Gili Lankanfushi Maldives — Hotel in Malé Atoll

Hello everyone. I’ve actually never done a TA review before now, but seeing how much these helped me prior to my trip and how I have way too much to say now, I figure it’s time. If you’ve already booked your trip and want to be surprised with everything when you arrive… Stop reading. If you want a first-hand experience with plenty of tips and advice coming fresh off our trip… Strap in. Hope you brought a drink and a light snack.||Just came back from a 5-night stay at Gili in early September at one of the Lagoon Villas. I read countless reviews not only on Gili, but for so many Maldives resorts leading up to this trip. Eventually the relentless positive reviews and overall vibe of this resort was impossible to pass up on. To summarize to start… holy s*. This was everything we could have imagined and more. To preface this review though, this was our honeymoon and our first trip to the Maldives. Don’t have much else to compare it to here. I have traveled pretty well though around the U.S., Caribbean, Europe, and nothing even comes close. We actually went right to a different resort and are still here right now. Just so happens to be a more expensive, much more modern luxury resort, but it already has a tough time living to the Gili standards we immediately set in our heads. I want to give as honest and detailed review as possible here. One because I want to give all the flowers to Gili, because they deserve it, but also because these reviews helped me so much with not only picking Gili but planning the right villa, day by day activities, etc.||First let me get the only possible negatives out the way. Most of these I wouldn’t have even thought of when we were there if it weren’t for people mentioning in reviews prior to the trip, but seeing as they are frequently mentioned, let’s address…||Wind –|It’s generally considered one of the windier islands. If you pick a villa on the north/west side of the island, (Lagoon villa, crusoe, etc.), you’ll definitely have some serious wind most of the time. However, we had ZERO problem with this. Sure, at times it was pretty windy throughout the villa, but immediately we welcomed any sort of breeze as it kept us cool throughout the day. With no wind, the Maldivian heat would be pretty tough to handle, (we are coming from Northeast U.S. so I guess keep that in mind too). Keep the high wind in mind though for dinners, especially if you’re looking to do any beach dinners. Your Friday should be in full communication with this though. If it’s a high wind day they’ll likely present all options and suggest a night change or move the location.||Location –|We came here right from a 22-hour trip from the States, so honestly the 20-min first class service boat ride was AWESOME. No waiting for another flight. Airport rep from Gili was waiting for us and we were on the boat within minutes. However, I heard on the island and in reviews people complain about the location being “too close”, not remote enough, complaints about seeing planes, buildings, etc. Seaplanes are cool AF, so don’t complain about that. Part of the Maldivian experience. The big jets from the airport you maybe see/notice at all every few hours. Not a factor. And you can book rooms so that you’re facing away from any civilization if you’re that bothered by a few buildings in the distant view, lagoon villas being ideal for this. Overall, if you’re going to a let a few planes a day and potentially some buildings and boats overshadow the Gili experience, then you should just be dropped out in the middle of the Indian ocean somewhere so you can get your true isolation.||Cost –|It’s expensive. Duh. It’s an incredible 5-star luxury service that still manages to make you feel like you’re part of their family. Zero snobbiness. There are a bunch of different villa options, half board packages, etc. to help with different budgets, so just do your research on those prices and factoring in your excursions, experiences, etc. The justification of the cost for us though wasn’t just the luxury, food, service, etc. It was the ability to combine everything together and make sure you feel incredibly comfortable and at-home right from the start. I haven’t looked into this, but on the way out we heard that booking through a travel agent may be more affordable? Maybe try that too…||Weather in September –|Monsoon season? Was it really though? Is this all an online hoax to keep people away this time of the year? Beginner’s luck maybe. We had sunny days for 6 days straight. I think it poured rain once during the day for about 20 minutes. It was honestly kind of cool. You’re already in your bathing suits in the heat. A little monsoon can’t hurt. However, everything you hear is that it’s completely unpredictable, so just go into your trip accepting that you might have some weather I guess? Have a cocktail and stare at the sideways rain or go to the Spa and stare at some fish.||Ok now for the overwhelming positivity. I'm not usually this kindhearted and soft but idk maybe Gili brought out the sensitive side in me. Let’s start with the obvious number one positive and the main reason we will do everything we can to come back here some day.||Service –|Every single employee on the island made us feel like we were part of their family every single time we met them. They knew our names, remembered our orders, asked us about our travels, told us about their stories, went out of their way to speak with us, I could go on and on. Florian, the new operations manager, was incredible. Saw him every morning at breakfast and throughout the day. Would always stop to say hello, and speaking with him more and more every day to learn about his incredible travel history was a pleasure. I could list every name we encountered, but it would be endless. They truly make you feel at home wherever you go. This is a tough experience/perk to explain, and even tougher for a resort to execute on. The easiest way I can put it is this. It makes you excited to wake up, excited go to each meal to talk to everyone there, excited to walk around the island and see familiar faces, but the biggest thing was it made it incredibly hard to leave. I think my wife shed a tear waving by to Shaani. ||Friday Service –|Speaking of. Our Friday was Shaani. I’ll try to put into words her efforts and the effect it had on our experience, but it will absolutely not do it justice. I had high expectations going into the trip seeing the overwhelmingly positive reviews on the different Fridays, but Shaani absolutely blew us away. From the start, she was just there for us for everything, beaming with positively and excitement. Simple requests here and there, not a problem. A welcoming greeting at breakfast every morning presenting our daily schedule… on point. A day when my wife caught a slight sickness, (honestly I think from just eating too much of the incredible food, but we’ll get to that), Shaani went above and beyond rushing some different medications to our villa within minutes. And not wanting to give away any surprises, but Shaani had a few moments of going truly way beyond what was expected and WOWing us with her thoughtfulness and incredible talent. In short, Shaani deserves the world and I’ll probably be WhatsApping her just checking in all the time because I already miss her. Hopefully my wife doesn’t get jealous. She’ll probably be doing it too.