Drift Thelu Veliga Retreat

Loved the breakfast and the peacefulness of the island. Loved the books and games provided.

I would say everything. Friendly and helpful staff, great rooms, everything sparkling clean, well maintained, amazing food, perfect location with rich sea life. It was a perfect choice and we definitely recommend it. Thank you Drift for the amazing memories

Drift is a small resort, exactly how we were looking for. You will not find extreme luxury, or activities coordinators, or banana-boat rides, but that is exactly the point: it is a small, calm and relaxed environment, where people go to rest and enjoy the beauty of Maldives.

Nothing. Everything was as I had expected.

This was our second stay. And we had high hopes since our first stay was excellent - they didn't disappoint at all. The staff was friendly and competent again. The cleaning of the room was superb. The food was excellent - although since this time the resort was nearly full booked we hoped to get a bit more variety on the buffet, but this was no issue for us. They even renovated or fixed the AC - it is much quieter now and very efficient. The lagoon is amazing and great for snorkeling, swimming or just enjoying the water.

At our first stay we thought - yeah we had to take a plane to get of the island so they had to schedule this early and according to other guests. But this time we had a (private) boat transfer and they scheduled our departure for early morning - so we had to leave again very early on departure day - we would have loved to stay a bit longer - but we will be back some day. ;-) And just a short notice (after we visited other islands/resorts) - the prices for drinks are quite high compared to other 4 star resorts (more on the level of a 5 star resort)

The island is small and intimate, perfect for those looking for a truly peaceful getaway. The water villas are breathtakingly beautiful and well equipped, the cleanliness of the rooms is immaculate. The restaurant welcomes guests with an extremely wide selection (international too), a show kitchen and themed dinners. The spa is nice (also the staff there are well trained), the daily excursions are well organized. The whole staff is always very friendly, humble and courteous. Special thanks to Maria (at reception) and Emdadul (waiter).

The light switches are wired strangely in the villas, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Other than that, none.

Loved the food at the restaurant. I enjoyed that the property only had a limited number of bungalows, this made the experience very intimate and private.

Full board didn't include soft drinks, and that soft drinks were priced the same as alcoholic ones. The English skills of most staff, other than those at reception, wasn't very good.

Fantastic honeymoon location, Drift is exactly the sort that you'd imagine when thinking of the perfect island holiday. The water villas were great, somehow exceeding our expectations. I couldn't believe how modern and new they felt given the difficulties I'm sure they must have with maintenance. The staff were similarly all incredible, faultless in fact. The banana chips offered with drinks were delicious, we'll be trying to find them back home. We'd definitely happily return. The island being so small really adds to the intimate nature of a visit.

The only downside would perhaps be the food and drinks. While none of it was 'bad', for the price it was noticeably below the standard of what you'd expect. The buffets were always very varied, but often some of the items felt tacked on or basic. The coffee in particular was a weak point, and it was clear the drinks were all made by a machine rather than a barista, which was surprising as some staff mentioned that the island is very popular in Italy, but maybe that's leaning into stereotypes too much. The internet was also very patchy everywhere except the rooms. My wife's iPhone in particular couldn't get reception at all. The water in the room each day wasn't enough. When you consider the cost of the hotel as a whole, the extra cost per day of buying water isn't so bad, but it would be more convenient if it were factored into the price that you get a larger bottle every day so you didn't need to order it.