Amra Palace — Hotel in Gan

My husband and I have recently returned from a very relaxing break over the New Year at the Amra Palace. We are currently based in the UAE and wanted to visit the Maldives as we might never have the opportunity again. It was a 3.5hr flight from Dubai and a 30 min flight from Male to the island (hotel arranged 2nd flight). A representative met us at the airport in Male and checked us in for the internal flight. There was a bit of a delay but other than that it was fairly smooth. There was a bit of a mix-up with our airport collection when we arrive on the island itself, which didn’t help as it was lashing it down with rain. Eventually a taxi arrived and took us to the hotel which was about 15 mins away.||For me, choosing this hotel was all about expectations. We wanted to spend most of the time on the beach, go on a few trips and relax/unwind in beautiful surroundings. The hotel was to be a base and as long as it had what we needed and was clean & safe, then we were going to be happy. We got that and we were very happy. The beach was beautiful and definitely had the wow factor when we saw it for the first time! Most of the time we felt like we were the only ones on the beach, the photos we took certainly looked that way too. There could be a few more sunbeds and shade was limited (the sun was very strong and I got badly burnt in the beginning, even though I was wearing a high factor), so get there fairly early to get a good spot. The Amra Palace side of the beach is on the right when you get to the end of the pathway. Beach towels are provided by the hotel.||We booked this hotel with our eyes open and had done our research. You need to remember that this is an island, with limited resources – it isn’t a 5 star resort with all the mod-cons (if you want that, you will probably end up spending at least 5 times the price), but what it lacks in some areas, it certainly makes up for with care and attention. Special thanks to Dariia, Imran and Megan for looking after us during our stay! They got to know all the guest and provided great customer service. They were on hand with medical supplies, mosquito repellent and plug ins (make sure you bring plenty of these things, especially if mosquitoes like to eat you!). They also arranged a special birthday meal for my husband on the beach. On NYE itself, we all had a bbq on the beach too. There was local music and dancing and we set off Chinese lanterns to welcome in the New Year. It was these small details which helped make our trip memorable. I’ve also not been to many places where the staff got up at 4.30am in the morning, just to wave good bye the morning we left! ||We went on a trip, the snorkelling was amazing (so many beautiful colourful fish and turtles too), and we saw lots of dolphins in their natural habitat. It wasn’t like going on a dolphin spotting trip and not being sure if you’d actually see anything. We saw dozens and they were swimming alongside the boat and doing somersaults!||Take note, it is a dry island by law, not just the hotel! So don’t be under any illusions, we aren’t big drinkers but that might sway some people’s decision. We looked at it as a bit of a post-Christmas detox  I am a fussy eater and I was fine with the food. That was something that I was worried about after reading a few reviews. There is a lot of chicken and rice, there could be a bit more variety but it was all very tasty. We were always asked if there was anything in particular we wanted, so they do requests but again it is an island, so you can only really work with the material you have…||The island had a bit of naivety about it too. The roads were under construction but there wasn’t too much traffic (and traffic seemed to go in both directions on each side of the road). We used the bikes to ride to the beach (left onto the main road and then first right). It took about 5 mins to get there. It’s true, the bikes had seen better days but they got us to the beach and back each day and that was in flip flops! You could ride to a few shops but I don’t think they have really cottoned on to the tourist market yet. Likewise, I recommend taking some water/snacks to the beach as there’s nothing there. You do feel like you are on a deserted island!||There are no TV or telephones in the rooms. There is wifi in the reception, which although we were trying not to be slaves to technology, did help pass a bit of time, especially when we had the occasional heavy rain shower. I’d recommend taking a pack of cards or some other travel games to pass the time in the evening. After dinner there wasn’t much to do, but what we did like is that we got to know most other people staying at the hotel. There was a bit of comradery, something which I think is missing when you stay in certain hotels and was quite refreshing! For us, it all added to the experience. ||We enjoyed our stay in the Maldives and would recommend it to friends, however even within our own group of friends I know it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste, so do your research. ||Good luck to everyone at the Amra Palace and keep up to good work! You will go on to bigger and better things if you continue on this path and perhaps make a few alterations. Don’t loose that personal touch though, as I think that’s what make you stand out from the...

