Canareef Resort Maldives

Overall, my partner and I arrived and left Canareef feeling a bit disappointed and underwhelmed. We paid for luxury but in reality what we paid for was mediocrity. I’ll break down what was positive and what was negative. Positives - The staff everywhere were polite, genuine and always happy to help - The weather was lovely, sunny all day everyday (visited late Feb into early March). Temperature was perfect day and night) - Barely any mosquitoes or flies - Lots of different pools and bars. Pools very clean - Not too busy at Bfast, Lunch and Dinner which was nice. There are 2 main places to eat due to the size of the island which I think helps regulate the flow of people - Lagoon was beautiful and was a nice place to snorkel - Dolphin and snorkel excursion was very good and well ran, unfortunately didn’t see dolphins (not their fault) but the guide took us to see and swim with sharks instead - Housekeeping very prompt and cleaned 2 to 3 times a day. They also provided lots of extra water every day as we requested this - the gym was very good for a resort gym, dumbbells up to 20kg, a smith machine, flat bench, cables etc so was quite impressed. Air con too Negatives - they promise complimentary bikes, however it took 5 days of going back and forth morning and lunch to the bike hub to be told every time to come back later. The resort is huge and if you are at one end like we are, to see everything and move about freely you need a bike. They have a buggy service but you really do need a bike. The food and beverage manager was very good when we complained about not getting bikes and very promptly got us bikes the next day. Unfortunately guests steal bikes and one of ours was stolen a day after we got it right from outside our villa. We did get a new bike given right away after speaking to reception then made sure we hid them around the back of the villa - the bed was rock solid and very difficult to sleep on - we requested an extra duvet to use as a mattress protector which was provided - we had a sunrise villa. Access to the beach to see the sun was very difficult as you had to wade through trees and climb over rocks. You can’t swim on the east side of the island as there is no sand, just jagged rocks and it’s very tidal, so essentially it was pointless calling it a sunrise villa - the villa itself was basic, was a nightmare trying to get the correct lights to work, the bathroom is outdoors and there were ants everywhere (don’t leave your toothbrushes outside!) The standard of cleaning was low, e.g. mould on lamp shades, dirty sinks and shower. The wall to the outside bathroom is also very low so workmen would go by on the back of trucks and could look right over at you on the toilet or showering. Also, the mini bar was never stocked with anything, usually you get a coke or two a day, a beer and a snack but nothing, only water. For the price you pay (being all inclusive) I think that should come as standard but maybe that’s just me - There was no hot water for the first few times using the shower - we reported it to reception and immediately hot water appeared - it felt like they just switched it on, as we didn’t see any maintenance come to the room. The hot water still ran out after about 10 minutes. - very limited alcohol. For the first week there was only one beer available which was Carslberg. The Lion wasn’t available for our first week, and when the Carlsberg ran out, no suitable replacement was offered for about 1 hour. They also didn’t have any diet tonic or anything diet apart from Coke Zero. There was just not much of anything which was very limiting - barely any snacks. At the main bar (Dhoni) they would provide some small sandwiches with a bit of salad or fish in and fry some things, however that was it for the day. No nuts or crisps with drinks, only way to get snacks would be to go to the resort shop and pay about 8 dollars for an ice cream or some crisps, or bike to the local island and get things there. For the price you pay I would expect a better snack selection - the beach was very disappointing. Not much sand and lots of seaweed. The lagoon was lovely but that’s the only part of the resort that was in terms of the beach, and the lagoon is a considerable bike ride away at the other end of the island - lack of sunbeds at the main pool and beach. There was lots of space to have beds and umbrellas but there were barely any. It’s very hot and easy to burn so the lack of umbrellas was annoying - the food was quite bland and after a week I didn’t wasn’t to eat. Same dishes most days. Meat being cooked at the counters was always dry and they would hand you a spoonful too. Breakfast was okay, decent selection. If you’re a veggie or pescatarian you have very few options all day, and nothing is labelled as vegetarian (only for allergens) so a few times things like rice and noodles contained hidden meat mixed in. Weirdly hardly ever any fresh fish, only way you get that is paying 20 dollars for some at one of the other snack bars (which are at the other end of the resort and only open for food until 6pm). A lot of the meat in the buffet was dry and bland and usually just beef - lack of fresh fruit and veg. Fruit mainly tinned and in syrup, lots of apples but that was it. One or two days they had some pineapple - Most of the yoga classes were paid for, despite being all inclusive, apart from a few complimentary during the week at 0730 - the hotel was about a 15 minute speedboat from Gan airport. We were transferred to the airport about 2 and a half hours before our flight. The airport was tiny, no free water and literally no food. The transfer could have been arranged to limit the time in the airport - WiFi was awful especially around the pool - no à la carte restaurants just some paid snack bars and the buffets so not much variety - limited excursion availability as they don’t run on certain days and are also subject to enough people signing up We did enjoy our stay but wouldn’t return and probably wouldn’t recommend it for the price and what you get, I am sure there are places that offer better value for money

