smartline Eriyadu

With over three decades under its belt, Eriyadu Island Resort is one of the oldest properties in the Maldives. In the local Dhivehi language, the eponymous island name translates to mean “young coconut island," and true to form, there are plenty of coconut palms rustling in the sands. In fact, the resort has made a concerted effort to showcase only indigenous plants across the island, with minimal crafted landscaping, making for a very natural look and feel. Guests here are quiet and mostly keep to themselves, although there are several spots for social interaction, including the pool deck, game room, and large lounge bar. There are mostly couples, families with children, and, in the off-season, many Asian guests and groups. 

For its relatively old age, Eriyadu is in good shape, though, during our visit, just over half of the resort still had a dated look and feel. However, ownership is slowly trying to update the entire property by renovating some public spaces and, ever so slowly, giving the rooms a much-needed facelift. Unfortunately, for some spaces, like the lobby and dining room, updates only included a fresh coat of paint and contemporary wicker furniture, leaving in place many of the dated design and decor elements. Also, renovations here are expensive, which could explain the slow timeline at Eriyadu -- as well as the extra costs for Wi-Fi, speedboat-only transfers, and the absence of any free water in the rooms or otherwise. 

Eriyadu Island Resort is located in the northwest region of the North Male Atoll. Although this resort is far enough away from Male international airport to offer a pleasantly short seaplane ride, the only airport transfer option available is a 50-minute (in good weather) speedboat transfer. The island's location in the North Male Atoll makes it an ideal spot for divers who can access some of the Maldives' most well-known and explored diving spots. This area is reef heavy and characterized by plentiful fish, reef sharks, and even mantas. 

Eriyadu’s 76 rooms are broken up between Beach Club Rooms and Deluxe Beach Rooms. Renovation in 2014 gave a much-needed facelift to the latter, by way of faux light-walnut-paneled floors and matching, manufactured wood furniture for easy sand removal and a contemporary look. However, not all of these rooms have been renovated, so make sure to request a renovated room when booking. Until renovations are completed on the remaining Deluxe rooms, guests should expect great disparity between the two styles, most noticeably in the musty air, general wear and tear, and less cheerful vibe. 

The 16 Beach Club Rooms, added at the beginning of 2015, have the same contemporary decor and features as the renovated Deluxe rooms, though are slightly smaller. Surrounded by greenery and facing the beach, Beach Club Rooms also have small, wooden decks with patio furniture and two padded loungers in the sand. Beach Club Rooms have indoor bathrooms with walk-in rainfall showers, while Deluxe Beach Rooms have open-air bathrooms with showers and tubs, plus robes and slippers. All rooms have 32-inch flat-screen TVs, stocked minibars, coffee/tea facilities, air-conditioning, sitting areas, and balconies or verandas. Unlike at nearly all other Maldives resorts, there are no free waters in the rooms.  

Eriyadu has 475,000 square feet of land including loads of white-sand beach wrapped around the island, though most guests tend to congregate on the soft sands by the Beach Bar -- whether or not it's open. Here, the reef is easily accessible by simply walking out from the sand into the warm water. Many guests will venture out farther, but those who wade around waters ankle- to waist-deep could spot reef sharks at dusk. Otherwise, the entire island is surrounded by a fantastic house reef offering up-close-and-personal encounters with fish, coral, and, again, harmless reef sharks.

Eriyadu has two restaurants on the island. The main restaurant has open, indoor seating and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet style. There's a slightly smaller selection of items than at other resorts, though guests can also check out the all-day, a la carte menu with international dishes at the two-in-one Coffee Bar slash Blitz Bar. Seating is available on the large wooden deck or inside an open-air spaced under a vaulted roof; the venue has a vaguely New England maritime vibe. The kitchen here can arrange special dishes and private meals, and hosts food events like the live lobster barbecue. 

Technically, Eriyadu has four spots to grab drinks: the main restaurant, Blitz Bar (also called Coffee Bar), beach bar, and in-room minibars. Since the main restaurant only has a mealtime drink service, those looking for a bar atmosphere should head over to the Blitz Bar/Coffee Bar which has a pub-style feel, late evening happy hours, sea and sunset views, and a pool table lounge area. Cleverly designed menus are disguised as wooden bottles and barrels. Those looking to stay on the sand while having cocktails or soft drinks can head to the aptly named Beach Bar on the northern shore of the island, though there's no guarantee someone will be behind the bar to serve. Guests should note that all-inclusive plans do not include drinks at the Beach Bar -- or the in-room minibars, which are filled with international liquor, snacks, and soda brands.

One of Eriyadu’s most stunning features is the house reef. It's one of the better-quality spots in the region, reached by one of five channels, and offering 350-plus different marine life species. The crystal-clear waters and waist-level, high tide lagoon are also great opportunities to spot feeding reef sharks up to three feet long. All-inclusive guests each get a free hour of snorkeling equipment use from the Euro Dive Center per day; otherwise all equipment has a fee. A special treat are nighttime bioluminescent snorkel trips, when special UV lights and mask filters light up corals and other creatures in fluorescent colors. The third-party Dive Center also runs PADI-certification courses and several drive trips.

Other usual features include non-motorized water sports like canoeing, windsurfing, and standup paddleboarding; a small fitness center with cardio machines and weights; game room with ping- pong, pool, and darts; boutique selling jewelry, clothes, toiletries, and souvenirs; and lobby lending library. There’s also a small Balinese spa off the lobby with one double-bed treatment room.