OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO

We just came back & our entire stay was a very memorable one! All the staff whom we interacted with from the airport transfers, to check in, to housekeeping to restaurant and bar staff, to the management - all were very hospitable and went out of their way to make us feel special and comfortable. So many names to take :) Thank you once again to all of them ! Read less

The staff at OBLU Helengeli where so friendly, welcoming and excellent at their jobs. The food was diverse and tasty, I was very impressed that the menu changed daily and there was such a good offering for vegetarians. The beds were very comfortable and rooms always cleaned to perfection. My only note and word of caution, if you struggle to walk long distances, this may not be the island for you as being a nature island there is only the occasional buggy service. We easily got our 10,000 steps up each day which is probably not a bad thing but worth knowing before you get there. The reef directly off the beach was excellent for snorkelling, such a diverse range of fish and sea life (including turtles) Read less

Review We have returned from our 5th visit to Oblu Helengeli, each visit got better and better. I had been unwell prior to our holiday and it was touch and go whether we went or not. From the moment we arrived we were treated like royalty by all of the wonderful team of staff. General manager Ali met us at breakfast the next day , it was like meeting up with an old friend . Ali was keen to know what were our thoughts on the refurbishments having visited the island prior to this. We absolutely loved all the changes which we felt enhanced the island greatly. It still feels like Helengeli which is important but with a modern facelift . It was my birthday the next day , I had not mentioned it . On entering the Spice restaurant and giving our villa number we were whisked over to Just Grill the speciality restaurant as a treat from Manager Ali !!!! It was a fabulous night, food delicious, service great. On returning to our villa we were shocked to find it had been decorated with balloons , banners and a lovely birthday cake. I was overwhelmed with the surprise and effort made by the Helengeli team. The days just got better and better , we got to know the staff , lovely Lyndon restaurant manager ! We miss you Lyndon, we had such good fun with him every day. Lyndon was so efficient and knew everything going on around him. The bar was a great place to sit and chill we loved the new area , so well designed and comfortable. What made the bar extra special was the bar staff, Begus, Dylan (Eddie) Haikal , Dev, Anjali , Noved and the whole team made it special for us. Begus made us our own special cocktails which we really appreciated. The staff were always busy but managed to treat each customer as a special person which makes people feel good. Ali the General Manager had a shirt made for my husband, the one the managers wear. This was because my husband was made one when we first visited the island 5 years ago. Well what fun we had the night he wore this shirt , people were very confused indeed. It was such a great night , see the photos. Spice restaurant was absolutely fabulous, we just loved our meals in there. The variety of food was excellent chefs always asking could they make you anything extra or special as I have Crohn’s disease and had been really unwell prior to coming away. Restaurant staff were also amazing , so attentive, professional but good fun, Anoof, Arsim,Varun and Ajay (Chef) thank you for looking after us so well. Coming to the end of our holiday manager Ali had us upgraded to a new water villa which we loved and appreciated so much . Salaam sorted our move to the new villa , he was great and such fun too . Weather was mainly good with a few windy and wet days, snorkelling great as this island has a fantastic reef. Mention to Abdulla who has worked on Helengeli for 37 years !!!!! So we left early morning at the end of our trip 05.30 hrs , suddenly Manager Ali , Salaam , Abdulla and few more staff came to wave us goodbye!!!!! We were so sad to be leaving, usually after 2 weeks I am ready for home. This time I was not ready for home, we are cancelling some other holidays to save to go back to Helengel for a 6th visit. To be completely THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AT OBLU HELENGELI . To be continued Read less

