At the same time it has some excellent diving, full-on watersports, several surfing points and a number of family rooms, so I can’t quite decide if this is a resort for honeymooners and the more mature, sophisticated guest or for families and the young, active type. There is action available if required, though overall it is a quiet couples island, except during school holidays.

14 of the 58 Beach Villas are interconnected. And the 8 more expensive Beach Villa Suites all have 2 rooms either side of a landing, a double and a twin. Babysitting is on request but there is no children’s program, so children should be happy with their parents on a quiet holiday or old enough to enjoy more active sports on their own.

Surfers will be well satisfied with the varied but rarely visited waves just a few minutes away. The watersports centre organises this and many other infrequently found recreations, such as tubing, kitesurfing, wakeboarding and waterskiing.

Diving is run by Werner Lau, highly recommended for their experience, and informative, friendly service. The channel to the north of the island is the sole entry and exit point between 2 vast lagoons, so there frequently are mantas, whale sharks, sharks and dolphins. Inside the atoll are the thilas dives for corals, caves and reef fish.

Keen, experienced divers can take a dive safari from the resort. Usually one week long, these go south to rarely dived atolls untouched by the bleaching. The complete novice, on the other hand, can take the school’s ‘resort dive’, offering enough instruction to dive to 12 metres and discover underwater magic of the Maldives.

The huge lagoon means snorkeling from the island is not possible but the resort puts on free daily snorkel trips to different reefs. And once a week they do a 4 hour snorkel safari that costs, and leaves at 6am, but is highly recommended.

The ocean-facing east side has a beach that is narrower and rougher than the atoll-facing west side. On the other hand, it is visually quieter as it looks out to a blank horizon, rather than the main bar, jetty and seaplane arrivals. And during the long southwest monsoon (May to November) it doesn’t face the wind.

The best beaches are at the ends of the island. One end is the staff area, so people prefer to have rooms towards the other end, nearer the waterbungalow jetty. Then again, the vegetation is thinner here and you can see your neighbours. Although rooms are set back from the beach, this is a resorts that employs islanders to come each day and completely sweep the floor of leaves, so the island always looks pristine and white, and you can see through the undergrowth to the beach in front. (On the other hand, it goes against nature and creates refuse).

The 44 Water Villas offer luxury and quiet - though not complete privacy, as you can see your neighbour’s deck. They are surprisingly lovely - not large but when the doors are opened to include the deep deck, the room lights up and feels luxurious. The deck, with swing joli, and the lagoon can be seen from the bed and even from the bath behind. There is complimentary water in a glass bottle, a Nespresso machine and is a tv with dvd (there’s a small library at reception).

The beach rooms follow the same lines as the water villas but without the luxurious touches.

The view across the swimming pool, past the palm trees to the thatched bar and lounge in the lagoon is an iconic image of the Maldives. This public area is indeed lovely and what you don’t get in the shot is the thatched restaurant behind the swimming pool. Served here is some of the best cuisine anywhere for this class of resort (it is now widely referred to as ‘5 star entry’). The long-serving executive chef has honed a really fine, changing menu of international buffets. The Asian food, especially the Thai cuisine and Japanese sushi, is second to none.

At this price, the written material on special dinners, excursions and entertainments should be classier and the excursions and entertainments themselves could be more imaginative. But, that said that, these things aren’t going to spoil the holiday you have come for. Whether that be an active one with children, or an inactive, romantic one without them.