LUX South Ari Atoll

From the second the sea-plane landed near the jetty, the warm welcome we received by the staff, the tour of the island, the smooth check-in right the way through to the extended care which we received at Male International for our flight home nothing felt too much for the staff, everyone is happy to help and this island exudes luxury, care and calm in a way that I feel only the Maldives can achieve. We arrived at around 7am after 23 hours of travelling via Heathrow (on time flight), Abu Dhabi (4-hour layover - lovely airport with free Wi-Fi), Male (Sea plane transfer) and then the island. We were met with waving, welcoming hands at the jetty; taken to reception for check-in - our rooms were not supposed to be ready until 2pm - we were a party of 14 (big family) but they still managed to accommodate all but one room (and that one only needed a further hour) spread across water villas (adult only) and beach villas so this was fantastic. You are whisked around from top to toe of the island on electric "golf buggies" with seats for around 15/16 and the staff that drive these are such nice people, always happy to hear about your plans or how you day went, offer advice regarding dinner etc. always offer to give you a lift and as the island is quite large this is certainly appreciated some days with the high humidity. The rooms are fantastic, some of the largest I have had the pleasure staying in, comfy, enormous beds, great air conditioning, open air shower/toilet area - we went with the kids and they had an equally large room next door, with their own entrance door within the villa itself, so once you come through the main door you can go through the left door to your "apartment" or the right door to the other one...this means you/they have the privacy but also the security - loved this - especially if they want to go to bed and you want to stay up late. We were all inclusive on this trip and I cannot stress enough how much you NEED to be on this dining package. The mini bar is stocked with sweets, crisps, nuts (Sealed), beers, wine, Smirnoff vodka, London Gin etc. all replenished daily if needed. The ice cream shop has so many lovely flavours of gelato and sorbet as well as topping for these such as granola, sprinkles, biscuit crumb etc. As we were a big party we thought that seating 14 of us would be too much, but every day they did their utmost to accommodate us with most breakfast, lunch and dinner sat together which just highlights how far they are happy to go to provide service - we were more than happy to sit across numerous tables, but they always managed to squeeze us together :) I think we went in "low" season which meant the breakfast area swapped daily between 2 different "buffet" restaurants so you have to be on top of your game (although the whatsapp group for the visit, hosted by Giada for booking trips and times/places on the island was a great addition) to know where you are meant to be, but once you arrive there, you are met with the most amazing spread of everything - I was absolutely spoiled for choice - I don???t think this was missing ANY food item at all, catering for all dietary requirements. I won???t list everything because basically you could have what you wanted from fresh noodles, waffles, pancakes, omelettes, fried breakfast, fruit, yoghurts, smoked salmon, homemade jams, cheeses and breads....the mere fact that I could have a fresh Almond Croissant with a Latte made from coffee beans ground on the island to their own blend was just sublime. I had many chats with the head chef of the island, not for any other reason than he was just there to check everything was ok. A chatty/nicer man you couldn???t find. I believe he was from Sri Lanka so we talked about my time there and how much I loved it and had it not been for my coffee getting cold I could have chatted all day. This is the same for many staff members on the island - just such caring and attentive people. Lunches and Dinners were again vast in choice, so well cooked, presented and delivered which were full of herbs, spices and flavours and you could taste that each dish - even a simple chicken burger was crafted not thrown together. My favourite dish that I had twice whilst there was the Maldivian "Kukulhu" - which I asked them to make me it "Maldivian hot" - aka however locals eat this, is how I want to eat it....It was fantastic and not too hot at all, Drinks were fully international quality spirits and some very premium brands too - I had most of the menu of cocktails to try and they were all great in their own right, but sometimes one of their Mojitos just hits the spot. I made my way to the coffee bar most days to see my smiley friend, have a chat and grab a coffee as well as one of their "Lux Frappe" I think it was called - ice cream, coffee and caramel - this was amazing. There is a spa, tennis court, badminton, and gym on the island which I believe some of our party used and were happy with, but I can???t comment :) You can hire bikes to navigate around but I didn't feel that fitted with the chilled-out vibe I was going for so we just walked or got the buggies. There are two pools (other than those lucky enough to get the water villas with private pool) at Senses and at Mixe and both have different vibes - always a sunbed available and a great bar/lunch place as well. Harping back to the all-inclusive - you sign for all your food/drinks and you can add gratuity (which I did every time) but it does make you aware of how much things cost outside of all-inclusive and quite honestly its expensive - I do recall one night drinking my way through around $300 of cocktails ($24 each) and beers etc. and with bottles of Tattinger included in the all-inclusive - these are $400 a bottle outside of this. If you are going for a few days - it???s not needed, but for a week+; Mandatory as not having to worry about cost is what the whole experience is about. The beaches are beautiful and well kept, as are the garden areas with the staff working hard to clear any seaweed etc keeping it looking postcard stunning. The water is an incredible colour and temperature with hammocks that you can lie in. Many creatures such as crabs, fish of all varieties, bay sharks swim really close to the waters edge with many more coming to the light on the pontoons at night and even the manta ray popped by to say hello. We had a photo shoot one evening for the whole family which was excellent and the photos were all ready, edited and looking amazing by the end of our trip. Some people have mentioned about not having entertainment at night...I really cant understand this.... there was a DJ that played tunes until midnight every other evening which we enjoyed 2/3 times this week (not near the villas) but also most people who are coming here want to just chill out and relax, be with their other halves or family - it would seem misplaced to have some sort of random theatre production or tribute act playing out....more fitted to a trip to Turkey/Egypt I would imagine. On check out - we had a receipt for the gratuities we put on each bill for each room together with a $10 donation to a charity for the marine foundation - which I was more than happy to pay if it keeps this beautiful paradise going. We were flown to Male and we thought that would be the end of it, but actually there were representatives there to meet us and take us and our luggage through security and make sure we were through to our gate - an extra touch I was not expecting but nonetheless enjoyed. I have more than likely missed mentioning a ton of things, but ultimately as nearly everyone has said in other reviews; this place is amazing, the staff, the food, the accommodation, the beaches, the weather, the coffee???did I mention how good the food was? :D You will have an incredible time if you visit this island that???s nearly a guarantee ??? I would wholeheartedly recommend this resort to visit, if you have booked already and are going, I am jealous of what is coming for you, and if you are thinking about booking ??? then please do as you will not be disappointed. I believe this is one of the only places I would break by own rule about ???not returning to the same place twice??? as its just so hard to imagine getting better than this. Enjoy!

We recently visited the Maldives and had the pleasure of staying at LUX South Ari Atoll* ??? and what an unforgettable experience it was! From the stunning views to the warm hospitality, everything exceeded our expectations. A special shout-out to Chef Kalum, who truly made our stay exceptional. He went above and beyond to look after us throughout our visit, ensuring every meal was not only delicious but also tailored to our preferences. His attention to detail and kindness left a lasting impression on us. Thank you to the entire team at LUX* South Ari Atoll for making our trip so special ??? we can???t wait to come back!