You & Me Maldives

From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with the warmest hospitality. Our host Nattu was absolutely amazing – always kind, attentive, and ready to respond to every request we had with a smile. He truly made our stay effortless and unforgettable. Our villa was spacious, beautifully designed, and extremely comfortable, with housekeeping coming twice a day to make sure everything was spotless. The entire resort is so peaceful and perfectly maintained – a true paradise. The food was exceptional, and we loved the à la carte concept in each restaurant, which made every meal feel special and personalized. A big thank you to Jazz at the restaurant for her friendly attitude and impeccable service, and to Harry, who was equally professional and welcoming. The H2O underwater restaurant was an unforgettable experience – absolutely breathtaking and unique, both for the view and the cuisine. The island itself is magical – every detail is taken care of, and the staff’s genuine smiles make you feel at home in paradise. Everything was simply perfect, and we spent the most wonderful days here. We can’t wait to return!

What an incredible holiday. The hotel has its own lounge at the seaplane terminal where you wait for the 45min flight to Raa atoll in comfort. Met by Rafu, my holiday concierge, at the seaplane jetty on arrival at the resort, then shown round the island and dropped at my overwater bungalow by golf buggy. The island is small, you can walk around it in ten minutes, and surrounded by pictures-perfect white sand beach and azure sea. The bungalows are big, with AC, king size beds, excellent bathrooms and big private balconies with sun loungers, table and chairs, and a bathing platform and ladder with direct access to the sea. The accommodation all sits in a lagoon inside the protection of a reef, so sea swimming is very safe. The sea is warm and clear, 20+ metres visibility and warm enough to dive without a wetsuit. Food was excellent without exception. Service was outstanding from every member of staff. Rooms were kept immaculately clean. Excellent gym, sun beds, pool, bar. The resort is adults only and very much set up for couples but travelling solo was not an issue. Rafu was excellent, spoke fluent English, and went out of his way to make everything perfect. Anything off the all inclusive menu can be expensive, be it meals or trips, but not unreasonable given the remote location and the quality of what is provided. That said, with most things being included, there really is no need to pay for anything additional unless you really want to. I did a boat trip to see a pod of well over 50 dolphins play in the boat’s wake and perform acrobatics, visit an island devastated by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, and snorkel on a remote reef at a small uninhabited island; and two boat dives with the on-site SSI dive school and dive master Mohabbat Ali. I haven’t dived for nearly 20 years but the Maldives are as beautiful underwater as they are on land, so the first dive started off with a skills refresher. I’m old and out of practice so both dives were 15-18m for 50 minutes on sheltered reefs, yet were both thoroughly enjoyable. Mohabbat was an excellent dive master and displayed a wealth of knowledge… even saw a guitarfish and got to swim alongside a friendly turtle. (Mohabbat has some excellent videos and pictures on instagram.) In short, this holiday was nothing short of perfect, the only bad point being the necessity of coming home.

We had an absolutely amazing time at You & Me! The location is absolutely stunning, crystal clear water, white sand beaches & a view for days! The staff is incredible, our island host Yasir was fabulous, planning our days & offering options to suit our personal wants/needs! He was attentive and quick to respond to any questions. The team went above and beyond to make sure this was a trip of a lifetime for us!! The room was amazing, we had the aqua slide, and we enjoyed the private feel, view, and had a blast sliding into the water! It’s a quick snorkel out to the reef where we saw tons of aquatic life! Would absolutely recommend You & Me! We hope to come back one day!

I never know where to begin but will try and keep it brief and factual. This is my 8th visit to the Maldives, majority of which have been as a solo female traveller, and my 5th island visited. It has surpassed every expectation I had in the best way! As a solo female traveller I often choose the Maldives as I feel super safe and well looked after. This was the case here, more so even than I anticipated. This resort has won my heart and I could wax lyrical all day about it! I really was made to feel like family and that’s saying something Resort & accommodation - YNM is a small island cleverly designed with the majority of villas being overwater, to maximise space on the land. You can walk round it comfortably in 15 minutes. I stayed in a manta (lagoon sunrise) villa which was large, clean and super comfortable. I’d recommend sunrise for other ocean fanatics as sunset side is far choppier. There are a variety of villa types available but I personally don’t spend much time in them so am not too fussed - they could’ve put me in a tent and I’d have been happy! Reef/ocean - the house reef is a short boat ride away and is plentiful and diverse. I wish it was closer to the shore but they can’t control this. I am an ocean fanatic who spends most the day face down in the water and this is probably the most important thing for me when choosing an island. There are various decent spots around the island that are accessible and decent for snorkelling though which was a pleasant surprise and I saw everything you’d expect to here multiple times Staff - my word where to begin! EVERYONE here is exceptional but I’d like to pick out a few… My island host (excellent idea btw!) was Rafu and honestly, he was beyond amazing from the word go. Everything was super professional, quick service and he went above and beyond in every (often strange) request I had. He is a genuine soul who kept me entertained and I felt truly looked after for 14 days and I will never be able to repay him for making my experience so positive. He is one of the main reasons I will return. An exemplary host, so much so that friends I made also went to him if needed at times! If you’re going to YNM then ask for Rafu as your host, you won’t be disappointed. Thank you, my friend Rina (executive assistant manager) was equally superb and I think I’ve found a friend for life there truly. She always dines with each solo female guest (loved this and completely unexpected but welcomed) and I felt seen and heard with her at all times. She is superb at what she does and I was delighted to see a female senior manager here. She has a hard job but is a social butterfly that epitomises professionalism! Sincere thanks Rina, for everything (yes, even making me do karaoke!) Hoodh - thank you from the bottom of my heart for being an excellent manager and a credit to the resort. You treated me with kindness in a tough situation and I will never forget that F&B Team - all were truly amazing at what they do but special mentions to Rose, Delia, Shinnu, Yaan, Sony, Wasana, Harry, Sumit, Axumy, Jazz & Alan who stood out as superstars to me of F&B Water sports / Excursions - I did a couple of excursions and there’s plenty on offer. They’re all good fun and well-hosted, ask for the list in advance so you can plan. Some are a little pricey but this is common in the Maldives. Shout out to Anoof for all the laughs and exceptional customer service - you made the excursions even better! F&B - 5 restaurants, all of which were superb and one main bar, Cheers Bar. The AI option was diverse enough and all food and drinks left me beyond satisfied. Majority of food is a la carte which was a nice change from constant buffets that are common in the Maldives. Highly recommend all restaurants General - YNM is a beautiful island with exceptional staff and they truly make it the most perfect vacation for everyone. I had 11 days of sun out of 14 which for October is amazing, so I really got to experience this wonderful place in its fullest I will be back ASAP and my fiancée and I are looking to get married in the underwater restaurant (you HAVE to visit H2O if you’re coming here, expensive but worth every penny) soon So, thank you sincerely to all Team YNM and I hope these words encourage others to spend a well-earned vacation on your beautiful island. See you soon, friends!