OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort

5.0 star property
Resort with private beach, full-service spa

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your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort

4 restaurants, breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Japanese cuisine
4 restaurants, breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Japanese cuisine
Villa, 1 Bedroom (Over Water) | Down comforters, pillowtop beds, minibar, in-room safe
Aerial view
4 restaurants, breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Japanese cuisine

Reviews

9.6 out of 10

Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Pool
  • On private beach
  • All inclusive
  • Gym
  • Breakfast included
The price is SAR 2,282
SAR 7,125 total
includes taxes & fees
15 Dec - 16 Dec

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 7 of 7 rooms

Villa, 1 Bedroom (Over Water)

Highlights

Deck/patio
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
LCD TV
Pillow menu
Ceiling fan
Pillowtop bed
Down duvet
  • 100 sq m
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Twin Bed and 1 King Bed

Villa, 1 Bedroom, Private Pool, Overwater (Sunset)

Highlights

Deck/patio
Private pool
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
LCD TV
Pillow menu
Down duvet
Ceiling fan
  • 100 sq m
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Villa, 1 Bedroom, Hot Tub, Overwater (Sunset)

Highlights

Deck/patio
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
LCD TV
Pillow menu
Down duvet
Ceiling fan
Pillowtop bed
  • 100 sq m
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Villa, 1 Bedroom, Private Pool (Beach)

Highlights

Deck/patio
Private pool
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
LCD TV
Pillow menu
Ceiling fan
Pillowtop bed
  • 100 sq m
  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Villa, 1 Bedroom (Beach)

Highlights

Deck/patio
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
LCD TV
Pillow menu
Ceiling fan
Pillowtop bed
Down duvet
  • 100 sq m
  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Villa, 2 Bedrooms, Private Pool (Beach)

Highlights

Deck/patio
Private pool
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
LCD TV
Pillow menu
Ceiling fan
Pillowtop bed
  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Villa, 1 Bedroom, Private Pool (Over Water)

Highlights

Deck/patio
Private pool
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
LCD TV
Pillow menu
Ceiling fan
Pillowtop bed
  • 100 sq m
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Similar properties

About the neighborhood

Map
Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, Maafushivaru, 2015

What's nearby

  • Ari Atoll - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Dhangethi Beach - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Bikini Beach - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Bunbaru Public Beach - 1 min drive - 0.1 km

Getting around

  • Velana Intl. Airport (MLE) - 11 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Asian Wok - ‬87 min drive
  • Coral Bar
  • ‪Ahima Restaurant - ‬83 min drive
  • ‪Vilamendhoo Cafeteria - ‬85 min drive
  • The Reef

About this property

OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort

Luxury family-friendly resort by the ocean
At OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort, you can look forward to a free breakfast buffet, a beach bar, and a poolside bar. With a private beach, beachfront dining, and free beach cabanas, this resort is the perfect place to soak up some sun. Indulge in a manicure/pedicure, a body treatment, and a massage at Océane Spa, the onsite spa. At the 4 on-site restaurants, enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, kids' meals, and Japanese cuisine. The gym offers yoga classes and fitness classes; other things to do include snorkeling, windsurfing, and boat tours. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a terrace and a coffee shop/cafe.
Other perks include:
  • An indoor pool and an outdoor pool, with sun loungers and pool umbrellas
  • Multilingual staff, water sports equipment, and concierge services
  • A front-desk safe, luggage storage, and a gift shop
  • Beach umbrellas, coffee/tea in the lobby, and wedding services
Room features
All 81 rooms have comforts such as pillow menus and laptop-friendly workspaces, in addition to thoughtful touches like air conditioning and bathrobes.
Extra conveniences in all rooms include:
  • Highchairs and free infant beds
  • Pillowtop mattresses and down comforters
  • Rainfall showers, separate tubs/showers, and free toiletries
  • 53-inch LCD TVs with Netflix, Hulu, and cable channels
  • Decks/patios, wardrobes/closets, and electric kettles

All inclusive details

All-inclusive room rates at OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort are available. These rates are higher because they include onsite food and beverages in the room rate (some restrictions may apply).

