Dhuni Kolhu has benefited from other resorts passing it by for price, design and amenities. Now it is comfortable with what it offers. It is high class but unpretentious, an award-winning package of those key Maldivian elements - diving, snorkeling, beach, island and accommodation.

Baa Atoll is not one of the country’s renowned dive areas, but the reason for that is that until recently there was only one resort in the whole atoll, Soneva Fushi. Dhuni Kolhu, still the only resort in the south of the atoll, has discovered a number of very worthwhile thilas. Some specialise in colourful soft corals, others boast sharks and barracudas. Manta rays can be seen all year round at one of the 4 manta points within range and there is a good chance of seeing a whale shark, between June and November, around Hanifaru.

For these reasons, diving is popular here, particularly in the high season. But whether you dive or not, there’s very good snorkeling to be had. The reef drop-off is accessible around the curved part of this D shaped island, although a portion of that is restricted to high tides. It is the Deluxe Villas that have less access to the reef, although they do share one easy access point. My briefsnorkel was impressive: Picasso trigger fish, dark grey sting rays, a turtle, striking parrot fish, a yellow and black box fish, a black tip reef shark and an adult clown trigger fish.

The beach is another highlight. Every room has a good bit of beach in front of it. The sand is allowed to move around the island with the seasons, as it should. Consequently a few Beach Villas occasionally need sandbagging or pumping to counter seasonal erosion. The original sand is as fine and lovely as anywhere in the country.

A number of the Beach Villas sit directly on the beach, without surrounding trees and bushes. This is brilliant for beach views but not great for privacy. For that you are better in the rooms on the west side (the straight side of the D shape). Here the rooms are hidden away and there is a big beach that faces the sunset, though there isn’t direct snorkeling off the beach.

The Deluxe Villas face south, with good privacy, even at the beach side and access to snorkeling off the beach. Other than a sunken bath at the back and a plunge pool in front they are almost identical to the beach villas. These island rooms are not big but are lovely, spacious and airy. They are circular, unevenly plastered, with rustic terra cotta tiles and conical thatched roofs. They fit the surroundings and make you feel a better fit too.

The Lagoon Villas also have a comfortable rustic feel but are markedly a step up. The style is a kind of Maldivian gentleman’s retreat. They are delightful rooms with polished wooden floors, an aged writing desk, lacquer vase, local object d’arts, a glass bookcase with books, a cd player and an espresso coffee machine. But the first couple are very close to shore and just half of them face the daytime sun. On the other hand, the snorkeling is most easily reached from the north-facing rooms.

The 2 Sunset Lagoon Villas at the end of the jetty are nearly twice as big as the other rooms on the island and continue the gentleman’s retreat idea. But these aren’t pretentious rooms, they are fun and work really well. Some guests book one of the rooms for their last 24 hours, when they will have a bbq on the deck, sip champagne in the pool and gaze at a distant, uninhabited island.

That island is called Embudhoo and for me it is the crowning glory of Dhuni Kolhu. You can visit it one couple at a time. One couple during the day with a picnic, another couple stays overnight. In the high season it is booked out day and night, everyday. On the island is just one palm frond hut with 2 string jolis, a pair of rough wooden chairs and a weathered table. Terns flew down to distract us from their eggs laid on the beach. This is as close to nature as most people will ever get.

Many resorts would overdevelop Embudhoo but Coco Palm have always been environmentally strong. Dhuni Kolhu won the President’s Green Resort Award in 2001 and has since attained a Green Globe Certificate for its operational standards and won a number of other awards, including Kuoni’s Green Planet Award for 2007/8.

The recreation centre, reception and restaurant are oddly cavernous places and the main bar doesn’t look out to the beach or the sunset but, apart from these quibbles, Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu is a fantastic Maldivian package.