Six Senses Laamu

You have a wealth of stellar reviews to read on Tripadvisor on this place, and I am here to say they are all highly deserved! We went as a family of 5 in October half term from the UK (couple + 3 boys aged 13,16,19) to mark our silver wedding anniversary. They added some lovely complimentary touches for our special occasion which were appreciated - and just as much, actually, the explanation that on this island (unlike some) they deliberately don't do flower art arrangements on the beds to welcome you since they are working really hard to be environmentally sustainable. Other reviews have plentifully covered the perfect setting, icecream (fabulous!), phenomenal buffet breakfasts, lavish evening buffets twice a week (which nevertheless keep sustainability in mind, cooking to order on many of the stations to minimise waste), and stand-out staff. So I won't repeat more on that apart from the staff part - everyone gets assigned their 'special person' in the form of their GEM (guest experience maker) and ours was the lovely, and very committed, Efro, who was so kind, chilled and attentive. Pallavi was a specialist therapist visiting the spa during the time of our stay - lucky me as I got to have some top-notch unique treatments with her, including an abdomen massage for gut health. Miriam Olivia and her partner Greg Holder were also specialist "Visiting" professionals who we were so lucky to coincide with - Miri offering marine wildlife painting classes with a super-kind, super-encouraging approach, and Greg teaching free-diving as well as sharing his world-class expertise on sharks and more via various talks. The brilliance of these visiting experts added another "cherry on the top" and goes hand in hand with all the resident staff who are just wonderful. You could really feel the friendly and genuine welcome everywhere you turned. My boys loved the surf school (thank you lovely Nicole and team!) and we had a series of great dives with Erika, seeing mantas, reef sharks, turtles and much more. Mahmid and Hussan were stand-outs in the dining area, and "Mr Chocolate" (the specialist pastry chef/chocolatier/icecream maker) gave a really interesting talk one day (just one example of the multiple activities available) and is clearly a great "catch" for the island! My youngest son had THE TIME OF HIS LIFE doing the Junior Marine Biologist programme at The Shell / MUI. The whole team there (Juliet, Giselle, Abbey, Talia, Sharoof ++.... oh dear I can't do everyone's names!) were genuinely life-changingly inspiring for him, and have ignited a real flame in him to pursue a path in this area. We saw baby turtles hatching one memorable night. Certainly if anyone in your party is interested in marine life, ecology etc, this island is absolutely the one to come to within the Maldives. On the very short boat ride from seaplane to island after you touch down, you're given a bag to put your shoes away into with the invitation not to see them again until you leave. If you're into blinging up in your high heels and partying to loud music, don't come here! But if you want to cycle barefoot with the breeze in your hair around the island (they even have softly covered the pedals so you stay comfortable! - and everyone gets their own bike), revelling in the very best kind of naturally beautiful luxury, it would be very hard to beat this place. We were torn between over-water villa and on-land beachfront villa - so we ended up getting one of each! My husband and I took the oceanfront one and our boys loved the fun and independence of being able to jump straight into the sea. It worked so well, if you have older kids. I actually find the villas on land to be more private (since with the over-water ones, people are snorkelling past here and there) and more cocooning as they're surrounded by lush greenery which the over-water ones don't have. Downsides - you do have to steel yourself for the ££ - it is not cheap and the activities and extras once there (icecream aside) are all pretty pricey. There is a local island in the vicinity that has some lights shining from it at night, so if you want the 'I'm in the complete middle of nowhere' feel then pick a water villa looking outward to sea or a beachfront one facing away from the other island. Consult weather patterns - early October can be stormy. We were very back end of Oct and for us the weather was perfect in that it was never stormy but it was a little overcast at times, which gave relief from otherwise sunny days, while staying always at around 28 deg. It is definitely warm - I didn't need any cardi or scarf in the evening. Rooms have aircon. This island feels of a decent size - you do need the bike really (unless you choose a room very close to the main base). Staff all live in the central bit of the island. The gym is very good and spa amazing. We didn't use the main swimming pool at all - there is a freshwater plunge pool with the beachfront villas and otherwise we were snorkelling in the sea. You more than get the gist. I could go on but will refrain. Bottom line - go! A huge thank you to the Laamu Six Senses team - you have created something truly special and memorable. A shout-out too to our travel advisor, sally.knudsen@travelcounsellors.com, who first recommended Six Senses to us and put the itinerary together.

