Last updated: 19th July 2022
Think of the Maldives and you think of tropical beach getaways, paradise islands with perfect white coral sandy beaches and luxury – well you’d be right. We went for a once in a lifetime trip, and it really was paradise found. For this bucket list trip we decided to take an all-inclusive family holiday with Garth’s parents and have two weeks of sheer indulgence and relaxation. In this Meeru blog post we’ll share our experience of staying in a Maldives overwater villa at the Meeru Island Resort and Spa.
Table of Contents
Transfer from Male Airport to Meeru Island Resort
After an exciting flight on Emirates comfortable and gigantic A380 via Dubai we arrived at Malé International Airport right next to the small island capital of Malé which is incredibly packed from coast to coast with buildings.
Coming out of the arrivals hall we were met with views of the ridiculous turquoise coloured sea against the jetties and a slight whiff of petrol from the seaplanes. After a wait in the humid heat for other passengers to arrive we set off in our speedboat!
Our island – Meeru (or Meerufenfushi Island to give it its full name) is located in the North Male Atoll 30 miles from the capital. It’s accessible by speed boat whereas other islands in the South Atol are accessible by sea plane. Our speedboat transfer took about 50 minutes, although it was bumpy the anticipation outweighed that, wondering which island would be ours as we passed different islands along the way. We had butterflies in our stomach and the feeling was just like Christmas Day morning!
Malé is the capital of the Maldives located on one of the world’s most densely populated islands
Waiting for our speedboat transfer at Malé International Airport, just look at that turquoise coloured water!
Our first glimpse of the Meeru Island Resort
Then we saw Meeru in the distance, just like a desert Island with the palms swaying getting closer and closer, we arrived to its beautiful crystal clear turquoise lagoon and perfect white sandy beach. We were met by a line up of staff offering us ice cold cocktails. We had definitely arrived!
About Meeru Island – Paradise Found
After our welcome drink and induction we were shown to our Jacuzzi Water Villa. Nothing can describe the sheer joy we felt as we walked across to jetty over the tropical fish filled lagoon to our private villa. We really couldn’t quite believe our eyes, yes we are actually staying in paradise! It was on our bucket list to stay in an overwater villa in the Maldives, so a huge tick! The Meeru Island Resort is actually once of the biggest islands in the Maldives, although it doesn’t feel big. We went in high season however we never felt like it was full as we only ever saw a handful of people on the beaches, just perfect.
Paradise found – The Meeru Island in the Maldives
Phil on the jetty from our villa leading to the Pavilion Bar
Phil relaxing in one of Meeru’s many hammocks on the beach
Garth in the gorgeous infynity pool with his mum
Meeru Island’s stunning honeymoon overwater bungalow
Meeru’s À La Carte Asian Wok Restaurant
Phli and Garth surrounded by coconut palm trees
Garth relaxing in one of the shady hammocks
Lazy days -Phil taking a walk down the beach
Island Accommodation
Meeru Jacuzzi Water Villa
We’ve dreamt of staying in a Maldives overwater villa for years so we beyond excited to finally book a stay in Meeru’s top-end ‘Jacuzzi Water Villa’. They are expensive but they are luxurious and everything we’ve dreamt they would be. The jacuzzi water villas have steps down into the turquoise lagoon which makes you feel very special. One of our favourite experiences was just relaxing in the water villa’s jacuzzi for 2 at night and star gazing into the dark night skies. The water villa also have an open-air bathroom and the jacuzzi area is walled for privacy, so you are not overlooked by the other villas.
Inside features cool hardwood floors, tv, minibar, coffee machine, dressing table and a comfortable sofa. The open-air bathroom has all the toiletries topped up daily and it was good to see they didn’t use plastic bottles, instead using ceramic containers.
Meeru’s top of the range accommodation – the over water ‘Jacuzzi Water Villas’
Overwater bungalows are called jacuzzi water villas at Meeru Island
Terracotta water pots with water are positioned along the walkway so you can wash the sand off your feet
Garth taking in the view from our jacuzzi water villa
The steps down from our jacuzzi water villa straight to the water. Look at that colour!
Be careful you dont stand on a crab – they like sunbathing on the steps
Phil stargazing from our 2 man jacuzzi
Beautifully decorated bed in our Jacuzzi Water Villa
Meeru’s Jacuzzi Water Villas are what dreams are made of
The other jacuzzi water villas located at the north of the island
All Room Options
- Meeru Garden Room – The most basic room located in the tropical gardens.
- Meeru Beach Villa – Spacious wooden bungalows next to the beach
- Meeru Jacuzzi Beach Villa – Views of the beach, outdoor jacuzzi and 4 poster bed.
