Embudu Village

I am starting my review by thanking the entire Embudu Resort team for a wonderful holiday. We appreciate the efforts of all the staff, who do everything they can to make guests feel right at home. This was our third visit in Embudu—after a longer break—and the resort did not disappoint us again. Compared to other hotels we have visited, Embudu is unique thanks to its authentic character and lush vegetation.You won't find luxury or noisy entertainment here, but rather peace and relaxation—without TV or a swimming pool. For those who are unsure whether Embudu is the right choice—and who also have a limited budget—I can certainly recommend this resort. Although the accommodation is simple, the food and all other activities are excellent. The house reef, which is gradually recovering, is easily accessible from the beach and suitable even for less experienced snorkelers. Since we had booked an all-inclusive package, we spent a lot of time relaxing at the bar with our favorite drinks. The guys at the bar were so attentive that we felt right at home. Some of them even remembered us from our previous visits, and the whole team did an excellent job under the guidance of an experienced manager. One of the bar staff was leaving home in three days and came to say goodbye to us as if we were his own family. Thank you, dear friend Chandana and greeting you in Sri Lanka from Slovakia! We would also like to thank the reception team for their helpfulness regarding our early arrival and late departure.It was a pleasant bonus—the kind you don’t typically encounter at every resort. Finally, thank you all for your hospitality during our anniversary holiday. I hope we see each other again. Katarina & Zdenko from Slovakia.

On airport arrival no one to meet me. Eventualy found a booth, was told to wait 15 mins for boat. After ONE hour went searching, a rep from Hard Rock, made thee calls, somone arrived and we set sail. Arrival at jetty suitcase is placed in a wheelbarrow and trubdles off. [Anantara eat your heart out]. Speedy check in. Room is basic, bed, desk, fridge (empty). Closet had an eclectic mix of coloured plastic hangers (Ikea?) Bathroom spot on, aircon working good. Evening meal time, taken to a shared table. $5 got me a sinle table all week ! Ordered wine NO! I am not all inclusive. Another hour lost proving I was Ai. From then on a great time with sunbathing and the sea. A note about the sand, on the arroval jetty side it is a coarse gritty white sand, whereas on the dive jetty the sand is more powdery. Drink pricing is strange. Captain Morgan rum, imprted UK, flows like water $0. Ask for a juice, melon) $13. The bar will provide FOC cans of drinks to go. A small shop by reception sells overpriced trinkets. The Spa, wanted a sauna for stiff muscle - Broken ! The resort is laid back no airs or graces, barefoot all the time, even restraunt, which has food a plenty and varied. Staff all great and helpfull. Seven hights for me, just rigt for an enjoyable stay. Travelled via Destinations2 recommend.

Our stay at Embudu Village was a very pleasant experience. The food was extremely diverse and suitable for people from all around the world. There was a great variety of dishes, and everything we tried was very good, including the main courses, fresh fruit, desserts, and fresh juices. The island is relatively small, but every corner of it is beautiful. The beach is very clean, and the water is crystal clear and beautifully turquoise. The staff were incredibly kind and helpful throughout our entire stay. They truly deserve all the praise. Everything was kept very clean at all times, both in the rooms and around the island. Getting to and from the island was also very easy. The transportation was always punctual, and the staff were very attentive to our needs. There are also plenty of activities you can enjoy on the island, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, dolphin-watching boat trips, submarine excursions, and more. The only downside would be that it may take a day or two to get used to the sound of the birds, especially in the morning. Overall, Embudu Village is definitely worth visiting. We truly enjoyed our stay and would happily come back.

We are now home after a holiday to remember! The hotel in Malta that I fancied had reports of a Hard Rock Café Hotel being built on the boundary and spoiling people’s holidays. Mauritius fell through at the travel agents so a bit of web surfing took me to the Maldives. Embudu Village was just about possible stretching the budget a little. 3 Star, no pools, no room TV and in the rainy season. Next stop Trip Advisor and all looked good. The reviews were good and the internet told me not to panic about the weather. We booked through TUI, booked the house and dog sitter and made the ‘to do list’. Hire or rent snorkeling kit? We chose to purchase and travel with the kit as it looked like snorkeling would be the main activity. Post holiday we highly recommend taking snorkeling equipment, the house reef is just amazing. We did take rash vests and I would consider these as essential if you are going to snorkel. Leg protection would now also be a consideration as we both caught the sun on the back of the legs. A cheap waterproof mobile phone case is probably worth considering. It’s not every day you get to swim with sharks, turtles, rays and octopus. Don’t be put off by the sharks, they are small black tip reef sharks that ignore you. Mosquito precautions. We both got bites. The resort has the swing fog out but unfortunately there still remains the risk of mosquito and sand fly bites. We had good repellant but also took along antihistamine and hydrocortisone creams plus piriton tablets. These were all used and we were thankful that we had packed them. It should be noted that we were in the resort during the rainy season and there was a lot of rain for the first five days of our stay. Conditions were favorable for the little blighters. Currency. US dollars worked fine as hard currency for tips and the odd few items. We stayed all inclusive and didn’t leave the resort so cash wasn’t really needed on a daily basis. All inclusive or not? The food was great and especially so when you consider the 3 star status, Embudu Village is punching above its weight here. The drinks included were alright and the service in the restaurant and bar was tip top. My all inclusive choice was down to budget management and not needing to think about further bills during the stay. I haven’t done the maths so I think this is a personal choice. Holiday clothes. This isn’t really a dressing up for dinner kind of resort. Apart from flippers I had nothing on my feet for the duration of our stay (10 days). For the evenings I put a long sleeve shirt on mainly to try and avoid bites. Most people staying were in shorts and tee shirts. No need to pack the wardrobe! Cut to the chase. We loved our time at Embudu Village. Seeing the other island inhabitants daily, crabs, fruit bats, lizards, ring neck parakeets, herons, gheko’s, water hens and Koel’s was great. The house reef is a beautiful underwater paradise and only a very short swim and a splash from the rooms. The beauty of Embudu isn’t five star swim up bars and fluffy towels, it’s island life and the fantastic environment the resort is set in. A special shout out and big thank you to Raj who looked after us extremely well in the dining room. The grounds men also need a mention as they work tirelessly raking the sand, collecting leaves and keeping this island in great shape. Embudu Village, the reef and nature are your strength – protect it and you will flourish. Final note. I did sign up and refresh my diving. The dive center is well set up and equipped. I enjoyed diving on the house reef but was put off diving from the boat. I got the feeling that Nitrox diving was preferred and I felt pushed away from signing up for dives on air. Carrying out Nitrox certification was mentioned a few times yet I made it clear that I was happy and comfortable with air.

I had a great expereince here. What a beautiful resort. Green and clean. Great food, Great ambience. All the rooms are clean. Great staff . I feel so homely. Govindham at reception is very nice and welcoming. He helped us with everything. Perfect place to stay. I recommeded all my friends to stay here