If one should choose only one place to ever come and experience paradise in every aspect of all senses this is the place. Have travelled all over the world and stayed on the top hotels and resorts of the Globe. This is “the one”. If you look for blitz and bling this is not the one. If you look for the ultimate barefoot paradise with an out of this world service, culinary, spa and diving excellence while just being you in bare feets a pair of shorts or a strapdress in candlelights on a beach for a meal or plain naked in a isoleres 250 SQM waterworld villa with a stingray passing by you - this ticks all boxes. This was our 3rd visit and we will for sure come back many more times.
Sometimes when you have had a magical first stay at a resort, you hesitate to return as you wonder if it can be surpassed. Our holiday this year at Gili Lakanfushi was as wonderful and charming as our first. Thank you to all the staff who made our stay a memorable one - Matt, Nicolas, Kiky (our wonderful Mr Friday who looked after us) , Rambo and the F&B team , Hayley and Jocelyn for the enjoyable marine biology snorkelling sessions, and to Dev for leading the sunrise yoga sessions. What really stands out for us at Gili is the amazing food at the resort with different cuisines on offer each night and the warmth of the “Gili family”. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces who are still there and to catch up with everyone on what they have been up to!
My wife and I had high expectations upon arrival at Gili. We departed 6 days later with our expectations completely exceeded on all fronts! Never before have we felt so relaxed and taken care of. We will certainly be returning. To start, Gili has a great format for butler service where each visiting party is assigned a “Mr. or Ms. Friday” who takes care of all accommodations and requests. We were lucky enough to be assigned Alif as our “Mr. Friday”. There was no request that Alif could not accommodate and he did so every step of the way with a smile on his face. We enjoyed our time getting to know him and getting to know the island through him. In addition to Alif, the entire staff was friendly and helpful. Each meal we ate, we felt like we were a high priority from everyone on staff. There are not enough words of praise to give when it comes to the food. Every meal was an experience that we will remember forever. We particularly enjoyed the breakfast each day where there were an overwhelming amount of options offered. Our favorite of which was the abuse t display of local fruits and juices. Lastly the villa’s were more beautiful in person than pictures could do justice. We looked forward to waking up everyday on the water to the beautiful sunsets and enjoying the accommodations in what felt like our home. Gili is the ONLY option when traveling to the Maldives. We are already planning our next visit!…
Future vacations will never be able to top the experience we had at this beautiful resort. My husband and I honeymooned at Gili and couldn’t be happier with our decision! Some of our favorite experiences included the pillow menu that had over a dozen different selections, themed nights of different cuisines and experiences, out of this world snorkeling, one of a kind villas with indoor outdoor layouts and breathtaking 360 views are just the beginning. We were assigned Alif as our Mr. Friday (you must must must request to work with him!) and any request we had, we were answered with “if it is possible we will do anything you’d like”. We didn’t have any requests because this resort has literally thought of every single detail you could possibly think of. In a world full of amazing places, we will definitely go back and stay here with every opportunity we can. Thank you Gili for making our honeymoon so special! …
We stayed at Gilli for a friends 50th Birthday for 12 days in a Lagoon Villa. It was truly such an amazing holiday from the minute you arrive you are in paradise. The villas are stunning with so much space and a hammock to swim to with incredible water and plenty of reef sharks and rays spotted daily. This is our third time at Gilli and would not go anywhere else in the Maldives and this is mainly due to the very professional and super friendly staff. We had Alif as our Mr Friday who was wonderful, his attention to detail was second to none and it was always a yes to any request we put his way and we definitely had a few tricky ones!! Thasleem was our waiter for most of our meals and we have now known him for 3 years, he is so kind and always remembers your juices at breakfast and has the best smile on the island, I can’t imagine going there without seeing him! The food on the island is some of the best I have had and is a highlight of the holiday from the Asian Street Market to having Maldivian cooking classes it was all so delicious. Thank you to Chef Hari and Rodrigo the sommelier for looking after us so well. We have already booked to go back next year! Can’t wait 😛…
This hotel deserves 6 stars. It’s truly a paradise and in my opinion the best hotel in the Maldives. The staff are amazing, the quality of service is unsurpassed and the food is top notch. Every detail is accounted for and nothing is sparred. Our Ms Friday, Shaany was incredible from day one. From the amazing service to the little surprises, she went beyond expectations every day of our stay. I travel a lot and rarely leave reviews but this place deserves one.