There are two things that make Six Senses Laamu stand out for us; firstly, the fact that they let nature lead, and secondly, the people who work here. There's not a speck of marble or gold to be seen on the island. It's not glitz and glamour, but it is no less luxurious for this. It's beautiful without being tacky. They invest in the things that really matter, like cultivating and protecting the house reef, the sea grass and the marine life. You can attend a free talk on sea turtles while eating free ice-cream (48 flavours, all made on the island), and then do guided snorkelling - again, at no extra cost - and see the turtles you've just learned about. They invest in research, education on sustainability, and clean water for the local islands. It feels as if every penny you spend is being put to good use. Whatever you're interested in, whether that's sea or sports-based activity, relaxation and indulgence at the spa, or interest in the local environment, there are activities to suit you - and for a range of budgets. We enjoyed an incredible couples' massage, a dolphin cruise, aerial yoga, free snorkelling, yoga and gym-based exercise classes. The rest of the time, we lazed at the swim-up bar in the warm pool at Sip Sip, watched sunrises from our villa deck, and sunsets from the beds at Chill Bar. At night, we enjoyed the outdoor cinema from the comfy loungers (yes, we spent a lot of time lying down!) The food quality here is absurd. Even the "normal" buffet-style restaurant is exceptional, managing to offer something for every taste, to the standard you would expect of an a la carte menu. The advance booking restaurants are out of this world, with locally sourced (where possible) menus that change daily - including a plant-based option at Leaf. At each restaurant, the chefs cook most of the food to order in front of you, and are obviously, and justifiably, proud of their work. Care and attention goes into every aspect of the dining experience, from the chefs (who often popped out to say hello and check we were happy), to the attentive waitstaff (who by day 2, all knew our villa number, and most of them remembered our names), to the Head of Department, who remembered where we had eaten on previous days and asked if we'd enjoyed whichever restaurant it was. Every member of staff makes you feel as if you are their favourite customer, and cannot do enough to help you. It really feels as if they love what they do, are proud to work at such an amazing place, and only want to make your day better. Our Guest Experience Maker, Fahudh, was incredible - the most attentive, caring person, and there were many other people who also made our day, every day. To name just a few (and apologies if I butcher the spellings), Sirinivasan, Abdulla, Mafaz, Hawaree. All absolutely exceptional people. We came here for our honeymoon, and have since spent ten years planning our return for our anniversary. We were always going to come back here, there was never a question. If anything, the staff here were even more excited about our anniversary than we were! Those who were here 10 years ago even remembered us and sought us out. The Head of Accommodation made sure we had the exact same villa as we had stayed in previously. We were given a celebratory cake for dessert at Zen, and we were gifted an activity "just to say congratulations". We asked for none of these things, they were all a surprise, and the individuals who arranged each of them seemed as delighted to give them as we were to receive them. Just all really special people. Six Senses Laamu is expensive, but there is literally nowhere on the planet I would rather spend my money. If you want luxury without vulgarity, this is the resort for you.

No fuss, no bla-bla and no excessive bling-bling! All we got was real and heartfelt. It was a genuine and authentic experience, while still luxurious and comfortable. The resort is stunning down to the smallest details. It’s extremely well maintained, and the use of natural materials that blend with the surrounding lush landscape gave us the idyllic tropical-island vibe we were looking for. There were multiple restaurants - From breakfast to fine dining, Japanese or themed dining. And it was all freshly prepared and delicious. They even offered complimentary, unlimited homemade ice cream. Walking barefoot, cycling, and the informal atmosphere helped us unwind. This was enhanced by the genuinely friendly, service-minded hosts, management, and our experience manager, Vienne, who made us feel at home and free to be ourselves. This was an unparalleled experience and it exceeded all our expectations.

This was our first visit to Six Senses Laamu and we will certainly go back. It is a 60 minute sea plane transfer from Male International airport but you are very well looked after by the Six Senses team in their stylish private lounge and the trip itself is very easy and gets you to a pleasantly remote atoll away from busy Male. We had a brilliant GEM (private butler) in Faudi who was very switched on and efficient as well as charming. We had a room on the beach, ocean side, which meant we could walk straight into the gorgeous turquoise water. Rooms very well equipped, with outdoor bathroom and plenty of sitting areas. Food was very good with copious buffets on different themes and a very good Japanese restaurant, Zen. We did have some rain, but these days that is now quite common all year round in the Maldives and by no means spoils the holiday - it is still easy to swim and of course the weather is nicely warm in the late 20s. The swimming pool area is beautifully designed and landscaped though we did not actually swim in it as we always swam in the sea - it was a very good place for a light lunch. The gardens are very attractive and they grow and use a lot of their own herbs and vegetables, and the Leaf treehouse restaurant made a good alternative place for dinner. You need to book at both this restaurant and Zen to ensure you can get in as they are very popular. The staff were smiling, kind and very helpful which added to the holiday atmosphere and management were well in attendance. We would highly recommend this as a relaxing, recuperative and very indulgent holiday destination in a beautiful surrounding. We even saw 5 turtles just swimming off the jetty in the translucent water!

It was one of my most wonderful holiday in the Maldive. Everything was just perfect. A big Thank you to Soba We will come back next year