So what makes Veligandu the perfect resort for a honeymoon or romantic holiday? First up it has just 100 villas which gives it a very intimate and personal ambiance and you never get that over-crowded feeling; then the vast majority of the accommodation here are over-water villas (which are always a firm favourite amongst honeymooners - especially the brand-new Ocean Pool Villas with their private swimming pools over the lagoon!); this in turn means that there are very few children around as they are only allowed in the 9 entry-level Beach Villas, so it’s very much a grown-up atmosphere that prevails with little chance of being disturbed by noisy kids. Back this up with top notch yet relaxed and friendly service and delicious food and the result is one of the most consistently raved about resorts on TripAdvisor in the Maldives!

In terms of aesthetics, Veligandu is a long, thin island dominated by a massive sandbank that extends for more than 80 metres off the southern tip of the island and actually gives the island its name (“Veligandu” means sandbank in the local Dhivehi language) Combine this sandbank with the fine white sand beaches that extend down both sides of the island and the result is you’ll enjoy some of the best swimming and sun-worshipping beaches in the Maldives with plenty of sun-loungers under shady thatch umbrellas if you need a bit of respite from the tropical heat - that’s if you manage to drag yourself away from the private deck of your villa of course!

More good news is that there’s also very good snorkelling easily accessed on the house reef with plenty of beautiful corals and fish life to be seen – not to mention turtles and mantas if you’re lucky! This isn’t one of those resorts which buzzes with action though: here you’ll generally find people prefer to simply chill out and relax - on their deck, around the swimming pool or lounging about on the beach – or perhaps treat themselves to a relaxing massage at the Spa. Having said that, there is however an excellent dive operation at Veligandu, and if you’re feeling a bit more lively then you can always head for the padel and pickleball courts or the state-of-the-art fitness centre, potter about in kayaks or perhaps try your hand at things like windsurfing, deep sea fishing or a game of beach volleyball.

As mentioned earlier, Veligandu is quite unusual in that a massive proportion of the rooms (75 out of 100) are actually over water villas. The resort was extensively renovated and largely rebuilt to upgrade it from 4 star to 5 star level when it re-opened in late 2024. It's the newly built Ocean Pool Villas that especially catch the eye. Built along 2 arcing boardwalks reaching out from the northern tip of the island, guests are therefore able to choose from either sunset or sunrise facing rooms (whilst many people love the romance of facing the sunset, some of our clients who went recently preferred the sunrise facing rooms for offering better and more easily accessible snorkelling). The entry-level Beach Villas are your only choice if you want to bring the kids along - from there the rooms become larger and more luxurious as the price goes up. Funnily enough one of the room types that we particularly like are the revamped Sunset Ocean Villas - although they lack a pool or jacuzzi, they do boast a lovely contemporary outdoor bathtub and there's also an over-water hammock net integrated into the lovely wooden deck, perfect for lounging about whilst admiring the sunset. They also offer  direct access to one of the best parts of the island's house reef.

The general ambience at Veligandu is very relaxed and informal yet classy – this is encouraged by the sandy floors which you find everywhere: in the main Dhonveli restaurant and bar and reception (of course if you’re staying in one of the over-water villa types you’ll still need to brave the hot wooden walkways from your room so a pair of slops will be a good idea if you don’t want to bake your feet!) Speaking of restaurants, the dining experience here is consistently praised for its quality and variety – the standard meal basis is Full Board (all meals) but we find that most of our customers prefer to go the All Inclusive Dine-Around route (where drinks are also included and you can also experience dining at all of the resort's restaurants) as this is usually far more cost effective.

The main restaurant is the Dhonveli where excellent and ever-changing buffets are the order of the day; then there's the a la carte Madivaru restaurant which specializes in fusion dishes incorporating Mediterranean and Asian influences and also has a separate Japanese teppanyaki grill section. Finally there's the resort's most elegant dining option: the stylish Raalhu restaurant offering top-end meat and seafood dishes - and romantics will no doubt also love the adjacent Champagne Pavilion - the perfect place to soak up the sunset whilst sipping on a delicious glass of bubbles! For a never-to-be-forgotten experience you could even spoil yourselves with a private beach dinner where you can experience “surf and turf” Maldives-style - with succulent lobster combining with the finest Wagyu beef for a truly sensational taste treat! Veligandu isn’t the resort to choose if you’re wanting loads of nightly entertainment, but no doubt you’ll end up enjoying some ice-cold drinks and a chat with other guests at the Thundi Bar located alongside the swimming pool. Alternatively you may simply choose to remain ensconced with your better half in your private pool or Jacuzzi whilst sipping on a glass of bubbles and admiring the spectacular ocean views!