||Food –|I mean. My wife got sick from overeating within 48 hours. That’s how good it is. You don’t want to stop. You can’t stop. Or else you’ll miss something else that’s spectacular. Every single meal we ate had incredibly creative flavors, ingredients, etc. It seemed like a new explosion of flavor every meal. The head chef Hari who was nice enough to come by our table a couple of times has something special here. It’s evident he is not only incredibly talented, but has unwavering passion for his creations and pleasing every single guest, no matter what the diet. Breakfast every day was an absolute luxury. Our personal waiter Lolz was awesome, as well as Monica and the whole staff. The spread is massive, the menu is endless, (especially the selection of juices). You could have a different experience every morning if you want. Or you could be like us and always need to order some variation of pancakes, avocado toast, (basic I know but just get it), eggs benedict, etc. Depending on when and how much you eat for breakfast, lunch may not be in the cards. But you can’t get sick from overeating if you don’t have your 3 meals a day. So naturally we didn’t skip. Had pizza a couple times, once to the room and once at the overwater bar. 10/10. Honestly though our favorite lunch items were the “Hari’s super foods” plates/bowls that were offered at the pool area. These were incredible. For dinners, we spread it out. One night we did a private beach dining experience. This was amazing and super beautiful, but with how good the food is anywhere on the island and my wife’s need to make fun of me whenever I try to get super romantic, this may have been the one decision that I would have changed. Still 100% worth it especially if you want to wine and dine your lover. Our last night we did the full Wine Cellar Dinner/Wine Pairing. This was probably our favorite dining experience. Gaian, (spelling??), was amazing. Super informative on the wine, helpful on every request, showed us the entire cellar and explained some of the cool, super expensive rare wines they had in their collection. The food was also yet again amazing. And we got super wine drunk. Very fun. Went to By the Sea one night. Some of the freshest sushi we EVER had. Incredible view. However, we both agreed that the two dinners we had at Kashiveli were the best overall food experiences we had. Both times weren’t the normal sit-down dinners, though. Tuesday was the Asian Street Market and Friday was the Mediterranea Market. There were a bunch of stations set up to order from, all of which were exceptional. I’m starting to run out of superlatives, so I apologize I’m either going to continue to repeat myself or channel my college days and start using the Thesaurus here. You get the point.||Excursions –|Unlike my wife, I can’t sit still for very long. So naturally I booked us 2 snorkel excursions the first 2 days. First was the group nurse shark, second was the group manta. The manta trip seems fluid in terms of what day it’s offered. They evaluate the conditions day to day to give you the best chance to see them. Very cool. The group excursion rates are all very affordable too. Lucky for us, there we no other restless husbands/wives and no one else booked either excursion. We had private trips with Haalil for both days. Incredible. The nurse shark trip blew us away the first day. Swimming arms length distance with these beasts, (very harmless beasts), rays, fish, etc. was a heck of a start. Heading into the Manta trip, you can tell they are very careful with not promising sightings. It’s the ocean after all, who knows. However, conditions were definitely lining up and Haalil said they were lucky the last few days. We get to our location, (easy 10 minute boat ride), jump in the water and BAM. 7 freaking Mantas. These things are quite the spectacle. 2-2.5 meters wide. What’s that in feet for my Americans? Idk look it up. But it’s big. Both trips highly recommended and Haalil was a blast. You could tell he was just as excited for the sightings.||Spa –|We did the Gili Bliss Couples Massage the day we arrived as well as the complimentary 30-min honeymoon massage a couple days later. I don’t do massages too often back home, but I can still tell you it was nothing short of amazing. And you still get your wildlife fix staring at fish through the floor the whole time. It’s the little things, right??? I don’t really know how to go into too much detail on massages without getting too graphic, so ya, it was a really really nice massage and incredible experience.||General Vibes, Tips, Etc. –|Another part we found very cool was the difference between the sides of the island. The Kashiveli/Northwest Side is your sunset, windier, snorkeling side. The reef right in front of our Lagoon Villa was awesome. Saw endless fish, black tips, and rays. The other side where the spa, gym, By the Sea are is completely different. Very minimal wind, zero waves. Super super calm. So if that’s more your vibe then pick a villa over there. Didn’t snorkel there but heard it’s more seaweed and our side was better. Lagoon Villas are awesome too. A/C in bedroom only. I’m the type who was sweating just looking at the weather in the Maldives, and I felt fine in the open air living space, bathroom, etc. Wind is perfect to keep you cool. Was back and forth before the trip about wanting a pool. Water is so incredible and easy access that we never found ourselves wanting it. That infinity pool probably looks great for pictures though. Maybe for our next trip after my influencer career launches from this review.|You really don’t see many guests around the island, except at breakfast or at the organized Kashiveli dinner nights. You can tell the entire stay is really meant to be an exclusive, almost private feel of an experience. There were hours at a time where we felt like we had the island to ourselves. I think it’s about a 3 to 1 employee to guest ratio too, and that truly shows. Keep in mind also this is in September, which is technically “off-season”. But I believe when we asked they said they were about 60% capacity, so even when that goes slightly higher I can’t imagine the experience changing too much.||5 nights seemed absolutely perfect for us. Plenty of time to do everything we wanted while also having ample time to relax and enjoy the best part of the Maldives. Doing absolutely nothing. 3 or even 4 nights could’ve felt rushed. 6-7 or more nights may have been too much time and I personally probably would’ve started to get antsy. For some people that could very well not be the case and could easily enjoy 6, 7, or 10 nights here. Depends how much time you can just sit there and do nothing. Plenty of activities to do day to day, but eventually they run out / your bank starts calling. So take all that with a grain of salt. ||One of the coolest parts we learned about right away and more and more throughout the trip were the amount of repeat visitors that come to Gili. Speaks absolute volumes of the product they offer. The guests we met on the boat over were also from the U.S. and were on their 7th visit. I think Florian mentioned about 50-60% of guests are repeaters. There’s apparently one guest who is on their 53rd time… Must be nice… ||To cap this novel off, my last point is this. If you’re looking for your crazy high end luxury resort with amenities like a toothbrush crafted from Gianni Versace himself or an iPad to control every piece of the villa, then Gili is not your place. Don’t get me wrong, an iPad to play with the curtains is pretty sweet. I’m currently doing it at my villa now when I’m thinking about what to write next. Trust me, Gili still has pretty insane amenities. But their true luxury value lies with the impeccable service, food, and everything else mentioned above that honestly TRULY matters at a special getaway...

