is banned. By purchasing locally the need for plastic packaging and additional air miles from imported goods is eliminated.

A vegetable and herb garden has recently been introduced to the resort, with the long term goal being to grow the food organically and eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers.

Beach cleaning and island cleaning is an awareness programme that guests as well as staff are encouraged to take part in and is organised by the HR department in collaboration with Euro Divers to clean the house reef. Daily beach clean-ups are done by the maintenance team and they are committed to removing waste that comes to shore overnight.

Coral gardens have been placed in different areas around the island and strict rules are in place that ensures guests do not affect the coral when snorkelling or diving. The Marine Biology Centre also does all it can to educate guests on the coral reefs and the important role they place in the water.

Guests are invited to plant a palm tree on the island during reef cleaning days and Environment Days. Planting new trees regularly replaces old fallen trees that have died due to old age or rough weather conditions.

The Manta Trust is a well-known independent non-profit organisation whose mission is to advance the conservation of manta rays and their habitat through research, raising awareness and scientific conservation. Guests can take part in workshops with the resident marine biologist and a team is on hand at the Marine Biology Centre to share their passion in preserving the natural beauty below the waters.

All water used at the island resort is produced on-site by pumping sea water into a desalination plant. An on-site water bottling plant also produces all of the drinking water for guests and staff. Filters are in place to make the water safe to drink and it is then bottled into glass bottles to avoid the use of single-use plastics.

Water saving devices and procedures are in place at the resort and spa without compromising the comfort or health of guests. Water flow restrictions are in place and any waste water is ran through a filter system before being used in local garden to avoid having to dispose of it in the ocean.

LED and low-energy light bulbs are in place throughout the island and lights in public areas are equipped with sensors to automatically turn off when no one is around.

The island operates its own sewage plant treatment to clear and recycle all of its waste water. It is ran through a filter system and ultimately used in the resort’s gardens to avoid having to dispose of it in the sea. The island resort also has its own Macerator to process food left over to produce zero-food-waste fertiliser.

This will ultimately support the gardens and plants. Garden waste is shredded to enhance the quality of the soil on the island and this helps to better track food waste.

The island resort is committed to eliminating plastic and has replaced single-use plastic bottled with reusable glass bottles from the resort’s very own bottling plant. To continue this support, the ECO-bottle was introduced in 2019. It is an aluminium bottle that is sold to guests and can be refilled with drinking water free of charge. Plastic straws have also been banned as have plastic cups, bags and cutlery.