Languages

Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Food and drink

  • Free buffet breakfast available daily 7:30 AM–10:30 AM
  • 4 restaurants and 1 coffee shop/cafe
  • 1 beach bar, 1 poolside bar and 1 bar
  • Room service available
  • Coffee/tea in common area(s)

Restaurants on site

  • Cuisine Gallery
  • Moodhu Grill
  • Tapas
  • Cielo
  • Umi

Things to do

  • Fitness classes
  • Beach yoga
  • Boat tours
  • Children's pool
  • Fishing
  • Fitness center
  • Full-service spa
  • Indoor pool
  • Kayaking
  • Outdoor pool
  • Private picnics
  • Public winery tours
  • Sailing
  • Scuba diving
  • Snorkeling
  • Steam room
  • Windsurfing
  • Yoga classes

Family friendly

  • Children's pool
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Highchair
  • Indoor pool
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Snack bar/deli

Conveniences

  • Front-desk safe
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Library

Guest services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Concierge services
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Dry cleaning service
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour/ticket assistance
  • Turndown service
  • Water sports equipment
  • Wedding services

Outdoors

  • Beach loungers
  • Beach umbrellas
  • Free beach cabanas
  • Garden
  • Pool sun loungers
  • Pool umbrellas
  • Private beachfront location
  • Terrace

Spa

  • 7 treatment rooms
  • Body treatments
  • Couples treatment room(s)
  • Facials
  • Manicures and pedicures
  • Massages
  • Massage/treatment rooms
  • Spa open daily

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • This property does not have elevators
  • Smooth flooring in room
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchairs available on site

More

  • Beach towels
  • Couples dining
  • Designated smoking areas
  • Romance packages available

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Bed sheets
  • Ceiling fan
  • Down comforter
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Pillow menu
  • Pillow-top mattress

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Separate bathtub and shower
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste

Entertainment

  • 53-inch LCD TV
  • Cable/satellite channels
  • Hulu
  • iPod dock
  • Netflix

Food and drink

  • Champagne service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Espresso maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Minibar

Outdoor space

  • Deck or patio

More

  • Desk
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laptop-friendly workspace
  • Local maps
  • Phone
  • Restaurant dining guide
  • Safe
  • Slippers
  • Turndown service

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: 7:30 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Guests must transfer via floatplane to the property; guests must contact the property at least 72 hours before travel, using the contact information on the confirmation received after booking
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival
For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
Guests must arrange transfers (surcharge) from Male International Airport to the property, which is 25 minutes away via seaplane. To guarantee transfers, guests must contact the property with their flight details at least 72 hours before their expected arrival. Daily transfer service is offered by Maldivian Air Taxi between 6 AM and 4 PM. Guests arriving or departing outside of these hours are advised to book a local hotel room in Male or Hulhumale. Luggage in excess of 20 kg/person may incur a fee, payable to the seaplane company during flight check-in. Guests must pay the seaplane fee at checkout.
The additional fee (payable at the property) covers transfer fees for guests ages 12-17.

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Free cribs are available on request at the property

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Christmas Eve (24 December) Gala Dinner per adult: USD 277
  • Christmas Eve (24 December) Gala Dinner per child: USD 139 (from 2 to 11 years old)
  • New Year's Eve (31 December) Gala Dinner per adult: USD 400
  • New Year's Eve (31 December) Gala Dinner per child: USD 200 (from 2 to 11 years old)
  • A tax is imposed by the city: USD 12.00 per person, per night
  • Floatplane transfer per adult: USD 568 (roundtrip)
  • Transfer service fee per child: USD 368 (roundtrip), from 2 to 11 years old
  • Additional fee for children (from 12 years old to 17 years old): USD 420 per person, per stay

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

The additional fee covers transfer fees for guests ages 12-17.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve high chair
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Parties and events are allowed on site
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property
Children under 11 years old are not allowed in the swimming pool or fitness facility without adult supervision

Property is also known as

Hotel Maafushivaru
Maafushivaru
Resort Maafushivaru
Maafushivaru Maldives/Southern Ari Atoll
Maafushivaru Hotel South Ari Atoll
Maafushivaru Tclub Hotel

Frequently asked questions

Does OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort have a pool?

Yes, this property has an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, and a children's pool.

Is OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort?

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: 7:30 PM.

What time is check-out at OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort?

Check-out is at noon.

Are there all-inclusive benefits at OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort?

Some rate plans available at this property are all-inclusive.

Where is OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort located?

Nestled on the beach, this Maafushivaru resort is steps from Ari Atoll, Maafushivaru Island Beach, and Maafushivaru Island Jetty. Dhangethi Beach and Bikini Beach are also within 10 minutes.

OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 64 out of 80 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 13 out of 80 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 80 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 80 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 80 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Superb resort
Lovely staff, stunning accommodation, good food, great excursions. We went on snorkelling trips to look for Whale Sharks, turtles and Manta Rays and saw them all super close to us. Prices also weren’t quite as punitive as we’ve seen in the Maldives before (eg champagne for USD50, cocktails for USD12).
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Christoffer

Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

LES

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 10 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful resort. Clean & well run. Great dive shop. Fantastic holiday.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Extremely friendly and attentive staff that were extremely accommodating. The property was beautiful and was extreme clean and kept up.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful island
Excellent staff, very helpful and friendly. Such a beautiful island.
Spa
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Linda

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Finally made it to Maldives. We can’t say enough positive things about this resort. From the time we landed in Male to our entire stay. The staff and hotel are nothing short of amazing. They are on top of your entire stay. From flight arrival to departure. The food is so wonderful and last but not least pictures and videos do not do this place justice. Breathtakingly Beautiful! Thank you for an amazing experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2021

8/10 Good

Hasan

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful hotel, friendly stuff, amazing food plan (all inclusive)
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Iulian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Carlos

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing experience. Best holidays we had in a long time. Staff extremely friendly and the rooms are amazing.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Erik

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A week in paradise
We had an amazing stay at this hotel over new years: we booked the watervilla with pool and were not disappointed. Everything is brand new, the finishes are very nice and the room very spacious. The hotel was redone in Aug 2020, so the condition of all areas and amenities was sensational. The water and beaches are truly stunning, the photos don’t lie. The staff is extremely friendly and you really feel at home. The food was surprisingly good, especially if you enjoy Asian. There is hardly any need to visit the “extra” restaurants as the main one is great and has variety. There are plenty of activities to choose from even though you need to book as soon as you arrive as spots fill up quickly. Due to COVID the gym situation is a bit annoying and was usually fully booked as they only allow 3 persons in at a time, but i guess its part of the new status quo. We booked a couples massage and we must say the spa is really nice and the massage was excellent, fully recommend. In terms of price-value it is really a GREAT choice for Maldives. This was our first time, but we did a lot of research and really felt we hit the jackpot. The hotel is more geared towards adults, even though there were guests with children and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Despite the fact the the hotel was near to fully booked for New Years, it does not feel full or crowded, which is great as we were really looking to quietly enjoy each others company. You wont go wrong booking at this place.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 9 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfection
DON'T listen to any of the bad reviews. They will all be pompous picks who are used to getting their bum wiped for them. The place is amazing! Staff go out their way to make it the best time of your life. The food is great! I'm gluten free and the Mrs is a veggie and every meal time the chef would come out and show us around all the dishes pointing out what we can or can't eat and offering to cook something special if we wanted. It was our honeymoon and they gave us a secluded honeymoon dinner on the beach with champagne. The coral maybe dead but it is everywhere in the Maldives but we still saw sharks, turtles and sting rays floating about as we walked or swam around as well as loads of fish. The fact it's a small island was the best for us. It meant the whole place was never crowded even though it was always operating at maximum capacity while we were there. It was always very calm and tranquil. Best holiday ever. Totally recommend.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2018

6/10 Okay

Ann

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Whale shark
It was a long journey due to the transfer of sea plane, the waiting at the lounge etc. Plus the fact that the sea plane needs to fill to its maximum capacity, so we had to wait around for other passengers. about 3 hours wait at the lounge which is a waste of time, considering our trip is short, only 3 nights. Also, the sea plane has to alight other guests in another resort, thus, more waiting. By the time we reach the resort, we were tired and many precious hours lost.. Nice resort marred by some oversight as management doesn't pay attention to details. - Staff at restaurants are not so friendly, you have to greet them before they greet you. - It is a pity to see such a beautiful swimming pool over looking the stunning Maldivian sea with a few of the lounge chairs' cushion very visibly torn. You can even see the styrofoam coming off. - The staffs kept all the cushions under plastic wraps even after the rain, and we have to ask for cushions for our deck chair. - Room was not properly cleaned. However, the whole trip was saved by the most endearing whale shark named Stephan, we saw during the snorkeling excursion, the only reason why we travelled all the way to South Ari Atoll. nothing else really matters. Thanks to Amanda, the Marine Biologist and her team, who have made an exception for us to go for whale shark excursion, even though there was no schedule of whale shark excursion during those 3 days while we were there.

