MMasha_mashaOur vacation at Grand Park has come to an end, and I'd love to share my thoughts 🌴.
First off, this was our first time in the Maldives, and we were absolutely thrilled.
We stayed in two types of villas: lagoon and ocean water. They are completely identical and face each other.
The lagoon villa has a huge advantage: it's practically wind-free. All the ocean breeze is absorbed by the ocean villas. The lagoon side offers sunset views, while the ocean villa offers sunrise views.
The ocean villas definitely have a better view; from the lagoon, you can see several islands, including the neighboring Hilton.
The rooms are very clean and were serviced twice a day. Linens were changed upon request, towels were fresh, and all necessities were provided: slippers, a beach bag, and umbrellas.
Upon arrival, we immediately picked up masks, snorkels, and fins for the entire duration of our stay (these are complimentary). By the way, the watersports equipment rental manager speaks Russian and was very helpful and friendly.
We brought water shoes with us but never used them. We always snorkeled with fins, and when we just swam from the villa, we couldn't even reach the bottom. They might be useful if you enjoy beach holidays and swimming from the shore, as the ocean entry there is indeed full of corals and shells, but we're just not fans of sand and didn't even go there.
The reef is excellent; not quite the Philippines, of course, but there was still plenty to see. On the very first day, we spotted an eagle ray swimming right next to us – this was on the reef near the watersports rental, which I highly recommend for snorkeling as it's far less crowded than the reef near the villas.
We wanted to go on an excursion to see nurse sharks, but a 'white flag' (meaning strong winds) was declared for all the days of our stay, so all excursions and even jet skis were canceled.
We were very happy with the food. Breakfasts were quite varied, only lacking in meat (cold cuts or sausages; only pork options were available). We mostly had lunch in our villa, and it was delivered quickly. Dinner was also diverse; you definitely won't go hungry.
All the staff were incredibly friendly, very open and responsive. Everyone smiled and greeted us, and the main phrase of our trip to the Maldives was “enjoy,” which we heard constantly 🥰 and we certainly did!
The only excursion we managed to do was swimming on the floating platform, which we highly recommend. We took the package for $129, which included 4 cocktails + 3 snacks. We expected something like canapés, but they brought out full-sized dishes! It even ended up being cheaper than our usual dinner 😂. We ate our fill and enjoyed a beautiful sunset, and the photos there are amazing! You can stay there as long as you like, there’s no time limit. We recommend going at sunset around 4:30 PM or even 5:00 PM when the sun has already set to avoid the heat.
The hotel is stunning, with very well-maintained grounds. The beach was constantly being cleaned, things were being trimmed, transported, and repaired – they were busy working all day long! There are many lizards on the property, and the Maldivian heron was also frequently seen))
The vacation was 10/10, the hotel was 10/10 – simply a perfect paradise! 🩵🌴
We left feeling incredibly grateful ✨
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