Oblu Nature Helengeli by Sentido - All Inclusive 

This was our first stay at an OBLU resort hotel, and it was amazing. The hotel is very well maintained, and the Sunset Water Villa was magnificent. The private pool was an added bonus, especially when the sea was rough. Special mention to our housekeeper Rasheed who tidied our villa daily and was very pleasant. The snorkelling was absolutely incredible, and we did as much of it as possible. Unfortunately, there were 2 days when the sea was too rough and we were not allowed to go in. That’s the consequence of coming in the off-season. It would be very helpful if the app provided alerts when the beach reopened or when the flag status changed, as we found ourselves constantly checking. Also it would be good if guests could be allowed in depending on their ability to swim as sometimes even with red flag, we felt like we would have managed fine but understand that others would not. Whilst snorkelling we have seen an abundance of marine life. Turtles, sharks, octopuses, reef fishes, eels, rays, and beautiful corals. Every snorkel experience was different, the best one around 7:30AM before breakfast. We particularly enjoyed the side of the sunset villas where you get in via the pier. We saw a lot of tourists kicking the corals, standing on them, kicking them with their flippers, and it was infuriating!!! The lifeguards kept telling people off as well. No respect for the sea and the reef. Therefore we feel that more should be said at the welcoming meeting about ensuring that people never step on corals, even if to sort out their masks!! The lifeguards were very helpful and chatty, which was great. Special mention to the lifeguard that is part of the Maldivian band group as he was really nice. We also enjoyed the Friday night Maldivian show a lot. The night snorkelling trip was cancelled twice, and there didn’t seem to be much effort to reschedule it for a night with better conditions, which was disappointing, especially as the hotel and excursions did not appear overly busy. The bar was excellent, and the staff were very attentive throughout our stay. The red sangria was our favourite. Special mention to Kessi and Anjani as they were both really nice and thoughtful. The buffet was consistently very good, with high-quality food and plenty of variety. Special mention to Simpa as when she was our server she made the whole experience super nice with how lovely and chatty she is. Also Sanu the cooker from the Asian buffet corner was really chatty and very helpful. Dinner at Raga Route was incredible and a truly memorable Indian dining experience. Special mention to Nick the server as she made our experience much better by explaining everything to us and chatting at the end. Dinner at Just Grill was also very good, although the dishes were more familiar to us. Service across the resort was of a very high standard. The staff were attentive, friendly, and always welcoming, with warm smiles everywhere we went. Coming in May was good because the resort was very quiet but it meant that we had a lot of cloudy days with heavy showers. Nonetheless, we absolutely loved the holiday despite the few weather challenges and it was fabulous to spend 10 nights here. We have felt extremely relaxed and were sad to leave. We recommend a stay here!