Finimas Residence | House in Thimarafushi, Thaa Atoll

Positive: The staff was absolutely wonderful. Ahmed, the owner, happened to be on Male when I was transferring through and he helped me adjust the booking with reimbursement since it was a Friday. He met me early the next morning to ensure I was safely on the ferry and he messaged with me on WhatsApp throughout my entire trip, arranging things like contacts for excursions, a speedboat, and even an entire flight for me when the sea was rough. He setup a safe taxi for me (solo female) while on Male who kept my luggage for me as well. The staff in the guest house, 2 ladies that were always available either at reception or by WhatsApp. Very professional and helpful. They also organized a laundry service for me for 10 dollars that came back very clean, dried and pressed. The ladies greeted me with a fresh coconut when I checked in which was a very nice touch. They organized a pickup from the harbor and a dropoff to the tiny airport for free. The house is on a very remote island (took us 4 hours by speedboat from Male) that was rebuilt after the tsunami 20 years ago. The streets are clean but mostly sand. There's a bikini beach nearby and a few public beaches where you need to wear modest clothing. The food was very tasty in the guest house. I loved the Maldivian breakfast with tuna, and the cheese omelettes in the morning. They also make fresh juices. I sampled my way through most of the menu for lunches and dinners and liked pretty much everything. Very affordable, made fresh to order and not too spicy. My guest room had its own (wet) bathroom, great air conditioning and a very comfortable queen size mattress with many comfy pillows. They cleaned my room and replaced linens as often as I asked for it. I worked remotely from here and the wifi was surprisingly fantastic! Life is slow and sweet here. I would definitely come back.

Negative: The furniture in the room is quite outdated, but it's functional. The terrace furniture outside is either plastic or metal with no cushions to use so it's not very comfortable for chilling around. They were doing some construction on the house while I was there, building a nice new set of stairs and guardrail. Therefore there was quite a lot of dust and noise during the daytime while I was trying to work. We made do and they took breaks and I took some as well at the local restaurant Mikado Lounge (definitely recommend). But that also means that until this construction and guardrail is finished, it's not up to code and can be dangerous to use the stairs if you're not steady on your feet or with small children. There's an indoor staircase option as well that leads to other rooms. I think it will be quite nice once it's done! The dining area is small but all I needed, with plastic chairs and small tables. They always had water for me and I could order à la carte and for whatever times I wanted. However the stairs leading to the dining area are precarious - reminded me of a navy ship and I had to climb them backwards down and holding the railing so as not to fall. For me it was an adventure but keep in mind again if you're not steady on your feet or with small children. The dining area, being an addition on the rooftop, means that you have to cross a short part of the rooftop that isn't covered. That doesn't matter except it was raining a lot while I was there and I had to cover my book so it didn't get soaked while walking to dinner. The sandy streets were flooded most of the time I was there so I had to wade through them to go anywhere. Not the guest house's fault of course! In fact, I didn't see any leaks or water puddling during all the rain except that the outdoor stairs and covered terrace were very wet and slippery so just be aware.

Positive: Everything Ahmed has been very helpful and reactive all the time, even before we booked the accomodation. He was always there for us when we needed, always doing everything he could to make this stay unforgettable. The girls cooked for us some delicious food, always with the smile and they made our room every morning very clean and nice. The guys on the boat to take us surfing were super friendly, always ready to take us to different spots at whatever time we will ask. They even took us surfing 1h30 away from the island! They took some very nice pictures of us surfing with our camera, spending hours doing it in the heat. I was amazed.. The bbq they made for us at the beach was delicious!! Thanks so much to all of you to have made this holidays epic! Oh and the room we had was super big!! We didn't expect that at all for the price..

Negative: Nothing, everything was awesome

Positive: This is a great place to stay. The island isn’t swarmed by tourist as it is quiet far out, which does make it more expensive to get to, however once you are there it is very cheap. This company offered us great activities for really cheap prices, we went dolphins watching on a boat which was magical and cost about £10 when we went to a different island later on they tried charging £70 for the same activity. The staff are friendly and they serve food on the top floor of the hotel. There is also another hotel on the island which has a pool table and other pub games. Everyone met here on a nightly bases and it had a real sense of community.

Negative: No faults. The girls were great they just didn’t understand when I wanted plain pasta with cheese.

Positive: Nice

Negative: Nice

Positive: Very nice, friendly staff Helped me a lot with flights arrangement There’s everything you need in a room

Negative: I think, everything is fine

Positive: Just about everything! The accommodation was excellent. Good size bedrooms, comfortable beds, ac and fan, covered spot to put surfboards away. The staff are amazing, the girls (Bidi and Rose)are just incredible! Always happy, organized, and cook super well. The captains know the surf spots very well and are super ok to help with photos! Ahmed made us feel welcomed and help us in many ways with ferry tickets to other islands and accommodation. Everyone is always helpful and friendly. The island is beautiful, of course the plastic is a problem like other islands, but I'm sure the council has a plan to fix it soon. The surf spots are incredible! Three surf spots just around... Only one for beginners !

Negative: When we have to leave....