The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

We have just returned from what we describe as our second home, having enjoyed our fourth visit with the Ladies and Gentlemen of Fari Islands. We have found our little bit of paradise with stunning, well maintained accommodation offering excellent vistas. Why go to a different resort? This year we were more adventurous, dining at all the culinary offerings and each delivered extremely well prepared and delicious cuisine, often accommodating specifically for my less than adventurous husband. Chef Harsha and Rukmal were absolutely fantastic and regularly served us tasty treats. We cannot thank them both enough for looking after us so well and being so thoughtful. Somehow each trip manages to get even better! We think the whole team at RC are simply outstanding, with unparalleled service levels. There is nothing they cannot do for you. Indeed,somehow they manage to anticipate your needs before even you do. Although it is wrong to single out individuals from a huge team effort, we have to comment that Shuhu our Aris Meetha is simply world class in her role. She has fantastic attention to detail, anticipates your every need and is extremely quick to respond to any request. If she was busy, then other colleagues would quickly deputise. Here we gained exposure to Ford, Shaghaf, Muneef and how could I forget driver Pateyl (or James Bond!). All these butlers are a true credit to RC. They are so well trained and experienced that customer service comes naturally and from the heart. You actually feel it. It’s simply outstanding. The accommodation is superb. It's modern, spacious and kept spotlessly clean. In our case this was by Shiyan. Some of his artwork and creations are simply stunning. We rushed back to our villa each night to see what he had designed for us. He has a special talent, please know Shiyan they were very much appreciated. Much of our day was spent at the Beach Shack. On previous visits we had built an excellent relationship with Ammu, the Beach Shack manager, but he has been promoted to Arabesque, a lovely dining facility on the island of Patina which is used by RC guests. We should however have had no concerns as Ahnef and his team were equally terrific and delivered fantastic service to us throughout. Cake, George, Saeid and the whole beach team are simply wonderful. They truly help make our stay so memorable and are a huge reason on why we continue to return to RC. Cold drinks, little tasters, fresh towels..they just keep coming! It didn’t surprise me that Cake won an award for his contribution to the resort. This recognition was given on merit - he is terrific . When it was time for a snack, Chef Rukmal would often come out and ask what he could prepare for us today. Menu? Not required! This is the service culture that management team Oscar, Dan, and Naseem have clearly fostered. Look after your guests and they will hopefully return. As mentioned above we ate at all dining facilities this year. Breakfast however is served daily at LaLaconda where you are warmly met by the smiling ladies. Isko in particular gave us a fantastic service (again!), although Adey and Tookay were always on hand to cover or offer recommendations on our choices. Eau Bar and Summer Pavilion were excellent new additions for us this year and we enjoyed the Asian cuisine offered in both. The icing on the cake came from a memorable meal at Iwau where we were treated to private dining at a Japanese chef’s table. This experience was also repeated at Arabesque, the flavoursome Arabic/Indian restaurant on Patina. Here we reunited with Ammu and Mo and had yet another highlight evening. The fun didn’t stop at restaurants however. Excursions are truly memorable too and with returning friends whom we meet up with at this island from New York and Manchester each year, we went on a sunset cruise. Unfortunately no dolphins were spotted but we were treated to the most amazing sunset. Apologies to the crew for taking over Bluetooth and playing our favourite tunes! An addition noted this year has been the creation of a Recreational team with Jo and Mohammed appointed to this role for guests to interact with. Jo’s pool playing needs to improve so hopefully Mohammed can coach him in the coming months. Fortunately he is better at offering advice on ‘Dream Team’ selection. Overall, this has been another outstanding experience and we simply cannot wait to return. Our little memory book that Taneisha compiles for us will frequently be read and re-read before our next trip. It is just so thoughtful. Selfishly we want to keep this piece of paradise to ourselves, but if you wish pampered, experience a truly luxurious holiday that will create a lifetime of memories, I have to say book it, you won’t regret it. Sincere thanks to each and every one of the Ladies and Gentlemen of Fari - you are a true credit to the Ritz Carlton brand and deserve every accolade you receive.

This resort is fabulous the staff are amazing The resort is so clean Loved the pools Big shout out to Eddie who was our buggy driver And Daniel for organising everything for us wish we could have stayed longer

Not worth the price. Service is not great, amenities and experiences limited. Staff seems disinterested. Management not helpful. Very judgemental. Overall not a great experience and wouldn’t recommend. Views are nice but good views at other resorts.

We just got back from spending ten nights at the Ritz Carlton Fari Islands. To say the experience exceeded our already high expectations would be an understatement. The staff, island, restaurants, rooms, spa, activities were all amazing. The people working on the island are among the most professional and caring hosts at a resort that we’ve ever encountered. we stayed at the St Regis in the Maldives five years ago and there too the staff was incredibly memorable but our experience at the Ritz was even better. As we were there celebrating an anniversary and milestone birthday, we were made to feel incredibly well attended too…also being a Marriot Bonvoy Titanium status may have influenced the attention as well but I am not so sure our experience was out of the ordinary. Across restaurants, we received complimentary items at the recommendation of the waitstaff or manager. in our room, we received complimentary champagne on arrival and again during our stay, in addition to wine, special desserts and notes of congratulations and various appointments in our room; drawn bath with bubble, palm leaves messages, sand art, extra snacks and cake to celebrate. We participated in a snorkel trip, sunset cruise, sand bank tour via jet ski, happy hours at Eau bar, etc. and every experience was worth doing again. we went to the gym seven or eight mornings and the facilities were clean, well maintained and not busy. We had massages at the Spa that were truly memorable and highly recommend the de-stress and tonifying treatment/massage. Aslam was our main contact and our aaris meeha, he was just awesome in every respect. Other memorable people we encountered,I’m sure I’ve missed a few too: Chaba and Tashi-masseuse Sonny and Bobby-bartenders at Eua Hamida: spa check in Kudey-Chinese/italian restaurant waiter Audy-operations Naufal-breakfast server Daniel-breakfast server George-jet ski host George- beach attendant Cake-beach attendant Faru-beach attendant Nusanta-head sommelier Naseem-breakfast and dinner waiter Sinaan-breakfast abd dinnner waiter gustia-beach bartender Grace-hostess All of the people above made our experience at the hotel incredibly memorable.

Saeid from F&B Service assisted and escorted us to our table at Beach Shack and gave excellent food recommendations. We tried his suggestions and they were spot on. The culinary experience was equally impressive. Chef Maverick of Beach Shack, together with the culinary team, served amazing food that was well prepared, flavorful, and truly enjoyable. Vasliddin Ugli from F&B Service delivered truly top-notch service. He took great care of us throughout our visit, consistently checked in to ensure everything was perfect, and was very attentive, accommodating, and genuinely kind. Domingo Samonte from Recreation & Kids Club also made our experience memorable. He showed us around the area, was very jolly, and shared helpful and interesting information that added to our stay. Overall, the service and experience were outstanding, and we will definitely be coming back soon.