Thulagiri Island Resort****

Thulagiri is a good resort not far from the Airport and the capital, Male'. It is a smart, handsome resort, but not imposing. The atmosphere is calm and casual, the environment is attractive and the staffs are particularly friendly.

Although this is a small resort, it seems bigger because it is not rigidly laid out. There is a sandy path leading in from the jetty and the rest is up to you. You work out your own favorite way around the island. The rooms are not equally spaced all around the outside. And the undercover of many tall coconut palms, the place have more of a small village feel.

The center of the village is the Bar and the lounge building, connected to the restaurant. The tall thatched roof sweeps low over open sides and a curving white wall. It is good looking but informal. With comfy chairs on a sandy floor and friendly bar staffs it is a natural meeting place to while away the evenings or have a drink before meals.

The food is the pride of the resort. Clearly a lot of money is spend on the ingredients and the chefs. It is well known around that Thulhagiri foods on great buffets. And with three buffets a day you will have to pace yourself or do more of the exercise that's on offer.

The water sport center is well-equipped and well-used. Inside the Atoll and with a near permanent cross wind it is particularly suitable for windsurfing lessons. Water-skiing, catamarans and banana boat are also available, with courses.

The dive school is a five star PADI instructor center, well run and usually busy although it is quiet small. The many dive sites in the south and the East of the Atoll are within easy reach. As for the island's own reef, it is variable. Part of it are bare of corals but decent snorkeling is possible in other parts. And there are trip arranged to near by reefs,. The lagoon is generally very shallow, but the small clumps of coral offer enough colorful fish to satisfy the snorkeling beginner.

The beach too is variable. Where there is a beach, it is massive, clean and fine grained, and with a gently sloping sandy-bottomed lagoon here it is almost perfect (there isn't much shade). Over a third of the island, however, has a wall after the sand and before the water. It is not unsightly as it is low, shapely and made of coral. Too small steps take you down to the water's edge.