Our holiday was from 3 September until 14th September 2024.
After deciding on the Maldives for our family holiday, we set about trying to find the best accommodation for us and what we were looking for from our holiday.
Travelling was myself and my Husband, and our six children, aged 9, 10, 11, 12, 18 and 24.
We knew we didn’t want any kind of party island. We knew we didn’t want somewhere too big as our children can be wanderers.
After watching many YouTube videos, we decided on Oblu Select Sangeli.
We booked two beach rooms with pools. We requested these be as close to each other as possible.
We opted for the Serenity plan to make life easier once we were there.
On arrival, after a long journey from the UK, we had a lovely welcome from the staff. It was such a genuine welcome and of course I was crying. It really meant a lot.
After a short welcome meeting, we were taken to our rooms which were next to each other. We had rooms 207 and 208.
The kids all jumped into the pool with their clothes on. I’m glad they did as it revived them from their tiredness meaning they could carry on until evening time without needing a nap. Our cases came an hour later - I did need to phone and ask for them so the children could get changed. The came immediately afterwards.
The rooms were spotless, with a lovely welcome message on the bed.

I’m just going to dive right in and say that being in the Maldives, with its golden sands and beautiful waters really was magical, but what made our holiday absolutely beyond anything we could’ve imagined, was the staff.
We were treated like royalty on our visit. We were involved in everything that went on during our 10 days. My children, especially the four younger ones, were treated like friends. They were looked after, they were always given a warm welcome by everyone.

The bar staff - What can I say about this team?! Mahdi and Luhiru both went out of their way for all of us. Arranging a family night on the beach. Involving the children in the Tuna on the surf. Having pictures with us on management night. Allowing my kids to make their own mocktails days before we left. They really rolled out the red carpet for us. They got really involved with all of us. Always hi fives with the kids. Always making time to have a conversation and asking if they could do any more for us. Mahdi made us some beautiful handmade gifts to take home which was so thoughtful. Two days before we left, we had to pack so didn’t make the pool that day and Luhiru actually brought along some beers and a bottle of Prosecco to our room to make sure we were okay and to let us know they were thinking of us. Although I’m mentioning two names here, all of the bar staff, including the lady, were all fantastic in every single way. Always happy and friendly.

The restaurant - All of the staff again, really made such an effort with our family. We are a very fussy family and don’t eat much other than what we know. It’s just who we are! The staff all knew on a daily basis what to make for us so my children actually ate. When they seen me trying to carry 3 plates. They were right over to take them off me to help. They were always saying hello, always smiling and welcoming and nothing at all was too much hassle. The amount of fries and pancakes my children went through - I’d say we well had our moneys worth! I’m not good with names but Vijay was who my Daughter remembered and a beautiful girl called Sahiba, who had the most beautiful smile. We were genuinely so blessed to have all of the staff involved during our stay. The food was varied and some theme nights did occur. There was always a ‘special’ being cooked and the naan bread maker was a gem. The head chef was always on hand incase we needed anything different or more of anything.

The kids club - The four younger children attended the kids club a few times during our stay. They really enjoyed it. A nice cool place to get out of the heat and three lovely girls who looked after them while they were there. Their names were Kelly, Nizaha and Shaha. The day before the children left, they brought my children a goody bag to say goodbye. I thought that was such a beautiful thing to do. The staff at the kids club had a lot of time for my children and on our departure, we had already said our goodbyes however, the staff came running to the speedboat to wave to us as we were leaving - such a beautiful touch.

The Spa - The serenity plan gave us adults two treatment each during our stay. I had two facials. They were both different but very enjoyable. My husband had the massage both times which he really enjoyed. My two older daughters had a variety of treatments which they really enjoyed too. The staff were so sweet. Really put us at ease. The surroundings were so peaceful and tranquil.

Just Wok and Just Grill - These places were absolutely amazing. They were very welcomed and came at the right time. Sometimes the buffet can become a bit monotonous, especially when you’re having the same meal every time. The service at both of these places was wonderful. The food was absolutely delicious. A really lovely change. We had the Just Wok one time, and the Just Grill on two occasions. The staff at both of these outlets were fantastic - I know it’s the same staff in rotation but again they went out of their way to make my Daughter chicken nuggets, and one lovely member of staff made my Son a fishing hook out of leaves!

