Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa

If the Maldives is not on your bucket list, it should be. First stamp in our passports, and it definitely won’t be our last 🥰 A huge thank you to our travel agent, Darcie, as this wouldn’t have been financially feasible without her expertise. My only suggestion would be if you can afford Business Class for 18 hours of flying… do it! It’s equivalent to First Class for Qatar Airways. We did have three full meals on our 14 hour leg, but would recommend bringing your own snacks if you are not keen on having Indian food the entire flight. We had our flight and resort stay all included, exceptional VIP treatment upon our arrival in Malé, Maldives 🇲🇻 As we exited the plane, we were escorted to customs, the VIP lounge, they retrieved our bag, and transported us to our 20 min boat ride to Ras Fushi Island. Our 8 night stay at Centara Ras Fushi Spa and Resort (adults only) was EXCEPTIONAL! Everyone, and I mean everyone, was welcoming, kind, and excelled in customer service. From the moment we arrived, check-in was informative, we had a tour, were able to access our room several hours early, and our luggage was placed in our room. They made sure to make us feel special with decorating our room and providing champagne 🥂 and desserts 🍮 All inclusive is the way to go! Restaurants, drinks, and snorkel equipment were provided for the entire stay. Centara has a specific 📱 app to make reservations for lunch and dinner, which included Italian, Thai, and Indian food. The meals included an appetizer, main entree, and dessert that were all portion friendly so you didn’t feel miserable as you left. The buffet was available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not to mention, they had the freshest options, including ample vegetarian alternatives, and staff asked if there were any allergies at every meal. If you needed a late night meal, a three-course meal per person was available between 11 PM - 6 AM. Which this worked out perfect for us because we were adjusting the first night and were able to order amazing food at 3 AM 😆 There were several bars throughout the island; one next to reception, one at each of the two pools, and one right before our walkway to our villa. Several specialty drinks, beers, mixed drinks, and non-alcoholic drinks included, unless you wanted Red Bull or top shelf. If you needed anything for your villa, you request it through the Centara app and it arrived in 15 minutes 😲 Staff refilled our mini bar daily with drinks and snacks, & delicious filtered water was plentiful. If you’re green or mindful of your carbon footprint, they have their own water filtration system and run on solar power. Keep in mind, resources are limited so the gift shop items are pricey and the clinic is cash or credit card only to see a doctor. We also appreciated the active security 24/7 throughout the island. 🏝️ Jet skiing was a blast 💥 not to mention the fastest machines I’ve ever been on! I also indulged in a 90 min massage 💆‍♀️ which was by far the best massage I’ve experienced in 25 years 😲 (Bonus: our package included a $50 credit each to the spa). Several complimentary activities included feeding black tip reef sharks 🦈 daily, movie nights, beach parties, and house-reef snorkeling tour in the middle of the Indian Ocean 🌊 The snorkeling was honestly best right off of our room versus the tour. Snorkeling in the clearest waters I’ve ever experienced was indescribable! 🤿 🐠 We were just a staircase away at all times. We did see a ton of fish, eagle rays, a moray eel, but we missed the turtles! If you’re an avid snorkeler or even a beginner, this trip is for you! Things to consider: The Maldives are humid- it was manageable, but on the flip side, I had the best skin of my entire life for 8 days 😆 Definitely bring OTC meds (Tylenol/Tums), reef safe sunblock, & keep an eye on the UV rating to avoid sun poisoning. Keep hydrated and/or bring hydration packets 💧 Last but not least, give yourself at least 3 hours if you have a connecting flight ✈️ when returning to the states. It took 1.5 hours to obtain our luggage and missed our flight from Seattle to Montana 🏔️ Read less

Stayed for 7 nights villa 321 on full board plus which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner with one alcoholic and one soft drink per person and per meal. Resort is 30 minutes by speedboat from the airport. We really loved this resort,having stayed in 6 other resorts in the Maldives. Check in and reception was quick after a 10 hour flight. They use an app on your phone to reserve meals and activities, quick to set up but if you are tired not best thing to do on arrival. Without the app it isn’t easy to book restaurants. Food quality is high and food is fresh and hot. Main Buffett restaurant and the 3 others,italian,Thai and Arabian all good with varied menus. It does avoid having the same food everyday. All have sand on the floor except Arabian which is bare foot. Room was great, overwater villa with deck and 2 sunbeds. 10 minute walk to restaurant, wouldn’t want to be any further away. Suggest sunset villa as ours looked at sunrise and rougher sea. The room swayed when walking about and in strong winds. Not big issue but took some getting used too. I can’t mention any specific staff for one reason. They are all excellent and are efficient, friendly, happy and have a desire to please. It’s a testament to the Management of this resort who are visible and on top of things. They deserve credit for this very high standard of staff training. My wife experienced an allergy from something after 3 days and the on-site doctor was superb in dealing with her issue. Didn’t have to wait to see her at 9am in the morning. Would I return is always asked, yes without doubt, this is a great resort. Read less