Getting Better All The Time

A major renovation in 2010 built on previous upgrading to deliver a modern comfortable chic, echoing the style of its neighbour Soneva Fushi. Tasteful wooden furniture backs a vitalising colour scheme taken from the flower of a native tree: yellow on the bow turning to orange with a deep red when on the floor.

The natural look and feel blend perfectly with the nature of the island. This is one of the resort islands most blessed by nature and, as reflected in the Green Award granted by Kuoni, Reethi Beach is committed to keeping it as undisturbed as possible. The 4,000 plus trees are protected and never sprayed. Their leaves are allowed to remain on the ground, merely swept aside from the sandy paths.

Baa Atoll Association - A Good Thing

The resorts in Baa Atoll have a model association where environmental best practices are discussed and put in place. On Reethi Beach, there are many green initiatives, from waste disposal to glass bottles, heat exchanging and biogas generation. Both here and on Soneva Fushi there is no sunset fishing as this denudes reefs of fish needlessly. Furthermore, efforts are being made to actively protect the sharks from fishing.

The beach is very good almost all the way around the island and particularly good down the west side, where the Reethi Villas are and at the southern end, where the Deluxe Villas are. At the other end is a bulge of sand behind the semicircle of Water Villas. This is an uncommon bonus for Water Villa guests, especially as there are plenty of thatched umbrellas with loungers and a hut bar open all day.

On the other hand it is fortunate the beach is nearby as only the rooms at the ends of the semicircle catch the sun, the others face north. These villas have been greatly improved with steps down the lagoon from the deck and doors that fold all the way to open a full vista of sea and sky from the bed. The interior decoration has good quality furniture and richly coloured textiles of auburn and gold.

Deluxe Villas, Deluxe Beach

The Deluxe Villas, however, are slightly better, in my opinion, as they are equally well furnished, they face the sun most of the day and are just a few steps from a fine beach and good snorkelling. On the other hand, the Water Villas are quieter and more private. These rooms are quite close to each other but they are partly screened and not built in a line, so privacy is good.

The Reethi Villas are the standard rooms and they are noticeably less smart than the other rooms. They are smaller, the furniture is not nearly so well made and there is no verandah. The bathroom is good though: clean and light.

Huge Amount Of Sport & Games

Reethi Beach is what you might call quietly active. The general air is tranquil and unhurried but there are far more options for action here than on most resorts. Two tennis courts abut the indoor sports complex that has two squash courts, two badminton courts and a gym. Staff members give inexpensive lessons and are available to play against you. The complex opens out to a small swimming pool with loungers and umbrellas. In a room off the main bar you can continue with table tennis and table football and round by the beach bar you can join in the daily beach volleyball game.

The water sports centre, with its prominent position on the beach, is active and very well stocked. This is one of the few places you can try out kitesurfing, for example. Sailing or windsurfing trips can have one of several nearby sandbanks and desert islands as a destination. The resort looks after 4 desert islands that are also used for one-couple-only Robinson Crusoe picnics.

Not that you would need an excuse but if all the activity put a strain on your body, you could repair to the Coconut Spa. Nothing much to look at maybe but all reports are that the Balinese therapists are superb and the prices, as everywhere here, are very reasonable.

Fine Buffets

The cuisine in all the outlets is remarkably good, which is especially unusual as up to 50% of the guests here are on all-inclusive deals. The main restaurant offers such variety that the lunch buffet is different every day for a fortnight (although it is still a queue situation). It also gives such quality that, for example, the parmesan cheese is an original block from Parmesan, freshly grated. The two specialty restaurant, The Grill and Moodhu over the water, don’t quite seem to have found their true raison d’être but are ideal for having the occasional night alone together away from the crowds and the buffet.

A highlight for many here is the diving. Around a third of the British, Germans, Swiss and Austrians who come here go diving and that's as high as anywhere. With only a few, inactive resorts in the atoll the many sites are still fresh and relatively unvisited. The dive team run a great centre organising up to four dives a day, including the house reef diving. Many of the sites (including the house reef) are illustrated in their terrific souvenir logbook. The great new discovery of hundreds of whale sharks and mantas at Hanifaru is a massive bonus in the months of August and September especially.

All in all Reethi Beach is now one of the very best resorts in the middle bracket.
 

Review written 16 June 2011