Here is my review of Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa

Dhonakulhi is a beautiful island which has the best of both worlds; a stunning lagoon on one side and a channel with good snorkeling on the other side. It has long beaches with soft sand in most areas, and the North part of the island is really pretty! The view from North point, looking down the beach on the West side was jaw-dropping and will be tattooed on my mind forever..

There are however some stretches that have very slim beaches which are only accessible when the tide is low.

The island is quite long by Maldives standards (about 1400 metres long), and bikes are the practical way of transport, unless you rather want to call for a buggy. We can’t really decide what we prefer, small islands where everything is close or larger islands with lots to explore. We both really enjoyed the bicycle tours every time going somewhere. The paths are pretty and there are so many beautiful flowers!

The unique selling point for the island is the incredible low villa density on land. There is so much space and vegetation between the villas, which is great for people looking for privacy. It also means that when you are walking along the beaches, it feels like you almost have the entire island all to yourself. There is no other resort like this in its price level in the Maldives, so Hideaway is an appropriate name for it.

We stayed in a deluxe water villa (219) which was very much to our taste. They have a total area of 190 sqm, which is plenty of space for us. The bathroom is huge and there are floor to ceiling windows all along the front of the villa, and the same for the shower and toilet on the backside. We found the design to be nice (except that white fridge which seemed misplaced with the rest of the interior).

However, for us it is always the outdoor area which is most important when going on holidays to tropical destinations, and it certainly did not disappoint. The deck is long with one area totally shaded by sun or rain with a round daybed in the corner. The other side has two loungers and a spacious pool (for being a plunge pool). We both agreed that this is our favourite deck on any villa we have stayed in the Maldives. 

I know some people have problems with ladders, so worth to mention that there was no ladder, but wide steps for easy access to the ocean. 

The rooms are generally in a good condition, but some wear and tear is starting to show. Especially the pool tiles should be replaced in not too distant future.

A quick note: Our friends stayed in a signature villa which was much newer, and quite enormous. I guess you could fit 15 people just in the shower.. A great option if you can afford it.

We were on the «white platinum all inclusive» which worked out well for us. 70 wines including three types of Champagne, where Taittinger is the one of best quality. However, do not expect evert wine one the list to be all premium. Cocktails were made with proper spirits, and generally good.

In the minibar which was refilled daily, you could find 4 beer, 3 half-sized bottles of wine; one sparkling, one white and one red. Several types of water was also included; Hideaway’s own water, Evian and Perrier. It also contained an assortment of various sodas, juices and mixers, plus a few different types of snacks.

However, spirits in the minibar were chargeable.

Food was quite good, but the quality varied. The raw seafood dishes were all really fresh and great. But there were also dishes that disappointed a little. We also preferred the a la carte restaurants over the buffet. The cooking stations with breakfast in the buffet restaurant were however always good and there was a decent selection of fruits. They also had several types of fruits not displayed, so just ask if you are missing anything.

The service is really top notch everywhere at the resort. Nothing is too much trouble and it always comes with a smile. We never had to wait for anything, so all in all some of the best service we have experienced anywhere. 

Another great thing is that the resort runs on Male time, so no «island time» here.

And finally, the house reef!

What is special about the snorkeling at Dhonakulhi is the channel that runs along the West side of the island. The coral coverage is not the best, but actually better than expected on the South part of the channel (between Matheefaru and the black pole). Especially branching yellow and grey/ brown Porites is popping up everywhere in this part of the reef, the same with Heliopora gardens in the shallows. It also includes lots of other species, but in smaller numbers.

But what makes this house reef special is the amount of marine life in terms of fish and bigger stuff. I have personally not been to any reef where eagle rays have been so abundant. Several black tips was seen on every snorkel, and often turtles, that is however not that unusual in the Maldives. 

The diversity of fish species is very good and they are in good numbers, and also seemed like many were  bigger than other places in the country. So I assume the availability of food is more than sufficient. 

The channel also works as a shortcut for bigger stuff, we were however not lucky to see any whale sharks, mantas or similar.

There are other areas to snorkel around the island, but they are not as good as the channel, so the channel is where you want to be.

Was it the best house reef I have seen in the country. No it wasn’t, but certainly good.  Many hours were spent on the house reef, and I’m dreaming of being back in the water right now.

Special thanks to Upul, the restaurant manager at Meeru for always ensuring a great experience and putting us in a good mood.

Also, sometimes you can feel that genuine service comes straight from the heart, and that our well-being is really important. Thank you Bina at Sunset Pool Cafe, you are a star!

And finally our butler, Zareer, thank you for taking good care of us throughout the holiday. 

Hideaway Beach Resort have now become one of our favourite resorts in the Maldives. It is unique in several ways, but also a great all-rounder!  We hope to one day set our bare feet on Dhonakulhi again.. Until then.. THANK YOU!

Also, thanks to Paula at Magic of Maldives who we booked with. Great service as always!