Six Senses Laamu Maldives: A Paradisiacal Escape

Having stayed many times in the Maldives over the past few years. I’ve had some great and not-so-great experiences. Staying at the Six senses Laamu was, without a doubt, one of the best experiences I’ve had, not just in the Maldives but around the world. The resort and everything about it exceeds expectations way above what I have experienced over 20+ years of traveling.

I had booked an 8-night stay back in 2022 and managed to do this as a points stay. At the time of booking, it was 100k per night, which is unheard of for a January stay as this is the peak season, so I was incredibly excited about the holiday.

Meeting with a Six Senses representative and transfer to the hotel

From the initial contact with the resort to leaving to travel home, no detail was missed. When you land In Male, you are met by a Six Senses representative who takes care of everything for you.

You are checked in for your flight out to the closest atoll and then settled in the departure lounge, where you can relax and have a coffee or a bite to eat.

• Once the domestic plane is ready, you are collected and shown to the departure gate, where you can take a short flight to Kahdhoo.
• Once you land, you collect your luggage and are taken off to the boat, where a 20 min speedboat ride out to Laamu takes you to the resort.
• As you board the boat, you are given a bag to put your shoes in as they encourage you to be barefoot at the resort, and everyone is happy to do this.

Welcome and introduction to GEM

You arrive at the main pontoon, where you meet most of the management team and are introduced to your GEM (guest experience maker). We were met by Amsood, who took us around the main areas of the resort and explained how the resort worked and all about the facilities.

As I’d been emailing about diving and water sports, he had already arranged to meet the dive center staff who were on hand to help understand my diving requirements. Next, we moved to spa treatments, and we had a 50-minute complimentary couples massage and booked this in.

Amsood explained about the many food outlets at the resort, and these are really where the resort excels.

The food options

The food options were truly outstanding.

Longitude serves breakfast, which is included in most rates you book. It’s a massive selection of food, from traditionally cooked breakfast to waffles and caramelized brioche and local Maldivian specialties.

My personal favorite was the wine cellar. Every morning, you could choose from a huge selection of cheeses and charcuterie, Sashimi, and fish, and that is just a small selection.

Leaf restaurant had a great 4-course tasting menu at $120++ per person with yellowfin Tuna and lobster linguini or Sip Sip, which had Tuna Tatar or Gazpacho soup and 2 for one cocktail at sunset and a nice pizza menu too.

This place is a foodie lover’s dream, and whatever your dietary requirements, nothing is a problem. You just have to ask your GEM, and they will arrange it.

The big attraction was the ice cream parlor, which had nearly 50 ice creams and sorbets, all free, and you are actively encouraged to try them all. Midday to 10.00pm so you can give it your best shot.

Bicycles for walking

The resort is walkable, but most people choose the bicycle you are given at the start of your holiday. Each bike has a little carved plaque with your initials on it, and the bike is yours throughout your stay. When you leave, you can take this plaque with you as a memento. If you want to walk, that’s fine. If it’s baking hot, there are pots every few 100m to cool your feet.

If that does not appeal, then simply call a buggy to take you wherever you want. There’s even an app, and you can do pretty much anything using this should you wish.

The level of attention to visitors is amazing

The level of attention to detail is truly remarkable. One night after dinner, it rained heavily, so we didn’t cycle back to our overwater villa and instead got a buggy to take us back. In the morning, we got up to call a buggy as we had left our bikes because of the rain, but our bikes had been brought back overnight and put outside for us.

Overview of our overwater villa

The villa servicing was brilliant and fresh, sparking and still, water whenever you needed it. As we had such an amazing view, we chose to have room service one night and sat watching the sun go down. Even the room service was exceptional.

My impressions of diving

I’m a keen diver, so I did spend a lot of the daytime diving and was not disappointed on any of the dives. I had a fantastic dive master called Kush, and quite a few of the dives ended up just being Kush and myself.

On one occasion, I met an amazing young marine biologist called Miriam, who was so passionate about the protection of sea life. I chatted to her about a multitude of issues the Maldives faced, and we talked at length about Manta Rays.

On my last few dives, we were lucky enough to see several, so this was one of the highlights of the holiday.

Final impressions of the Six Senses Laamu stay in the Maldives

I truly enjoyed every moment of the holiday and was really impressed with the level of care and attention taken by everyone there. Talking to other guests at the resort, it was hard to find anything that people felt could be better. The staff right across the resort are engaging and friendly. The social and ecological practices that you don’t often notice are clearly visible here, from homegrown produce to sustainable fishing, and engaging the local Maldivian people is a credit to just how well the resort is managed.

This is a luxury resort and will not suit everyone, but I felt very lucky to have been able to stay here as it’s not a cheap resort.

In November, which is a good time to go, there are some packages for 2, which include 14 spa/dive breakfast dinners and domestic transfers that will set you back £10k for 7 days 2 people. January will cost you double that.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!