My husband and I went to Huvafen Fushi in January 2008 and it was absolutely fantastic. Like me, I’m sure you are going from resort to resort trying to find “The One” that suits your likes and budget. With the help of Samantha and Deborah, from Essential Escapes, we were confident in booking this resort.
We originally booked a Lagoon Bungalow but were upgraded to an Ocean Bungalow (that was amazing as you get front row seats to the amazing sunsets every night as well as a chance to watch the dolphins swim by you while you are lounging in your private plunge pool!) A surprise of chilled champagne and a huge bouquet of tropical flowers set the tone for the week. The bungalow itself is a great size; includes a living room with a glass bottom floor, a huge king side bed and spacious bathroom with a jacuzzi which overlooks the ocean. What’s practical is that there are doors leading from each room so you can zip in to grab water from the fridge, play with the iPod and Bose system, or well….use the bathroom!!! There is a small area which has wonderful teas and a coffee/espresso machine. The air conditioning worked extremely well and it’s much needed when the temperature was 31C until 7pm at night!
We love to eat, and of course we were expecting a high quality in food service, plenty of choices and fresh ingredients. I must say I was wondering how they could pull this one off but the food was superb along with the friendliness and promptness of the servers. By the third day they were calling us by our names and always seem to fill up our water/wine glasses when needed, but they were never obtrusive. I would definitely recommend all of the restaurants (except Raw, we never got around to that one!), Cardamon and our favorite night was the dinner in the underground wine cellar, Vinum. The sommelier and General Manager are very friendly and whether you are an expert or novice wine drinker, you will love this night!! What impressed me very much was their willingness to accommodate you should you have any food allergies or strong dislikes. (I am not a fan of lamb and casually mentioned this to our Thakaru, unbeknownst to me, he ensured that for both dinners at Cardamon and Vinum I was not served this!!) Now that’s exceptional!!
Other positives about this island/resort:
1. The water is crystal clear blue and the sand is pure white and feels like sugar through your hands.
2. The spa – beautiful, clean and professional. We had a couples massage. There are glass bottom floors so you can see the fish swim while they are working out all of your knots! We didn’t go to the underground spa as we did a lot of snorkeling and felt $100 extra while you mainly close your eyes and look at the floor was not worth it to us.
3. Snorkel tour with marine biologist – fantastic to learn about what fish you can see while you snorkel or just sitting at on your dock (the water is extremely clear!)
4. Water sports – we kayaked and took out the catamaran, great equipment and when you return, it was wonderful having someone there waiting for you with cold towels and bottled water!
5. Don’t have to bring a lot of shoes, most people go barefoot!
Huvafen Fushi is truly a remarkable resort and although you are 1,000’s of miles away from home, the service levels amongst all of the staff, from the General Manager to the Executive Head Chef to all the servers is superb. This was my first booking with Essential Escapes, and I will most certainly book with them again and recommend them to my friends and family. Their knowledge and personal experience of this resort, helped me to visualize my dream vacation and make it a true reality, leaving little room for being disappointed.
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