- Meeru Island Water Villa – Located right on the beach at the edge of the water, the location is amazing.
- Meeru Island Jacuzzi Water Villa – The ultimate room! an overwater villa in the Maldives, heaven.
Duniye Spa
Meeru’s spa is located in delightful overwater bungalows. The spa offers a wide range of treatments including Indian head massages, Thai and Balinese massages and romantic couples treatments. Phil went for a couple of sessions to pamper and rejuvenate his body.
Meeru’s overwater Duniye Spa
Duniye Spa treatment room
Meeru’s 5 Star Service & Staff
The Meeru island staff are so gracious and nothing is too much trouble, their service is impeccable. Garth loved the attention to detail in the flower displays dotted around the island. Staff also turned down the beds each evening and if you’re lucky get creatively decorated with more frangipani or hibiscus flowers. Many of the staff are from Sri Lanka and India and enjoyed chatting to us at the bars about their life living on Meeru, they are well looked after. There is a real community for staff with lodgings, a small mosque and even a football pitch where they play games against the tourists.
So many simple yet beautiful displays using flower petals
Different coloured hibiscus flowers make wonderful displays
Dining & Bars
Farivalhu Buffet Restaurant
The food was incredible at Meeru’s restaurants, on arrival we were allocated the same table and waiter in the buffet style Farivalhu Restaurant. The food and menus are varied on daily basis which is good considering it’s all-inclusive, we stayed for 2 weeks and never got bored. The Farivalhu Restaurant serves eat as much as you want buffet style meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On Friday nights the menu is Maldivian themed. For guests staying in the north of the island they use the Maalan Buffet Restaurant with exactly the same food.
First at the buffet – Phil and Garth’s mum eyeing up the hot food counter
Look at all these delicious desserts
The melon carvings are works of art
Asian Wok Restaurant
We also went to their À La Carte Asian Wok Restaurant and had some very tasty Asian food. Garth ordered the prawns which were enormous, bigger than his face! It’s open from 7pm – 9.30pm and you’ll need to make a reservation.
Asian Wok – Meeru Island’s À La Carte Restaurant
Inside the Asian Wok Restaurant
Garth with his enormous grilled prawn!
Other À La Carte Restaurants
- Hot Rock Restaurant & Bar – À La Carte restaurant next to the Pavilion Pool. Steak, chicken or seafood is cooked at your table on volcanic ‘hot rocks’.
- Meeru Café – At the Dhoni Pool the cafe serves up grilled panini, ice creams, pastries, coffee and tea.
Bars
There are 6 bars on the island to choose from. The Uthuru Bar at the north end of the island is adults only and is the best place to watch the sunset. Our favourite was the cosy and intimate Pavilion Bar near our water villa. Our favourite activity every day was simply walking around the whole island and stopping off at a few different bars along the way ordering the cocktail of the day. It takes about 40 minutes to walk around Meeru’s sandy white coral beach.
The Kakuni Bar opposite the main reception is for guests who want a bit more nightlife. The bar has TV sports, table tennis, darts, chess and board games plus a disco.
The Kakuni beach bar
Lovely views from the outdoor terrace of the Pavilion Bar
Garth with the cocktail of the day
Another cocktail of the day
Thirst quenching coconut cocktails
Early evening at the outdoor terrace of the Kakuni Bar
By night the cosy Pavilion Bar
We really liked the ambience of the Pavilion Bar
Best Things To Do
If you’re worried about having nothing to do, don’t! there are plenty of activities to keep you occupied and entertained. There’s a pitch and putt golf course or you can play football against the staff once a week plus tennis, badminton courts and a gym. We opted for the water activities like kayaking and wind surfing. There’s also a dive school, but we were happy with just snorkelling in the water.
Meeru Island Snorkelling
Our favourite experience was easily snorkelling on the Meeru reef, just incredible. When we first put your heads under the water it was like looking in a giant aquarium, you can’t believe there is so much activity under the water. Even standing in the shallow waters of the lagoon you are accompanied by baby sharks and stingrays, going further out to the coral reef the colours of the fish become something else. The island provides some brilliant posters with guides to the varieties you can see, including a video screening one evening about the tropical waters and coral life for snorkelling and diving (which is well worth watching). Snorkelling kept us really entertained the whole time. Sadly the results captured by our GroPro camera underwater came out blurry.
Meeru’s posters point out all the different fishes to spot whilst snorkelling
Some of the marine life you can see just looking down at the water
Scuba Diving
Meeru is an approved PADI site. We’re not experienced enough or really fancy scuba diving, however for those who want to improve their diving skills, Meeru’s turquoise waters offers so much marine life to see close up.
