Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa Maldives, The Centara Collection

Perfektní barman. Ochotny, přátelsky a rychlý. Shafiq is best !!!

Nemohu dát 5*, protože...byli jsme na Maledivách už 6x, viděli jsme jiná místa. Centara je malý resort, všude je blízko, dobře dostupný hydroplanem z Malé. Ubytování - vše v pořádku, úklid denně, nové ručníky, voda a plný minibar. Bydleli jsme v bungalovu 111, je to blízko fo restaurace i do obchodu, ale také je zde přístav, lodě trochu smrdí, když odjíždějí. Bohužel 4 noci byla vedle ubytovaná skupina z Indie, strašný hluk a nepořádek, brali nám plážová lehátka i ručníky a nemohli jsme spát, poslouchali nahlas hudbu. Řešil jsem to asi 3x a to na dovolené nechcete!!! Už bych také nejel na výlet za žralokem obrovským - na moři je 40 lodí a je to hon na žraloka. Pak se objeví a na 5 minut skočí do vody 100 lidí, to je hrůza a kde je úcta k přírodě...jsou to vyhozené peníze! Masáže kvalitní, byl jsem 1x. Dobrá thajská restaurace, ale v rámci all inclusive přesto nutné za některá jídla platit...Totéž platí v Reef baru, za některé nápoje se platí, například mojito za 13 USD. Na ostrově je ale klid, moře je čisté a na šnorchlování to není daleko, viděli jsme želvu asi 5 metrů v moři. Nejsem si jistý, jestli se sem chci vrátit, podívám se rád i na jiná místa!

We are a widely travelled and very elderly couple who still love to snorkel, and this was the reason to visit the island. I’ll take you around. The island is tiny, an arthritic snail could walk around it in 15 minutes BUT the beautifully maintained and shaded inner walkways are so pleasant. The beach will take a little longer as you have to exit and enter at intervals due to the boardwalks which reach the walkways. The coastline is stunning, the bay a sumptuous minty green and adopts gradual blues to the deeper water beyond the reef edge,. Our walk begins at The Reef buffet restaurant, DO NOT GROAN AND THINK “McDONALDS”. Not so. A delightful young lady will greet you and escort you to a table where you will almost instantly be attended by Desmond or Sherry or one of the other excellent staff who will bring beverages of your choice. The food is varied, though rather leaning towards the oriental palate which is understandable as the majority of visitors are from China, the Sub Continent or Sri Lanka, The menu is changed daily and you would be a difficult person indeed not to find something to your taste. There are chefs in attendance at their specific stations, and they are brilliant, always willing to discuss the menu. One little thing to disturb our lunch …... the restaurant is situated on the edge of the reef, and we were thrilled to observe pods of dolphins skimming along the surface….not tiny dots in the horizon but close up and personal. Soup went neglected! A few steps away, remember I said “ tiny” is a good sized swimming pool surrounded by loungers and brollies. A few more steps takes you to The Coral Bar, again right at the edge of the reef. The staff here are without equal. Nothing is ever too much trouble for these guys, no matter if the temperature reaches 100 degrees they welcome you with a smile….Kumar and Abhishek…..to name but two. A few more steps will take you to the Dive Centre. We met Joe, an expert diver and thoroughly nice chap, on most days when we went to snorkel from this site… more on snorkelling later. Joe reads the sea like a book and always took time to discuss sea conditions. A short stroll along the shady walkway takes you to the Thai Restaurant, Susan Bua. This must be pre booked. It’s tiny and the only restaurant that has no sea views. Quiet, shaded and delightfully intimate. Authentic Thai food is something of a novelty to us, but the staff were always happy to explain. Another short, shady stroll takes you to The Club. This is a private area, which we were privileged to enjoy. A beautiful pool, cared for by a shy, elderly member of staff who took great pride in its perfection. The staff here are totally wonderful. Richard (pronounced the French way) welcomed us every morning with a huge smile, escorted us to a table and promptly set out a wonderful array of dishes. Senthil, the chef, turned the humble egg into a thing of delicious beauty was a pure genius, and Meri, a young lady who is a credit to the Machchafushi team. Our table looked out over the lagoon to the open sea, breakfast at Tiffany’s can’t hold a candle to The Club. The second little thing….the grey heron sat immobile by the pool for hours on end, dumb bird never did twig there were no fish to be had here! A walk up the boardwalk takes you to the Italian restaurant (must be pre booked) Azzuri Mare. A lovely restaurant situated over water. Pizzas are not my favourite dish, but I’d definitely make an exception about the fare here. The second lounge bar, the Aqua Bar is also over water, and has a lovely balmy breeze In this same area you will find the reception. Whilst we had but one occasion to go there, the staff couldn’t have been more pleasant and helpful. Back to the beach and a few more steps take you to the Sports Centre. A great group of guys….but we never did see the Whale Shark. “Baby” brother to Coco was reminded of that fact every time we saw him! Another character who spends a lot of time here is Ozzy, a Macaw. He has freedom of flight of the whole island. If he was in a good mood he’d perch in your shoulder, and if he wasn’t ….well he’d just give you a nip. Sunday a yellow ring parrot was much more shy. So that’s the tour. We were lucky enough to be allocated a Sunset overwater villa. Number 88 the last one on the end of the boardwalk, and looking straight out to the ocean, The villa was spacious and maintained to an exceptional standard by a young man called Shifan. He was charming, and every morning asked if everything was to our satisfaction. It was ALWAYS PERFECT. Shifan was not only conscientious about his tasks, he produced wonderful works of art, (See photos) and left little gifts of birds and fishes and a boats made of palm leaves. He is a member of the team who deserves high recognition. THE REEF …. We have snorkelled in many reefs in many countries. This reef was the first to show true steps towards recovery of the corals. The variety of fish is excellent. More black tips and white tip sharks than I have experienced before. . The black tip is truly curious, and at first it was unnerving when a big grey shape came gliding silently past you. A couple of “big daddy” black tips, about two metres cruised the edge of the reef. Totally harmless I hastened to add. Saw turtles every day. Water temperature was such that a wet suit is not necessary at all. Lastly I would like to mention the Senior Staff and Team at Machchafushi. Mr Nalin, the General Manager, made himself known to us. A true gentleman. He organises a first class operation on this island, and it quickly became obvious to us that the staff liked and respected him. A real pleasure to meet him. It was a delightful surprise when he came too see us at the end of our holiday and to hope to see us again. If you don’t want loud, invasive music or noisy beach parties then consider visiting this tiny gem of an island. Thank you Mr Nalin and the entire Machchafushi Team for giving us an unforgettable holiday. Very best regards to all from Bruce and Lynn

