No doubt you've looked HERE

Hello Jill

I have been to Vilu Reef, and believe me you have made a lovely choice. It is the nicest Maldives island I have been to.

It is quite small, and you can walk all the way around it. There are little cultivated bits where they grow a few fruits and things, and it is very lush (some islands suffer fom being pretty much levelled when building starts). It takes about half an hour to walk round, and every side is nice so it doesn't matter which side you are on.

We were in a beach bungalow, definelty nicer than the garden villas, as they are so private. We had a really private little bit of beach right outside. There are lots of sunloungers on the beach. We woke every morning to the gentle sssshing sound of Mohammed sweeping the sand outside our door for us.

Because it is small you get to know people. We enjoyed this - it's not intrusive, just nicely sociable. There are a lot of germans, not many (any?) italians, although there are many nationalities attached to the dive school. I felt right at home walking round and going to the bar alone when hubby was scuba-diving. You might get roped into a football match on the beach - the waiters are really keen on this.

There's no pool (or wasn't then) but you don't need one. The sea is shallow until you get to the reef - it really is like paradise. I'm not a great waterbaby, but I enjoyed the snorkelling, and even the other side of the reef (where you look down and it falls away underneath you) was ok. We saw dolphins go by at about 4pm every day (this was May/June). Best of all was the amazing experience of swimming with a huge turtle that came to graze over the reef. I will never forget that, nor the crackling sound of thousands of tropical fish nibbling on the coral. The coral is bleached, so no fabulous colours there, but its still interesting.

The nightlife is lacklustre, but that isn't why you go to the maldives. Take LOADS of books (although there is a little library) - can't stress this enough, take only one pair of shoes (for night-time when the crabs and lizards come out - very cute but maybe not running over bare toes). Take no posh gear at all, just t-shirts and sarongs - honestly, everything you hear about the maldives being laid back is true. I took loads of stuff that never came out of the bag, and there is a great laundry service, so you only need a few things anyway. Curb your desire for chocolate (one Magnum ice cream= £5.00). Forget the day-trips to other islands - they just made me feel uncomfortable as a crap, rich western tourist, and the sea is choppy out in those dhoni boats.

Have a fabulous time - I am very envious!!

Can't believe that is classed as a swear word!!

Should have mentioned - one lady whilst we were there got a very bad ear infection - which is common in the maldives due to the temperatures of the sea (lots of bugs) and obviously all the swimming you do. She had a right job getting medical attention, and had to go all the way back to the hospital on Male. Her first week was miserable, and she couldn't finish her scuba course. Probably a good idea to ensure your medical insurance covers this. Don't want to scare monger (after all, she was the only one who was ill the whole time I was there) but it helps to be prepared

Hi JillR
Nice report from Lucy, only thing to add is don't worry about ear infections as long as you follow some simple rules, make sure that your ears are free from wax before you go, after you have been swimming or diving rinse your ears in fresh water (shower), follow this and you won't have a problem.

Regards

Joe