We had a wonderful stay at this hotel! The food was absolutely delicious – fresh, flavorful, and with plenty of variety. The island itself is small but very charming and cozy, offering a perfect escape. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive, always ready to help. We also loved the abundant coral reefs and vibrant fish – a true paradise for snorkeling and marine life lovers. If you’re looking for a peaceful getaway with great food and beautiful nature, this hotel is definitely worth considering!

Maria from the reception- she was a star super friendly. Breakfast and Dinner were amazing, the rooms are very good, the cleaning service- the beach. Also Dude and Ike from the dive centre are brilliant. We had 3 dives with them - fantastic

They need to include the cost of water for dinner, also 1 little water ( free) per person is not enough. Ad it to the room cost. I does not feel right tp pay US$ for 1 bottle of sparkling water and the same for a beer

love this place , very peaceful. great staff. very barefoot and relaxed, and still chic. just how we like it. don’t worry too much about dressing up for anyone but yourself. I personally find that vibe fabulous. you do you at Drift. balenciaga or matalan, who cares? very clean - I think maybe it would be nice to be able to opt out of having towels and sheets replaced so often? (for environment etc.) I personally do not need my sheets replaced more than once a week, but the housekeeping staff did their job to perfection and with such care. they clearly work really hard to keep everything perfect. they were brilliant. re. tipping we just kind of spread our tips best we could amongst bellboys cleaners cooks waiters etc. i don’t think you have to. not everyone tipped. it’s up to you. they were just grateful. I would like to know that staff is looked after - that there is a a lovely place for them to spend leisure time etc as they live on the island, stuff to help them stay fulfilled (they seemed happy though! just my thoughts) suggestions aside - the place is tiny and pure magic , fabulous gardening/landscaping, magic little walkways. great food. the chefs try hard to offer a variety which is appreciated. we had three massages - they were great. the rest of the time just a lot of relaxation, snorkelling, kayaking, food and wine! they have great cocktails and mocktails too. will be back. thank you so much to everyone at Drift. it’s fabulous value.

a small note we would have liked to be reminded that there is an online immigration form to fill out before leaving maldives. we didn’t know this and it created unnecessary stress at the airport - also when leaving drift, the seaplane arrived quite late and did a large drop off /pick up on the way to the airport (which is fine if arrives earlier) so we arrived last minute at the airport, exactly one hour before our 11 am BA flight takeoff. thankfully we made it through all the large queues - immigration and two security checks - and onto the plane at the last minute. I am sure it had to do with events outside the seaplane operators control like people arriving late to the seaplane on the way to us etc - but still worth mentioning.

This place is paradise on earth! It not only exceeded our expectations but as well made us experience our best summer vacation so far! The property is on a small unique island and consists of water villas and bungalows. They created a small tropical forrest on the island part so that the bungalows are well hidden and you can have your privacy. The water villas have their privacy on the terrace where you can directly enter into water. The villas were spacious, very clean (they provide twice a day housekeeping!) and had tasteful decoration. Because it is a 'retreat', there are no big loud parties or screaming people or children. You can really relax and get most of the experience. The sea is just fabulous! We were able to experience most of the underwater wildlife from reef sharks (baby to middle size), turtles, rays to various tropical fish. You don't need to be excellent swimmer there. You just need to bring your snorkelling gear or use one from the property (for free). And in the evening, you can just spend hours with star gazing if you want. Food has been delicious. There was always something for vegetarians. Dinner menu is different each night. The staff has always been very kind and showed excellent hospitality. For us this has been an unforgettable stay. We will come here for sure again.

We had the most incredible time at Drift Thelu and truly can’t recommend this resort enough - it’s an absolute paradise 🌴🌊 A huge, heartfelt thank you to Maria, who made our stay a solid 11/10 Thanks to her thoughtful care and organization, every moment was perfect - especially the unforgettable excursions she helped us plan🙌🏻💙 Speaking of adventures, we’re so grateful to the entire diving center team for some of the most magical experiences of our lives - swimming with whale sharks and manta rays was a dream come true, and their passion and professionalism made it all the more special💙🤿 The house reef right by the hotel is mind-blowing - we snorkeled every day and kept discovering new wonders - it’s like swimming in a real-life aquarium 🐠🪸 The cocktails were delicious: shout-out to the amazing bartenders who made every drink with flair and a smile 🍹 The food was another highlight - especially the live cooking station, where the chef prepared dishes tailored to your taste, fresh and full of flavor - every meal felt like a treat. And finally, a big thank you to our wonderful waiter Monir, whose attentive and kind service made every dinner even more enjoyable🙏🏻 This resort is a true slice of heaven and we’re already dreaming of coming back one day ❤️

The staff were all really lovely, The facilities beautiful and clean.

