A dream holiday in the Maldives – all without the nightmare bill at the end
While the Maldives is synonymous with honeymooners and couples on a blowout trip, one familyfriendly resort is aimed at attracting travellers of all ages and budgets.
Oblu Xperience Ailafushi delivers an all-inclusive package that is perfect for parents seeking convenience and has plenty to occupy younger travellers.
The welcome
We are met by hotel representatives at the airport, who swiftly take us and our luggage to a waiting boat. Within 15 minutes, twin Yamaha engines have us edging the twinkling lights of overwater villas. We arrive at a jetty to the sounds of applauding staff and bodu beru music.
Having completed check-in formalities on the resort’s app beforehand, our passports are briefly taken in exchange for a welcome drink and we are directed to the main restaurant to have the first meal of our all-inclusive Fushi Plan.
The neighbourhood
In the Maldivian dialect Dhivehi, “aila” means family and “fushi” means island. The four-star resort opened in June last year with four accommodation categories – 48 ocean-view rooms; 48 ocean-view family two-bedroom units with bunkbeds; 66 beach villas with a garden, outdoor shower and direct beach access; and 106 overwater villas.
Unlike many resort islands, Ailafushi is man-made, but you would be hard-pressed to notice amid the generous vegetation and lapping waves – and the resort fulfils the brief in its name.
The reception building also houses the resort’s main bar, X360, and a sizeable pool with plentiful loungers that extend on to a broad stretch of beach. One direction takes you to the water villas, the other past beach villas to La Promenade – a boutique, cafe and shop selling snacks, souvenirs and supplies – and the Copper Pot food truck.
Netted bathing areas flank a channel that divides the island close to a water sports and Padi/SSI-certified dive centre that organises dolphin-spotting trips – the ocean’s cheerleaders are delightfully obliging on our jaunt – guided snorkelling, kayaking and stand-up paddle. A daily complimentary non-motorised water sports session is included in the Fushi Plan.
Beyond this are wellplanned family accommodation blocks, one of the best children’s clubs you’re likely to find in the Maldives and an overwater boardwalk leading to the gym.
The room
Water villas are shaped like traditional Maldivian dhoni boats and grouped in pairs. Through the door, we find a luggage storage area beside a hanging space, a safe, a coffee/tea-making area and his and hers flip-flops.
The bathroom is partially open to the sea either side of a good rain shower. Twin sinks with mirrors house useful amenities.
Being part al fresco, the bathroom doesn’t use the A/C, which serves the bedroom effectively instead.
Interior design is eclectic with a homely-meets-modern vibe of bright cushions, wood floor, mirrors and large artworks.
Steps lead into the water if you fancy swimming near your temporary home, although beware of slippery bottom steps.
The service
Be prepared for lots of greetings as you explore the resort – and to wonder how it is that housekeeping staff know precisely when you’ve nipped out of your room.
While the water sports guys are laid-back, the team in Element X are swift to answer queries and clear plates, or help with drinks selections in this otherwise self-service buffet scenario.
Service is even more attentive while dining al fresco at Copper Pot and at the Elena garden spa, where a keen Balinese massage works wonders. Treatments include facials, face and neck lifting, back, neck and shoulder massage and a scalp and hair booster – completed with a sustainable beverage from the self-peddled juice bike.
The scene
Sandy paths link each section of the resort. While some areas, such as the main bar and restaurant, can get lively – including the former with its nightly covers band – it is possible to find intimate nooks. And if you have little ones in tow, the excellent children’s club includes a shallow pool and karaoke room evidently designed by Beatles and Pink Floyd fans.
Older ones are catered for in a loft gaming area with a cinema room, air hockey, PlayStation and Xbox.
The food
Stealing the culinary headlines, Only Blu is the Maldives’s largest underwater restaurant and delivers a high-end gourmet experience that lifts it way above gimmick value.
Beautifully plated dishes of octopus, locally caught fish and succulent steak compete with a shifting canvas of marine life beyond the perspex walls. Copper Pot is a food truck concept offering surf and turf options that can be enjoyed at sandy-floored seating nearby.
As one might expect from this location, the seafood excels, but grilled meats also flourish with a vibrant presentation that belies a simplistic kitchen setting. Both venues (though not included in the Fushi Plan) contrast Element X, which is an all-day dining venue.
Live cooking stations produce authentic Indian and Maldivian cuisine alongside zones embracing Indonesian, Chinese and South Korean dishes.
Expect the likes of hariyaki murgh tikka, seafood coconut curry, tuna kulfi mas, seafood okonomiyaki and miso-glazed fish with sesame seeds – and a feisty masala egg bhurji for breakfast. Limited salad and dessert options are more than compensated for by extensive savoury choices, which change daily.
Lobigili also offers a variety of palate pleasers, notably at Ylang Ylang, where global flavours are given an Italian edge in a relaxed setting. The lotus-stem starter is a must.
Highs and lows
Only Blu is a compelling, memorable setting and a dining highlight. Meanwhile, leaving the chilled comfort of the bedroom to shower while trying to spot reef sharks below is a wonderful novelty.
The gym’s location halfway between Ailafushi and its sister site Lobigili requires a decent walk or a buggy ride. Once there, bikes and treadmills offer stunning views.
The insider tip
Request a non-Male-facing villa or room so you have that Maldives middle-of-nowhere vibe. Some options give glimpses of the capital or airport island Hulhule that diminish that sense of true desert island escape.
The verdict
With its all-inclusive Fushi Plan, affordable rates and occasional deals, Oblu Xperience Ailafushi is an entry-level Maldives resort for families seeking a taste of the islands without breaking the bank.
The bottom line
All-inclusive water villas, with transfers, cost from $520, excluding taxes and fees. Check-in from 2pm; checkout at noon; www.coloursofoblu.com/ oblu-xperience-ailafushi
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel