Gili Lankanfushi

Honestly cant imagine there is a better location in the world to spend our family Christmas The entire Gili Team are like a family and we were blown away buy the care, detail and love they all put into looking after us and there guests Hope to join you all again The Auger Family -

We spent an absolutely incredible week at Gili Lankanfushi Maldives, and this resort truly exceeded every expectation—right from the very first moments. Our adventure started on the choppy ocean ride by speedboat, which instantly set the tone for something special. Even before arrival, we experienced a fun and memorable touch: we were kindly asked to put our shoes into a bag, so we could embrace the island in a true “Robinson Crusoe” style. And honestly, that’s exactly how it feels—except in the most luxurious, beautifully cared-for way. The island is breathtaking—perfectly balancing lush greenery, stunning beaches, and the resort’s iconic villas. Everything feels natural and thoughtfully designed, never artificial. We stayed in a Courtyard Villa (which is basically a huge private home), and it was beautifully laid out, incredibly comfortable, and had direct access to the lagoon. Every detail was carefully considered, and it immediately felt like a peaceful sanctuary. Food: Absolutely outstanding—beyond expectations If there’s one thing we enjoyed the most, it was the food, which was truly phenomenal. Breakfasts were unforgettable—especially because you receive a menu created personally for you, with an amazing variety of dishes and an extensive selection of drinks. We were especially impressed by the number of healthy cocktails, fresh blends, and signature drinks—creative, refreshing, and genuinely high quality. Dinners alternated between buffet-style and à la carte, but here’s the key: what they call a “buffet” at Gili is not a typical buffet at all. Yes, you can help yourself to some salads and starters, but the main dishes are chosen directly with the chefs at the live stations, then the waiter takes your order and everything is served to your table—no waiting in lines, no standing around, just smooth, elegant service. Every plate prepared at the live cooking stations was precise, beautifully presented, and honestly felt worthy of a Michelin star. You could tell how much care and attention went into every single dish. And the cherry on top: live music during dinner. Not background radio, not a playlist—real musicians and singers who created an unforgettable atmosphere. Dining while someone performs live—singing and playing beautifully—was simply next-level. We also visited during Christmas, so we have to mention the Christmas Eve dinner, which was truly special and an absolute must-experience. We thought we might miss our traditional holiday dinner back home… but this was honestly even better. 😄 Island vibes, evening walks, and true Maldivian magic The island itself is gorgeous—not only in how it’s built and designed, but also in the amount of greenery, the charming pathways, and especially the long sandbank, where you can take peaceful after-dinner walks under the stars. That signature Maldivian atmosphere—calm, warm, and magical—was everywhere, and it’s exactly what makes us return to the Maldives again and again. SPA: Luxurious, professional, and truly exceptional We also spent a lot of time in the SPA, and the service there was flawless. Every welcome included a cooling towel and iced tea, setting the tone for pure relaxation. The massages were luxurious and delivered at a very high level—honestly, the kind of quality you don’t always find even at other top resorts. Calm, professional, and deeply restorative. Daily activities: gym, watersports, and snorkeling We loved our daily routine too—gym sessions, watersports, and snorkeling. We tried to “earn” our dinners every day, because the food was so good that we wanted to taste absolutely everything without guilt! One small downside (handled in the best possible way) If we had to mention one minor downside: on a few evenings we were disturbed by distant techno-like party noise, likely coming from a faraway boat or another island. It didn’t happen every night, but for us—especially with sensitive hearing—it was a bit unpleasant. Also worth noting: the western side of the island seems to have a fair amount of boat traffic, so if you’re extremely noise-sensitive and want total silence, you may prefer a different side of the island (or it may not bother you at all if you don’t mind occasional distant sound). That said, what truly impressed us was how the resort handled it: the management responded perfectly, genuinely wanting us to feel comfortable, and they even moved us to another villa so we could fully relax. That level of care and responsiveness deserves real appreciation. The people who made our stay truly special We would also love to recognize some of the wonderful people who made our stay even more enjoyable: Kučej (Kukies) – waiter at the overwater restaurant Alif – “Mr. Friday” Amani – dinner service (always kind and attentive) Aríf – housekeeping (spotless, thoughtful, and always smiling) Florian – resort manager Charito (Čariíto) – food & beverage manager Reef – waiter Azmee – waiter And a big thank you to the entire SPA team for their professionalism, warmth, and truly exceptional treatments. Final thoughts Overall, this was a perfect experience, and we loved every moment of our stay. We’ve visited several resorts in the Maldives, but we can genuinely say that Gili Lankanfushi truly captivated us, and we absolutely want to return. We only hope that next time we visit, there won’t be any distant party noise—because the peaceful, quiet atmosphere of this island is otherwise pure perfection. If you love a resort that truly values its guests, takes care of you in every possible way, pampers you, and offers quiet relaxation (not a party vibe), along with Michelin-level food and an outstanding SPA, then Gili Lankanfushi Maldives is the place for you. We found exactly what we were looking for—and we believe you will too.

The hotel boasts a delightful ambiance. The attentive service provided by Mr./Ms. Friday, the hotel's butler, is commendable. The Christmas-themed room decorations are thoughtfully arranged. Guests are treated to exquisite desserts daily. I particularly enjoyed the hotel's dining offerings, especially the live band performances during the evening themed dinners, which significantly enhanced the dining atmosphere.