Most of the activities were not running and there was absolutely no entertainment - that's ok if if this what you are looking for - we still thoroughly enjoyed our visit and did a beginner's intro to scuba diving at the dive centre (separate from the resort) this was an unexpected highlight - we also paddleboarded and had access to the kayaks - I would have liked a snorkelling trip or some island hopping - the one trip that did go ahead only a couple of people knew about it and we missed out - swimming with Manta Rays - even though we asked about activities on most days - we didn't bother on this day because the answer was always no. I would have loved some music or evening entertainment - we went to bed about 8:30pm most nights after dinner because there was really nothing else to do.

The service was great and the staff was amazing! One of us was celebrating his birthday and we did not mention anything, and yet the staff decorated our dinner table, his bedroom, provided a free bottle and cake. When the staff passed by during the day, they would wish him a happy birthday. The rooms were flawless (they would clean them and prepare them twice a day). The showers were working perfectly fine; with great water pressure. The bed was comfortable, and the views were amazing. The room layout in general was beautiful. The island is beautiful, filled with fishes and different kinds of sharks (teeth less and therefor you can do snorkeling near them, you can get snorkeling equipment for free and pretty much spend hours swimming around the island and looking at all sorts of fishes). The fact that the island is also not too big and not too small was great, making it not crowded and yet big enough to see beautiful places. The food was great for the dinner, with plenty of choices (including for vegetarian). Dinner does not include drinks (water, juices, alcohol, etc.) for half board and full board. Breakfast included the drinks (juices, water, coffee).

Everything was great, we would suggest to send information via message on how the transfer happens as all of us were not familiar with how it works (having never been to a multi islands country). But communication was great!

Fantastic location with a nice house reef for snorkeling. Very nice dives with the on -site dive school. Good variety of food in the restaurant. Low key vibe, simplicity in style. Nice staff. No pool (a bonus for us). Quiet. Privacy.

High prices for drinks (wine but also water). Made it a bit difficult to enjoy a drink at the bar. Spa prices so high that we did not go. Coffee at breakfast not so great and limited number of nespresso capsules in room. Sometimes difficult to coordinate with cleaning staff (clean twice a day for quite a long time). All minor issues. On the whole loved our stay and would visit again.

Wow, wow, wow—what an absolutely incredible experience! We stayed for four nights but honestly wished we had at least four more. If you're planning a trip, do yourself a favor and book a water bungalow—it's a next-level experience. You won’t want (or need) to leave your villa! The service was exceptional, with every staff member going above and beyond to make our stay special. A huge thank you to Emdad, our wonderful waiter, and Maria, the amazing manager—both made us feel so welcome. We booked the half-board option, which included breakfast and dinner, and it was more than enough, with delicious buffet-style meals offering a wide variety of choices. One of the highlights of our trip was the house reef, which is absolutely teeming with life. We swam alongside reef sharks, turtles, eagle rays, and countless vibrant fish—it felt like snorkeling through a massive, living aquarium. The corals were surprisingly healthy, and the crystal-clear water made every moment underwater magical. I didn’t even feel the need to go diving because snorkeling alone was so fulfilling. Plus, they provide complimentary snorkeling gear, which was a fantastic bonus! Our water villa was spotlessly clean, beautifully decorated, and designed for pure relaxation. The resort offers twice-daily housekeeping, fresh towels each time, and thoughtful touches that make you feel completely at ease. Even the journey to the resort was an adventure—taking the seaplane was such a cool experience and added to the excitement of arriving in paradise. Overall, this was one of the most relaxing, luxurious, and unforgettable stays we've ever had. We only wish we could have stayed longer! If you're considering this place—just book it. You won’t regret it!

That we didn't have any extra days here...

evrithing was perfect. Nice little boutique resort on a tiny island. very good for snorkeling arround house reef. staff grate delicious food. We had full board but not neaded lunch.

we got a very nice beach villa but the view from our villa was disturbed by an old iron boat that stayed there for all of our stay. see photo