Kanuhura

I visited this place exactly 20 years ago when this was One & Only Kanuhura. I got my Advanced Open Water certification and Nitrox in 2003 at Kanuhura Sun Dive Center. Kanuhura used to be one of the Read MoreI visited this place exactly 20 years ago when this was One & Only Kanuhura. I got my Advanced Open Water certification and Nitrox in 2003 at Kanuhura Sun Dive Center. Kanuhura used to be one of the first top resorts in Maldives at that time. We eagerly awaited this new Six Senses to open and immediately went on our family vacation. VILLAS – 9/10 We arrived at Six Senses a few days after the official opening as a family of 3 (together with a couple that were our friends), and we stayed in Beach Villas with a pool facing Northeast (the side of the Water Villas). First of all, I believe this is the better side of the island as it is quieter as all the activities are on the other side (Boat jetties, Water planes, and so on are all on the other side) On the water villa side, the beach is narrower, but the sand is more soft (beautiful soft white sand) Most of the villas are fully refurbished with pools, and there are some completely newly built ones called retreats (marked K, L, M, and N on the hotel map) that you can download from the Six Senses website. The newly built villas are around the Point restaurant. The new villas are superb; however, be aware that the newly planted vegetation around these retreats is quite sparse, and there is plenty to grow in the future. So, there can be a sense of insufficient privacy. I recommend water villas and beach villas marked B and E on the side where the water villas are located. At each villa, you get your own bicycle that even has a tag (with each guest's initials laser engraved in wooden tags attached to the bicycle. FOOD – 10/10 The food at the resort was exceptional, and we particularly enjoyed dining at the Spanish restaurant THE POINT for lunch and dinner. Our favorite Chef, Manu (from Sevilla, Spain), is a super friendly and great guy; we loved his food, ambiance, and even our conversations. Food includes many Spanish specialties like Jamón ibérico, lobsters, fresh fish and beef on the Josper grill, long-time cooked lamb cutlets, etc. Below the restaurants at night-time is a gathering place for baby sharks, sting rays, and birds. The restaurant for breakfast, "The Market," also offers an incredible selection of high-quality food, including over 50 different types of fresh fruits. Guests can enjoy a variety of freshly squeezed juices, excellent coffee, and eggs prepared to order. The breakfast station also features an array of different top-class cheeses and other delicious options, such as Hand-sliced prosciutto, freshly baked bread and focaccias, huge croissants and pastry section, salad bar, and 2 x Asian food stalls. On a few nights, we had thematic buffets (Asian and the better one was a Barbecue dinner with lobsters, shrimps, fresh tuna reef fish, and all kinds of meat. We dined for a few days in the Italian restaurant "Bottega,” a great Italian chef cooking special pasta for our son, who had some allergies, and personally cooked his pasta. Great pizza and other Italian dishes are on the menu. Sip & sand is a restaurant and bar near the main pool – casual to drink a few draft beers. We had lunch there for a few days. Scoops is where you can always pass and get your lovely ice cream- your scoops of complimentary Six Senses ice cream. My son passes every day to get his marvellous vanilla ice cream. The only place we did not dine for lunch was Drift, located on the gorgeous Jehunuhura Island *the neighboring island is amazing. The reason was that this restaurant was not included in our Full Board pack, and we opted out of the other great lunch options (Point was the best). Even if you do not dine in Drift, a free boat ride visit to Jehunuhura is a must as this is incredible beauty. SCUBA DIVING 10/10 Fushifaru Protected Marine Area used to see more than 100 sharks in one dive in 2003 and is still great today. You cannot see 100 sharks now, but in an area of 20 in one dive, yes. The scuba diving experience is fantastic, especially if you love sharks, as the dive sites around the channels are brilliant. Fushifaru Kandu and Fushifaru Thila are brilliant spots, particularly if you can dive during the incoming current, as it is full of big fish from sharks, huge tuna, barracudas, schools of Eagle Race, and huge Stingrays. During one dive, you can witness at least 20 sharks, schools of fish, and huge turtles. We were fortunate enough to experience four Manta Rays, even though the manta season had not started yet, and it was amazing. I was so lucky some days to be alone on the boat with my divemaster, Elisa. I basically had private diving:) Diving boats and the quality of the equipment and service on board was beyond expectations (and I have been diving in 10 different Maldivian Atolls) WATER SPORTS (SNORKELLING) – 10/10 My wife and son also went snorkeling with the Water Sports Center and were fortunate to swim with the Manta Rays. They also spotted and snorkeled with 4 mantas in Fushifaru and snorkelled with 20 big nurse sharks, which was fantastic. Safety (one of the guides always swims with my son), food, service, boats, everything is over 10 /10. Overwater plane transfers were excellent with Manta Air – all transfers were smooth, efficient, and well-planned. There is a game club called Island Hideout, with pool tables, foosball tables, darts, and other games. Nice one OVERALL: It is a brilliant resort that was hard to leave. Or you leave with tears in your eyes. As this is in the soft opening period, things will only improve, and we look forward to returning. Read Less

