Diamonds Thudufushi

Built in 1990, Italian-owned Diamonds Thudufushi does an impressive job of not appearing its age. Like its sister property, it features simple (but upscale) all-white decor and, while perhaps the TV lounge needs a little updating, the overall look is well-maintained.

Thudufushi is on a slightly larger island than Athuruga, giving it a less private feel, but opening it up for a more social atmosphere. The beach here is also a bit smaller with less space to lounge, especially when the tide gets high. However, Thudufushi has three things Athuruga lacks: a Junior Suite room category, a gym (albeit a small one), and a speedboat. Drawbacks to the well-organized and tightly run ship you'll find here include assigned dining seating based on your room type and number, fairly rigid opening and closing times for bars and restaurants, and a twice-weekly, island-wide chemical fumigation targeting mosquitoes. However, the vibe is light and fun with a high concentration of Italian guests and couples. 

Thudufuhsi is located on a small island in the South Ari Atoll, surrounded by a shallow lagoon with a house reef that’s good for spotting colorful and stripy fish. Thanks to its open-water location in the Atoll, the island is subject to rougher water and large, constant waves -- which is a nice draw for larger marine life, like turtles. Thudufushi guests can take a scenic 25-minute seaplane journey south from the Male airport to reach the island. 

All 71 of Thudufushi's rooms have beautiful, unfinished hardwood floors, simple white furniture, and king-size beds. Standard room features include minibars, coffee and tea facilities, life jackets, hairdryers, iPod dock (with iPods on-request), umbrellas and private outdoor space with ocean views. Some rooms have beautiful herringbone hardwood floors and modern, faux-tortoise shell lampshades. All bathrooms have bidets, bathrobes, rainfall showerheads, and organic Ayurvedic bath products -- but surprisingly no conditioner or makeup mirrors.

Beach Bungalows and Junior Suites have fully outdoor bathrooms with bowl sinks and stylishly rustic privacy walls made from rough coral stones and cement. These rooms also have their own personal beachfront decks with contemporary furniture and sets of loungers in the sand. Upgrading to a Water Villa gets you a la carte dining, direct access to the sea via a ladder on the deck, alcohol in the minibar, and a personal iMac computers -- but you lose the outdoor shower and sand at your door that other rooms have; some Water Villas also have whirlpool tubs. The property’s four Water Villa Suites are paired off into separated units that share an infinity pool and large deck with personal couches and loungers.

For an island, there’s not much of a beach here. Though there is a wide bit of sand off the Beach Bungalows and Junior Suites, the resort’s public beach is slightly more pared down. Located in between the arrival jetty and long promenade to the water villas, the soft sand beach area is home to just a few wide white wicker loungers and a volleyball net. Like many islands, as the day wears on and the tide comes in, the beach area diminishes. 

At Diamonds Thudufushi there are two restaurants, both with their own bars. For the most part, seats in the dining room are dictated by room category, with Water Villa guests assigned to the slightly more chic overwater Water Villa Restaurant, and Beach Bungalow and Junior Suite guests filling the main restaurant. While the Water Villa guests are welcome to dine buffet-style at the main restaurant (with advanced notice), guests of lower category rooms must pay an additional fee to dine a la carte at the Water Villa Restaurant. 

Items on the buffet range from carpaccio, curry, and a salad station to Italian staples like pasta and risotto. At dinnertime, food is often served with a side of entertainment like live music, tunes, and snorkel slideshows. The vibe is casual with many guests choosing to dine barefoot. The Water Villa Restaurant feels a big classier than the buffet, and features international a la carte dishes and a selection of wines.

Included in the all-inclusive package are daily teatime snacks like sandwiches and pastries, served at the beach bar. 

Outside of the bar service inside the resort's two restaurants, Thudufushi has one main bar. This beachside spot is in an open-air palapa with raised hardwood floors; it has a slick modern-style, all-white bar with block stools on one side, and a few black and white couches. This casual, simple, and stylish spot overlooks the wide stretch of beach and blue waters and is open all day into the late evening. The bar has a nice selection of cocktails, mocktails, hot teas, and international wines and spirits. Top-shelf booze and premium wines are an additional cost, though the all-inclusive plan includes well booze, select international wines, and Sri Lanka’s Lion beer on draught.

Some resorts define all-inclusive as covering three meals a day and a few typical drinks. Not Diamonds Thudufushi; over here you'll find that all-inclusive truly is (well, nearly) all-inclusive. Beyond the covered meals, snacks, and drinks, Thudufushi guests also get free Wi-Fi in the reception area (it's also free in higher-level Water Villas), free use of non-motorized water sports like canoeing or windsurfing, a free guided snorkel tour around the island, a free tour to the local fisherman's island, free use of snorkeling equipment for personal use, and a free daily kids program. There's also the great hard-to-find perk of free laundry service, and minibars are restocked with freebies daily.

Located in the central pavilion area just off the lobby you’ll find most of the resort’s extra features, like a medical clinic, dive shop, gym, and large souvenir boutique. There’s also a non-atmospheric TV room with a flat-screen TV (and limited channels), internet station, Wii, couches, and lending library. The tiny fitness room will disappoint most gym rats with its tiny dimensions and limited features -- just a singular treadmill, well-used yoga mat, free weights, and two machines. Next door there’s a breezy game room with foosball and a smaller-than-regulation pool table. 

Some of the more unique features include an on-site tailor and a dedicated Fishing Club that gives guests opportunities to cast a line, be it deep-sea or during sunset. The watersports center is beachside and has all the usual activities and gear from snorkeling to canoeing, plus a few extras like wakeboarding. For those who want to cash in on relaxation, there’s a garden-set Serene Spa with rustic vibe and Ayurvedic treatments where you’ll find thatched doors, open-air hut treatment rooms with large but basic showers, and small nail care room with an open fourth wall.

Though there are no TVs in rooms and cell service can be patchy, there’s free Wi-Fi in the public spaces and higher-category Water Villas.

Free activities include a guided snorkel tour around the house reef twice a day, group exercise classes, and nightly entertainment ranging from live music to karaoke -- though paying extra for island hopping, fishing, snorkeling, diving outside the house reef, and other excursions is also an option.