We really enjoyed, It's a paradise on earth, a very peaceful place, great for couples and families. The staff was very polite and friendly. We also really enjoyed the spa. Especially thanks to Shina, who helped us with everything and supervised us throughout the trip.

Very kindly staff and respect to all guests, very tastey food and beatiful nature.

We recently returned from a 10 Night stay at The Canareef Resort & though the Island & the Holiday itself was Amazing, actually getting there is another story! After a 10 hour flight from London we expected a short connecting flight from Male to the Island! In fact on arrival we were put in an Airport Lounge for 5 hours before another 2 hour flight! Then a 20 minute speedboat ride to the Resort! So we felt we had lost a whole day just travelling! However the Resort is absolutely Beautiful! It was everything we had hoped for! The Bungalow, Food, Service was Excellent! Plus we had the best Weather! Would probably return but for 2 Weeks next time due to the Journey there!

It's a nice place for relaxing. The stuff is, without exception, very kind and obliging. I want to designate here especially MD Jahid. Thank you for all!

To begin, I would like to point out several good experiences that we had during our stay in canareef resort : the environment, the submarine life, private snorkeling excursions (which we did twice with a very competent instructor), wonderful sunsets etc. Two main events completely ruined the experience : -on our last evening, we suffered (amongst many other people) from a collective food poisoning which led to severe persistent symptoms (such as diarrhea and vomiting), which should’ve brought out concerns regarding the hygiene rules that clearly had been neglected by the staff when preparing for the supper that day. We never received an apology from the staff and do not think that an inquiry has been launched to find out what happened that night. -furthermore the next morning (check out day) I went on to buy a can of Coke for my sister (which had been experiencing these terrible digestive symptoms).I was directed towards the Meera Bar, where the bartender asked me $8 for the can of Coke. The price seemed unusually high, but of course, I paid the demanded price given the urgency that the situation called out for. When I got back to reception to my sister and gave her the Coke, I was then asked if I had paid for the can at the bar(which seemed odd) and afterwards (even odder) : the same bartender came back with the 8$ cash, gave them back to me and told me that he had overcharged me and that I had to go and pay the money directly to the reception. Needless to say that this act is absolutely unprofessional and unacceptable for such a resort. We never got any apologies for the poisoning and for trying to scam us. The lack of empathy and professionalism from the reception staff and bartender on that day truly downgraded our opinion about this place. I will never come back here.

We had a beautiful family vacation, we stayed in the premium villa, the food was great, the staff was very friendly and to our surprise we had a late check out without extracost. All inclusive it’s a must in my opinion. Also the location for the premium villas is more quiet, which is what we wanted. The other side of the island is more animated, and with the buggy service you can get anywhere pretty fast. The buggy service it’s available 24h and very prompt in fulfilling our requests. Clear waters to go snorkeling whenever we wanted to, the beaches were cleaned each morning and evening. Tip, bring beach shoes, because of the corals and shells the flux/reflux oftenly bring to the shore. We recommend the trip to the dolphins which was very nice and the massage also. A visit to the local island is a must if you want to see the way the locals live. We will go back, definetelly. Adriana, Romania