From the moment we arrived at the jetty until we flew back home, we felt like we were in paradise. A warm welcome ceremony and the kindness of the staff throughout the entire stay really made us Read MoreFrom the moment we arrived at the jetty until we flew back home, we felt like we were in paradise. A warm welcome ceremony and the kindness of the staff throughout the entire stay really made us feel welcome and at home. The villa and all amenities are top-notch, recently renovated and spotless clean. Even though I haven’t seen the housekeepers once the room magically was prepared and all set up every single time we got back. Whether you are more into spa, water sports or just into relaxing at the most beautiful beaches, it’s all there. And the food: 10 out of 5 stars! Plus a well chosen wine list. Special thanks to Sujau and Ameen our GEM. So polite and well mannered. He responded to all our requests within seconds, day and night! We were so touched by the warm hearted people that my wife even had a couple of tears running down her cheek as we saw them all waiving goodbye as our sea plane took off. We’ll see you again next year. Kindest regards Maria Virginia & Marc Read Less

Wow this is by far the best place I have ever stayed at. The list of reasons are endless. The island itself along with the 2 other private islands are gorgeous. The beach is one of the largest in the Read MoreWow this is by far the best place I have ever stayed at. The list of reasons are endless. The island itself along with the 2 other private islands are gorgeous. The beach is one of the largest in the Maldives, and the island is large enough where you don't have to be on top of each other. They are closing in May to redo the entire resort and it will be even more gorgeous when done. The staff were amazing. Viaam, Houmad, Farris and lyaad took care of us at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our villa host Daryna was great too, she took care of booking everything. We did the snark snorkel, turtle snorkel with the water sports staff and it was amazing. The hospitality was out of this world. My daughter woke up with an upset stomach one morning, and the staff made her chicken noodle soup and delivered it to our villa and it made her feel better! I also developed a rash on my arm (not sure what I got into) and the spa staff made an ointment from Aloe and gave me it for our plane ride home. It cleared it right up! The spa staff was from Bhutan and the best, we ended up getting 3 messages while we were there. We were greeted from our Seaplane arrival by the staff with a dump beat and everything. From that moment on, until we left it was pure relaxation. Tropical paradise! Read Less

Wow. Wow. What an experience, from arrival to departure; truly stellar. Everything at Kanuhura Hotel exceeded expectations- customer service, food, villa, amenities, cleanliness, spa, spectacular Read MoreWow. Wow. What an experience, from arrival to departure; truly stellar. Everything at Kanuhura Hotel exceeded expectations- customer service, food, villa, amenities, cleanliness, spa, spectacular beach, and the staff. Our Villa Host, Dahyvna, was informative, so kind, most helpful, and followed thru on everything exactly as she said she would. What a perk to have a personalized villa host to help coordinate dinners, activities, and answer any questions throughout the stay. In addition all of the exemplary options Kanuhura offers, the resort hosts a weekly event for the guests with champagne,cocktails, small bites, and traditional Maldivian live music. The event is so well coordinated, generous, and provides a great opportunity to mingle with other guests and staff members! I cannot say enough about Kanuhura, it truly is a 5 star experience. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for Kanuhura when it becomes part of Six Senses; looking forward to be back soon! A big thank you to our Villa Host, Marketing Manager, and the resort General Manager, who all made us feel very special, welcomed, and provided us with a superb experience! Read Less

What can I say about this place that the other 735 + reviewers haven't mentioned. It has abundance of pristine natural beauty. The one thing that sets this place apart from any other hotels on earth Read MoreWhat can I say about this place that the other 735 + reviewers haven't mentioned. It has abundance of pristine natural beauty. The one thing that sets this place apart from any other hotels on earth is their staff. Everyone from the front office to the chefs, waiters, housekeeping, gardeners, even the guys clearing the weeds off the beach treat you with the same heart warming friendliness, smile and service that is difficult to coach, train and inculcate. Everyone of the employee was a star and deserves appreciation for doing this day in and out. I have named a few who we interacted with frequently Clovia the sommelier, Ameen our villa host,Jimmy the smiling yoga teacher who taught us very valuable exercises, Anupam at the SPA for his valuable tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a taster massage session, Edi the chef who prepared us a vegetarian fried rice when he knew the one on the buffet had meat, Vijay the chef at Veli who went above and beyond to prepare a 12 variety vegetarian thali for the 3 of us which was out of the world, Raja at the breakfast juice bar who made us some lovely shakes every morning that made up our day, Reneesh at Iru bar, Sujau at Amano who made sure we were well cared for whenever we stepped into Amano and Ibrahim our villa housekeeper who cleaned the place twice a day and even folded the clothes that we left astray in the room. Thanks Kanuhura for the dream holiday. Keep up the good work. Read Less