Paradise Island Resort*****

At the heart of its continuing success is the combination of the relaxed, informal atmosphere of a typical Maldivian resort, with all the facilities and services that a large island close to Male' and the A'port is expected to have. People either love Paradise Island or they know they have made a mistake as soon as they step off the jetty. This is not a small cozy resort. It is large, modern and active. No resort, except SUN Island has more facilities and few match its level of service.

Not only are the staff noticeably well trained, at every level, but each one, it seems, is friendly and helpful. As this resort is close to Male' and the international Airport is also aimed at the business community and visiting VIP's, so the service and facilities reflect this.

The conference center is unlikely to be used by holidaymakers, but then there is the gym, sauna, squash court, badminton court, tennis courts, volleyball court, table tennis and snooker tables. On top of this there is the fullest range of water sports facilities: catamaran, windsurf and canoe, parasail, water-ski GLASS BOTTOM BOAT (as you can see from the right side picture) and jet-ski. How about the large pool, which is shown on the left side of this page.

Diving is, of course, available and there are a large number of great dive sites very close by, including a Manta Point. But, please bear in mind that this is not a dive resort.

As for evening entertainments there is always something going on, from fire limbo and crab racing to disco and live bands. And a special karaoke lounge too. No one complaints of having nothing to do here! On the other hand, it is possible to spend the day on the beach and get away from everyone in the evening by eating and drinking in one of the alternative restaurants and bars.

As well as the main restaurant, which is very good, there is a Japanese restaurant, and two restaurant/bars at the very end of the jetty and the water bungalows walkway. One, facing the sunset, is an Italian restaurant, the other, facing the sunrise, is for seafood.

There are 40 Water Bungalows and 260 Beach Bungalows, in all - the third largest resort in the country. There is little difference between the bungalows, except for the views of, and steps down into, the lagoon. Each room has everything you could ask for and probably more: from a bidet and hairdryer to a large ten channel satellite TV. and fully stocked minibar. What the room doesn't have is any character or personal touch, but the bed is comfortable and everything else is clean, tidy and bright.

All the rooms are well situated, with excellent infrastructure. On the whole the beaches are remarkably good for being reclaimed, and the head gardener has done a marvelous job. Thus today the island is fully developed, and the greenly environment will give you an excellent holiday.

The lagoon is huge, shallow, leaving a lot of space for a good swim. Snorkeling trips are organized, for the close by reefs and the island reefs.