We had the most wonderful week at Canareef and the only negative is that it’s a little far from Malé meaning we don’t get to spend even more time here. However it is one of the few hotels that so attentively sorts out the domestic plane transfer for you including escorting you to the airport in the middle of the night. The island is big and you need bikes to get around or the buggy. We mainly cycled but whenever we wanted a buggy we never waited for too long. The island is beautiful and every villa is beach front. We had a sunrise villa (room 279) and it opened onto the pebble wavy beach. This is not an official swim point but you can still get in the water with water shoes on! The hotel was full yet nowhere apart from Bar Kuda seemed that busy (and even then you always got a bed). This was the perfect island for us as we wanted to relax, do diving and snorkelling, do yoga and spa and other exercise (including cycling). The food was great for me as I love Indian/Maldivian and Chinese (all things that do well as a buffet). They did have big roasts of meat and salad every day too. We drunk minimal but I really like the rosé and cocktails. Some premium cocktails were extra (pina colladas and aperol). If you’re going for the food and drink then there will be other resorts that offer a wider range of restaurants as part of their all inclusive but you’d pay significantly more for them. The outstanding thing about this island is the staff. We’d like to thank the following who we interacted with a lot but there are so many staff behind the scenes that work incredibly hard to make the experience excellent Rupak - FnB manager run everything is to a high standards and constantly checks in to ensure it is. Hesbon - who looked after us in our private dinner. Wonderful hosting! Vinayak - Yoga and wellness. This was outstanding and the highlight of our trip. Canareef is very lucky to have recently employed Vinayak. The classes are REAL yoga from India and leave you feeling much better after. He is an expert im many types and can cater the classes to your need. 3 times a week there are complimentary classes but we paid for 1 extra too! If I were to come back to canareef it would be to try and do a wellness retreat with yoga and spa treatments. April and Ira - spa. The spa is incredibly beautiful and well maintained. The treatments are great and leave you feeling even more relaxed! Rahul, wine, priyankara, Joshua - food at Kilhi. These guys worked super hard as we were there during high season and sometimes we’d see them at breakfast, lunch and dinner! They were always efficient and friendly. Mintu - housekeeping. He came round twice a day and the place was always spotless.a few times we even had lovely leaf/flower art. For my bday and one just like that! He was incredibly polite and kind and ensures our laundry was done expeditiously. Shautak - guard. Helped us navigate the local island and has been with canareef for the longest of any staff we met! Didi and Abdullah - private excursion. This was another total highlight of the trip. We saw 100s of dolphins doing back flips out the water, nurse sharks and the best snorkelling I have ever done. Sherwood - check in, check out and sorting us out with excursions. It seems like Sherwood was always at the front desk even when we left early in the morning! We had a slight mix up with booking our excursions and had to change days but he sorted this out for us. Helam + Suranga - gym and entertainment. We seemed to bump into these guys everywhere and they were always doing something. Whether it was running the gym, cleaning the beach, picking crabs or doing the welcome. They were always smiling. Dheeraj - Kymaa. He runs an excellent service here. We got to eat there once and were very impressed with the service - he was helping guests to the table so they could carry their drinks, sorting out tables or getting extras from the chef. Francis - DJ. He managed to entertain a super diverse crowd every evening and when I wanted to know one of the Maldivian songs he played he not only found it for me but sent it to me also! I am certain once Gan airport becomes bigger it will be hard to get such good deals at Canareef so am incredibly happy we got to experience it and the Maldives for the price we did.

Canareef resort is paradise on earth. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. Especially Shojib who was our room attendant. He called twice a day to make sure we were OK and to see if we needed anything. He made sure that our stay was memorable with extra little touches - decorating room for my birthday, coming with fresh coconut for us to try and decorating room on our last day.

Me and my partner went to Canareef on 26th Jan till 5th Feb. Beautiful stunning place we stayed in 670 which was very clean and in a great location right on a quiet part of the beach. Amazing been able to wake up at 7am in the morning and just step outside into clear blue water as warm as a bath. The food was good and staff brilliant especially Than in the Keymaa restaurant who was always very helpful and efficient and a joy to talk to, always smiling and nothing was ever to much trouble for him he made us feel very welcome. During our stay we had a few problems with our room firstly the safe got stuck locked and then another time our electric went off but this was very quickly sorted out though our room attendant/cleaner who was called Ripon he was a hard worker and always very friendly and did a great job keeping everything clean and sand free. The only things I can really say that could be a bit better is newer Bicycles as they were very decrepit and also the drinks selection for all inclusive, it was very limited with not much choice. The resort shop it was not open much and you cannot buy much is the way of essentials, we went to buy some milk for our morning coffee instead of using there powdered stuff and they did not have any or even have a fridge. All in all we had a great time in Canareef and would definitely go again a very beautiful place and great wildlife, if you do go I highly recommend doing the Lucky Dolphin cruise.