Dive Review of
Reethi Rah Divers/One & Only Reethi Rah in
Maldives

 Fiji, PNG, Yap, Australia, Bikini, Hawaii, Palau, Caribbean, Cozumel,
Central America 

Dive Conditions

Descend in a group. On our first dive they enforced a 50 bar (700
psi)ascent to safety stop. Subsequent dives were a little looser.  

No separate equipment table; they did have a rinse tank. Photo processing
shop at the resort. 120 or 240 VAC power available in villas.  

Overall Rating

 Reethi Rah is part of the One & Only consortium of exclusive resorts,
one of two in the Maldives. Access is via sea plane from Male, or an
enclosed custom boat with steward service, cruising at 19 knots. Guests
stay in villas, with enough distance between them that noise is not an
issue. Basic villas have a king size bed with ocean view, flat screen TV
with satellite, mini bar, flower arrangements, fruit basket, immense
bathroom, full amenities such as scented soaps, shampoos, etc., separate
seating area, separate tub & shower, heavy & light robes, indoor
and outdoor sandals, outdoor hammock and lounge furniture, outdoor shower,
beach access and full room service. Rack rate during low season $810 plus
tax. High end villas can feature second bed room and/or infinity pool, or
be over the ocean with stairs leading to lagoon.
 Travel on the atoll is by bikes provided with each villa or a staff
member will pick you up in a golf cart. World class spa, most water sports
(no wave runners - too noisy), and three restaurants. Strangely the sushi
restaurant was so-so. The Middle Eastern restaurant featured reserved tents
or tables on the beach, a cocktail area that offered recent movies and
hookahs (fruit flavored tobacco only, please). The Reethi Restaurant
featured truly gourmet food with Indian or Continental motifs, a large bar,
and a stunning pool area with service that was as good as, if not better
than, Four Seasons resorts.
 The dive shop looks like a fashion store and features a separate diver’s
lounge area with couches and orchid displays, hot showers with shower gel,
shampoo, conditioner and towels, changing area, and gear storage area. The
65' boat has center tank racks, aft lounge, and separate Men's, Ladies, and
Staff heads with designer plumbing, cleaned daily. After each dive, fresh
towels, bottled water, and fresh fruit are offered. Nitrox is available as
is a complete line of rental equipment. 
 Diving is done around the Reethi Rah atoll though sites 45 minutes to an
hour away are visited. A separate 65' cabin cruiser is available for
personal charters to more distant sites. Supervision tends to be aimed at
less experienced divers, and when dive master Yevgeny (the Russian Bear who
resembles a power lifter) says you take safety stop, you take safety stop.
On our first dive we saw several white tips, turtles and a school of 10
eagle rays. The second dive featured five eagle rays, more sharks, schools
of tropicals, lion fish, and eels. The next day a trip to the caves (niches
in a bommie) had no sharks or rays. A second dive had washing machine
current that went up, down, sideways, stopped and reversed, and ended with
us flying around a corner to cling to a channel wall to avoid being carried
into the open sea. 
 Snorkeling in front of the villa in 4'-8' of water offered black tip and
nurse sharks, turtles, schools of tropicals, a pipefish, and every goby in
the book.
 If you've got the bucks, are on a honeymoon ($175.00 gets you a bottle of
Veuve Cliquot Grande Dame Rose champagne, they fill your tub with scented
oil, orchids and frangipani blossoms, and light a few dozen candles)or just
want pretty good Indian Ocean diving with every luxury you can think of,
this is the place for you.
 

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