Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon — Hotel in North Ari Atoll

A little late with this review but we spent a wonderful 10 days in Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon for my wife's 50th birthday at the beginning of May.  This is our third Maldives island, after Meedhupparu and Komandoo and it remains one of the most stunning, beautiful places in the world.||Ellaidhoo is a small island, which is what we wanted, and we went specifically due to the reviews of the house reef. We love snorkelling, although I’m not a strong swimmer (unlike my wife who can snorkel for miles in deep ocean) so I needed somewhere I can snorkel from the beach.  The reviews seemed to indicate this island would suit our needs.||After a wait at Male airport for our speedboat to be ready, the trip to the island took around an hour and twenty minutes.  We'd done the seaplane twice previously so wanted to try the speedboat for a different experience.  It was a little bumpy on the way out to the resort but it was fine and the crew were helpful and also provided bottles of water which we gratefully received after the wait in the hot airport!  Next time though we'll probably go back to using the seaplane as it's quicker, especially after the long flight to Male.||We were greeted on arrival by the always happy and appropriately named Joie who looked after us and showed us to our room.  As I have walking difficulties it was ideal that the island was small and easy to get around.  As some reviews have noted the island isn't as sandy as some when walking through the centre but it is still possible to go for the whole no shoes vibe of the Maldives.||We'd booked a beach villa; the room was a good size and had an amazing ocean view out to beyond the sea wall.  Some villas were located further back and wouldn't have much view at all.  The hotel also has apartments that can be booked and water villas.  One point we noted is the water villas don't have any direct sea access but are next to the pool/pool bar so a good location.||The bars (both the pool bar and main bar) have a great all-inclusive cocktail selection and, as is our tradition, we made our way through the list.  The bar staff were great at both locations. I was especially looked after by Jesica and Naif at the main bar where we went most of the time, as that was next to the Nurse Shark lagoon where we snorkelled the most due to easy access for me.||There are two main restaurants, one at the beach and one at the pool.  We didn't try the pool restaurant as it's an a-la-carte restaurant and, as my wife was keen to snorkel as much as she could, we used the buffet restaurant for speed.  The food in the buffet restaurant was amazing - one of the best buffets we've had - with lots of choice for me and my wife who is vegetarian.  The restaurant staff were mazing and went out of their way to look after us - particularly Susil, Soey, Azmoon and Shouka.||The hotel has an infinity pool which we used often.  It has a great view out to the water villas and beyond. You can stay at the pool ledge overlooking the lagoon, we were lucky enough to see a few sharks and some very large stingrays from this position.||The main event - the snorkelling:||As mentioned the main reason we picked Ellaidhoo is for the great snorkelling reviews and it truly was amazing.  Whilst I found going out from our room or the beach a little tricky as it could be a little rocky underfoot, there are some direct stairs access to the lagoon at many points around the island.  The lagoon is protected by a sea wall which also helps to shield the lagoon from the very strong currents.  ||Whilst my wife went beyond the sea wall, I stayed within it most of the time and still saw plenty of sealife.  The most amazing thing though is the entrance at the Nurse Shark pier where there is a lagoon with good visibility and less rocks underfoot, lots and lots of fish, and sharks who come in and out from beyond the sea wall.  We’ve never experienced swimming this close to them before; sometimes there were a dozen at once, especially later in the evening around 5.30 - 6pm.  These were Black Tip Reef Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks.  It was a very cool experience to be right next to them or right on top of them as the swam underneath.  My wife loved going past the sea wall and right to the edge of the reef, watching whole groups of sharks swimming past and diving down to the depths!||In this lagoon we were also lucky enough to see an Eagle Ray which hung around for hours one morning, and my wife saw turtles in the lagoon, and also at other points beyond the sea wall.  The area has it's own resident turtle called "Tripod" who only has three flippers.  Whilst we didn't see him at Ellaidhoo, we did see him when we took a trip to the nearby inhabited island Hangnaameedhoo so looks like he came on the trip with us. ||We also booked a trip at the dive centre to see Manta Rays.  This was a bucket list item and it was really cool to see them, even though I stayed on the boat as the sea was too rough for me.  My wife did swim with them and, although they were staying in the depths, it was a great experience.  She also got to experience more shark swimming on this trip.  The dive centre staff were excellent and looked after us.||One of the many things we loved about Ellaidhoo was the island has its own resident marine biologist, Tharushi, who we got to chat with and who delivered a really interesting lecture about the sea life and the reef.  We could see her working around the island and helping to sustain the reef through coral cubes - an amazing initiative to rebuild the coral around the island after a bleaching event a few years ago.||Ellaidhoo also encouraged zero plastic use and we felt it really championed the environment and sustainability.  Though to help encourage that we felt they should make the Ellaidhoo branded water bottles that are exclusive to staff for sale too; we'd have definitely bought two.||The entertainment at the hotel was low-key which you expect in the Maldives. However we must mention one band, Prism, who deserve a far bigger audience.  They play at Ellaidhoo on Tuesday nights; playing covers from all eras - from Bill Withers to Bon Jovi to Nirvana to Coldplay - all delivered with a unique style.  Check them out, they were brilliant and the best hotel band we've seen anywhere.  Us and another couple were plotting to see how we could bring them to the UK.||Ellaidhoo might not be as luxurious as the other two islands we've visited but it has a rustic charm that just suits the Maldivian vibe and that's what we look for.||I could go on for hours about this island.  We don't usually go back to the same one simply because there are so many islands and each one we've visited so far has delivered a unique and amazing experience; we've had a different "WOW" factor at each.  If we were ever to return to one though, we certainly would love to go back to Eilhadhoo, with the best factors being the reef, and the abundance of sharks. But even above that every single member of staff was brilliant, attentive and we felt they were totally dedicated to us having the most...

