Makunudu is a tiny pearl in the Maldivian ocean.

If the dream of the perfect tropical getaway is to become a reality, then this small island resort will fulfill that dream.

The bungalows all front the beaches and have the essential facilities that make life comfortable.

As for the food - well, I'd challenge any Michelin Star chef to find fault...it really is that good.

With all non-motorised water sports free of charge (including hour-long tuition on a superb catamaran), the resort trumps so many others, who add to the cost of a holiday with excessive prices.

The Dhoni trip to Manta Point (for divers and snorkelers alike) is an absolute must. To swim within inches of these gigantic and peacefull fish is nothing short of miraculous! Just do it!

The mix of nationalities - staff wise - works well. Management is 'loose' but effective and all who work there seem content and happy to please.

On-costs are more than reasonable for any Maldives resort and the whole island surrounds its guests with restful delight.

Will I return? You bet!

Brian W Fisher
Independent Travel Writer

We have just returned from a fabulous week on Makunudu Island. The Island is about 1 hour from Male by speedboat. It is a very small Island and has approx 36 rooms which are all semi-detached (attached by bathroom) and you can walk round the Island in about 10 minutes.

The staff were brilliant, and nothing was too much trouble for any of them. The Island was keep very clean as were the rooms, which were cleaned twice a day! The rooms were extremely spacious and had everything that you would need including an umbrella! We didn't need that, thank god.

The food was fantastic, buffet breakfast and lunch and waiter service evening meal. There was lots of variety and we did not find anything repetitive at all. You could even have breakfast in bed if you wanted at no extra charge.

There was only entertainment on twice during our week's stay, which included a group on the first night that sang and played the guitar, and also a Maldivian night which was the waiters singing and dancing. We did not find this a problem whatsoever, as we went for a relaxing holiday, and that's exactly what we got. There was always background music being played aswell.

The only thing that didn't make the holiday 100% perfect was the beach. There was alot of dead coral being washed onto the beach, but this did not spoil our holiday at all.

There is a watersports centre, where you can go sailing on the catamaran, windsurfing or canoeing and you also get snorkelling equipment for the week. There is also a dive school and you get a free introductory dive which is in the sea as there is no swimming pool, and you are out for about 30 minutes. The instructors all speak English and are extremely helpful. I found the snorkelling fine, I hadn't been snorkelling before so cannot compare, but saw lots of lovely fish and even swam with a turtle, which was amazing.

We had a fantastic holiday and would definitely return in the future. Only wish we had gone for longer than a week!