Niva Dhigali Maldives

We have recently returned from Niva Dhigali, this is our 12th trip to The Maldives and our 18th resort. Dhigali is a larger island than we normally go to, but still felt very Maldivian. The island is extremely lush and pretty. Not exactly no shoes , as the roads around the island are pretty hard , albeit we did go without shoes most of the time. The resort does have sea defences to protect the beaches, a problem most Maldives islands suffer from is beach erosion, so unfortunately defences are a necessity to avoid this. To be fair they didn't bother us at all, we even loved snorkelling around them as all the fish had made homes there. The reef is very fishy and very easy to get to, we were in a water villa and the drop was literally feet away. Our weather was picture perfect, just like high season, sea was the calmest we had seen, as we always go in low season. Our room was lovely with everything that you would need, spotlessly clean and the l'occitane products were a real luxury touch. We visited all the restaurants, all were amazing and the quality of food was excellent. The staff as we have always found were superb, they are always happy to help and go above and beyond to make sure your holiday experience is extra special. We were actually booked to go to another resort, but were offered Dhigali when they were closed for refurbishment, we are so pleased that this happened as we had a marvellous time and would definitely return. Thank you to the management who introduced themselves to us and insured we had everything we needed and to all the staff who made our visit so special. Hopefully we will return soon.

My wife and I got married earlier this year and it has always been a dream of ours to honeymoon in the Maldives. I searched countless resorts and chose this one due to its beauty, affordability/ deals, various locations to eat, and comprehensive all inclusive package. Despite the roughly 30 hours of travel to get here, the moment we stepped off the sea plan, this island and resort has been incredible. It has gone above and beyond in all the aspects I chose it for. Not only that, but the room was more beautiful than I could have imagine (water villa with pool) and even the main buffet style reasturant has wonderful options that have all been good, but the absolute best part has been the staff. Not one person has been anything less than amazing. From one of my favorite chefs at Capers who is from Nepal who gave me all the tips and tricks to bring the Maldivian food home, to the most kind hostess at Capers from Shangri La who was always so excited to meet us in the mornings after or workouts. The staff new even our smallest preferences and built wonderful friendships like Grace at the Cafe and her coworker knowing my wife and my order, to the whole amazing staff at Jade, and our dear friend who know my wife’s preference for mint tea and mine from grappa! They all made stay personal to you to the smallest of details. I would be remiss if I didn’t also call to attention one of my favorite and hardest working staff member, Aslam, who was our housekeeper. He was so kind, thoughtful, and always went the extra step for us at every possibility. He also was funny and was fun to see during our day! As we came to the end of our trip, a worker from Battuta on our last night chased us down the street to give us a magnet and express well wishes for us, safe travels, and that she would miss us and that truly encapsulates the essence of this island. It is luxury and it has wonderful amenities and food, snorkeling, and included excursions, but at the end of the day, the amazing staff are what sets this far above the rest and worth every penny and hour spent traveling.

My husband and I had the most magical trip to the Maldives. All of the staff was incredible, especially our housekeeper Aslam. He went above and beyond everyday twice a day and made our stay feel more like home. We were very well taken care of and will miss this island and all of the people and experiences.

Well sometimes you just get so overwhelmed that you can’t speak or actually put into words how you feel this is one of those for me . It was our honeymoon so big expectations ! . But from the moment we landed every expectation was completely fulfilled and more . The island is stunning we had a water bungalow which was wonderful . We have met some of the most genuinely wonderful people big beautiful smiles that are meant not put on . Its a truly special place we got up to Haali bar early day and had the beach to ourselves and it’s fantastic Bar opens at 11.00 either Pranna or Dedi and it’s fabulous.But it comes to life at sunset get there for 5.30 or you will struggle to get seats the vibe is amazing the wonderful Dj and Sax player just absolutely smash it and they are absolutely stars xxx keep them . Udara runs all the bars and he is a wonderful man genuine and caring xxxx . I am afraid genuine is a word i will use alot but not sure thats a bad thing . His staff are amazing Jalle , Neila etc are simply fantastic ❤️❤️❤️❤️ . The food is amazing even the main restaurant which is not normal . Love Jade with lovely team and then you get to Faru and thats were it get a bit amazing because you meet Zigi who has to be one of life’s finest men a genuinely great man and a credit to this hotel ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. The resort Manager Hassan is a fantastic man with a genuine passion for the island caught him twice watching nesting Turns a proper great man xxx. The big negative i have is we had to leave but we will be back next year . Thank you to all the staff for the most beautiful experience we are so grateful xxxx

The location is stunning, crystal clear waters the white sand.. the same as all the other Islands in the Maldives! The atmosphere stank, Russians, influencers posing everywhere, babies crying in the evenings when you are having a romantic meal. Women going topless. People vaping in the bar area around pools. It felt more like a cheap trip to Spain than a luxury holiday. We stayed 9 nights, 5 in a beach villa with pool & 4 in an overwater lagoon villa. Can't fault the cleanliness and the room staff work hard. I was disappointed as there was no welcome anywhere in the room. We didn't get the chocolates & bottle of drink or the bed decorated at anytime. We moved to the water villa, again no welcome. In the water villa we didn't get the mini bar replenished for the first day, this is meant to be the ultimate luxury..it wasn't . The villa looked dated, some nice pictures on the walls would make it more homely. The floors were scuffed with dirty marks and stains. It was my birthday, my partner had arranged the floating breakfast and the bed to be decorated for me. This was spoilt, they came to decorate the bed on time and it looked lovely but the breakfast was half an hour late! We booked a 3 day spa, the staff were lovely but yet again our plans were delayed as our 3rd treatment was changed to a few days later. We ate in 2 of the restaurants, Battuta & Faru as trying to book on the app was impossible. The restaurants and staff were good although felt rushed as they were busy. The buffet restaurant 'Capers' was more like a canteen, some of the food was ok, not a great variety for English people though. Sausages uncooked, raw hard potatoes. I've had better food in shacks in India! My partner likes a glass of wine with his meal, the glass was only ever filled half full so then had to wait to get it topped up. Some of the staff were like zombies, ignored you or got the order completely wrong. We found East bar unfriendly and never frequented it in the evenings at all. The Haali bar is the best place, shame it only opens until 8pm, the bar staff were great, best service on the island, friendly, relaxed. Go a bit later when all the posers have left...these people spoil it for others..they seem to think the place is just for them. If they were polite or even said hello instead of just glaring at people. My partner and I are in our late 60s I've experienced luxury, this wasn't it in my opinion. I definitely wouldn't go back.