8/10 Good

Aql, Jordan

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
Beautiful hotel & island. Only issue, cleanliness.
ROOM We stayed both the Beach Villa and Overwater Villa. Both villas were very beautiful, very spacious, and with an outdoor area, where you can relax and enjoy the views. I recommend trying both villas, as the experience differs. At the beach villa, you are between plants and trees, with the beach 10 meters away. At the overwater villa, it’s purely ocean view with a ladder to access the ocean. The island is absolutely beautiful; fantastic nature. CLEANLINESS This is where we were very disappointed at the hotel. We stayed in our overwater villa on one of the days, while the room service came in to clean the room. We were shocked to see how the room was made up. There was no cleaning done in the room, only the bed made up. In the bathroom, the room service wiped the counters dry with one of our used facial towels. He also swept the floor of sand with a broom. He then rinsed our used coffee mugs, in the bathroom sink with no detergents, only fingers and water. Then dried the mugs with a towel, and returned them to the minibar cupboard. This by far was the only, and worse experience at the hotel. And we wouldn’t have witnessed it, had we been out swimming. SERVICE All in all, the service is very good, and the staff is friendly; especially at the reception and bar. At the main hotel restaurant, the waiters are frowning most of the time, but they are polite and can be nice. Definitely recommended to friends.

10/10 Excellent

Robert D., USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Staff where very friendly and service was excellent. The buffet had a nice selection. There was numerous sports (snorkel, kayak, scuba, etc) and the spa was fantastic. The scuba staff where excellent. Just a great place.

10/10 Excellent

Jongik, Colombo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
good
very good

10/10 Excellent

Remy, Malaysia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Apparently you own the island !
1. We are the only Chinese in the island :) ( But we are Malaysian Chinese ) 2. Lonobo sister island is a must to go , super clean beach 3. Buffet are nice , strongly recommended 4. Recommended to upgrade to all-inclusive on 2nd day onwards and you will enjoy free sunset cruise , and worry free 5. with Unlimited drink with Coconet Lips , Maafushivaru Ladies ....

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Honeymoon
We stayed 5 nights at Water Villa for our honeymoon. Maafushivaru is a small resort, walking around the island takes 20-25 mins. Hits: 1. It was a beautiful and clean resort with amazing house reefs and clear turquoise water. 2. There was a complimentary trip to its sister island - Lonubu which is very peaceful and secluded. 3. The connecting seaplane was prepared seamlessly for us. Maafushivaru helped with the booking and informed us the timing for our return seaplane. Misses: 1. We did not see any turtles, reef sharks or stingrays. After checking with one of the staff, she directed us to an area with strong current. As we are not proficient in swimming, we skipped the chance. Our friends who stayed in other resorts in Maldives were able to catch a glimpse of these animals at shoreline without snorkelling. 2. The daily buffets were usually similar without much surprises, likely to get bored if you stay more than 3 days. 3. The night activities had low participation rate, eg. only 1 couple at the movie night. 4. Every Water Villa is directly connected to the sea through a suntanning deck from its bathroom but both the door and window of the bathroom can't be locked. We felt insecured as anyone could enter the room although chances might be low. If you are looking for a secluded & quiet resort, or excursions to Manta Point or see whale sharks, this might be the right place for you.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Suk, Hong Kong

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Resort
Beautiful coral right at the resort. We did lots of snorkeling by simply swimming out from our water villa. Hotel staff members were friendly and polite. We enjoyed fully during our short stay at the resort. We checked in our room right when we arrived at 8am and enjoyed our breakfast there.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Craig, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Honeymoon Experience
Excellent service and plenty of smiles. Maafushivaru made us feel very special. Great communication pre-trip, all throughout our 6 night stay. Easy to navigate at airport to find where to go. Special honeymoon packages, massages, free champagne, beach dinner etc. This is a small island reachable by seaplane which in itself is a must. We went to 2 islands for our honeymoon. We found that Maafushivaru felt less commercial - it felt like the island was ours (and they even have a sister island if you want more exclusivity). The house coral reef is fantastic. Jump off the pier and snorkel with an amazing variety of fish without the need to travel on an excursion.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

K White, Singapore/USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Heaven on Earth
Everything about Maafushivaru (except how to pronounce the resort name :) ) was perfect. The location - crystal clear water to snorkel with rainbows of fish, turtles, sharks, rays. Beautiful rooms over the water. Food choices galore. Friendly staff. We originally chose to go "full board" but when we got there we were told that all drinks - even water - would then be extra. So we upgraded to "all inclusive" and all was fine. Yes, it is expensive, but make it a once-in-a-lifetime trip and you will not be disappointed. My husband went there to scuba dive, but realized that the snorkeling is just as beautiful, so you don't have to do go anywhere outside the resort's reef to view everything. I am a timid swimmer, but had no fears in the super salty, buoyant waters there. Don't plan to wear shoes anywhere... Oh, you have to add on the expense of the seaplane (over USD$300 per person) but that is another amazing experience.