The long island and clear divisions allow for very different holiday experiences at the same time in different places. Nonetheless, movement up and down the island is encouraged with open access to all bars and specialty restaurants and the shared sports, swimming pool and spa area in the middle. Movement is facilitated by pleasant paths and a free minivan on call.

Having graded the resorts using airline terminology, on closer inspection the picture is less clear cut. The new Deluxe Rooms on Village, for example, are a class above the resort's standard rooms and its ordinary bar and lounge. By contrast, on Blue Lagoon, the unchanged Beach Bungalows, with their obstructed views, strain to be categorized as first class. Then again, there's a clear programme of rolling improvements all over the island and the food and beverage setup, in particular, is becoming impressive.

Kuramathi Village

The guests on Village tend to be younger and livelier than on the other two resorts. Almost everyone is on an all-inclusive package and the bar rocks in the evening, despite the unsympathetic tiled floors and odd levels. Cottage Club, with its many water bungalows and cocooned public area, is usually the quietest of the 3. Blue Lagoon, upmarket but mostly all-inclusive, has a reputation for action on its set entertainment nights.

Each resort has its own dive centre (and all 3 share a Marine Biological Station, which is good to see). The nearby diving highlights are the unique hammerhead shark point, a manta point and several caves. Further afield are the renowned thilas of northeast Ari Atoll, which are combined in double tank and all day dives.

The Village has 3 categories of rooms, of which Deluxe account for over half. These are excellent modern rooms with attractive bathrooms, set in semicircles behind the best section of beach. Because of this, it can be relatively densely populated in this area. The other side of the island is the quieter side and faces south. The beaches can be very narrow here though and the rooms are the Superiors or Standards. The Standard room seems basic now and the Superior rather old-fashioned, but they both serve their purposes well enough.

Kuramathi Cottage Club

As the Village becomes the Cottage Club and Spa, white sand is suddenly spread thickly over the path and the Beach Bungalows earn more space. Tiled with terracotta in the bedrooms and stylish black slate in the bathrooms, with white walls and coconut wood furnishings, these are, again, good modern rooms. The water bungalows have been around a while but are still attractive with their polygon shape, woven mat interiors, large windows and generous balconies. The reef drop-off and good snorkelling are just a short swim away.

The reception, bar and lounge area of Cottage is the most attractive of the 3. A waft of incense drifts through the cool, thatched interior and out to a quiet courtyard with 'found' boatyard sculptures. In contrast to this private elegance, the nearby swimming pool, spa and sports centre, all in great order, are where everyone comes to play. Village guests must pay for the privilege but all-in packages are reasonable.

Kuramathi Blue Lagoon

Perhaps in an effort to make the public area of the Blue Lagoon more prestigious, the final effect is less 'of a piece' than Cottage's equivalent. There are 6 or 7 types of flooring and 4 types of chairs and tables, for example. But the lighting and atmosphere are good in the evening. A large gazebo over the water is for special dinners in the night and sunbathing during the day. The beaches at this narrow end of the island are narrow themselves, with the vegetation often getting down to the water's edge. This is unfortunately true of several of the Beach Bungalows, which also look over a line of coral walls in the water.

At the tip of the island is a slender sandbank meandering off westward - ideal for a long, romantic stroll at sunset. With a plethora of colourful flowers and carefully tended shrubbery around sandy paths, Blue Lagoon does have a romantic setting. Indeed the whole island is unified by a luxuriant combination of mature, natural vegetation and managed floral decoration. For all those looking for choice and variety on a largish island, Kurumathi has to be a strong contender.