A memorable holiday and once again experiencing Maldivian Hospitality and Splendour!!! This is our 6th trip to Maldives and each time we tell ourselves that we should explore another island destination but honestly nothing compares .... Our stay at Oblu Nature Helengeli was no exception, everything was perfect. Every Island Resort has its uniqueness compared to all other different resorts. This if the first time we made use of a sea boat transfer as Oblu is only 50 minutes away from the Airport. Flying via seaplane is a great experience but this was quick and easy and the wait was not long, where as the waiting time with sea plane transfers tend to take much longer, so this was a nice surprise. We have to make a very special mention of Ijju, . He made our visit truly memorable. Firstly he made sure we were totally happy with our room. I wanted to stay a bit further away from the sunset pavilion and he made it happen. We were whisked off in no time further back and we were sooo happy, thank you. Throughout our stay he would come to us often and make sure were enjoying the Island and our holiday. What an extremely thoughtful, kind person. The sunset water villas are well designed, we liked that you could access the bathroom from your patio or bedroom. Interiors were decorated with island blue, jade colours. All amenities one could need, were available and we so appreciate that our housekeeping team made sure we had enough coffee and plenty fresh water. The Cuisine in our opinion was world class, catering for every need from Maldivian, Indian, Chinese, Italian ,European and more. The Buffet was overwhelming with diverse varieties for any palate. There were options for gluten free, sugar free and much more. It is important to note that the Spice Restaurant had a separate cooled room where all salads, fruits and desserts were served, which ensured that everything was super fresh and cooled. An innovation which is commendable especially with daily challenging weather conditions. The serving staff were always very attentive and tried to place you where you wanted to sit, there are some great areas out on deck where you can sit when the weather is good. We made use of the 8 night stay offer of booking at the Raga Route and Island Grill restaurants. We loved the cuisine at Raga Route, it would be wrong of us to say that the food at Island Grill was not good but in our opinion, the set up is not used to its full potential. There are only a few tables close to the sea and there are long tables at the back, it appears it is more for bigger groups, which makes it feel a little less personal. This is merely a suggestion to enhance the experience. Everyone at Oblu perceive any feedback very seriously. I made a comment on The Grill, the Chief Chef came to our table and enquired what we did not like. Wow! to personally find us in the restaurant, days later, wanting to enquire what could be done to improve the experience at the Grill, is outstanding, now that is what we call paying attention to meeting the needs of past, present and future guest. The Island Grill was super, we were happy but wanting to make it even better is a great initiative, Well done!! Although the Resort caters for a larger number of guests, we never felt crowded. There was only one bar area but it is really beautifully designed and you feel the constant airy breeze while enjoying your cocktail at anytime of the day. Interestingly if you snorkel their reef, it ends at the pool and bar area, a great time to settle in for a quick snooze afterwards or hold discussions on the plenty coral fish that were seen. Loved the hammocks hanging over the waters edge at the end of the Bar area to enjoy the sunsets, very relaxing and strengthens that island bliss moment. The entire Island is so beautifully lit up at night and our walk back to our water bungalow was a highlight for us. The pathways and its lightening create a stunning ambience and you feel almost as if you are only ones walking at night. I did miss the open wide beach front but walking through the island to various venues was so unique, experiencing the island jungle feel. We were totally happy with the dive centre and its team. We have not dived for quite some time and everyone was so helpful and accommodating. Visited the resort doctor, what a lovely caring lady. On our finally day we realised that we may have left our wallet at Customs at the airport. The convenience of All-inclusive makes you not worry about carrying money with you all the time and everything extra is placed on your room bill which you settle before departure, so needless to say we only realised our missing wallet on the last day. Ijju was so helpful, he phoned Airport Customs to try and assist us. Luckily for us it was misplaced in our luggage (forgot to place it in our room safe) and we found it whilst packing. Thank you Thank you for your kind help! The morning of departure, Ijju was not on duty but sent us his warmest regards per WhatsApp, this gesture merely showed us once again that every guest matters at Oblu Nature. Yes, we can recommend this Resort as it captures what Maldives represents. The true Island feeling, a place filled with wonderful cuisine, unique experiences, beautiful areas to enjoys sunsets, all served to you by warm hearted people who's primary objective is...... for you to feel special. Read less