Coco palm Maldives

[scotty_d]

Has any one been to this island before? Read trip adviser Ect and seems to get a fair review and i like the ecological aspects they seem to try to adhere to a nice touch in my book.

Been to the Maldives Before just looking for and Pher reviews

Cheers Scotty.

[krallicious]

Which Coco Palm as there are two of them.

[scotty_d]

Apologies, coco palm dhuni kolhu.

[krallicious]

I stayed on the other one so will be no help then

[SwanJack]

We went there for our Honeymoon, but that was in 2001, superb, we stayed in one of the water huts with a plunge pool. One reason we picked this one is because you get to it by water plane, which was something I'd always wanted to do. What I do remember is flying fish, massive fruit bats, a shark under the hut, glow worms lighting up the beach at night,excellent service and great food.

[Worzel]

Hi,

Stayed here 3 years ago, absolutely amazing island! Stayed in one of the water bungalows for 10 nights, highly recommend it. Went half board as the all inclusive didn't add up for us, drank plenty of cocktails each evening and our bar bill, although high, was still way less than the additional charge for AI.

Booked through Jim at www.maldivesdirect.co.uk


Let me know if you've got any questions.

Jon

[scotty_d]

Pheww glad of more good reviews, picked up a really good last minute all inclusive deal. To good to pass on. Head away on the 17th for a week.

Only beach huts as no lagoon villas available that week but I have e mailed them to stick me down if there's a cancellation.

Doing our padi open water ticket as well. Can't wait to head back love the place. Stayed on meeru last time.

Any more tips or heads up would be welcomed.

[otolith]

We were there for two weeks in late September 2011 and went back again in mid October 2012. Loved it. We went all-inclusive the first time, and then half board the second. To be honest, it's easy enough to make enough of a pig of yourself at breakfast that you don't really want lunch. Also, the all-inclusive offer does not include the beach bar, which means that if you want cocktails served on the beach you will have to pay for them. And you don't have access to the full drinks menu on it either.

The first time we went, the weather was fantastic, it rained a couple of times in the night and that was it. We stupidly packed the large bottle of high factor sun lotion in the hand luggage and had to give it up at the airport, so we ended up paying through the nose to buy it at the small shop on the island - which pretty much ran out by the end of the holiday. Second time, we took loads of Riemann P20 (highly recommended, btw), but the weather was a bit poor compared to the previous visit. Lots of rain and a few rough seas, but still lovely and warm. Seawater like a warm bath

Food, villas, staff, all excellent. We had beach villas, and though I wouldn't mind trying a lagoon villa, I think I would miss the little private area of beach you get with the beach villas. By private, I mean that the little path from your villa to the beach terminates in a cut-out in the vegetation where your loungers sit, such that when you are lying on them you can't usually see another soul.

There was a coral bleaching incident some years ago, and it is still recovering, so there is not much live coral to see on the house reef. Chiara, the resident marine biologist, is busy planting some metal frames with coral fragments, but it will take a long time to recover. Loads of fish, though, and there are some superb reefs in the area which can be visited via a short boat trip. We did the manta ray watching trip - sadly, we only saw a couple and they had buggered off by the time we swum out to them, but we did get a snorkel over an amazing reef out of it. We also saw dolphins on that trip!

They have been struggling with beach erosion for a while, and have shored up with sandbags in places, which some people find unsightly. Can't say it really bothered us. Great holidays both times, booked through Maldives Direct. We would probably try somewhere different next time, and would look for somewhere with a better house reef, but still a wonderful place if you want a really relaxing beach holiday. You will have a great time.

The house reef:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TsENKQv_Bk

The house reef in the evening, with a couple of sharks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHJppvFHuhs

The reef we snorkelled over on the manta trip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeZuW-CfO5c

Arriving by seaplane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHtLgI506iU

[scotty_d]

Oh hurry up 17th already great pictures and thanks for more information. The all inclusive suits me better as I am not much of a breakfast eater so lunch is my big meal of the day light fruit is all I can manage in the mornings haha.

[Gren]

Did the first 2 weeks in September there for our honeymoon 14 years ago. Think it was pretty new then. Great resort and a prefect desert island holiday. Stayed in one on the detached beach bungalows - can't remember whether these were standard or an upgrade. I know we had to upgrade to these when we went to another island a couple of years later which was not as good. Small island - 15 mins to walk around it and nothing was ever more than 5 mins from you hut / the restaurant /the bar.

Food was great (put on half a stone), staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble especially once you got to know how your plunge pool worked - paying one of the boys to fill it up for you.

Reef was good for snorkling. Never felt the need to go diving or make a trip to any of the other reefs.