Smooth Trip with Room for Improvement

Where do we begin? The journey was smooth but quite lengthy (3 flights plus a boat). However, navigating through Dubai and Male airport was straightforward. We flew from Birmingham via Emirates through our TUI booking. The RIU staff met us at arrivals and assisted us through the internal flight and ferry. They were fantastic. We stayed for 11 nights in a standard room that included a mini-bar with 2 cans of beer daily as well as soft drinks, but no optics. Beach towels are replaced in the rooms daily, but you can also swap them at the towel bar by the pool if needed. The weather in August was better than expected; although I feared we wouldn’t see much sun, we were lucky, experiencing just a few rain clouds lasting from 10 minutes to several hours. It mainly rained at night, and an umbrella was thoughtfully provided. We stayed in block 10, conveniently close to the restaurant and pool, so the walk was minimal. The beaches blend soft sand with some broken shells, so sea shoes are a must for snorkeling. Bringing your own snorkel gear is highly recommended. Unfortunately, there's no table service at the pool bar or on the beach, which would have been a nice touch. The beaches are mostly clean, though some litter like paper straws, cigarette butts, and napkins can be found, which is disappointing. The resort staff works hard to maintain cleanliness, so guests should make more effort to respect the island. Food offerings are plentiful with good variety, and the drinks are well-prepared with generous servings. Entertainment is enjoyable, featuring 3 parties per week, with a mix of music, quizzes, movies, and an excellent live band. However, having only one plug socket in our room was a bit inconvenient. Overall, it was a fantastic holiday.

Post by _TI***n7 | Oct 15, 2025