Where to start ? ||||Beside the fact that we had to sleep first night in Male because the manager send us wrong time for the flight Male-Kadhdhoo (apparently the company had changed the flight hours 2 days earlier and there was a communication problem between Maldivian Airlines and Amra Palace) at least, the hotel in Male was arranged and remboursed by Amra Palace.||||We finally get there after 2 days spent between airplanes and transfers and the only thing we were dreaming about was a good relaxing massage at the hotel's spa - bad news : "The girl who does the massage is sick, at the hospital in Male" - and the spa...we never seen it, it doesn't exist, like the gym and the pool. ||All the facilities are there but we can't see them in fact :)) ||||That's a scam, the hole thing. ||||They checked a lot of facilities&services like : ||||Currency exchange (available in town. In fact they will bring you to a Currency Exchange, evetually), ||Safety Deposit Box(maybe we had to ask for it, it was not in the room), ||Newspapers (hahaha good one - they had some books about Olsen sisters, since at least 10 years ago), ||Entertainment Staff ( if the lezards are part of the staff, then yes)||Massage (if the therapist is not sick )||Spa and wellness centre ( ? )||Evening entertainment (again, lezards eating flyes by the lamps)||Fishing (we asked for it since the first day...was not available because of the rain...we stayed for 6 days, it was raining for 3 days)||Bussiness centre (really ?)||Shared lounge/TV area ( shared lounge yes, we had to stay by reception for wifi - not available in all areas as claimed - but no TV)||Tour desk (ask the manager for an activity, he will always find a good excuse)||Snack bar (hahahhaha NO)||Restaurant (actually there is a restaurant but you can't choose, they will bring you some food - chicken most of the times cause they can't have fresh fish, you know, cause of the rain )||Private beach (is really private. At 10 minutes walking from the hotel, across the main street, well it looks more like a wild beach than a private one. No bar no nothing, just 4 chais longues and an umbrella)||||The staff, friendly and simple&nice people, overall||Tho, asked the receptionist about an another place/hotel on the island where we can get a massage and she told us the same thing as the manager "There's no other hotel who offers massage apart Six Senses Resort"...||||After 3-4 days spent doing nothing and watching lezards having fun on the ceiling, somethimes cockroaches walking around, we found "Reveries Diving Village Hotel" who saved our holiday by being available, attentive and a lot more like what we were looking for. And ofcourse they had a Spa, a real one and the therapist was not sick Yaaaaay ! ||||I dont't know why the establishment "Amra Palace" has 4 stars and only good reviews, that's a complete scam and is not fair for people who book this place, we were dreaming about our holiday and this place is nothing like we imagined. ||||The only real and nice thing was the bathroom, half outside with a nice bathtub. Pretty nice garden aswel, but we are not going to Maldives to spend our days in a batthub, right ? ||I mean ok, you don't have all this facilities, at least be honest ! At least propose us the other hotel's facilities, do something, I dunno, but is not fair to be...

It's a green 4 stars which is strategic placed in one of the most beautiful islands in the Maldives. The island offers much more than you can get in those fancy resorts were everything is artificial. Here the environmental conscience is present every time and you are able to visit and sense the reality of the real habitants, as there are 3 villages along the island. We got a 20km beach just for our own, and the route from the hotel is a 5 min journey on bike thorough beautiful landscapes and nature. The hotel arranges daily snorkelling trips where you can watch all sorts of fishes, turtles, sharks, dolphins, etc, all within a fair price.||Above all, the people who work at the hotel and that live in the island are so friendly and helpful. The food was great, the rooms have great taste and have all the essentials and permits you to walk through the island and easily visit nearby islands, which is much better, in a liberty way, than those islands were you can only walk through the resort and it's small beach. The private beach of the hotel is also the best one we've visited, simply spectacular and safe, with reefs included.||The hotel staff treated us like kings and helped us with every detail, including adapting local transfers. There are free bikes to tour around, snorkelling equipment, volley balls,...