We were fortunate to be able to return to our “Gili family“ as part of our seventh stay. If you are still undecided about where to go in the Maldives, look no further! Gili’s “hard” advantages over other resorts are its relatively small size (with just 45 villas, thereby allowing a personalized and intimate level of service) and its proximity to Malé (meaning transfer is fast and flexible with just a 15 minute speedboat ride). If you have experienced other modes of transport in other resorts (seaplane transfer or perhaps even domestic flight plus speedboat) you will, we are almost certain, always opt for the easier speedboat option in future. Gili’s “barefoot luxury” approach with rustic-style yet luxurious villas is something we have truly fallen in love with. It is so suited to the natural beauty of the paradisiacal islands of the Maldives! Gili’s core DNA, on top of all this, is its perfected level of personalized, generous and genuine service from its staff members across all ranks: We cannot commend our Mr Friday Bobbo highly enough. He looked after us so well again. He is one of the most modest and humble persons we have ever come across! Ibbe (Ibrahim) in the restaurant was wonderful as always and so much more than a just a professional waiter. The same goes for Mafas from the shop. All of you have become dear friends to us! Raman, through his humble yet enthusiastic nature, has also truly won a place in our hearts. The team of chefs, first and foremost chef Hari, is one of the main reasons why we love Gili. Chef Abraham is a great asset to the Gili family as well. In the spa, Su impressed us especially during this stay. And our housekeeper Ali provided the most perfect service during our stay! All of this would of course not be possible without the wonderful hotel management team! Thank you to the entire team and see you all soon!…
In just 24 hours we will be boarding the plane and heading back to our all time favorite place for the 8th time..!! The same place? For the 8th time? Why? Because Gili is the most magical place in the world! In 2018 I wrote the below review. I have nothing more to add. The fact that Friday morning we will set foot on Gili for the 8th time should confirm that Gili really IS the most magical place on earth. "From arrival to departure it was simply just perfect. From the greeting at Male airport, the swift speedboat transfer to Gili, our preferred villa ready upon arrival, the incredibly amazing food, the sun, the sea, the spa, the beach, the impeccable service and last but not least the absolutely outstanding staff and management. It’s such a pleasure to come back year after year and find the same wonderful and dedicated people greeting you with warm hugs and big smiles. The food is out of this world. The cocktails plenty. The villas rustic yet luxurious. The views simply amazing. If you are looking for late night partying, lots of “bling” and marble, constant interaction with other guests, air-conditioned restaurants and most importantly if you like to dress up and wear shoes Gili is not the place for you. However, if you like fabulous food, privacy, super attentive and very professional service, peaceful surroundings, great cocktails, lots of space, wonderful spa treatments, sleeping under the stars and wearing no shoes for the entire length of your stay then you’ve found your home away from home" Gili might not be for everyone, but it is definitely for us. And we can’t wait to step off the plane, take off our shoes and enter the magical world of Gili. …
Maldives for honeymoon! Among the numerous resorts, Gili Lankanfushi was the best choice. All staff members are very friendly. In particular, I was so happy every day with Mr. friday, Kiky's meticulous care for 6 days. Also, we will never forget waiter Irufaan who entertained us at every meal and Nimo who kindly taught us how to snorkel. It rained one day during the trip, but Gili Lankanfushi, where it rained, also had its own charm. Looking at the emerald-colored sea and the sun, I thought it would be nice if time stopped. Gili Lankanfushi gave us the best experience and we are so grateful. I will definitely come back to Gili Lankanfushi next time!
Perfection in paradise! We cannot recommend this stunning island highly enough. We have travelled to some amazing places around the world, stayed in wonderful hotels and resorts but nothing has come close. Flawless, charming staff who create the warmest vibe and are constantly on hand to make the experience the best it can be. The charm comes naturally and above all the motto is true "arrive a guest, leave a friend, return as family". A special thank you to the best Ms Friday we could have wished for. SHAANI you are a star!!!! Thank you and see you when we return with our family soon!
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