This shark-shaped island is the third largest in the Maldives and is home to a main resort and an additional elite mini-resort named ‘Sangu’, which is located in the quiet west tip of the island. Sangu guests have their own reception, bar and restaurant so there is no need for them to stray from their corner if they so wish. The buildings in Sangu are beautifully constructed with re-used coral and thatch, and if you are seeking peace and quiet then Sangu will definitely suit.
The whole resort of Kuredu has seen a significant upgrade in terms of facilities and standards in the last few years, and this has of course, pushed the price up steadily for some of the accommodation. However, the resort does caters for a range of budgets and allows for completely different types of holiday, whether you want peace and quiet in a stylish setting, or an active sport-based trip. The resort is as popular as ever, even if the average age of the guests has increased somewhat due to the prices. The main public area of the resort is placed in the center of the southern side of the island where you will find the pool, bar and reception, volleyball court and the main center for water sports in the shallows of the lagoon.
Accommodation
The Over Water Suites are the top rooms here and this includes having the best aspect for watching the sunset, followed by the Water Villas. These rooms are within easy access of the reef which offers excellent snorkeling. The Jacuzzi Beach Villas on the south side of the island don’t have as good access to the reef but make up for this with direct access to fine sandy beach and direct sun all day. The south side has one of the longest and widest stretches of beach to be found in the Maldives, and this is where you also find the Kuredu Villas.
The north side of the resort is where the Beach Bungalows are located. This side of the island faces away foam the atoll towards open sea and because of this the beach suffers erosion and is not the best on the island despite the groynes and sea walls put in place.
Activities
The water sports center here at Kuredu is probably the largest in the country and is certainly one of the most active I have seen. A lot of this is due to the free equipment and tuition on offer. You can have a free introduction to windsurfing, catamaran sailing and/or kiteboarding and then use the equipment free of charge. Canoes are free and there is a great range of motor sports: wakeboarding, waterskiing, banana boat and tubes.
The dive center here is one, if not thee, biggest in the country with a good stock of equipment and a well qualified team of fun-loving dive staff. In terms of diving this resort is probably only rivalled within the Maldives by the Gold Palm diving Bandos island resort. There is a good range of divers here from open water novices to experienced sport divers who know exactly what they wish to see, but the center is so well-organised that everyone can get what they wish out of the diving here without issue. The snorkeling is very well organized here too, unlike some of the other larger resorts, with free daily lessons and half-day and full-day snorkel trips at carefully chosen marine-rich spots.
Tips
If you opt for a Beach Bungalow then try and secure one in the low numbers. They are numbered from 300 upwards so numbers 300-315 are the best in our opinion since, as well as being the most reasonably priced rooms on the island,these few have the best access to the reef and have a quiet, private little beach area
Although having a golf course seems contradictory to the whole idea of this type of holiday, the 6-hole course here really works and allows you to see a secluded inner part of the island that you wouldn’t generally see unless you paid a visit. It also has a little ’seventh hole’ where you can relax afterwards with a refreshing drink