Veligandu Maldives Resort Island

To spend my birthday & also anniversary celebration here! I love Veligandu 😍 thanks our lifestyle host Julia - little tiny Morocco girl. She will fulfill whatever I need ! so warm and loved and also thank you our house keeping uncle - Mahmood decorated our room so sweet! And also the restaurant staff Abdullah - he is very knowledgeable and attentive. So nice to see him everyday When we have breakfast and dinner there and he will always recommend a lot of the nice food to us. And make us feel so good 😊 Thank you for the team of veligandu! U guys the best 🥰

The staff and coordination was amazing

Our sixth Maldives visits and out first repeat visit as Veligandu was our very first resort in 2018. We were excited to see the changes since the big refurbishment and how it being a 5 star resort would be different from the great 4 star resort is used to be. We come to the Maldives for relaxation, excellent food and drinks but most importantly (for me), great snorkelling. We got all of these and more at Veligandu this time. General/AI/Resort Staff were waiting as soon as we left the customs area at Velana airport with the traditional signs for resorts. Whisked off to seaplane area with luggage weighed and off to the seaplane terminal in a nice, air-conditioned minibus. The staff at the airport were very friendly and helpful. Veligandu put guests in the Business Lounge at the seaplane terminal which has free drinks and food as well as great views over the seaplane take off/landing area. We waited an hour in here before departing. The seaplane journey was fairly normal (3rd time now) and they are a little warm so take a fan if you need one. Our seaplane dropped off at Kuramathi (the nearby resort in Rasdhoo atoll) first. The seaplanes can be a little choppy with the waves when waiting at the platforms so take travel sickness treatments if this bothers you. On arrival at the resort the seaplane went to the main jetty which is different to our first trip here in 2018 when we dropped off at the owners island and then took a boat to the main island. The lifestyle hosts for each guest group/pair were waiting for the traditional drum arrival and after a bit of time logging into the Veligandu app and checking in we were whisked off on a buggy to see the island. I wish resorts would realise that most people want to just get to their rooms and relax after overnights flights with a warm seaplane journey, but this was possible the best check in and quick island tour of all our visits to the Maldives. Each guest group has an allocated lifestyle host who deals with all requests, restaurant bookings and any issues (e.g. blocked sinks!) Ours was called Maoly and she was excellent throughout being responsive to all out requests and questions. I like the use of the ‘hosts’ and we think we are quite minimal in out requests but for people who need more restaurant bookings and excursions, having a single contact can be very helpful. The island is a mature island being one of the older resorts, but we came back after the recent refurbishment to see what was different or the same. The island is still exceptionally pretty and suitably manicured with lots of palm trees providing shade on the walkways and more flowers than previously around the island, suggesting some additional planting in the refurb. The walkways were sandy so could walk barefoot if you wanted to. The island uses buggies for transporting guests and supplies around the island. The buggy traffic was relatively minimal overall (unlike some resorts we have visited that have more buggy traffic than som

Location - Just 20 minutes from Malé by seaplane, which is both convenient and often direct. Speedboat transfers are also available (approximately 1.5 hours). - Located in the North Ari Atoll, renowned for dramatic wall dives and pelagic marine life (including manta rays and sharks). The resort itself sits within Rasdhoo Atoll, a small natural atoll closely linked to North Ari, acting as its northeastern satellite—making the location feel even more special. - A beautiful island, perfectly sized—easily walkable end to end in around 10 minutes. It has a unique cactus-like shape, with the eastern side facing uninterrupted ocean views and the western side looking inward toward the atoll. - Expect completely unobstructed, dramatic sunrises and sunsets. Atmosphere - A relaxed yet premium feel throughout. The November 2024 refurbishment is still very evident, with a polished finish across the resort while maintaining a lush, natural island vibe filled with vibrant vegetation and pristine beaches. - Guest mix varies: more Russian and Asian visitors in the off-season, with more Brits and Europeans during peak periods. - As with many Maldives resorts, guests tend to keep to themselves, coming together mainly for dining and evening entertainment (there is something on every night at the main bar). The staff and island hosts contribute significantly to the atmosphere with warm, attentive service. Resort Makeup - The resort is very well maintained, offering a polished but relaxed luxury experience. Everything was clean, well-kept, and in excellent condition. -100 villas in total - 6 categories of water villas (including newly built Ocean Pool Villas) - 3 categories of beach villas - 1 padel court - 1 pickleball court - 1 swimming pool - Dive center (Ocean) offering scuba, excursions, and motorised/non-motorised activities - 3 restaurants - 2 bars (main bar also serves snacks/comfort food) - Beach loungers on the sandbank - Spa (extremely good!) - Champagne pavilion (attached to one of the bars) - Large house reef (while coral is less vibrant than in years past, it is still teeming with marine life) Rooms - We stayed in an Ocean Pool Villa (one of the newer categories), and it was flawless—modern, spotless, and finished to a very high standard. Housekeeping was excellent, with twice-daily cleaning. - We also viewed an Ocean Pool Villa Sunset, which is slightly larger, though our villa was already more than spacious enough. - In summer, sunset-side villas are ideal for spectacular sunsets. If you prioritise reef access, sunrise-side villas are better. - In off-season, I would strongly recommend the sunrise side. Weather systems tend to come from the west, bringing wind and occasional horizontal rain that can limit terrace use on the sunset side. Waves are also stronger there. - The villas are very well designed: a glass floor panel at the entrance, large bathroom with double sinks, spacious shower, and ocean views. Sunset villas include a bathtub.

We want to thank all staffs for making our stay a real delight, hospitality was truely overwhelming. Allow me to extend further gratitude to our guest host Faheem, every needs and enquiries were handled/arranged promptly. Just 15-20mins seaplane to this small but quaint island, beautiful,clean and above all echo friendly. Stayed in sunset overwater pool villa, the view is spectacular and the house keeping ensures the room is spotless at all times. Food in all three restaurants are delicious, prepared with dedication to fulfill everyone's palate. Thundi bar offers beverages of all kind while enjoying the view of veligandu sandbank, and at night live music hype up the atmosphere to boost the vibes. Thoroughly impressed and hands down stong recommend to anyone who wishes to travel to the Maldives.

An absolute once-in-a-lifetime resort! The service was exceptional, and the hotel facilities are simply stunning. The snorkelling was incredible with so many fish to see, all surrounded by crystal-clear water and powdery white sand. Highly recommend!