Canareef Resort Maldives

Canareef is an exceptionally spacious island by Maldivian standards, which offers both unique advantages and minor drawbacks. We truly enjoyed the expansive layout, which is perfect for long strolls, while the reliable buggy service ensures you can get around effortlessly at any time. However, the island's scale means it can accommodate larger groups, which occasionally impacts the typical Maldivian tranquility. Fortunately, our Premium Whirlpool Villa was located far to the south, providing us with a peaceful sanctuary well away from the busier areas. This location also allowed us to enjoy the more intimate atmosphere of the Keema Restaurant. The restaurant staff deserves a special mention; we were greeted with such genuine warmth at every meal. The entire service team was incredibly attentive and efficient, creating a welcoming atmosphere that made dining a true pleasure. Their dedication and friendly smiles really stood out to us. We were somewhat disappointed with the swimming and snorkeling situation. Access to the water is limited to a few specific spots, and the only area suitable for snorkeling directly from the beach is at the very southern tip. Guests staying in the north must commute about 3 km with all their gear to reach this spot. Unfortunately, the rental bicycles were in poor condition and sized more for children, so we only used them when absolutely necessary. On a positive note, we highly recommend the resort's medical services. Due to a persistent cold, we consulted the island doctor and received excellent care and medication for a very reasonable fee. The absolute highlight of our stay, however, was the exceptional staff. We would like to express our deepest gratitude and highest praise for the incomparable Mahesh from Nepal! He is an absolute superstar at the Dhoaraa-Bar. With his infectious warmth, incredible professionalism, and an almost psychic ability to anticipate our every wish, he made our evenings truly magical. He doesn't just serve drinks; he creates an atmosphere of pure joy. Together with his wonderful colleagues, he treated us with such genuine heart. We felt truly pampered. We also want to highlight our room boy, Arafat from Bangladesh, whose creative bed decorations were a daily delight. While we had a lovely stay and felt very welcome, we will likely opt for a smaller, more intimate island for our next visit.

We stayed at the resort for 8 nights in early December. Here’s our take on it: Fairly brutal journey to and from the resort from the UK. The transfers take time although the resort looked after us at Male Airport on our outward and return trips. The check out is 01:45 am though so be prepared to lose half of one night at the resort…and to do multiple take off and landings in a small plane on the trip to Male! Also be prepared to use buggies or bikes to travel up and down the Atoll. Our villa was at one end of the resort and the best snorkelling area at the other. We used the free bikes which were handy but pretty worn out. The road track up and down the resort was a bit unforgiving with pot holes but it was nevertheless great to be able to travel up and down the Atoll independently. The ocean was clear on a couple of days and it was so beautiful swimming with the tropical fish. The main swimming pool was great - 50m long too - although we didn’t hang around it when there’s a beach and the ocean to enjoy, but I managed to do a few long swims in the pool. The food was lovely although as pescatarians we sometimes struggled if the fish dishes were limited. However, I particularly loved the freshly cooked curries - absolutely delicious. The main dining area was sometimes quite busy as it seems that group bookings were allowed in before the opening times that we had been told. It was a shame becoming some dishes were depleted or the lids left open so the food was cooling. However, we found tables away from the groups and enjoyed a slightly more peaceful dining experience. The villa we stayed in was perfectly pleasant although we didn’t like the pillows! But it was quiet at night apart from the wind from the ocean, which wasn’t a bad sound. The staff here made our stay. They are happy and cheerful and always have a hello or a morning for you. And the housekeeping was outstanding. Thank you Telac for keeping our villa clean and tidy and sweeping up the inevitable sand that we brought in with us! You definitely deserve a special mention! It was a very relaxing holiday in a beautiful place, and for that reason we have great memories and are glad we were able to stay at Canareef Resort.

Beautiful location ,amazing staff. Front of house manager really took care of us after a stressful journey caused by etihad. Bungalow was fab and sea the most beautiful colour.

I am really sad, i must weite negative review, but unfortunately this was one of the worst experience in my life. If you expect paradise, forget about it… Villas are old, distroyed and full of mold. I asked for a change and i got similar looking old and distroyed villa with mold. Wifi is slow, you cannot watch film or video. No turquise sea - on one side no swimming arrea including coral barriers, on the other side lots of algae. I don’’t understand reviews where is noticed “rich buffet menu”…All inclusive is FAKE. If you would like to get pinacolada, or cappuccino, etc., you have to pay extra. Very poor meal buffet, for breakfast no yogurt, chia seeds or nuts. They offer 3 types of cereals (sweet), oat porridge, fresh milk and pastries, otherwise eggs, cheese and salami. For lunch you can choose from 2 types of meat, 1x potatoes, 1x pasta, 1x noodles and rice. There are sometimes small mixed salads, fresh fruit just in a mix of melon, apple and pineapple, sometimes an apple alone. Dinners are richer, but it’s still not what you expect from Maldives. The island is big, they rent bikes for free, you can also visit the local island, the staff is very nice and helpful, cleaning twice per day. It is necessary to mention the complicated transport from Male - you will wait several hours for the local line here (flight about 1.5 hours), then another 25 minutes by boat… For this price i recommend to visit other hotel, which is renovated, everything is part of the all inclusive, has a large selection of food and drinks, you can swim and snorkling there and also you won't spend an extra 2 days by transport.