Water Sports
There’s a huge range of water sports to choose from and prices are wide ranging. Water sports include:
- Stand Up Paddle Boards
- Kayaking
- Jet Ski Rides
- Wakeboarding
- Water Skiing
- Knee boarding
- Windsurfing
- Catamaran Sailing
Phil trying his hand at windsurfing
Here we are having a go at kayaking
Phil messing about in the water
Land Sports
There’s quite a few land sports to choose from. We tried the golf driving range including having some lessons which was great fun. Meeru’s land sports include:
- Driving Range
- Putting Green
- Tennis & Badminton Courts
- Beach Volleyball
- Fitness Center
- Bicycle Hire
- 2 x Fresh Water Swimming Pools
The Dhoni fresh water swimming pool
The Pavilion fresh water swimming pool
Meeru’s staff football pitch
Excursions
Dolphin Watching Boat Trip
There are lots of day trips and excursions on offer all for an additional fee. We went on a couple of excursions, including a free dolphin watching trip, which luckily they came out to play and entertain us.
Meeru’s dolphin watching boat trip
So lucky to witness dolphins leaping out of the water and having fun
How wonderful – a pod of dolphins!
Seaplane Sightseeing Trip
We also took a seaplane sightseeing trip which was breathtaking seeing the reefs and islands from the air. We’ve never been on a seaplane before, so it was exciting taking off and landing on the sea! The trip was amazing apart from an obnoxious couple who split up and hogged the window seats. Although expensive, the spectacular memory of seeing the all the colour of so many atolls was well worth the price. We would highly recommend if you get the opportunity.
Seaplane sightseeing excursion
Great view of the Meeru Island Resort from our seaplane sightseeing excursion
Inside our compact and bijou sightseeing seaplane
Talk about window seat goals!
Another amazing looking resort in the Maldives
You can see just how many atolls there are from the air
So many iconic over water villas and bungalows in the Maldives
Other Meeru Excursions
- Snorkelling Boat Trip – Various snorkelling boat trips on offer to Meeru’s house reef.
- Love Boat Daysail Cruise – Sunbathe, snorkel and fish on a luxury yacht. Lunch and drinks included in the price.
- Sunset Punch Cruise – One of the cheaper excursions, enjoy watching a beautiful sunset with a glass of punch.
- Robinson Crusoe Sandbank Excursion – Be marooned on a sandbank with food and snorkelling gear.
- Fishing Boat Trips – Various options to hire a boat for a day or half day. Equipment included for big game and casting fishing options.
- Turtle Explorer on a Yacht – Snorkelling excursion from a yacht.
- Sunset Trip On A Yacht – Spot dolphins at sunset whilst enjoying tea or cocktails onboard a yacht.
Our Conclusion on The Meeru Island Resort & Spa
10/10 If we can ever afford to go ever again, we’d have no hesitation. Meeru is the perfect place to slowly unwind, relax and regenerate on the soft white sandy beaches. We fell in love with the Maldives and hope to return before it disappears under the water as its currently only 1.5m above sea level. It’s predicted that in 50 years it will be gone, which is really sad.
Another gorgeous sunset on tropical Meeru island
Meeru Island Resort Practical Information & Useful Advice
Phil and Garth’s Top 5 Meeru Travel Tips
Phil & Garth’s Top 5 Meeru Island Travel Tips
- Tip #1: Invest in a decent underwater camera at home and take it with you.
- Tip #2: Don’t fly direct from the UK to Male. Break up your journey with a free stopover eg Dubai, for the same or similar same price.
- Tip #3: If you can afford it, combine Sri Lanka with the Maldives, a lot of people we met did this.
- Tip #4: Boat transfers in rough water can be unpleasant, so if you suffer sea sickness you may want to consider a seaplane transfer.
- Tip #5: The Maldives is an Islamic country – bikinis and alcohol are allowed on tourist islands like Meeru, but absolutely no topless bathing for ladies.
Meeru Island Map of Attractions & Accommodation
Meeru Island Webcam
Check out the Meeru island weather from their live webcam right now. The view is from the beach.
Meeru & Maldives FAQ
- What is the Maldives airport code? MLE – Velana International Airport.
- What time zone is Meeru? GMT +5 hours. Maldives Time.
- What currency is used in the Maldives? Maldivian Rufiyaa (symbol: ރ)
- What language is spoken in the Maldives? Dhivehi, staff at the Meeru resort speak good English.
- What is the population of the Maldives? 540,544.
- What number should I call in an emergency? – Call 119 for police, 102 for ambulance and 118 for fire brigade.