Having just returned from an amazing 2 weeks at Machchafushi, I felt the need to write a review. We travelled as 2 couples and stayed in 2 duplex beach bungalows. The views were stunning with just 20 steps to the sea. Reef. The reef was simply spectualar, a true natural aquarium with turtles, black and white tipped reef sharks, nurse sharks and a myriad of colourful fish. The coral was some of the best coral we have seen. Each time we snorkled we saw so many different species of fish. Food. The food was varied and delicious and I would challenge anyone to say there was nothing to eat. We ate in all three restaurants and were never disappointed. Staff. All the staff were so welcoming and friendly. The resort manager, Nalin, was visible everyday and would check in with all guests to ensure everyone was having a good time. It was clear that all staff wanted to ensure that you had a good time and that your stay was perfect. A special mention to Rishard at The Club. All I can say is 'thank you'. He greeted us every morning with a big smile and by day 2 knew our breakfast order. Nothing was ever to much trouble and he definitely made us feel so special. Fittey, who took us snorkling and showed us where the turtles and nurse sharks were. Ridoy, looked after our rooms and they were spotless. We were greeted with a message on the bed when we arrived and a sand drawing when we left. Rishard, Fittey and Ridoy are a real credit to the Machchafushi team. Would we stay at Machchafushi again........... Yes. We will definitely return.

I did the full body deep muscular massage by Reni. It was one of the best massages I ever had. The power was just about right, and I could really feel my muscle relaxed. My wife did the aromatherapy full body massage by Dao. Most of the time she felt too hard in other massage, but she also felt good with just the right amount of pressure. The place and atmosphere were both great. Definitely recommend this.