Just got back from Canareef, it was just what we wanted a perfect relaxing Maldivian get away. Although a large island it's not as touristy as many others, which was just what we wanted. The rooms are all identical, apart from the position on the island, we stayed the first week in a sunrise villa which was lovely bud the access to the sea is a bit trickier, the second week we had a villa with a hot-tub which was on the sunset side and gave better access to the sea. The staff on the island are all amazingly friendly with a special mention for a few of them, Mahesh who works in the Doorah bar is amazing he is so attentive and good at his job, he remembers everyone and what you drink and always has the biggest smile, Indri at the beach bar is fabulous always got the biggest smile on her face , Wine who works in Keymar is lovely and very attentive, Ron who is one of the barmen working in varying bars makes fabulous drink, and Hamel the lifeguard at the beach is great and took us out in his boat to the deeper water which was amazing. Altogether if you want a totally relaxed holiday and vibe then I would recommend this island.

We stayed at Canareef from 12-26th November. After a long trek getting there, 3 planes and a boat the journey was soon forgotten once we reached the beautiful island. We were greeted by the staff on the jetty with the beating of drums. Once we stepped of the boat we were given fish necklaces made from plant leaves, such a lovely greeting and made you feel special right from the start. We were given coconuts to drink from then taken to Reception to check-in. We had Christine who checked us in, she was very helpful and gave us all the necessary information needed. Our special thanks go out to two of the staff who really made a difference to our stay and we couldn’t thank them enough. Firstly Rabindra who looked after us and kept our bungalow spotless. He kept us stocked with plenty of water and coffee for our stay. He came twice a day and even turned our bed down at night. It was also our anniversary while we were there and he decorated the bed for us. We were also given a beautiful cake and a bottle of Merlot. He took so much pride in his job and was such a lovely person. Secondly Ziyad in the Restaurant, you were always there to greet us and made sure we had a table to sit at. His hospitality and friendliness was above and beyond, all staff in the Restaurant were good but he really stood out, even decorating our table on our last night. Overall the island was beautiful, well maintained and a relaxing retreat. Food was great, there were plenty of different dishes to choose from. I would definitely return to Canareef as we had such an amazing time. Thank you Rabindra and Ziyad 🙏🏻🙏🏻 you really were amazing.

Our first-ever trip to the Maldives was an absolute dream come true, and we can confidently say it won’t be our last. There are two main highlights of our stay. Firstly, the reception we received was simply incredible. The island itself was breathtaking, and our room was spacious and comfortable. The food was amazing, and the service was exceptional. We had a fantastic time at the restaurant, various bars, pools, and the beach bar. We wish we had recorded the names of the male and female staff members in the middle section of the Kilhi Restaurant, but they were both incredibly helpful and friendly. The two ladies in the Dhoni Bar were also amazing. They seemed to be offended (in a nice way) if you approached the bar, which added to their charm. Secondly, we treated ourselves to a premium meal at the Keima Restaurant, with pre-drinks at the Dhora Bar. I didn’t think the service could possibly be better than it had been, but it was even better this time. It was almost too good to be true! DO THE DOLPHIN TRIP - We were expecting a handful of dolphins not 200/300!! Weather was a bit hit and miss with the rain but we used it to our advantage. Well done, Canareef! Thank you for making our trip so memorable.

Lovely resort the staff were amaising could not do enough for you. A special Thank you to Mausoom who looked after our room. Biancara & Varian who looked after us in the resturant. Indri, Rahy & Diane at the Beach Bar. Hemel who runs the little boat and looks after the people on the beach. & Darma at the pool bar. The Golf buggy drivers were all lovely. Some of the Customers were a lot to be desired. Our flight was the worst part of the trip 7 hrs delay at Male going to Gan Airport & 5 hrs at Male to come home which made it over 24 hrs to get there and home. But once you are there you are well looked after. The Staff are a credit to Canareef Resort Maldives.

We had an absolutely amazing experience at Dhora Restaurant! From the moment we walked in, the service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Every staff member made us feel looked after. The food was 10/10 full of flavour, perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. The highlight of my visit was meeting the chef who personally made my wings. They were honestly some of the best wings I’ve ever tasted! You can really tell the team puts passion and care into every dish. If you’re looking for delicious food, great atmosphere, and outstanding service, Dhora Restaurant is definitely the place to go. Highly recommend! ✨🍽️🔥

My husband and I went to Canareef resort Maldives in November we stayed there for 13 nights. Our experience was amazing. Words cannot describe how well we were looked after. The activities in the resort including snorkelling and dolphins is something that I would do over and over again, seeing the beautiful sea creatures in the pristine blue waters was a magical experience. The food at the resort was also delicious. They made sure that every day there was a variety of different food so you wouldn’t get bored of the choices. Every Friday night they also hosted a traditional Maldivian night where they served traditional food, desserts and also you had live music and traditional Maldivian dance. The staff overall were very professional kind and welcoming. I would like to specifically shout out Farish and Didi they both were absolutely incredible and made our stay even greater. Their warmth kindness and professionalism made our stay special and I know that me and my husband will miss them very, very much!