Embudu Village

Iro Langioti

We had an amazing stay at Embudu Village. We stayed for 3 nights. The island is amazing, with a lot of life in the water and outside as well. The staff was super friendly and always there to assist with our requests. The resort was full, but we never felt that — the atmosphere is very relaxing and peaceful. The buffet at the main restaurant was good, with plenty of variety and a new menu every day. The room was okay but could be better maintained. The marine life was so cool, both in and out of the reef. Our room was on the same side as the deck and bar, and it was always calm. On the other side, where the diving center is, it’s not as calm because there is usually some wind, so the sea can be a bit rough. The island is small, so it doesn’t really matter which side you stay on. They also offer live music at the bar.

Kasia

Nice stay at Embudu Village - the island is lovely with good beaches, enough space not to feel crowded, and amazing wildlife in the water - I saw plenty of sharks, a turtle, lots of parrotfish, clownfish, clams, and an octopus during my week at the resort! The rooms are simple but clean; I was worried about the lack of noise insulation other reviewers mentioned as I’m a light sleeper but it was absolutely fine. The staff are nice, especially the housekeeper assigned to my room was super friendly and polite. I was on a half-board plan and the food provided was tasty and plentiful including lots of vegetarian options. The main drawback were the meal times - breakfasts finish at 9.15am which is way too early when on holiday and dinners don’t start until 7:30pm (too late for most Europeans). As I came during a busy period I was asked to share a table with another guest for all of my meals - the lady I was sharing with was lovely, albeit I don’t think it’s an ideal solution and the hotel should either provide more tables or staggered meal times instead. Another issue is that the hotel provides you with one glass bottle of water per person per day in your room but there’s no way of refilling it forcing you to buy water in plastic bottles at the restaurant. A refill station would be much more eco- and guest- friendly. Overall good quality to price ratio and I would consider staying again mainly due to the amazing reef and wildlife.

Fabio Magrin

Rating: ★★★★☆ Embudu Village is a very charming and authentic Maldivian resort. The facilities are dated and would benefit from some renovation, but everything is well maintained and very clean. Service is punctual and friendly. The island is small and never feels crowded – during our stay there were very few guests, which made the atmosphere peaceful and relaxing. The sea is crystal clear, and the house reef is just a short swim from the beach, with plenty of tropical fish to see. A perfect choice if you’re looking for tranquility, snorkeling and a genuine Maldivian feel rather than modern luxury.

Flo

We stayed here for a few nights. We were looking for a place close to the airport with great snorkeling and the hotel met both of these requirements. We were able to leave the resort 2 and a half hrs before our flight. No rushing or panicking, just a 20 min speedboat. The snorkeling was great with lots to see and the food was great, with lots of choice and a local spicy section, which was delicious and something other hotels sometimes lack. Despite this we likely wouldn't stay again unless there were some changes. I can completely see the appeal of this place verses the larger resorts, it's very chilled and low key. We found the local islands to offer the same but with overall better value, with inclusions like free snorkeling gear, not offered at Embudu. But the main issue we had was with the beach bungalows. We found them to be dated, dark and a little depressing. Not all bungalows are beach bungalows, and I think it would be better to re categorise, making some Garden bungalows to avoid disappointment. All of that aside the room was simply uncomfortable and uninviting, with the worst mattress I've ever slept on. The team do a great job of keeping them tidy but after a while things are just old and can no longer be spruced. It's a shame because a little update would go such a long way and as mentioned so much is great about this place.

Emma

We returned from a 2 week stay at embudu village last week. The transfer from Male airport by boat was about 15min, the transfer time by boat could vary depending on how choppy the sea was. We were in room 28, the immediate view was bushes and to the right towards the sea was taped off, there wasn't any sand remaining just sand bags. We had to walk a couple of minutes along to get to the beach. There are many sun loungers and they are everywhere not just on beach. We never had an issue getting beds. The rooms were large with storage, mini fridge(ours was old), dressing side table. There was a small kettle with coffee sachets , teabags and coffee mate creamer powder. There is no form of fresh milk in rooms if you have it in your tea/coffee. I asked at reception, I was told they would bring some to the room but when the man arrived he brought more coffee mate. From our first breakfast I would get a glass of milk and take it back to our room. You received 2 bottles of water daily which were put in room when cleaned. Our cleaner did a fantastic job everyday we were there, was always polite and happy so thank you again. Unfortunately the bed was horrendous, the matteress was extremely firm and the frame was very noisy, the slightest movement made the bed creek loudly. It definitely needs replacing. There isn't a tv in the rooms which we didnt mind, wi fi was also free throughout the island but could be a bit patchy and unreliable some days. Our room is in need of a bit of TLC, there was quite a few details that need attention, such as toilet roll holder needs tightening, window latches loose, curtain rail wobbly to name a few. Another thing about the rooms that cant be dismissed is the lack of privacy. In those rooms you can hear everything your neighbours are doing EVERYTHING, conversations, if they are in shower, making a cuppa etc , there is absolutely no sound proofing. I found it difficult for this reason to fully relax in the room, we were fortunate that both our neighbours stayed for the majority of our stay and were considerate with noise, last few days new people not so much. Food for us personally was OK, it wasn't anything amazing, they had themed nights every night but honestly most of the time you wouldn't of been able to guess what the theme was. There's a section which always had more authentic cuisine, could have quite the spice kick, but I do encourage you to try as there was some very tasty dishes and im not a spice fan. Lunch times were very much a waste, there was never really anything enticing. Breakfast was nice, there was a nice selection of bread, pastries and hot food. I would of liked more of a fruit selection at breakfast but there was plenty of other items. We cant mention meal times without mentioning Raju, what a lovely young man. He was always so happy to see you, would gladly have a chat take time to get to know you have a laugh and genuinely looked happy in his job. I hope he gets the appreciation he deserves, he is an absolute credit to this hotel and if chooses could go far in hospitality, so Raju thank you again. We would go to the bar on an evening. Again the staff were all lovely, if on all-inclusive the drinks menu was quite small. The snorkeling was amazing and a real highlight of the stay, unfortunately a lot of those staying didnt really seem to respect what was there and there is quite a lot of damage to the coral however that doesnt diminish the wonderful variety of marine life in the waters around Embudu. You have to ensure you snorkel on all sides of the island dont stay on the same side there's so much to see. Overall we had a nice stay at embudu. If you enjoy sun, sea and nature , at a rough around the edges hotel then this is ideal. (Full review on trip advisor)