9th Anniversary Celebration - Maldives August 2011 Part IV

Continued from Introduction, Male, Seaplane Transfer and Land/Seascape and Accommodation.

Food at Hilton Iru Fushi

There are 10 Restaurants and Bars on Hilton Iru Fushi and in addition In-Villa Dining as well as Destination Dining. For our travel package, we opted for only breakfast inclusive. There's half board meal plan available but the price wasn't attractive and usually limited to the main restaurant and buffet only. We thought that it would be more interesting to try different restaurants on the island, and we weren't keen in buffets either.

Food and beverage is certainly not cheap on the island, as many travellers have forewarned. A bowl of ramen noodles could easily cost more than USD20. Understandably so since everything had to be imported. We spent USD60 to 200 for each meal, depending on what we ordered. Some food portions were quite big so for those with small appetite, sharing a main and sides could be an option. Anyway since we were on holiday, no point being too calculative.

One very important note though, due to limited capacity, it's advisable to make reservations one day ahead or at least early in the morning. Somehow, the restaurants were always fully booked and we had some trouble getting the restaurants and timeslots we wanted. The phone reservation staff wasn't very helpful and everytime we called, either no one picked up and we were asked to call another number. It was only towards the second last day that we realised there is actually a restaurant reservation counter at the main restaurant where we had breakfast. Our host didn't inform us about such a service during our check-in :(

Anyways, here's sharing some of the restaurants and food we had.

Bamboo is an Asian-style light fare on the deck featuring moodles, dim sum, sushi and sashimi; open for lunch and dinner. We had two meals here, dinner on the last night and lunch on the third day.

A very small restaurant with open concept kitchen. When weather permits, alfresco seating available.

During our first night, we walked-in for dinner at 5.30pm as we were famished but the restaurant won't open till 6pm. They really had a strict policy about opening hours! So we requested for reservation and were told that the restaurant was fully booked till 8pm! We had no choice but to go back to our villa first as all restaurants won't open till 6pm anyway. Two other places we wanted were also fully booked; we didn't want buffet nor in-villa dining. Hence decided to call Bamboo to try our luck, since there was a thunderstorm and other guests may probably delay going out :p As predicted, we could go in at 6.30pm! It's quite pathetic such situations could happen as we were the paying guests!

Anyways, we ordered a small sushi and sashimi platter for sharing. The sashimi was quite fresh.

Since it was raining, I opted for a hot bowl of chicken ramen to warm my tummy. The serving was huge. Taste-wise it was definitely not the authentic Jap ramen, but the broth was still not bad.

Hubby had a bowl of Chow Mein (Hong Kong style fried noodles), which I think he didn't like it very much. Haha.

Hubby ordered a sticky rice and mango dessert, whereas I had a bowl of fresh fruits.

Lunch on our third day. We just returned from diving and were famished :)

I had a bowl of tempura soba, which to my surprise, the soba was fried instead of in soup. And the tempura was laid over the soba, how interesting. Anyway, the taste was ok and once again I couldn't finish the entire serving.

Hubby had Thai Red Curry with rice and it was quite yummy, thick, creamy but not too spicy.

Next, Iru Restaurant, a casual buffet dining with tropical island flair; open for breakfast and dinner. We only had our buffet breakfast there. The first night we arrived, there was a Maldivian themed buffet, but we weren't really keen in buffets so didn't go in. Come to think of it, we should have tried the buffet since we won't get any chance of trying Maldivian food again.

The restaurant was huge with two separate areas of seating, according to one's preference.

A kid's corner was available but basically just taking some of the items from the main buffet.

Spread of the breakfast was pretty reasonable, with the usual bread and pastry, cereal, cold cuts, salads, juices, milk, yogurt, hot selections, fruits...

They have a large selection of pastries.

Fried noodles freshly cooked to order.

Ever popular egg station.

Pancakes, french toast, waffles.

I ordered a plate of fried noodles and surprisingly glass noodles was used and the taste was quite good.

Spread of what I ate over the next few breakfasts. There was this sausage-lookalike food which was actually fried dough. Funny that I thought it was sausage and doused chilli sauce over it :p

The pastries were ok, I thought I could make better. Haha :p

Overall, we were quite satisfied with the variety and quality, although we have had better buffet breakfasts elsewhere.

Fluid - Chilled drinks and 'light fare'around a pool with a jungle atmosphere; all day dining. We had lunch here on our second day.

The pizza was good!! Thinly crusted oozing with cheese. We liked!

Couldn't remember what drink this was, I think some lychee lime juice hubby ordered.

Hubby ordered a beef burger and it was huge. We could have just ordered one pizza to share as the portions were really big here. The beef patty was a tad dry. What I liked was these cute little bottles of ketchup and mayonnaise that came along with the orders. Kawaii!

Islander's Grill - Intriguing epicurean selections; open for lunch and dinner. We had dinner here on the second night. The seafood was highly recommended by many reviewers on Tripadvisor, so we decided to give the grilled seafood here a try.