To sum up our 5 day stay at Elliadhoo by Cinnamon would be hard, but it was the best way to start our honeymoon and we are so appreciative to all the team on the island who made our stay such a fantastic and memorable experience. ||We were so fortunate to get beautiful weather for majority of our stay. The highlight of many of our days was being able to snorkel the vibrant house reef that runs the perimeter of the island. We were able to snorkel and see a variety of tropical reef fish and turtles that call the island home, as well as enjoyed (from a safe diatance) watching reef sharks and eagle rays swim by. ||We had the good fortune of staying in an overwater bungalow which was absolutely beautiful and felt luxurious. We enjoyed beautiful sunset views from our private deck and the occasional aquatic neighbour seen swimming by in water below. Amenities were comfortable and services such as laundry and cleaning were very effortless with the housekeeping staff always being warm and professional. ||Elliadhoo offers a variety of food options, there are two main restaurants and a separate bar that have generous hours to accommodate a range of routines and any activities or excursions you may elect to do. Each evening at the main buffet restaurant (Madi Restaurant) the culinary team would put on an absolute feast, including a different nationality focus each night for those who crave variety. Some of the cuisine we enjoyed was Indian, Sri Lankan and Maldivian to name a few. ||Food was a particularly important consideration for myself as I have certain dietary requirements (Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free) and any issues with this would have greatly impacted my experience. When made aware of this both the culinary staff and hospitality staff could not do enough to ensure that I was able to not only have a proper meal but really enjoy the food on offer safely. A big thank you to Soe and Susil (of Madi Restaurant) for going above and beyond with their hospitality and leading their teams with this. If you have the luck of having Unais or Ahmed serve you at the Madi Restaurant please know you are in good hands. ||Another thank you is definitely in order for both Chef Kumara and Chef Dinesh. Chef Kumara was always very generous with his time to check in on our meals and to even organise a sorbet dessert especially for me as most of the beautiful desserts on offer contained dairy and/or gluten. As someone who used to really love desserts before my dietary restrictions came into play this really impacted my experience in a positive way. Chef Dinesh was consistently very generous with his time and culinary craft, each morning he kindly made me gf/df pancakes to enjoy for breakfast. I can confidently say that out of all the pancakes I have had (both normal and gf/df) they were the best I have ever had. I am also very appreciative of how knowledgeable Chef Dinesh was if I had any questions about any of the cuisine on offer. In the rare instance he was unsure he would go and immediately check and follow up with me. Again this level of attention and care from the culinary and hospitality teams really made the Elliadhoo experience exceptional. ||Other activities that we enjoyed were trips to the spa. This was something I was very much looking forward to and the lovely ladies who looked after us at Spa Chavana did not disappoint. The spa itself is a place of tranquillity with the therapists hailing from Bali. The range of services on offer could address any spa need a guest could have. I enjoyed a beautiful Signature Massage on two occasions, the second one I was able to add on a facial (definitely would recommend). Atik completed both of my services and my husband had Santi for his first massage and Sella for his second. The first massage was the perfect way to relieve stress and shift the mindset in to relaxation and calm, knots were worked out and the therapists were highly communicative and professional with their services. The care taken for my second massage and facial was very much appreciated as I had gotten badly sunburnt a couple of days prior and was worried about how relaxing the massage component would actually be. Atik was fantastic, after I mentioned the sunburn she assured me it would be fine. That was one of the most relaxing massages I have ever had, I almost forgot about the sunburn because Atik accommodated for it but still gave a massage that worked out any remaining tension and strain. Both times she kindly braided a headband into my hair which was so lovely of her. Santi was so lovely and was really helpful with suggestions of things to see in Bali which we are now currently enjoying. ||Our experience at Elliadhoo at every point was fantastic, a huge part of that is due to the team. The main thing we really appreciated was we felt cared for and not just another guest or number, something that a lot of places fail at. ||Would we go again? Definitely! I'm working on convincing the husband this should be an...

