Gili Lankanfushi

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!

a gem in a row of pearls, the true value of Gili only becomes apparent upon exploration. the days at Gili have by far exceeded our expectations of the island/nature, the villa and the kindness of the people around

This was quite simply one of the best resort experiences we have ever had. The villa on water with a pool was beyond exceptional — beautifully designed, spacious, and impeccably maintained. Everything felt luxurious yet comfortable. The food deserves special mention: an outstanding variety and consistently superb quality, easily on par with top international standards. Service was beyond reproach throughout our stay. Every member of staff was attentive, warm, and genuinely committed to making our experience perfect, without ever feeling intrusive. The location is ideal: easy to reach from the airport, yet feeling wonderfully secluded and dreamy once you arrive. The beach and water are superb — pristine, calm, and absolutely stunning. Maintenance across the entire property is impeccable, which really elevates the overall experience. A particular highlight was the wine tasting, which genuinely rivals what you would expect in Napa — a real surprise and a delight. Overall, this was an unforgettable experience and we truly cannot wait to return. Our only complaint? We should have stayed longer than seven days. Highly, highly recommended

We had the most amazing experience at Gilli in Decemeber this year. Shaany was our Friday and was beyond incredible. I was fortunate enough to enjoy my 18th birthday over there, and all the staff made it so so special. It is a holiday I will never forget! - Chloe