Trips - included in our plan was a couple of trips. The first one was a snorkel trip. We were on the boat for maybe 15mins then had around 30mins to snorkel then had to head back. I seen a shark but I think I was the only one! This trip felt so rushed and constantly being told to stay together. Felt a bit like a pack of sardines. Overall I enjoyed being in the open water but it wasn’t enough time.
The second trip was the sunset fishing cruise. We aren’t into fishing so myself and my older daughter stayed on top of the boat just taking in our surroundings - this was actually the best sunset in our 10 days so we were very fortunate. The others had a go and my 12 year old was the only one to catch a fish. Of course it got put straight back into sea. The children seemed to enjoy it. We adults just enjoyed the location and peacefulness of the trip.
We also paid to go on the nurse shark snorkelling trip. This was advertised as a 3 hour trip. We had also paid to hire a go pro for that day as well to get some footage of the reefs at the accommodation plus to take it on the trip. What we weren’t told was it was around an hour to get there, therefore an hour to get back. Once you’re on the island, it’s a derelict place, looks dirty although I think it’s a work in progress. The step from the boat to land is massive and my Husband actually tripped causing his foot to bleed and all the skin come off his toe. He has a bad left knee so a small ramp should be provided otherwise this information should be available before booking.
The time it took to get off the boat, on the buggy to get to the small enclosed sea pool, the time it took to get the snorkelling equipment on, the time to get down the stairs, you didn’t even have 40mins to swim with the sharks. I had even less time as they had forgot to put a battery in the go pro I had ordered and paid for to take on the trip. I wasn’t happy at all. The lady who booked us gave me her phone case to use but the water was pretty murky and the footage wasn’t good at all.
It was nice to see the sharks and be close but again this trip was as so rushed. Constantly being told to stay away from the sharks despite the water carrying you in ways you’re not choosing to go. The snorkel equipment was poor and the kids got fed up and a couple of them left the water early. I broke a nail grabbing on to the stairs out the water as they are so steep. Once we were out we were given a drink and while drinking we were ordered back on the buggy to get back to the boat. It was actually more of a hassle than a pleasure. I don’t like being rushed, especially with having the children and that’s what this was. It wasn’t a cheap trip either. The best part of this trip was the boat ride home. Myself and all 6 children were on the top of the boat. We were going through a storm - it was raining and lightening, it was crazy waves being thrown over the place. We had to lie down flat for a good bit of the time but we had so much fun. The boat was being pushed about quite a bit so they had to slow it down so it took longer to get back. That bit was the best bit of the day.

The beach - stunning to look at. We took beach shoes with us and I’m glad we did as standing all over the tiny broken shells really was sore at times. As was bashing your feet off the coral in the sea so I would recommend a good pair of these if you are entering the water via the beach.
The chute was open daily for 2 hours - 10am til midday. The children enjoyed this.
The snorkelling was lovely but the equipment again, not so good, but so many fish to see.
The sea was quite rough during our visit, expected for the time we visited but it didn’t stop us going in. The children did need supervised though.

The pool - we had a lot of fun in the pool and it was never overly busy. A lovely temperature and plenty of space.

Entertainment - we seen a lot of entertainment during our stay. Traditional Maldivian nights. An annual Maldivian party. Management meeting. Saxophonist. Singers. DJ. We loved it all and try to involve ourselves in it all if possible. The pool parties were so much fun. We even took part on this on our final day just hours before we left. The entertainment was enough without being overwhelming or in your face. For us it was the perfect blend.

The room - it was just lovely. The bed was massive and so comfy. The children had single beds made up at each end of the room and they also said the beds were comfy. We had a fridge which was refilled daily if needed. There was not bad storage for clothes and places to put cases. The bathroom was stunning but oh so hot. I would’ve loved to use the bath but never found the time. The shower was great and used frequently. Such a novelty to have an outdoor bathroom and it was one or the things that swayed me towards this hotel.

The pool at the room - Im so glad we had the pools. We didn't use them every day but it was great to know they were there for when we needed them. sometimes we just had a pool morning instead of going along to the main pool. I brought blow up rings and toys to use.

Housekeeping - Gokana was our housekeeper and what a housekeeper he was. He had our room and beds spotless twice a day. Sweeping outside (as did someone else rake the sand) he was brilliant at his job. Nothing was too much trouble for him either when our coffee machine started leaking. A lovely gentleman.

Overall - We all loved this once in a lifetime holiday. We never thought we would experience a holiday to the Maldives. Especially with all of our children. We made so many memories. We met some really nice people too - the family from England who arrived the same day as us. Then an Indian couple with baby Noor who we spent some time with before they left. And some others along the way. We feel so privileged and fortunate to have chosen this island. The staff made our holiday, and I cannot emphasise this enough. It really is a five star resort in so many ways. Just because we didn’t eat much of the food - doesn’t mean it wasn’t lovely and that there wasn’t variety as there was plenty of variety.
People seemed to have a variation of stays here from 3 day stays to 10 days stay like us. Depending on where you’re from.
Our trip home including stopover times was 22 hours. It was so long but it was so worth it.
We even got our room time extended to 5pm on our day of leaving which was another lovely touch. We also got to eat and drink too. The restaurant even designed our table with lovely goodbye messages written in sand.
We could not fault this place and wouldn’t hesitate recommending it to anyone thinking of going to the Maldives.
If I had one wish. It would be for a non smoking area outside. There was a few days when the amount of smoking around us got so unbearable, we had to go back to the room. I’m from Scotland so smoking isn’t in your face anymore as it’s banned in public spaces. Just a thought for the future.

One thing we did notice on a few occasions was some other guests and their attitude towards the staff. Snapping fingers to get someone’s attention, not looking at staff when they’re talking to you and actually making demands. To me, that’s rude and no need for it. These people are not less than you. However, they remained smiling and acted professionally at all times. It wouldn’t be me!