Gaafu Alifu Atoll accommodation from NZ$173

My husband and I stayed at Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort for 8 nights in February to celebrate our honeymoon. We had a lovely time! We enjoyed the Alita restaurant's buffet every day (we tried Vista for one lunch and it was good, just didn't go back at all). We had a romantic dinner on the beach which was incredible. We did the dolphin excursion (totally worth it, saw a ton of dolphins), fishing excursion (I'm glad we used a voucher for this instead of paying as it was a little disappointing using hand reels out in front of the resort), snorkeling every day from our villa, and massages as the spa. A magical experience truly.

Everything about this hotel was brilliant. The waters were crystal clear and we were amazed to see so much sealife from the back of our over water villa - turtles, stingrays and small sharks were constantly swimming by our villa and it was really easy to get in the water and see them up close. The staff were beyond friendly and the service was exceptional - from the wonderful breakfast team, the lovely asian lady working in the bar, to Zin in Phat Cameleon. Every single staff member on this Island went out of their way to say hello and bring us anything we needed. The food was also very good, especially for an all inclusive - Phat Cameleon and Souq Oven were our favourites, and the chef's were more than happy to ammend dishes to cater to dietary requirements. We found the all inclusive to be excellent value for money, with a large amount of premium beers and wines included. The resort itself is stunning - very green and also clean, with many different areas to visit, making it feel larger than what it was. Our villa was excellent and we would really recommend an over water sunset villa, which have the best views of the island, with the clearest waters. We stayed for 11 nights and were given free vouchers, allowing us to have massages, jet ski rides and a snorkeling trip. Anya in the spa was incredible. There are so many Maldives resorts to choose from that it can be overwhelming. We could not recommend the Pullman more highly - brilliant value for money and quality.

The property was really beautiful and the fact that they have 2 islands double the amount of options you have for dining and entertainment. The staff is extremely helpful and they are always ready to help.