Given that I read both positive and negative comments on various websites I was a bit apprehensive about going to Summer Island Village - no need as I have just come back from a great holiday where I spent 12 nights in SIV and 3 nights in Dubai on my way home.

We flew with Emirates on 19 May and this airline puts many other to shame

We stayed In Bunglows on the 300x500M island. Our room was cleaned twice a day, fresh linen and towels once a day.

The all inclusive package was wonderful: excellent non repetitive food, fresh omelettes for breakfast each morning. Everything is so laid back, but with so much preparation going on in the background to make sure your stay is hassle free.

As our friends were on honeymoon the Manager organised a fruit basket in their room, and Mohammed (room boy) decorated their bed with flower and hearts.

Although we arrived by speed boat we decided to pay the $99 each for a sea plane return - well worth it. We took over 130 snaps, mostly of the fish, as we could not get over how many different species you could swim with.

Highly recommend this island, and would love to go back again.

Flights from Manchester via Dubai to Male, Maldives with Emirates.

This was my first flight with Emirates and it was far and away the best i've been on. New aircraft complimentary drinks pleasant profession staff. Even with the stop at Dubai the 14 hour journey could have been worse.

Once at Male we were picked up by speed boat and taken to Summer Island. The broshure says the journey takes about 1.45mins, well ours took 45mins and was not pleasant unless you call hanging on to the side of the boat while been thown about pleasant. if this was designed to have you book a seaplane transfer on the home journey, it worked.

Once at the island we were greeted at the jetty and taken to reception were we completed the formalities. They provide you with a fruit juice which was nice. Took my shoes off and wore nothing on my feet for the next two weeks, heaven.

We stayed in one of the water bungalows (room 110) and although a bit dated was fine. You only sleep there right? Glass floor was nice, saw plenty of fish. For privacy, try and get bungalows 107 to 110.

Food was buffet style and i have to say i thought this was excellent. I have stayed in many carribean all inclusive but this was better than all of them.

Drinks were ok, beer was nice and cold and the wife enjoyed the shorts, mostly rum and coke.

The island itself is small, there is nothing to do but laze about on the beach or have a few drinks at the bar. It takes about 10 minutes to walk round going slowly, this is exactly what we wanted. If you are looking for great night life and lots of entertainment, go elsewere although they did have a disco on Saturday nights which we enjoyed.

I love to snorkel. There isn't much of a reef at the island although you will still see plenty round the island incuding reef sharks, trigger fish, moray eels. Best spot is on the right hand side of the Jetty. They provide free boat trips four times a day out to the local reef. Apparantly there are three reefs but numbers one and two are damaged so they only took us out to reef three. Some nice coral and plenty of fish to see. Although this was good, it wasn't as good as the reefs i saw in the Red Sea at Sharm.

Staff were very friendly, especially Ram the security man.

Beach is also great.

Paid $99 each for seaplane transfer on home jouney and this was fantastic, well worth doing

Would i travel here again? If i want to completly switch off, yes i would