Over the years perhaps the most popular resort in the Maldives for South Africans has been Meeru – however if there was one thing missing from the Meeru experience it has always been that the island doesn’t have a house reef and keen snorkelers are therefore likely to be disappointed. Well now there is another option which neatly solves that problem – sister resort Vilamendhoo! The owner of both these resorts, Crown Resorts, took the opportunity during Vilamendhoo’s extensive rebuild in 2011 to basically recreate Meeru’s winning formula honed there over many years – so you can expect very similar room décor, the same excellent service, relaxed vibe, even the same choices of restaurants. But now Vilamendhoo also offers guests the one thing that was always previously missing from Meeru – a superb house reef that offers some of the very best snorkelling in the Maldives!

This re-creation of the winning formula even goes as far as imitating Meeru’s splitting of the island into 2 virtual halves – firstly there’s the “family-friendly” half of the island comprising of the Garden Villas and Beach Villas, the only room types on Vilamendhoo which accept children; then there’s an “adults-only” section which comprises of guests staying in the Jacuzzi Beach Villas and Jacuzzi Water Villas. Each of these sections has its own dedicated pool, restaurant and bar area – whilst this may create a bit of an “us and them” situation, adult holidaymakers and honeymooners will no doubt welcome the absence of boisterous kids disturbing their peace and quiet on the “adult” side of the island.

Following Vilamendhoo’s recent major rebuild, the rooms themselves are now very attractive with bright and contemporary décor touches. Whilst we don’t sell the 13 Garden Rooms in the centre of the island (as we cannot see the point of travelling halfway around the world and then not having direct beach access or sea views!) the Beach Villas and Jacuzzi Beach Villas are great options – the main differences between them, apart from the latter boasting a Jacuzzi in their back deck area, is that the Beach Villas have tiled floors whilst the Jacuzzi Beach Villas have stylish wooden floors. The Jacuzzi Beach Villas are also slightly more spacious and boast iPod docking stations. Of course, many guests’ first choice (especially honeymooners) would be one of the 30 gorgeous Jacuzzi Water Villas which are spectacularly positioned on either side of a wooden boardwalk stretching out into the lagoon.

The dining experience here at Vilamendhoo shows similarly excellent quality and consistency as that at Meeru. The restaurant for the “family” side of the island is the Funama Restaurant which is located in the middle of the island; the “adult” side of the island has its own restaurant/bar area, the Ahima, located next to their pool – the bar here is the sunset bar open to all adults on the island. Excellent buffets are the norm at both restaurants. If you want something a bit more personal on the a la carte side then you have the excellent Asian Wok located over the water specializing in teppanyaki, or for something a little different head to the Hot Rock, where you can enjoy great steaks or seafood cooked at your table on heated volcanic stones whilst you sit under the stars with your toes in the beach sand. Whilst Full Board (all meals) is the basic meal basis at Vilamendhoo, we find that most guests go for the All Inclusive Plus package which includes 24 hour drinks from the main bar, your mini bar in your room, and even a complimentary sunset cruise during your stay.

Talking of excursions and activities, Vilamendhoo has more than enough to keep even the most restless guest more than happy – on land there are sports such as soccer and tennis, a games centre and gym. But it is the water-based activities that are the star of the show here, especially the superb snorkelling on arguably one of the top 10 house reefs in the Maldives! Easily reached just a few metres from the island’s sandy beaches, the fantastic house reef presents an ever-changing colourful kaleidoscope of underwater life that will enchant snorkellers – you’ll discover a myriad different reef fish and spectacular coral formations not to mention turtles, rays and reef sharks!

Scuba divers will enjoy both the easily accessed house reef as well as the nearby concentrations of whale sharks and manta rays that this area of Ari atoll is renowned for. Of course you may find the thought of all this action way too much and prefer to just chill out on the island – the good news then is that there are lovely sandy beaches to enjoy (although they can be quite narrow and virtually disappear in places at high tide) But for a real romantic treat why not take advantage of the “Robinson Crusoe Sandbank Excursion” where you and your better half will be dropped off on a pristine sandbank for the morning to enjoy some blissful isolation together (along with a breakfast picnic and drinks to keep you going of course!)