Sian is the niece of a lovely client, and it was a privilege to organise her and husband David’s honeymoon last December, which was a multi-stop trip that included a stay in the Maldives - one of my favourite places.
I'm thrilled that Sian was willing to share some of her recollections of their stay at OBLU Sangeli.
Over to Sian...
I have wanted to capture this in writing since the day that we returned. As usual, life gets in the way but when Gillian said she was keen to feature client reviews and blogs for her website I had the perfect excuse.
Please be assured that this did actually happen - I didn’t dream it and it has been wonderful to revisit it just one more time.
Gillian was recommended to us by a family member as someone who would help us know where to start with our honeymoon, listen patiently to and answer our questions, help us navigate through the minefield of options and create us a special experience we would always remember.
She most certainly did that, helping us to plan a comprehensive trip that in addition to the Maldives included Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Gillian’s knowledge was impressive, and we were totally over the moon with the itinerary and whole experience.
It was our first time to the Maldives and eager for a touch of luxury, relaxation and celebration, we finally settled on OBLU Select at Sangeli as home for the week.
Although we knew we had a direct transfer in the form of a speedboat, we could not have anticipated the excitement we felt with such a thrilling way to arrive.
Our boat was ready and waiting for our direct journey and in the 50 minutes that flew by we tried to comprehend the views of so many beautiful islands en route.
We were blown away by the warm and friendly welcome from the staff, who greeted us with cheers and drum playing. After a refreshing cold flannel and glass of blue champagne, which resembled the colour of the ocean, we honestly felt like we had arrived in paradise.
We stayed in an over the water villa (number 445!) located at the end of the row close to the adults-only island. It was perfect for us: quiet, surrounded by aqua water, a sandy beach and palm trees with outstanding views from our terrace. It was surreal to wake up to the sound of the ocean each morning and feel like we were in a movie.
The villa was huge, well equipped throughout, with an extremely comfortable bed, a separate walk-in wardrobe area leading to a bathroom resplendent with a bathtub overlooking the ocean in addition to a separate shower cubicle. There was also a glass window in the floor so we had the pleasure of seeing the fish swimming by.
The staff were permanently available to help if we needed anything, always greeting us with lovely smiles and replenishing room supplies often. The evening chocolates on our pillows were also an appreciated touch.
The standard of service was high throughout the resort, which is fairly small and easy to walk everywhere to explore although bikes are provided (if you're lucky enough to find one) for some island exploration which was good fun. If the heat was ever too much whilst walking, there were always staff around in golf buggies, happy to offer a lift.
There was a swimming pool on both the main and adult islands, always with plenty of places to hang out, where we enjoyed afternoon drinks and snacks - though mainly, we were happy to just swim in the sea by our villa.
The food in the main buffet was of an excellent standard for an all-inclusive, always well stocked and with different dishes daily and we particularly enjoyed the outside BBQ area at lunchtimes.
The food at the à la carte options was of an incredible standard. We ate there a couple of times and, as honeymoon guests, we were also offered a complimentary candlelit beach dinner on the adult island, a highlight of our trip where we sat on a private table on the pontoon and were well and truly spoiled.
The resort also offers a variety of water sports, although some do come at an additional cost.
We would love to visit the Maldives again and highly recommend this type of trip for couples but there were also lots of families enjoying their holiday too. It is perfect for a special occasion.
Thank you Gillian, we will never forget our experience.
Sian Brown
