Embudu Village Island, North Male Atoll

My boyfriend and I travelled to Embudu in November 2005. We had always wanted to go to the Maldives and Embudu was one of the cheaper options. We could only go for seven nights but it was well worth it. The flight is over eleven hours but the tour operator TUI was fine and the flight was good. There was sufficient leg room and seating, the in-flight entertainment was adequate and the journey passed well. Having read bad reviews about Monarch we avoided that airline and were pleased with the tour operator we had chosen. On arrival at Male the one thing I noticed in particular at the airport was the lack of children, which particularly suited us. We had previously read that November was a good time to visit the Maldives, being at the end of the rainy season. It turned out that the weather was fantastic, we only had one morning of rain, it poured and flooded in quite a few areas but soon cleared. Quite an experience! Other than that it was hot, particularly from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Too hot to sunbathe. Instead we snorkeled early morning and late afternoon. Between those times, we read or listened to our music, sitting quietly in the hammocks or rope swings. We also enjoyed the lunch in the restaurant. We took the odd swim in the lagoon, standing in the shallows looking at the fish in the water. We spend some time looking at the coral, there are so many fish communities, it is fascinating. The airport and transfer are quite an experience in themselves. On the Dhoni (boat) from the airport, flying fish accompanied our journey and we passed several islands, all of which looked like a tropical paradise. Embudu is quite a small island and probably takes about 20 minutes to walk round the circumference, a nice stroll after your evening meal! Although the paths are prettily lit, it can still be a bit dim so take a torch if you think you will need it. There is a great restaurant, buffet style, catering for all tastes with plenty of variety. There are themed evening meals, the BBQ is great, the other meals were fine, no complaints from us. The chefs are quite jolly and really pleased to talk to you or have their photo taken! Plenty of desserts for those with a sweet tooth. You are appointed a table and a waiter on your first meal and they stick with that throughout the rest of the holiday. You may have to share your table with another couple but we found this to be fine. I guess you could move if you really wanted to. Our waiter was very helpful and friendly and we tipped him about $10 at the end of our one week stay. We went full-board (we don't drink much) and I had a couple of massages at the spa. We also took some money for tips but with all that I don't think our final bill came to more than £100. On arrival at the island you are led to reception and greeted with cool towels and a refreshing drink. Porters carry your bags and don't forget to tip them, about $1 per bag. The rooms are fairly basic, are clean and well maintained, cooled by air-conditioning and there is plenty of cupboard space. You don't spend much time in the rooms anyway. Each room has a veranda where you can dry off your swimsuits, or enjoy a read of an evening. Each room has an outside tap to wash the sand off your feet. We visited the Maldives mainly for the snorkeling, which we thoroughly enjoyed at Embudu. The island is surrounded by a house reef. Inside the reef are plenty of fish to see, black tailed reef sharks, parrot fish and little nemo's to name but a few. We even saw a couple of electric eels, that were very mean looking! We took a book to identify the fish and they just kept on coming! Unfortunately we only saw a turtle at a distance and didn't venture off the island to see any dolphins, although we did see them in the distance on the boat journey home. You can access the outside of the reef via channels that are clearly indicated. When you venture into the deeper water there is a whole world of fish, huge shoals of brightly coloured ones that are not at all nervous of divers. We saw puffer fish, stone fish, which we avoided, and a lion fish. At night, if you go to the main jetty the lights attract huge shoals and a variety of other species, we sat for hours just amazed at them! If you like star spotting the whole universe is there in a cloudless night sky! Plenty of fauna too; cats, huge fruit bats, geckos, ants, lizards and spiders! Nothing scary really! On such a small island you wouldn't believe you could see so many creatures! There are only about eight water bungalows on Embudu. They are right by the generator and water plant, so not in the best position. We were very satisfied with our chalet and the short walk through the trees to get to the beach. The shade of the trees is definitely a bonus and the cool breeze off the sea helps keep the temperatures down, when it could otherwise feel really hot. Take time to make friends with the staff, they are friendly and helpful and not at all intrusive. There is one man who sweeps the leaves every morning and keeps the paths clear. You do not need shoes; most public places are just sand floored, the restaurant being the exception. There was a dive centre for the more adventurous, we were content to snorkel and there is plenty to see in the way of fish. Unfortunately the coral is not so pretty but there is a coral garden, see the Embudu map on the island website. It is quite amazing, not just for the coral but also the different fish that congregate there. Our holiday was such a success that we are going back to the Maldives in January 2007 to another similar island but we would go back to Embudu if there weren't so many others to choose from! Now we have visited the Maldives, every other holiday destination pales by comparison. I couldn't think of a better place to go for a holiday, even if it is a brief seven nights!

Embudu Village is a pretty island, with some good drop off areas for snorkelling/diving and also shallow sand beaches good for young children or poor swimmers. Accommodation is in large bungalows with adequate rather than luxury inclusions. Only overwater accommodation has TV, but there is one in lounge to watch news if you must. Staff are most friendly and helpful. Good bar and entertainment. Dive centre very good. Shop plus Sri Lankan jewelry shop. Excursions are good and not expensive. Food was very enjoyable, choice of buffet at all meals with special themes at evening meal. Chefs were active in serving/watching meal times and friendly and helpful. Also choice of lobster for extra cost. This island is not on any tours from Australia but we book it via Internet, have been there 3 times plus visiting other islands and really enjoy Embudu Village.