This was our first visit to the Maldives, and after much time spent on the web, we decided on Gili. I must say that the bar has been set to a ridiculous standard for all our future trips to Maldives. First of all, if you are thinking about visiting Maldives, you should follow Phil Knights advice….Just Do It. It might be once in the lifetime, or first of more. Either way, it will be an experience not to be forgotten. From the minute you land in Male, you are truly treated like kings and queens. A greeter from Gili awaits you as you come out of the baggage gate and you are a short walk from the pier where you board a boat for a quick 15 minute ride to Gili. You get a refreshing drink and a warm wet hand towel, because lets face it, going through customs, picking up your bags, having to walk 2 minutes to your boat is incredibly taxing…(I am joking of course). Also, good thing we had our toe nails properly trimmed and our feet in generally good shape as they give you an option to go barefoot for the rest of the stay, if you desire. It was just us two on the boat, and when we set foot on the welcome pier, there was a committee of people all with their smiling eyes upon us: the manager of the resort (Florian), our Ms Friday (Shaany), guys from tropic surf (Mika and Courtenay), and a couple of others. There was an initial feeling of “all this for just us?”, but we realized later that that’s just the resort’s modus operandi: the people at GL make you feel like you are the only ones they are looking after. Our awesome Ms Friday Shaany, whisked us on a golf cart for a tour of all the points of interest on the island, finishing with a tour of our Villa, villa #13. These over water villas are nothing short of jaw dropping. We had a villa with a pool on the triangular jetty. The first words that come to me when attempting to describe the villa are RUSTIC, ULTRA LUXURY, and HUGE. Again, “ all this for us” feeling. We had an amazingly gorgeous view of the end of the island with a row of palm trees over a white sand beach and open ocean and Crusoe Residences to the front and right, which made us wonder if this was the place where Corona shot their commercial. There are just too many awesome things to list about the villa. Let’s just say, it is the nicest place we’ve ever stayed at anywhere in the world, and it may be a while until that label is dedicated to another. They give you bikes to get around the island. My wife opted for the “tricycle” which not only provides you more stability, but also gives you a large basket you can put your ‘thing’/snorkel gear etc. GL encourages you to be barefoot, but you can wear shoes/sandals if you want to. During meals, most men were wearing collared linen shirts or nice polo shirts with shorts, although some were wearing pants. I must say the women were dressed up much more. Some were wearing dresses that could have easily been seen at The Royal Ballet or Carnegie Hall at summer time…but just without shoes. There were plenty of summer dresses too, and men with just Tshirt and shorts. Long and short of it is that you can be as fancy or casual as you want…barefoot style. The food was for a lack of a better word, perfect. The meals were one of the highlights of our stay. The breakfast buffet has so many items and changing daily specials that we could not, through our four night stay, try everything. EVERYTHING was deliciously prepared, all the juices were fresh, the coffee made to whatever your heart desired. The fruit station was one of our favorites, daily sushi/maldivian tuna sashimi (what!?), all the exotic specials, too many pastries to count, the different yogurts and jams, honey…. I am sure I am forgetting 90% of what was available for our over consumption. We had a half board so we usually had a light lunch (shared Sando and some drinks, a salad and an appetizer, etc). Half board is the way to go, and even then, we felt like we over ate. Full board would have put us over the weight limit on the flight back home. Dinner is extravagant, also in Buffett style. One dinner really stands out, the Mediterranean night. Multiple stations with made to order dishes including tenderloins grilled over open fire, seafood pasta made fresh, risotto… just a sliver of what was there. Every night was a stunner. A major shoutout goes out to Shaany our Ms Friday. From the first hello to the final photo that we took together, she made sure that this holiday stood out from the rest. All the reservations were made through her seamlessly. She surprised my wife with a flower petal bath. She was there with umbrellas and golf cart whenever the weather did not make it optimal to walk to our destination. She checked in with us at every breakfast and dinner with an uplifting, “Hello, My Darlings!”, to make sure our days were planned to our liking and that we did not need anything. She shared stories of her past, how she ended up in Gili, and life in the Maldives in general. Getting to know her was one of the highlights of our trip and we felt like we said goodbye to a friend rather than someone who merely worked at the resort when we left. She also surprised us on our last night with an absolutely beautiful and romantic sand art which we enjoyed along side the sunset with a drink in our hands. Others who stood out: Florian the manager took time to talk to us about the resort and its history one night. Mika and Courtenay took great care of me on the surf at Sultans. Surfing Maldives was an epic experience and their love of the sport motivated me to get better. All the people who worked in the kitchen as a chef or server knew our names by the end, and came by our table to say hello. The nightly live music perfectly set the vibe of the resort, much better than recorded stuff. My wife enjoyed the wonderful spa. Gili is a smallish resort with about 50 villas. Prior to leaving home, I was worried that my need for activity would drive me bored on an atoll with just one resort. NOT SO! I never got bored, and the days just kept going faster and faster and we must say that despite the long travel from US, we have vowed to come back. Even on the one rainy day we had, sitting out on the day bed and looking out at the clouds and the rain with seabirds was so relaxing. Different rays and fish came to say hello to our villa daily. We went to another resort after Gili, and although it was fantastic in its own unique way, there was something about Gili that just set it apart. I must mention what a lot of other reviewers noted which is that it is close to Male and therefore you get more air and boat traffic than usual. Also you can see part of the new Male from certain parts of the atoll and there is another inhabited island on the other end that we could see from our villa. This did not bother us at all, as we could not hear the boat nor the seaplanes. Looking back, all we can remember is the amazing people we met, the fantastic meal we had, our incredible villa, and the special feeling of just being there that can only be described as Gili magic!

8th holiday at this island, 37th trip to the Maldives. This is simply the best customer service and overall experience we have had anywhere in the world. Everything is excellent. I didn’t think it could get any better, however with Rodrigo in charge it just feels slightly more relaxed and even better. I genuinely feel cared for and looked after when we are here. They make a real effort to ensure that you get the holiday you want. All staff members are at the top of their game. They remember who you are, what you like, how you take your tea, everything. The grounds are immaculate, the villa is incredible, housekeeping is amazing. Every detail is taken care of. Can’t wait to go again!