Too bad the it was raining during that night, otherwise we could have a chance to dine alfresco on the beach. On second thoughts, maybe not since it might get too windy?

The complimentary breads were yummy, had to stop myself from eating more else no room for the main course later.

We ordered the seafood platter for two, which consisted of one lobster, two flower crab, four prawns, four osyters, some squid and two yellow fin tuna steak. Overall, the seafood wasn't very fresh and hence this platter which cost USD120 wasn't really worth it. The only saving grace was the yellow fin tuna steak which was juicy, sweet and bouncy. It was a bit like chicken but much smoother texture. Should have just ordered the yellow fin tuna steak. We also had two sides of mixed salad and mashed potatoes to go along with the main course.

In-Villa Dining, round the clock. We decided to order from the In-Villa Menu on the third day, as we were rather exhausted and lazy to go out after the villa shifting saga.

Hubby ordered this creamy pasta (couldn't remember what it was now), not bad.

Whereas I ordered a simple Club Sandwich. Couldn't go wrong with a sandwich right? Well, the bread was a little hard and dry but the innards were not bad, and fries! Fries (transfat) would always be a saviour.

As well as a Sticky Date Pudding. Oh, this was yummy! Moist, rich and sweet with a creamy vanilla sauce.

Reflections - Bliss zone by day, chill out spot by sunset. Snack from morning till evening. We came here on our fourth day for a mid afternoon snack. Had a very heavy breakfast and didn't take lunch, so felt a little peckish by mid afternoon.

I ordered a mango orange yogurt smoothie, whereas hubby, a Fanta Orange :D The cheery yellow and orange reflected the great sunshine we had that afternoon.

For snack, we ordered a plate of deep fried vegetable spring roll. Oh I must say these spring rolls tasted really good, especially with the sweet chilli sauce; crispy on the outside, moist, crunchy and savory inside.

The Trio - Food, wine, great ambience inspired by the Mediterranean. Open for dinner. We had dinner here on our final night. Had trouble booking the previous nights as the seating capacity was very limited.

Ambience was quite good.

This Consommé was complimentary before start of our dinner. Warmed our stomach and body as it was raining and quite cold.

As usual the breads were yummy, especially with EVOO and vinegar.

I ordered Lamb Chop with Risotto, which was quite nicely done, juicy and succulent.

Whereas hubby ordered a beef steak. He claimed that it was so-so only.

There is another restaurant, Flavours which features Asian and Far East culinary extravaganza, but was unfortunately closed during the period of our stay.

In conclusion, we found the choices of dining quite limited on the island, given that Flavours Restaurant was closed. In addition, the food quality didn't really blow us away. With the high costs, we would expect better quality but maybe we were just overly discerning.

Stay tuned for the final post on Activities - Spa & Diving!

9th Anniversary Celebration - Maldives August 2011 Part III

Continued from Introduction and Male, Seaplane Transfer & Land/Seascape of Hilton Iru Fushi.

Accommodation - Beach Villa, Water Villa and Infinity Water Villa

As mentioned, we stayed two nights at a Beach Villa, and two nights at a Water Villa. There are other types of villas available which include private pool but we reckon it's not necessary when there is the sea and also two public pools on the island.

The Beach Villa is made up of two circular buildings, one big and one small, with a dome-shaped thatched roof. Each villa also comes with a private pavilion.

Our unit is not located next to the beach (unlike the above photo), we've got to go through a short hidden path before hitting the beach, which allows more privacy.

That's our private pavilion, which we didn't get to use at all, since weather wasn't very good during our stay in the beach villa. I believe it would be nice to laze around the pavilion which overlooks the beach and sea while enjoying a cuppa and good book.

A lounge area outside the villa, which we also didn't use.

The comfortable bed, which was heavenly.

Customised furniture to fit the unique circular structure of the villa. Full set of amenities are provided like mini bar (chargeable), drinking water (two free bottles a day), coffee and tea making facilities.

Another lounge area inside the villa itself which we made use most often.

Huge bathroom, with a jacuzzi bathtub and yet another lounge sofa. Haha, the idea here is to laze around wherever we are in the villa. The jacuzzi bathtub was great as it's deep and spacious :)

His and hers wash areas, no more fighting for space :p The indoor shower and toilet are located below both wash areas respectively.

A trolley of bath amenities. The toiletries supplied here are from Crabtree & Evelyn.

There's even an outdoor open-air shower area.

Wardrobe and dressing area, with access to the bathroom.

All in all, we were very satisfied with the Beach Villa, which was well-appointed and offered very luxurious space and facilities.