Boat transfer|Takes around 75 minutes and I’ve seen people report some bad experiences but it was decent weather on our transfer so no complaints, water is provided and sick bags in required. It was our first time using a boat transfer and while I’d probably go back to using a seaplane in future it wouldn’t put me off from using a speed boat. Probably the biggest issue is the speedboats don’t have a transfer lounge to use while waiting for the boat at male.||Island|It’s around 1,200 steps to walk round as I’m sure you are aware most of it has a wall to protect the island we knew this before we went and didn’t detract from the holiday although if you are beach lovers or unprepared for this it may detract as while it isn’t unusual for the Maldives it’s not typical for most island resorts||Beach|What beach there is is beautiful, so if you are lucky enough to get a room that is situated on the beach you have a typical pristine powder white sand beach experience. Unfortunately the beach is extremely small so there are very few room situated on it.||Reef|The reef is in a lot better condition than many in the Maldives, stick to the self if you are snorkelling especially around the back of the water villas and some places are tv documentary standards. We saw turtles, sharks, clown fish, puffer fish, spotted eagle rays, sting rays amongst the more common reef fish ||Room|We had a beach villa and for the Maldives was a good standard and a good size too!||Food|Typical Maldives, main buffet serves a dozen or so small amounts of food that are continually re cooked and stocked so it’s fresh and not sat for long periods along with a pasta station and two other speciality live cooking stations. Each night is “themed” some been better than others, Mongolian was our favourite although queues were quite long but it’s cooked for you so you have to expect that. There is also an al a carte restaurant which is lovely too however I’m lead to believe that this is once again to be returned exclusively for water villa guests only so will loose an option of a second restaurant if that is correct.||Pool|Pool is more than adequate however some days you do get “day” guests who put their things on sun beds and never use them or just for an hour or so. On a quiet day you will find beds available all day and other days beds gone by 8am. One improvement would have been to have the beds sorted away. The poor pool lady (I forget how to spell her name) was constantly having to try keep things dry on showery days! She worked so hard, other islands we have been to have little wooden cabinets to put them in over night or when the rain came but she just had to do her best bless her.||Bars|Pool bar is actually the restaurant bar so you can’t actually sit at it or near it, it’s simply serves drinks for you to take away or sit at the pool with.|Main bar is nice and you can hear/listen to entertainment from wherever it is happening.||Entertainment |This is the Maldives don’t expect Ibiza, that said there were a couple of bands, duet, discos, karaoke on an evening depending on what night it is. There is also squash, tennis, badminton, gym, pool table (one by the gym, one near the bar), darts, table football, table tennis and a small kids play area with 3 or 4 play houses.||Dive centre|Trips we went on were good and well organised with very friendly staff.||Staff|Staff are excellent and very friendly and really make this hotel what it is. We laughed and joked with most of them and they were very welcoming and genuinely thankful we got to know them as much as they got to know us. Special shout out to Irufan (what an amazing kind gentleman he is), Ahamed, Susil, Hihad, Surat, Ratih, Julian and Vipdla to name but a few and there were more. The fact we can name so many says it all really and there were more besides. You all made our holiday!!!||Disappointment|Little disappointed us, it’s an island in the middle of nowhere so as with all the Maldivian islands we have visited they have their limitations on what they can and cannot do. One thing we’d have liked is a Maldivian night celebrating their culture, dance, song, food, palm leave craft making and crab racing of course! Sadly this didn’t happen during our stay, we’ve found crab racing extremely popular nights among guests at other resorts and would be a great addition here along with a Maldivian night.||Guests|We personally didn’t have an issue with other guests (yes some don’t like to queue and don’t wait but most did) I’d say 75% are from Russia, 20% European and 5% from...