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.

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

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.

A truly beautiful and very peaceful island. Our water villa on the sunset side was light and airy, well furnished, spotlessly clean (cleaned twice a day) with efficient air con plus a ceiling fan, which was great as it was extremely hot in the middle of the day. The views are truly amazing with a big deck and direct access to the ocean. The sunsets were lovely and the night time sky equally so. The coral is a short swim and largely healthy with many different types of fish. The staff are unfailingly friendly and smiley and cannot do enough for you. The food is eclectic but good and plentiful with a different theme every night at the live cooking station, manned by a really cheerful chef! Be aware though that alcohol (unless on AI) is very expensive. The island is tiny which may not suit people looking for a lot to do, though there are various trips available. It is beautifully kept and there is no need for shoes from the moment you arrive until you leave. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday in lovely surroundings this is the place. Read less

Alcohol is very expensive

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...

Drift Thelu Veliga is a perfect place for those who want to combine enjoying nature with maximally kind and high standard hospitality while enjoying the benefits of a really small retreat. The small resort can only accommodate up to 60 people therefore you can often feel yourself almost on a desert island. Make sure you take your snorkeling equipment with you (or pick up one provided by the hotel) as the surrounding reefs have an abundance of fish. As close as 20 meters from your water villa you will find fish of all size, color and shape, reef sharks, rays... hours of fun guaranteed. Food at the restaurant was not overly varied but was delicious and provided enough choice for all tastes. The cooked-to-order items just added to the meals. Our water villa (actually an ocean villa at the far end of the row) was well equipped. It had amazing view to the Indian Ocean that was not blocked by other villas - a big benefit of staying in the farthest one. All the staff members were kind, polite and always willing to make our stay the best possible. In particular, the romantic dinner at the beach was definitely the highlight of our stay. The arrangement/decoration, the service and the food were all exceptional. Thank you, Drift!

Noisy AC in the room. Thatched roofs of some water villas need refurbishment. Communication problems, some staff members did not understand English at all - which is unusual at a resort welcoming guests from all over the world.