Exceptional service and hospitality from Gili Lankanfushi from start to finish, we were greeted at the airport and swiftly swept away to our speed boat that was already waiting for us at the dock. Then we met the staff on the boat who were our first taste of Gili, the guys were lovely. We were lucky to be the only guests on the boat that morning and it felt like a private experience. The guys on the boat even slowed down to show us some dolphins on the way to Gili which was absolutely amazing.

As soon as we arrived we were met by a couple of managers, a few staff members and our outstanding Mr Friday, Zubba. Every room is designated a “Mr Friday” inspired by the Robinson Crusoe movie.

Zubba gave us a quick buggy tour of the island, and also checked us in to our room early. Here we opted for the over water villa and we weren’t disappointed, the views of the ocean from our deck were uninterrupted and the water was clean and full of exotic fish and baby sharks. The decor was very authentic castaway island vibes and just so beautiful.

The hotel does not have a reception, Zubba explained that he was the reception and is available to us 24 hours for any and every request. After this Zubba left us to do our own thing which was much appreciated. At no point did we feel unwanted or annoying, as Zubba was insistent that we reach out to him whenever we needed him, whilst also giving us our freedom. During breakfast, (which is between 7:30 to 10:30 and is made to order & buffet), lunch and dinner (which is 19:30 to 22:30 set a la carte or buffet nights), Zubba would visit us and talk to us about our day, which is so sweet, he would make sure everything is going well and also get to know us more. Zubb made everything possible for us on this trip, and we can’t thank him enough for everything he did. The romantic sunset drinks set up and private jungle cinema experience were the highlights of our trip, all arranged beautifully by Zubba.

The breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious. I was especially a big fan of the Japanese restaurant “By the sea” and their “zen” concept. The breakfast at Gili is a 10/10, i especially loved the fact that our menu every morning had our names on it on the front page, it makes the experience feel personal and special. All in all the best food we have ever experienced in a hotel or restaurants put together!

I would also like to mention that the restaurant staff here are also exceptional, there is nothing they can’t make for you and the service is excellent. Our favourites were the head chef Harry, he makes sure everything is perfect for all the guests and is really involved during dinner, my husband and I don’t drink alcohol but Harry made sure we had the chance to check out the wine cellar so that we don’t miss out and he gave us the tour himself. Our favourite waiters were Irfan, Tesla, Mahi and Athfa, who attended to us during breakfast, lunch and dinner. They were a pleasure, highly competent and genuinely caring people, was excited to see them everyday for breakfast and dinner. They made our stay so much better!

The housekeeping is immaculate, our housekeeper was trustworthy and visited twice a day, once in the morning to open blinds, provide fresh towels and set up the villa deck and once in the evening to turn down. There were no spider webs or any infestations in this villa, the regular checks and use of insect repellents by our housekeeper meant the room was too clean to attract any bugs.

The weather was very tropical this year, compared to last year, however, that didn’t take anything away from the beauty of this resort. Highly recommend and will definitely be back to this resort in the future! I loved the no news no shoes rule, Gili resort staff clean the sand every morning and evening in big groups, in order to make it safe to walk without shoes, so it’s definitely worth a try to go barefooted. I would also push you (if possible) to request Zubba as your Mr Friday, he was the best and is our most memorable part of our stay. Such a cool guy, we miss...

There are locations and experiences that transcend a word description no matter how superlative, and Gili Lankanfushi Maldives is just that: perfection. With over 200 resorts scattered throughout the Maldives, we feel incredibly fortunate to have been directed to the magic of Gili Lankanfushi.||From the minute my husband and I arrived by Gili's boat transfer (15 minutes from the Male airport), we were met with a level of care and welcoming we have never experienced over 35 years of international luxury travel. Director of Operations, Florian, sets the tone for unparalleled personal care and attention. Multiple times daily over the course of our week-long stay, Florian found us to make sure all was well. And everything went well beyond well. Our spacious villa suite was everything and more you dream about when it comes to an accommodation over turquoise blue/green ocean: beautifully crafted and designed furnishings, plush towels aplenty, lotions and potions ranging from after sun shampoo and conditioner to a variety of insect repellents (we never saw a bug), bath salts and scents, a daily personalized itinerary of activities and events and local handicrafts throughout our comfortable rooms and roof deck. Of course there were steps leading into the ocean from our villa and sea life aplenty from every viewpoint. Each villa comes with our own bicycles to propel you around the resort. Every aspect of Gili Lankanfushi is meticulously maintained and manicured or allowed to grow in wild splendor throughout the many paths and places where one can veer off the path.||The team at Gili Lankanfushi features your own concierge-- a Mr. or Ms. Friday named for the boon companion of Robinson Crusoe. Our Mr. Bobbo magically appeared to not only take brilliant care of our needs and wants, but often to anticipate them! The restaurant staff and activities team-- diving, snorkeling, surfing and marine biologists-- treated us like extended family. Every activity and offering features the most knowledgeable, supportive, gracious and experienced team along with outstanding equipment for seemingly every water sport one can think of from beginner level to seasoned veteran. The excursions to various dive, snorkeling, fishing, surfing and cruising destinations never disappointed in the wow factor.||There is a successful coral restoration project at Gili that allows guests to participate in maintaining and supporting new, healthy coral growth which was a highlight of our vacation to be able to give back to this beautiful destination.||The spa services are exceptional and a haven for relaxation and one's own restoration after a full day of sun, sand and surf.||The food throughout all of the restaurants and special evening events was superb-- fresh, beautifully crafted, cooked and presented-- with a variety for seemingly any taste preference from local Maldivian fare for the curious to the best international offerings one can imagine. The breakfast buffet was staggering.||It didn't surprise us to discover how many guests are loyal repeaters. We met visitors from around the globe who shared our collective love for this very special place whether you were at Gili celebrating a milestone-- wedding anniversary, honeymoon, birthday-- or just fortunate enough to have found yourself here. Once you've experienced the magic of Gili Lankanfushi, the bar for ANY other travel experience is set extremely high. My husband and I didn't hesitate when asked if the 23 hours of travel to get here was worth it-- the total experience exceeded our very high expectations in every quantifiable way, with a dose of...