Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives Resort

We’ve just returned from the most idyllic holiday at Cinnamon Dhonveli! Although July is considered part of the wet rainy season, the majority of the holiday was blue sky sunny 31c days and we only got a couple of days where it rained either overnight or for an hour or two during the day. It’s hard to know what to expect when you have not been to the Maldives before so have no other island resorts to compare with. But based on its own merits, I’d say Cinnamon Dhonveli pretty much meets the dreams you may have had of visiting the Maldives. And only a 20 – 25 minute speedboat ride from the airport so a swift transfer! The greeting you get on arrival is so warm and friendly and we had a wonderful lady by the name of Ren who made our stay very special because she really looked after us by keeping in constant contact throughout our stay, advising on any events happening at the resort and suggesting trips. This lovely and secluded resort is based on a smallish island of natural beauty (it only takes about 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other) and is so tranquil. It has a feeling of a simple casual life where you meander barefoot along sandy paths and staff cycle to and from their jobs and say a friendly hi. And if you happen to be up early you will see staff sweeping up fallen leaves from the night before, keeping the island so pristine clean. One side of the island where the superior rooms and duplex garden bungalows are is the side where the sea is choppy and you can’t swim but you can watch the amazing surfers in the Raalhu Bar (we called it the surfers bar) at Pasta Point. On the opposite side of the island is a long palm-fringed coraline white sand beach in a calm bay of crystal clear turquoise sea where small fish and harmless baby nursing sharks swim around your feet as you enter the warm water to snorkel and see beautiful coloured fish and stingrays. We were warned that if snorkelling to beware of trigger fish protecting their nests as they may bite so to swim around them. On this side of the island are the various types of beach bungalows and water bungalows. We were lucky to be in the water bungalows which was an awesome experience to see the sea looking out from your bed and hear the lapping of the waves as you fall asleep! We were pretty impressed with the variety of delicious food on offer and every day different dishes were presented which made it really difficult for us to decide what to eat! The chefs cooking fresh dishes at the wok and pasta stations were great and we had a wonderful friendly server Lashan who looked after us every day. Do note though that if you’re in a party of family and friends and in different accommodation that you may not all eat in the same restaurant. There are 3 restaurants that all serve exactly the same menu – Rehendhi, Koimala and Maakana – but you are allocated one closest to your accommodation. As my brother and I were initially in different accommodation types we were worried we would have to eat our meals separately but as we were only a couple of people Ren kindly arranged for us to eat in the same restaurant. There are also 2 bars that have either a DJ or live band in the evenings and hold events such as a crab race! There is also a beach bar on the bay side, a pool bar at one of the 2 pools, a tennis court, a kids play area and a spa. While we were on the island the management held a cocktail party in the Sunset Bar where the Manager gave a talk about the island and what they were doing to help the environment. This included no plastic drink bottles but soft drinks available from taps and having an organic garden providing fresh produce for their restaurants as part of their sustainability initiatives. We were invited to visit this as well as being offered a boat trip to a nearby island where they were planting trees. We found the speech really interesting and to learn that the Maldives are the lowest lying land mass in the world and at risk as the sea level rises. We were also invited to celebrate Maldives Independent Day in the reception area on 26 July where the Manager gave a speech and local dancers in Maldive costume performed so another interesting event about Maldives life. All in all, it is really up to you what you want to do with your time – chill, snorkel, dive, surf, attend events, go on excursions – there’s something for everyone. We already want to go back!