Niyama Private Islands Maldives

Thank you to the Niyama Hotel for a wonderful vacation. Everything was perfect! Special thanks to our beloved butler, Salta, who did everything possible to make our stay as comfortable as possible. Salta is one of the main reasons we returned to the island again and want to return again and again. She is a true professional!

If you're on the fence about committing to a holiday at Niyama, just do it. I'll focus on two aspects: the service and the activities. Service: Everything (and I do mean everything) on Niyama is personalized. This is epitomized by having your own Thakuru, who for us was the kind and gracious Shanun. I'm not exagerating when I say that Shanun genuinely made us feel like royalty. He is one whatsapp message away from any request that you may possibly have. From coordinating all our activities (with last minute changes!), booking our restaurants, giving us countless buggy rides across the island... we didn't have to lift a finger. Most impressively, he is very skilled at anticipating any small inconvenience you might encounter and discretely intervening accordingly -- a skill which, in my opinion, is what defines the luxury experience. It's safe to say that Shanun made the stay what it is, and we really hope to return under his care soon. Thakuru aside, the hotel is immaculately staffed. From the restaurants to the spa, not to mention across the many unusual but interesting offerings such as having an in-house astronomer and a marine biologist (Meimei) -- the latter with whom we had a very pleasant and detailed discussion about the local marine wildlife. Other memorable moments for us were the conversations with the very kind Putu, and with the team at the Tribal restaurant. Activities: We primarily came for the surfing, so let me say a few words about that. First of all, Vodi is as good a wave as you can imagine. We scored it from 2ft to 6ft+, right at the turn from the South-West to North-East monsoon, meaning we got offshore winds everyday. It's a perfect left point break with translucent warm water, turtles and dolphins in the line up, and a forgiving reef. In terms of crowds, I was literally surfing on my own for an hour or two each day. When it got "busy", there were 4 people out. As for the in-house surf team, Kayle Sippe Rhys and Nathan, I couldn't say enough good things. Kayle is a real master of the sport and is equally good at coaching it. He single-handedly helped my partner to a solid pop-up, and this was after months of her trying and failing with all sorts of other lessons back home. She walked away beaming and psyched on surfing like never before. Rhys helped me push through my fears when, on one of the bigger days at Vodi, he saw that I was hesitant to paddle out and offered to come with me and keep a watchful eye. I ended up catching the best waves of my life that day. He was also tirelessly capturing photo/video of all the surfers, and I walked away with the best and only surf footage of me I'll ever need. Sippe's a lovely guy who understands the conditions like no other and gave me great advice throughout the trip. He's also got highly enviable style in his surfing that you can try your best at taking inspiration from. Long story short, these guys are pros -- but most importantly they are a genuine, authentic bunch of surfers. They love the ocean, are great company both on land and in water, and just want to help others enjoy the sport as much as they do. (Shout out to the tennis coach Felipe, who was often out surfing on his free time, and is an awesome guy to share the line up with) (Second shout out to the guys at the Surf Shack bar (whose names I unfortunately didn't catch), who would rush to hand me an ice cold draught beer the second I'd be out of the water) We also dived, with my partner completing her PADI open water diver certification. No points for saying that diving in the Maldives is good, but Niyama just finds all the right ways to make it feel luxurious. The dive centre is relaxed, super well organized and has great equipment/facilities. Also, we were basically alone with the instructor on our dives, unlike in many other centres where the ratio is 8:1. Our instructor in question was Emma, who may be the coolest person we ever met. She's a super interesting and fun character and a very level-headed instructor. No fluff, just high-quality instruction that inspires confidence. We'd both love to come back and get our next PADI qualification under her.

Returning guests to this beautiful island. Such a special place, notably because of the wonderful staff. Special mention to our ‘butler’ Shanun, who always went the extra mile. The waiting staff in Epicure were also so lovely, especially with our children. Food amazing. Kids club great. Will be back (again!)

⭐️⭐️ Disappointment Instead of a “Luxury Family Resort” We chose this hotel because it actively promotes itself as a luxury family resort, with a strong focus on nature, ocean life, and snorkeling. Unfortunately, the reality turned out to be completely different. Snorkeling & Nature There is practically no fish around the island. The coral reef is either destroyed or simply nonexistent, and the lagoon feels empty and lifeless. For a resort that prides itself on being a “private island” surrounded by nature, this is truly shocking. If snorkeling and marine life are important to you — this is not the place. Children & Activities The hotel claims to be family-oriented, but for children over 12 years old there is essentially nothing to do. At the same time, from the age of 12 children are charged the full adult rate, yet: • there are no teen programs, • no active animation, • no sports or social activities, • no environment where teenagers can actually feel engaged or entertained. Food The food does not match the price level. There are almost no proper child or teen-friendly options, the selection is limited, and the quality is inconsistent. For families, this is a major downside. Price vs. Reality The cost of staying here is extremely high, but: • the nature is damaged, • there is no marine life, • there are no meaningful activities, • the “family resort” concept exists only in marketing. It feels like the hotel is selling a brand and beautiful photos rather than a real experience. Conclusion This hotel does not justify its price, especially for families with children or teenagers. If you are coming for the ocean, reef, snorkeling, and an active family vacation — think very carefully or choose a different resort.

I should have read previous lower star reviews. The additional add-on costs are really constant and somehow painful throughout the stay. They really take some time to get used to. It is also an overly complex system: what is included or offered by the resort and what is not. Also having to sign off every time plus asking for tips again and again is tiresome. There is also lack of overview of what is available on any given day. It means we did less than we wanted to and also what was on offer. Our Thukara was not even able to follow. She couldn’t provide what we wanted as she didn’t always remember. These points do make for less-than-5-star experience. The ground staff were all beyond amazing. Extremely responsive to anything that goes amiss (and many things do… ). Our hats off to the room staff who maintained pristine and clean conditions despite days of pouring rains. The highlight of my daughter’s stay was Emma from diving. So kind, reassuring and encouraging. We also enjoyed the astronomy lesson, so brilliantly interesting and our first time to see Saturn and Jupiter so well. Kayle in surfing was also very obliging and open, May in the Spa was fantastic with her hands, and Pablo & the snorkeling team sensational. Such positivity and fun, that we went four times! Jess was an absolute star in yoga and Pilates. So positive, professional and extremely competent. I would love the Thukaras to follow her lead. She was the highlight of my stay. I would also highly recommend Lorenzo for any pains or discomfort. Absolutely world class in competence, service and execution. A reason to come back! We had an (far too big!) over water villa towards the sunset which meant that the breeze was just right; neither of us were ever too cold or hot despite the cloudy, rainy & stormy weather we had. Surprisingly we used all of the options at the villa: the villa jacuzzi, the villa swimming pool, snorkeling from the villa and swam from the villa to the (less spectacular) in-house reefs. My daughter loved the complementary popcorn treat. And I loved the complementary bedtime tea! Drinking water was an absolute necessity: always nearby, available and the perfect temperature. Perfection! The facilities and dining options were plenty and varied. A huge shout out to Mita and Ibee who were particularly attentive and fantastic in the restaurants. We also loved the a la Carte experience at Nest. However, I would not recommend this resort for anyone with any severe allergies as it was often not very clear what was included in the food that was served, even when asking the chefs themselves! Finally, our lunch highlight was the Deli. The experienced lady chef made the best sandwiches to order (she should be head chef in the restaurant!) and the gentleman was super service orientated. Both was absolutely superb.