"If you want a true 5 star experience, visit this beautiful island. The team can’t do enough to make your stay exceptional from start to finish, and it’s only a 25 minute speedboat ride from the airport."

"My husband and I have just returned from our little of corner of paradise which is Velassaru! This was our 7th visit with our very special friends – and it didn’t disappoint! From the moment we arrived at the beautiful new airport – our every desire was met. Our favourite boat 'Regina' was sent to collect us and as the island came into sight after the short journey, we could see our lovely Maldivian friends lining up on the jetty ready to welcome us back. The island was just as beautiful as ever, the food exquisite in every one of the 5 restaurants, the weather was just perfect and the sea was so calm it was like glass. We were lucky enough to be given our normal rooms which have an amazing outside bathroom and from our garden with pool we have a view of the beautiful aqua marine ocean. We saw lots of fish, an eagle ray and a black tipped shark whilst snorkelling on their reef which is steps away from our villa on the beach. We were also advised by the team at the dive centre to snorkel around the new Teppanaki restaurant, Sora, where they have installed a number of coral cages to help the coral to grow. We saw many large fish under the restaurant which was great fun. We really enjoyed kayaking round the island and drifting along in the crystal clear waters. We were there partly to celebrate our friends special birthday – and the dinner on the beach that Faisal, the food and beverage manger, arranged for us was incredible. We also repeated our sandbank trip on ‘Regina’ where we snorkelled with a turtle, rays, sharks and thousands of brightly coloured fish. We would never have had the courage to do this if it wasn’t for Ali and Anoof from Velassaru who encouraged us take part in this amazing experience. As wonderful as the food, service and atmosphere is – what really makes the holiday for us is the people – they cannot do enough to ensure you have the best time possible. Every one of the staff from the gardeners to the Management team always have a smile and give us such a lovely welcome back. We must make a special mention of Marge the resort manager, and Faisal who are the heart and soul of Velassaru along with, Ali, Riya, Anoof, Omary & Christopher – our very special Maldivian family!"

"Cannot explain fully this resort, you have to be there to experience this beautiful place. We have been to Thailand many times where staff have been amazing. BUT the staff here surpassed any other place. Everyone had a smile and ready to assist in any shape or form. The deluxe villa was very roomy, with impeccable housekeeping. Beautiful bed linen, and super clean every day. The beach is a picture postcard, sand like flour, and crystal clear ocean. The snorkelling was a little disappointing compared ro other resorts in the Maldives but we knew this before we booked. The food & restaurants were very good, we had the indulgence package, so we tried all of them. The manager Marge can sort out anyone’s request with no trouble, Christopher in the Japanese restaurant gives amazing service, and Faizan in Turquoise was also amazing, made our mealtimes very special with his charm & service, we thank him along with everyone for a beautiful memory for us to keep. We had to extend our stay because of the Middle East conflict ! But Marge let us stay in our same room, so we were most grateful. Thanking her too."

"As I said in my review 12 months ago, we would return to the idyllic island to celebrate my wife’s 70th birthday ……..we did and we were not disappointed. On reflection, it is the people that make our holidays there so special from the warm welcome on the arrival jetty to the attention and thought tall he staff give us throughout our stay. We see it as returning to our Maldivian family. This was our 7th visit with our close friends and the quality of the resort is still very high. If you are looking for a peaceful and romantic setting this is certainly a great venue being only 30 minutes away from Male airport by luxurious speedboat. We stayed in one of the beach villas with private pool which was very comfortable although the decor is somewhat dated and could do with a refurb. The experience of an open bathroom with an outdoor shower is lovely coupled with the high quality toiletries in every room. The views from the bedroom are breathtaking with the unbeatable turquoise water and the soft white sand only 100 feet from the covered terrace. Unfortunately due to changing water currents, some of the beaches have been somewhat eroded but at low tide, you can still have a good walk around the whole island. Steps are in hand to try and restore the small areas of beach. Swimming and snorkelling around the island is good but the best is offshore accessible through one of the many excursions or through private charter of one of the many vessels in the Velassaru fleet. All equipment is available and tuition is there if you need it. This year due to the very settled sunny and still weather, the sea life that can be seen from the shore is wonderful. We saw harmless black-tipped reef sharks within 2m of the shore during many of our early morning walks……truly awesome! The quality of the food is amazing with 5 separate restaurants from buffet dining at Vela to fine dining at Sand and Etesian. There are also a couple of bars, one of which serve excellent tapas snacks. The new Sora restaurant is a Teppanyaki alternative; very entertaining with lively performances from the chefs at the teppanyaki bar with the alternative of eating a la carte at small tables overlooking the ocean with the abundance of sea life including sharks attracted by the lights. As in most Maldivian resorts, food is expensive and I would strongly advocate visitors to look at the Velassaru Indulgence (VI) package which provides inclusive pricing in all restaurants for food and all drinks with a few small supplements on a few of the more select dishes. To top it all we celebrated the big birthday with a romantic meal on the beach. The desire of all the staff to go overboard to make the occasion special speaks volumes of the culture of the Maldivian people and without exception every member of staff we had contact with shows the courtesy and standards you would expect with a 5* hotel. We shall return and to be reunited with our friends. In particular Marjorie Cacacha, the Resort Manager coupled with Faisal and Ali, the Food & Beverage management team, all ensured everything was perfect throughout our stay. The magnetism of the Maldives is still there and our love affair with Velassaru, its charm and uniqueness and, as I said at the outset its people with their amazing service culture."

"One of the best location in the turcoaz paradise. Perfect location, great beaches, elegant and quiet resort with smiley and generous personnel. Unforgettable island experience!"