Thulhagiri Island Resort

Humera Imran

I recently stayed at Thulhagari Resort in the Maldives, and while it had some great aspects, it fell short of my expectations for a 5-star resort. The food was truly exceptional - every meal was a delight, and I was impressed by the variety and quality. The staff, particularly the reception team, were friendly and welcoming, making our stay more enjoyable. However, there were some significant drawbacks. The beds were surprisingly hard and uncomfortable, and the air conditioning unit in our room seemed old. We were also disappointed to find that there were no Muslim showers available in the bathroom, which would have been a welcome amenity. Furthermore, the bathroom lacked basic amenities like toothbrushes, toothpaste. The location of our room, in the garden, was picturesque but had its downsides. The beachside area was poorly lit at night, making it difficult to navigate, and the path to the beach was dark and overgrown with trees. To make matters worse, we had a frustrating experience with the resort's transportation. We were made to wait at the airport for an hour, and then we had to leave the hotel early without breakfast to catch our speedboat. The transfer to the airport from Thulhagari was short (only 15 minutes), but the charges were steep. Overall, while Thulhagari has its strengths, it needs to work on some key areas to live up to its 5-star rating.

Cristina Senoner

We stayed for one week in Thulhagiri in November. It was our very first time in the Maldives and we found it simply stunning! The island is very exclusive as small and you can cirle it within 7 minutes. We choose a beach bungalow and had the chance to basically have a private beach with privacy right in front of our bungalow. The first room they assigned was right in front of the pool and we wished to be more aside and informed the reception which immediately provided us with a different room and let us choose which one and also offered a free upgrade on a Premium Water Villa (which we did not accept) and it was very kind of them to make us happy. The barefoot concept makes the stay very relaxing and recharging as we wished to stay more and do not wear shoes any more! The food was very good, there is a large asiatic choice and there is something for everyone’s taste. So is breakfast, very varied and there is almost everything, including fresh omlette or any type of eggs live cooked. We chose the all inclusive formula and also enjoyed the cocktails which were very good. The kindness of the waiters from the beach bar was really execeptional. The waiters in the restaurant are a bit “cold” and often just kind with people they get tips from. You could really see the difference and this was a pity but it did not disturb us directly. It is very close to the Male airport so perfect for those who doesn’t want to choose a resort which is too far away. The coral reef around the island is not exceptional but there is a local turtle that if you are lucky you can spot and also sharkies that come very close to the beach. The reef is a bit damaged but this is people’s fault. People do not respect the reef and just walk onto it. The resort offers a few excursions such as a dolphin cruise, snorkeling a couple of times a week, night fishing, Malé tour, local village tour, diving options, water sports and maybe other options I surely forgot to mention. We chose snorkeling multiple times a week in a reef that is 20/30 mins away. There it was really good! We saw turtles, sharks and lots of fishes and stayed out for about 2 hours. It would be cool if they would organise different reef snorkeling within a week and not always in the same place, maybe as a suggestion :) We also had a massage at the spa which was really good (hot stone massage) with a stunning view. I would return in any case as it has been a dream holiday for us!

Daniel H.

We had an absolutely unforgettable stay. The water bungalow was stunning – modern, spotless, and with breathtaking views straight over the ocean 🌊. The service throughout the resort was outstanding; every single staff member was incredibly friendly, attentive, and always went the extra mile. The food was excellent 🍴 with a wide variety, fresh ingredients, and delicious flavors. Snorkeling was a highlight – we saw countless colorful fish 🐠 and, with a bit of luck, even a sea turtle 🐢. Truly magical. The spa was exceptional as well – very professional treatments that left us feeling completely relaxed 💆. A perfect vacation in every way. Highly recommended.

Syeda Ishtiaq

This place is an absolute waste of money. The service is beyond terrible — it practically doesn’t exist. The staff are uninterested, unresponsive, and seem annoyed whenever you ask for anything. Basic requests are ignored, problems are left unresolved, and no one takes responsibility for anything. You are completely on your own here. There is no guidance, no support, no hospitality — just staff standing around doing nothing while guests are clearly unhappy. Instead of feeling relaxed on a tropical island, you feel frustrated, stuck, and forgotten. For the price they charge, this level of service is unacceptable. It’s misleading, poorly managed, and nowhere near the experience they advertise. This resort ruins what should be a dream vacation.

Sharon Holden

It is rare that I give a 5 star review across the board to any resort or venue. Thulhagiri exceeded all expectations in every category and, for me, it truly was a paradise island. I was very much looking for a restful, warm and peaceful environment, and whilst I found all of that, I also found much more. This is a tiny island, with white powder sand and crystal blue waters; a 'barefoot' island, where you can literally walk everywhere without shoes, flip-flops et cetera. About 160 guests and it takes around 15 minutes to walk around the island, but it never feels busy, noisy and you are not bothered by an animation team, hawkers. There are plenty of loungers, though there are no cushioning mattresses on the beach ones. The island is designed very sympathetically to its location, with vegetation hiding most of the services and retaining privacy for both guests and the staff. Staff are attentive, polite, helpful and any matter is attended to promptly. If you are AI there are additional benefits such as free hire of snorkels, flippers and masks during your holiday. The journey begins from the airport at Male where you are transferred to a speedboat for a 15 minute journey to Thulhagiri. I was impressed with the safety procedures undertaken by the staff during the boat, assisting passengers and lifting the luggage into and out of the boat. Each beachside villa looks out to sea, and there are sandy paths to the rear of the villas, cutting across the island. This way you never see or hear the many services from your beachside resting point. There is a large swimming pool with further loungers around it, but most people sought it for shade, rather than swimming, as the beach predominantly is shallow particularly low tide for around 20 m. In your accommodation aside from the usual, you will find 2 lifejackets. We found these very useful when snorkelling at deeper depths, or beyond the reef. Although I have read reports that there were not many fish, I did not find this to be the case-see pictures below. The baby sharks were a regular feature, easily watched from the swimming pool or pier areas. They are not a problem. We were exceptionally fortunate to be upgraded to a superior water villa for part of our holiday. Tipping is not expected, but much appreciated and many of the staff send money home to families. Turning to the food, it was plentiful and varied at all meals. There were plenty of choices for drinks, served at your table and, although the meals are buffet style, careful attention is paid to the heat of the food, allergies and any special needs. There is a dive centre on the island and they can arrange a variety of trips; snorkelling, diving and windsurfing. The bar on the west side of the island gets a bit busier on the beach near sunset and it is a pleasure to sit and watch the sun go down with 1 of the many cocktails, although you might have to wait a few minutes at this busy time. As there are relatively few guests, it almost becomes a large extended family for the sunset drinks before everyone plods off to get ready for dinner at 7:30 PM. the bar at the lounge as well staffed and my only slight negative is that it is hard to get away from the smokers; no smoking is allowed in the restaurant. I really could spend a lot of time telling you how wonderful this resort is and whilst I did not try the spa, apparently that is wonderful to given other guests' reports. At this point I would like to thank several members of staff we made our stay exceptional; at the bar lounge Susma and Ajuri at the restaurant Na-eem (fruit and dessert) and Hussain ("Chef Big Hat") at reception Thoja and all his team. This is not the place for anyone seeking nightlife, parties, pounding music everywhere, animation teams, gym classes et cetera. In short, I would not recommend this for young children and teenagers. To me that is bliss. I have included lots of pictures including that of the superior water villa, sunsets, wildlife seen, but nothing can truly demonstrate the beauty of this tiny island adequately.