Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru Hotel

We had a wonderful week at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru. It is a small island so easy to walk all the way around. Everything is very central including the bar, where the evening entertainment was really good (a sister and brother duo) and it was easy to meet and chat to other guests there. There are no overwater bungalows but the beach villas are beautiful with full sea view if you choose front line. We stayed in Villa 37, which was on the sunrise side of the island (near the beautiful Japanese restaurant - more on that later). The villas have their own pool and jacuzzi in the rear garden and look straight out to sea so when you wake up in the morning, the beach and sea are your first sight. Villas have both outdoor and indoor showers but no bath - the outdoor shower was great. The guy who looked after our room was really friendly and did everything he could to make our stay perfect. Liu, out butler, was excellent and organised everything impeccably for us. Staff in every location were wonderful but two places deserve a special mention: The marine lab does great work with the coral and the guided snorkel trips (free of charge) with Aman, Sama and Laura were outstanding both on Vabbinfaru and on its sister island. They really helped to make our trip special as did Viyaam on Watersports. He was super helpful giving advice about where to snorkel to see turles, sharks etc. We did an all inclusive package, which we felt was worth it although it excludes some drinks (but not enough to be a nuisance) and some dishes in the Japanese and Thai restaurants have supplements (but again, not many). Breakfast is buffet but very good especially Goud who ran the fruit station and Fipit, who also worked evenings in the thai. Both have great memories for what guests like. The best restaurant by far is Madi Hiyaa (the Japanese). Firstly, it is the most stunning building with gorgeous views. Secondly, it has a glorious breeze that blows through day and night to keep you cool while you eat. Thirdly, the staff were incredible. Our thanks to Uma, Nishanth, Viyam and Vickey for making our lunchtimes and the dinners that we ate there fantastic. The food was excellent and the service was outstanding and super friendly. I can't praise this team enough. If I had any criticisms at all, I would say that the 3 buffet dinners we had while we were there were good but not great. However, they were good opportunities to meet other guests (of all ages). Overall it is a beautiful resort and we would definitely go back. It's hard to choose a resort in the Maldives so definitely consider this one if you are looking, especially if you want a beach bungalow, you like snorkelling and you like Japanese food (although the latter is optional).