That said, we looked forward to our shift to the water villa on our third day, since it offers another different type of lodging experience. Nevertheless, the shift wasn't a pleasant one but fortunately turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

On the morning of the third day, we went diving and won't be back till after 1pm which was the check-out time for our beach villa (in order to check-in to our water villa). We requested for a late check-out of the beach villa but was turned down (due to full occupancy, which was bulls*** we thought). We had no choice but to check-out early in the morning, just before we went for our dives. The front office assured us that our water villa would be ready by 1pm, and that our luggage (which we packed and left in the beach villa) would be sent directly to the water villa by then too. Ok,we trusted them since this is supposed to be a basic service, yes?

So we happily went for our dives and was back by 12+pm, and we went for lunch first. By 1+pm, we were done and proceeded to the reception/front office to check-in for our water villa. We asked if our luggage was in the villa already and the staff said yes. Then a buggy was arranged to send us to our water villa.

To our dismay, our luggage were not in the villa :( The staff said they would check and send them immediately. So I took the opportunity to take photos of the villa while waiting.

There's a living room.

The king-size bed which opens to the balcony.

The signature "glass-hole" on the floor which peers into the sea.

A large bathtub overlooking the sea. I was already looking foward to my bath since I was all sticky and uncomfortable after the diving in the morning.

The bathroom was quite spacious with a sofa set.

The balcony, with lounge sofa.

Sunbathing deck chairs and seating area.

Platform and stairs which lead directly into the sea :)

20 mins past while I happily explored the villa and our luggage has still not arrived. So we called the reception and the staff told us that they were actually sent to the wrong villa and someone would be going to that villa to get them; and please give them another 15 mins. We were like huh??

In addition to our woes, the air-conditioning wasn't working properly and we requested the reception to send a staff to check as well. After waiting for another 15 mins, our luggage were still not here, neither were there any staff to check the air-con. We called the reception again, and the staff told us the guests were Chinese-speaking and they couldn't communicate??? They would send a staff to bring us to that villa to get back our luggage. By then we were exasperated as we were hot and sticky from the diving and malfunctioned air-con and nothing to change into. We waited for 10 mins but no staff came, so we took matters to our own hands and walked to the villa which was a few units away (we called the reception to ask) to ask. The guests told us our luggage were not there. They were quite helpful and told us, probably could check with their friends since they checked in as a group. So we walked under the hot sun to two other villas which were some distance away, and once again, no luggage! By then, we were fuming. I was getting flustered as we had a spa appointment in 30 mins' time, and we certainly had to bath and change before that.

I called the reception, blasted at the receptionist and demanded to see the General Manager of the resort. The call was somehow cut off and I called again. The receptionist gave some excuse that the GM was in a meeting. Then the front office manager took over and promised to look into the matter (of both the missing luggage and malfunctioning air-con). Finally after 10 more mins, our luggage arrived. We told the buggy to wait for us and hastily bathed/changed before heading to the spa, just in time.

BUT upon returned to the villa after the spa, we discovered that the air-con was still not working. Once again, we got worked up since the front office manager had promised that it would be fixed during the hour that we were away. Once again, we called the front office and the staff said they needed to check again. So we waited for 10 mins before a staff appeared who told us that the air-con was working! We were flabbergasted. I called the front office again and insisted on speaking to the GM. This time they said the GM was off-duty (WHAT?). I was like, ok whatever, and demanded a room change. The front office manager took over and said he would come to our villa with an engineer to check (yet again??). When he came in, both hubby and I blasted at him (for wasting so much of our time, losing our luggage, not fixing the air-con). He was apologetic and would make some arrangements in 15 mins' time, requested us to pack our luggage for the shift.

By then, both of us were exhausted and just wanted to settle into a new room quickly. 15 mins later, the front office manager came and brought us to the other wing of the water villas.

And to our pleasant surprise, upgraded us to the Infinity Water Villa. We were pacified by this act and decided not to raise the matter to the GM anymore since the front office manager was sincere in his apologies and had tried his best in service recovery.

So ok, here we were, at the Infinity Water Villa, the size was like two times that of the water villa.

Upon entrance to the villa is the mini-bar area, followed by the spacious living room.

This was where we lazed and watched DVD during the next day's stormy afternoon.

Next to the living room is the bedroom, separated by sliding doors.

And next the huge bathroom, with wardrobe and dressing area, toilet, two shower areas (open-air and sheltered), large jacuzzi bathtub and sofa.

Wow, I was certainly impressed by the size of the bathroom.

There's of course an infinity dip pool, which was actually not a bad idea. We would swim in the sea first, followed by a dip in the pool.

Seating area. Nice for refreshment or even dining if weather permits.

Pavillion with lounge sofas.

Deck chairs and platform leading directly into the sea.

While lazing around the deck in the last morning, I even spotted an eagle ray swimming past our villa :)

It was quite nice to soak in the infinity pool while admiring at the scenery. The sea did get choppy at times and took too much effort to swim.

Even managed to catch sunrise :) Well, the sun had already risen by the time we woke up, but still a beautiful sight nonetheless.

So there you have it, the three different types of lodging experience we had in Hilton Iru Fushi. Next up, will share some activities we did, as well as the food!