This review has been a long time coming, due in main to the fact that shortly after our visit we welcomed a beautiful daughter into our lives.. however the 12 night stay is as fresh in our mind as if it was yesterday.. this will be a condensed version of a review I previously wrote which turned into a novella it was so long. So without further ado.. our trip to Paradise x

It should be noted that we are 2 males who were heading on our last big hurrah before our daughter was born, a once in a lifetime holiday to celebrate our impending fatherhood, 23 year relationship and a birthday.. we had high hopes, and boy did they deliver!

I should also point out that our initial flight was delayed for the length of an entire movie prior to leaving the runway which in turn meant we were against time for the connecting flight leaving us seconds to spare, needless to say we made it to Mali minus our luggage, something which is important later.

At Mali we were greeted by a representative of the resort who informed us that we had been upgraded to a sea plane to transfer us to the island.. we were taken to the departure lounge for the sea planes where we were greeted with a huge chocolate cake as the first guests using that specific sea plane to travel to the island.. and wow was it good. This was to be the start of what I can only describe as the greatest holiday ever!

The sea plane flight was an experience in itself, personally I am not a comfortable flyer so to say I was a little nervous was an understatement, however, the flight was smooth and the views from the window of the various Atolls, islands and ocean were breath taking.

We then arrived at the island and a short speedboat ride later we were on solid land and being greeted by the most amazing welcome.

We are an extremely private, unassuming couple, we don't seek attention so for us the welcome we received was overwhelming, and from that moment on we were made to feel to most important people on that island.

We quickly learned that although the resort had welcomed guests from the holiday industry, officials etc, we were the absolute first official guests, which meant our treatment could have been a little forced, or awkward, too much or indeed full of errors. The truth is that we were treated as family, from the moment we stepped off the plane in Mali until we arrived home.

After a fanfare welcome where we were treated to flower garlands, food and drink, music, an amazing speech from the management team and the owners! We were given a generous gift of an upgrade and invitation to return, which we fully intend on doing with our daughter this year. We were then escorted to our beach villa... beautiful is an understatement!

I now have to remind you that our luggage was delayed (it would be a few days), during the walk to our villa we were asked if we had any luggage, we explained the situation and to our amazement we were invited to visit their clothing shop to choose a few items to make our stay more comfortable until our luggage arrived, I was clever enough to pack a pair of shorts, t shirt and sandals within my hand luggage so I felt as though I could not accept such a generous offer even after they insisted, my partner however only having the jeans, shirt and trainers we left the UK in chose some shorts, sandals and t-shirt and some suncream. We offered to pay however they insisted and would have been offended should we not have allowed them this generous gift, as I have said, we weren't guests, we were family!

After a tour of the island, the amenities and introductions to various personnel we were escorted back to our villa where we literally sat down, looked at each other and smiled, because literally that was all we could do as were completely speechless.

Once composed we opened the doors leading to our path to the beach, walked out and surveyed the scene, beautiful stretch of white coral sands, blue crystal clear waters as far as the eye could see and most importantly silence.. heavenly is an understatement, it felt as though we were the only beings in the world and it felt surreal.

So I guess you want to know about the amenities etc.

We chose a beach villa and without going into full details as there are plenty of reviewers giving a full list of what was in their villas plus Dhigufaru own website page gives an accurate list of what is available, I will say the king size bed was perhaps one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in, the bathroom which had a bath, indoor shower and outdoor shower, plus dual wash basins were deluxe to say the very least. The mini bar which contained a selection of beers, soft drinks and snacks were restocked each day (I will say I was extremely grateful for my daily choc fix) as were the hot beverage and dry snacks. Each morning and evening our room was returned to the former glory of how it looked when we first arrived by the beautiful and friendly Hart who looked after our room for the duration of our stay. I should point out that several occasions during our stay we would wake to a "good morning" message written in sand on the steps to our front door, or a message of good evening when we returned. I attempted to repay in kind with messages of thanks by writing in sand myself, it is a talent which is made to look so easy by Hart.

Our dining experience was first class, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, whether an offering of a choice menu, a buffet or beach barbecue or as we experienced during our stay on of the chefs personally asking us if there was anything we wished them to make for us, the food was amazing, fresh, delicious, a work of art, dining to die for in the nicest sense of the word. I have to be honest, we have eaten in some fabulous restaurants and treated to first class cuisine. Yet we were blown away here on a daily basis!

I am extremely adventurous with food and will eat anything, my partner is the complete opposite yet each dish prepared for both our tastes was presented like a masterpiece!

The main bar offered top brand beverages, with a team of guys who could create any drink you wished for as well as present you with amazing cocktails designed on the spot specifically to your tastes, to say they are masters of their craft is not an exaggeration.

When we arrived the only other guests were a few industry guests who had all departed by the following morning, leaving us the only guests for a few days until more arrived, each evening after we had finished our meal we would head to the bar to chill out and enjoy the company of the team there, who would go above and beyond to ensure we were having a great time, whether joining us in a game of pool or simply engaging in conversation and lots of laughter.

We were more than happy each day to lounge on the beach, swim in the sea or chill out by the pool, however we didn't want to not sample the extensive range of water sports, trips and other facilities there.

Whether taking a canoe around the island, learning to wind surf, scuba diving or jet skiing, which we fully threw ourselves into, there is so much to do with the unique care, guidance and professionalism of the entertainment team. Safety is paramount and you are made to feel extremely reassured by everyone involved.

We embarked on a night time fishing trip which was an experience in itself, as was having our catch beautifully prepared and served as our evening meal.

During our stay it was my partners birthday so we decided to take advantage of a secluded island picnic. We boarded a speedboat and were taken to a beautiful sandbank where a team had arrived prior and set up a picnic with a huge icebox of sandwiches, pastries, fresh fruit and a selection of drink, we were left to our own devices for a few hours. I advise anyone wishing for a little romance whilst there to take the trip as to have "us" time away from all the cares of the world allowed us to reconnect in the most beautiful setting.

My partners birthday was made even more special when after dinner chef presented him with a birthday cake and a bottle of champagne and upon returning to our villa a birthday message was written in sand on the steps and the bed had a birthday greeting written in petals. Perfect!

Whilst there I was taken ill with a bad chest infection (something that had recurred several times over the year) combined with an allergic reaction to something. The care and attention I was given was outstanding. We were taken to an neighbouring island with a hospital, on a Saturday which was a day of prayer so places were closed for the day, the hospital was opened up, a doctor, nurse and pharmacy were on board where my treatment was better than any I had ever received in the UK. Not only did the resort the care of any expenses, they also took extreme care to ensure I was healthy enough to enjoy the remainder of our stay. Never had I witnessed such service or care.

Finally I have to say what makes Dhigufaru.

The staff, the team, those who strive to give you the best possible experience, whether you see them on a daily basis, or they are hard working behind the scenes. I implore you to get to know them, appreciate them, give as much to them as they give to you.. learn about them!

We are heading back.. to our family in paradise..

I missed so much in this review from the amazing girls at the health spa, the fantastic team in the restaurant to the amazing sunsets.. believe me.. Dhigufaru is simply a dream