Secretescapes.com.sg is my little secret in booking our 3-night 4-day stay at this Taj-branded resort in the Maldives for a steal. For a reasonable SGD 1700 (for 2), we receive return transfers by speedboat, half-board, 2 nights in a Deluxe Beach Villa, 1 night in an overwater villa, couples 45-minute aromatherapy massage, and sunset cruise. A pretty good deal for an entry-level Maldives resort. I say ‘entry level’ as it is definitely not up to the standard of our previous 2 stays at Como and Conrad. But it is still magical.

Our Beach villa is #227 – probably one of the best as it leads out to a sandy stretch of beach, unlike the others that are rocky with coral and shells. A hammock and sun-deck chairs are available for use. Inside the room is a double-bed, good sized bathroom with separate bath and shower, and an outdoor shower area as well. In all honesty it could do with a renovation. The same goes for our slightly larger overwater villa #132 on our third night. Basically the same as the beach villa internally, but overwater.

Breakfast and Dinner is included in our package, and comes with an extensive menu. The food is not bad, desserts are excellent. Service is hit and miss. Excellent in the main restaurant, but needs improvement in the Grill and bar. One stand out in terms of the F&B offerings is the availability of very reasonably priced wine. A huge menu of USD 33++ for a bottle or 9++ for a glass of excellent wine. Probably the cheapest in the Maldives.

Our package incudes a sunset cruise (nothing special – a cocktail included would be nice) and a couples massage which is excellent.

We try snorkeling in the reefs around the resort and are met with an abundance of beautiful fish and marine life in crystal clear waters. This is certainly a highlight.

There are a few Associates that go out of their way to make out stay enjoyable, and proactively engage in daily chats with us: Head of Security, Head of Maintenance, and an Intern, Ms. Chen.

This is a great resort for first timers to the Maldives and for families (due to the abundance of kids). For an adults only, romantic couples, kids-free getaway, I would research an alternative resort.