- What plug type is used in Meeru and the Maldives?: Plug Type D and G. Voltage is 230V / 50Hz.
- When is the best time to visit Meeru? November to April which is high season.
- When is the worst time to visit Meeru? May to October which is the monsoon season.
- What are the Maldives famous for? Thousands of tiny coral islands with luxury resorts.
- What’s the history of the Maldives? The Maldives is an independent island nation, founded in 1965.
- What are the 5 must see sights? Coral reefs, tropical fish, white sandy beaches, water villas and dolphins.
- What is a local Maldivian dish? Garudhiya – a fragrant fish soup made with rice, lime, chili and onions.
- What is the best way to get around? Meeru is small enough to walk around.
- What’s a fun fact about the Maldives? It is the lowest country in the world. Only 1.5 meters above sea level.
- What movies have been filmed in the Maldives? Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).
- Where is the best photo spot on Meeru? Opposite the honeymoon villa one the beach.
- Where is a hidden gem on Meeru? The small Meeru museum has an exhibit of a whale skeleton.
- What’s the best souvenir to buy on Meeru? A unique ‘do not disturb’ coconut from the souvenir shop.
- What is the Meeru island resort contact number? +960 664 3157.
- What is Meeru’s official website? Click here to be taken to their website.
How We Did It:
- We booked with TUI, they came out cheapest for the time we wanted to go, the staff were pretty helpful in store too.
- Flights were with Emirates, and we paid for a 2 night stopover in Dubai.
- Transfers from Male Airport were provided by the resort.
- The sightseeing plane trip was booked through the hotel on arrival, approx £100 each.
- We paid for the Meeru Island Resort All Inclusive package and visited in March.
29 comments
Hi guys! Thanks for the amazing blog. It is very detailed and clear. I’m planning on going to Meeru in april 2025 for my honeymoon. I have a few questions, hope you can answer them!
The all inclusive is around 1K more expensive than the full board and neither my fiancee and I are heavy drinkers. We rarely drink anything that’s not water. Do you recommend taking the all inclusive? Apart from the drinks (bar and mini-bar) and from the snacks, does this AI include any free activities?
We have seen that this hotel is recommended for families and groups, did you see too many kids or groups making too much noise?
Thanks in advance! <3
I don’t recall any activities being included or excluded in the package, we did have a go at Golf (very badly!) and kayaking around the island. I’m pretty sure we didn’t pay anything additional, but it was a few years ago and their policy may have changed. There weren’t that many children around when we were there and the few we did see were well behaved, it was mainly couples and small families.
This is so helpful thank you – I am amazed about the coffee cost though! Think I might take my cafetière.
I have a question about water – I assume they give you free water with your food? (we are not paying for all inclusive drinks
Hi Mark, yes when we went, we were offered free table water with our meals.
We are booked for an over the water villa later this year and I’ve really enjoyed reading this. Can I ask about tipping of staff as I like to do this and want to make sure I do so generously and in the right currency. I’ve been advised to take US Dollars or Euros and tip little and often. Is this the best plan ? Thank you
Hi Laurence, yes 100% that’s exactly what we did – little and often in US dollars.
I am writing this sat on the deck of my Meeru Villa – it is a beautiful place and I agree doesn’t feel crowded given its size – the north of the island ( unit numbers 500 and up) are for couples and the south is for families . The food is excellent but watch out – “ All inclusive” doesn’t mean what you think it does and there are lots of hidden (& expensive) extras – even the “ All Inclusive Plus” only means you get local drinks included and for $80 per person per day it isn’t worth it – cheapest wine with dinner is $38 per bottle and a beer will set you back $6 – they even charge for the coffee capsule ($2) in your room The speedboat transfer is also extra ( like you had any choice in getting here) and our COVID test is $50 each ( done on the island)
Hi All – we have booked Meeru in 2022 and are so excited. Can you confirm I’d all inclusive plus counts towards the a la carte restaurants at all – or are those extra? Just need to account for the right amount of spending money – no point being there and not having the means to make the most of things…..
Hey Carolyn! I’m excited for your holiday, Meeru is paradise. So the all inclusive plus includes one meal at the a la carte Asian Wok restaurant. If you want to go again that will cost extra. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much
I am visiting meeru for the first time this year.any pointers on which water villa to request?300s or 700s it’s a surprise for my partner so want it to be perfect
Thanks in advance
Hey Andrea, that’s fabulous you’re off to Meeru! We stayed in the 300s, we personally preferred these because it’s just a couple of minutes walk to the infinity pool and the bar. Whilst the 700s villas look equally as nice, it’s a 15-20 minute walk to the pool.