OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi

Stepping out of male airport we were met by friendly welcoming oblu staff holding a sign. They helped with our luggage and booked us in at a small desk. After a short wait by the food area they took us literally across the road to where our boat was waiting. The helpful boat crew put our luggage on the boat and off we went. Roughly 20 mins later we arrived at the island, greeted by a row of smiling, clapping staff as we stepped on to the jetty. A welcome experience like no other. The water villa (649) we stayed in was perfect, very clean, a stocked fridge with soft drinks, tv, air-con, towels, toiletries and a safe. The bed was big and comfortable. we had steps leading in to the ocean where I snorkelled every morning and saw sharks, stingray, puffer fish and numerous amounts of smaller colourful fish. A shower outside for after being in the sea and a soft cushioned double lounger for chilling on. (Which would partly get wet when it rained). Our room boy Hamood deserves a special mention as he went above and beyond to make our stay special. Not only was our room immaculate each day he also surprised my partner with a decorated bed on her birthday. So a big thank you again Hamood. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at Element X were excellent with always a wide variety of dishes to choose from. There are curries, fish, noodles, rice, chips, pancakes, breads, cakes, chicken, sausages, bacon, eggs, salads, fruits, ice cream and more so there is definitely something for everyone. Local beers, fizzy drinks, juice and wine that are all chilled are included. Loads of seating with a relaxed atmosphere inside and outside (covered) if you like to smoke. Each time we entered we were met by big welcoming smiles by 2 friendly females and a gent but unfortunately I can’t remember their names but they are great hosts. Khazna and Mohamed who also work in the restaurant were particularly rememberable for always offering to help us and took time to chat with us while in the restaurant. If you are wanting more intimate dining I’d recommend the private dinner on the beach and ‘Only Blu’ both which can be booked through staff member Arti. Arti was incredibly helpful with our bookings and did her upmost to cater to our needs and gave us all the information we needed to know to select our booking. The private dinner on the beach was incredible, an amazing set up just for 2! 5 courses of food, all so delicious, we did not leave the table hungry that was for sure. Our Waiter Raif was brilliant, very polite and professional and worked with a smile. Only Blu under water restaurant is a must, you are 6 meters under water, seated next to large windows with fish and the odd shark swimming past. An experience that is a must do. The menu is vast and the food was the best we had all holiday, each course cooked to an extremely high standard. A shout out to Marina and Rahab who looked after us while in the restaurant and were both great at explaining the menu, taking pics and making sure we were enjoying our time in the restaurant. Big kudos to all of the chefs on the island, they do an incredible job to a high standard with not many personal thanks. So a massive thank you to the chefs you are appreciated. X360 bar during the day is where you can relax inside and get almost any drink you want, fruit juices, spirits, cocktails, beers, fizzy drinks and slushy. All the staff are ready waiting to serve and are always happy to help. If it’s too hot or it’s raining outside this is a safe haven with lots of chairs and tables. Upstairs you can find the games room, pool tables, big screen tvs showing live sports, table football and other boards games. We had lots of fun using this area meeting other guests and staff. At night the party starts with either a live band or a dj spinning the tunes. Some guests liked to relax while others lived in the moment and danced. I personally thought the music was a touch too loud but this definitely didn’t ruin our stay. Two beaches, one with loungers and parasols, a slide going into the sea which was closed and I thought it was a little bit of an eye sore. The water trampoline was fun to bounce, jump off and lounge on. The other beach was a bit more private with no sun beds and I think were at the rear of some of the beach villas. Towels are readily available near the pool. The pool was a nice size and had sun beds all around if you preferred to chill there. In all honesty I was expecting the sand to be a bit finer and softer than what it was and the sea to be a bit clearer but it still was amazing. The beach and sports staff were excellent, you could book excursions with the beach staff, we went on the boat trip with turtle snorkeling and private island visit. All excursions seem a little bit expensive but it is what it is. Ruki one of the sports staff was exceptional, he took time to get to know us personally and introduce us to new games and was fun to get to know. Fish another member of the sports staff was great as well, he would gather people together to play volleyball ball and water sports and was lots of fun. One of the major down falls of the resort for us was the overly loud and over excited air cabin crew of Virgin and BA, who seemed to stay for a couple of days and then disappear and then another batch would arrive and act the same. It rained a few times while we were out there but umbrellas are at the ready. it soon would dry up and be hot and sunny again. Taxes get added to everything you purchase which is a little annoying as you see one price then end up paying more. Overall an amazing little island that was clean, everyone staff member we come across was friendly and ready to help. Lots of things to do and see but also perfect to do absolutely nothing. Thank you Oblu we had a holiday of a lifetime that we will never forget. Read less