Having said that, it depends entirely on what values you are looking for in a Maldives island holiday. This place is the opposite of the small island ‘settle back and relax’ concept. It's big and it's busy. But it still delivers the simple things that make a great holiday.

At 354 rooms this is the largest resort in the country by some way. And yet it is a big and very green island with a full circuit of beach and a long list of activities, so you don't see a lot of your fellow guests except at mealtimes and in the evenings.

Water bungalows account for 72 of the rooms (of which 4 are over-the-top Presidential Suites). These, as usual, are the premium priced rooms and the interiors are designed to express this. Wood floors and wall panels, a recessed ceiling with cornicing, copper, gold and peach striped textiles, work together to give an aristocratic look and feel.  A sizeable sun deck is half stone tiles and half weathered wooden boards, with sun loungers and sun chairs. Steps lead down to the lagoon.

Half the bungalows face the rising sun and half face the setting sun. Unless you are an early riser, make sure you get a sunset room. None of the rooms have much in the way of snorkelling, however, as the lagoon is uniformly shallow (1 to 2 metres) and without coral. This makes it ideal for pottering about and swimming, of course.

218 of the island rooms are designated Super Deluxe, the remaining 136 merely Deluxe. They are all semi-detached and have a good sized veranda. Inside they are spacious, clean and tidy. 'Extras' would be a hair dryer, safe, large mirrors and satellite TV with Internet access. The differences between the categories are not critical: the Deluxes are a tiny bit smaller and don't have a bathtub or bidet. They are, however, on the southwest side of the island while the best rooms are those on the east side.

At this end of the island it is quieter. You are away from the passing traffic - people walking, cycling and in vans (you call the van for free and hire the bikes). Behind the rooms are the resort's plantation and an area of natural vegetation that was deliberately left untouched during construction. Also at this end of the island is a fine bulge of sand, with the water sports centre and a beach bar in just the right spot. Rooms 211–248 are here and face north but a good area of open sand allows you to spin the sun lounger around to catch the rays. Rooms 249–288 face the sun looking south.

An area of snorkelling is available from off the deck of the Italian restaurant at the end of the arrival jetty. It doesn't look too rewarding but the fish life is surprisingly good, with sightings of rays, turtles, Napoleon wrasses, barracudas and sharks. The dive centre is encouraging and supportive of learner divers and this is a good place to start, with a clear shallow lagoon for the lessons and some world-class dive sites within an hour's boat trip. The Dhigurah Channel and Kudarah Thila to the northeast are world-renowned dive spots.

The water sports centre has the whole gamut of equipment, both motor-powered and wind-powered, all in excellent condition. This is just typical of the island (and Villa resorts in general). You will also find an excellent gym, quality floodlit tennis courts, indoor squash and badminton courts and perfect snooker tables. A $5-a-day deal (minimum 7 days) will cover these facilities and more, as will the all-inclusive holiday. This is recommended because the individual hire charges are not insignificant (there's even a charge to play darts). And if you are not all-inclusive you will need to pay $10 a day for the satellite TV channels.

Alongside the usual island visits, there is an early morning dolphin trip and 3 types of fishing - big game, sunrise line trawling and sunset. Most people do the sunset line-over-the-side fishing and the resort then cooks up the catch for an excellent barbecue that same evening. This is one of the times when people break the ice and friendships are made.

Sun Island is unquestionably a friendly place. The relations between staff and guests are warm and easygoing, and the vibe around the swimming pool and in the restaurants and bars is very good, particularly in the large main bar in the evening, spilling out as it does on to beachside decking. Quiet times can be had in the golf bar (the course now sadly overgrown), private dinners and strolling around the shopping arcade. There's even a video games parlour. And a large new spa with twin treatment tables in each pavilion. It's no wonder that people leave Sun Island wondering where the time went.