Top 5-Star Hotels in Kunaavashi

My wife, baby daughter and I have spent over two weeks at the exceptional NOOE Maldives Kunaavashi Resort I will break this review down in to five sections: 1. The location: this is a truly special place. Some of our fellow guests are regular travellers to the Maldives and all agreed even by the standards of the Maldives this was an exceptionally beautiful atol. The beaches are powder white sand with beautiful turquoise shallows merging with the deep navy surrounding ocean and channels. The water is bath water warm, and crystal clear. There are reefs within a short swim of the beach with a vivid array of coloured corals, and fish. We were fortunate enough to see and swim with dolphins, sharks, rays and a turtle. It's a short flight 20-30min or boat ride 1h 20min from Male airport. 2. Accommodation: there is a choice of accommodation from 1 bedroom beach bungalows to extensive duplex water villas suitable for several guests. We stayed in a beautiful duplex over water villa with it's own small pool, outdoor shower and deck stepped access straight to the reef. There was a small ground floor toilet, a large en-suite bathroom with bath, shower and two sinks. The upstairs bedroom, lounge and deck areas had unobstructed views of the reef and ocean and we regularly watched breathtaking sunsets and on one night a dramatic tropical thunderstorm. The bedroom was large, had plenty of room for it's king size bed, sofa, baby cot and dresser, there was a wide Juliet balcony spanning the room with astonishingly beautiful ocean views. Downstairs was a lounge, kitchenette, dining area, toilet and a deck area with sun loungers, parasol, shower, and pool. All the resort accommodation looked beautiful, the beach bungalows looked very romantic, with direct access to the beach and stunning sunset views. The larger villas could accommodate multiple families. 3. Facilities. There is a PADI aqua club on site with various diving, snorkelling, sailing options along with jet ski and motorboat hire. There is a kids club staffed by dedicated nursery staff with a playground and art studio. There is a gym with dumbbells/bench, machine weights, treadmills and exercise bikes. There us a health spa offering massages and beauty treatments, Elemis products and professional staff: v.tranquil. There is a bar/poolside deck area with loungers and canopied beds with table service. Two pools one shallow for younger children and a larger pool. There is various entertainment available such as evening DJs, singers and games. There are two sets of toilets, immaculately maintained. 4. Food. The food is another highlight. There are three restaurants: a buffet, and two a la carte restaurants (Steak, and Japanese). We stayed all inclusive with all meals and drinks included. The variety of food was huge. The buffet restaurant wasn't a typical buffet, as the prepared dishes were enhanced by food made to order by skilled chefs. There was a huge range of cuisine and