Angsana Ihuru is the perfect example of the saying “big may be beautiful, but small is even better!” This is a tiny little gem of an island, lapped softly by the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. White sand and palm trees slope gently down to crystal clear water where colourful fish idly drift about the house reef just metres from the beach. No need to dive, almost no need to snorkel. Just stand knee deep in the warm sea and watch. Perhaps it’s best summed up by the smitten guest who wrote, “Angsana is like a piece of heaven fallen from the sky.”

And small this resort certainly is – one of the smallest in the Maldives in fact, with just 45 Beachfront Villas of which 20 are Deluxe Villas that include an open-air Jacuzzi. And it is this that lends itself to the fantastic personal service that Angsana Ihuru has become renowned for – within minutes of your arrival all the staff miraculously seem to know your names and the language you speak – ultimately the level of service here simply puts the much larger resorts in the shade!

The 45 Villas are tucked away in the lush vegetation that lines the sandy beaches that circle the island, so standing on the beach they’re hardly visible at all - the resort at all times maintains a beautifully calm, secluded, relaxing atmosphere. The Villas are reasonable in size (however other luxury resorts definitely offer more spacious rooms) and boast lovely outdoor bathrooms with sexy outdoor showers (and Jacuzzis in the Deluxe Villas) so perfect for honeymooners! Unusually, rather than the very neutral beiges and white palette seen at so many other resorts, the Villas at Angsana are bold, bright and minimalist-modern with vivid shades of lime green, tangerine and yellow!white sand and palm trees slope gently down to crystal clear water where colourful fish idly drift about the house reef just metres from the beach

Lovely little touches abound - every night there are fresh candles, incense sticks and an aromatherapy oil burner, whilst Angsana’s own mood music mix is ready installed in the CD to create the perfect chilled atmosphere! (it’s even available to buy as a 3 CD set so you can take the memories home with you!) There’s even a bucket of water with a ladle at each villa entrance so that you don't enter with feet covered by sand!

Food is a major highlight for most of the guests at Angsana Ihuru – there is just one restaurant with a gorgeous decked bar area alongside but the food is consistently delicious and varied! Whilst excellent buffets are the norm, a very welcome feature is that dinners alternate between buffets and a la carte. Every meal starts with a cold refreshing towel (in case you’ve worked up a sweat walking from your villa to the restaurant!) and you'll find that, as if by magic, you are served at the bar by the same person every time and have the same waiter at every meal – again it’s evidence of that personal touch that Angsana always seems to deliver.

Possibly the major attraction at Angsana Ihuru though has to be the sublime house reef - a coral garden starting just metres from the beach surrounds the island, most of which is 5-10 feet deep so is perfect for snorkeling. You can literally circle the island in about an hour’s amazing snorkeling during which you’ll be dazzled by multitudes of colourful reef fish as well as large rays, turtles, reef sharks and even schools of barracuda! You also have the chance to go across to the neighbouring sister resort, the Banyan Tree, to dive on their reef. In fact the 2 resorts share a marine laboratory (which probably goes a long way towards explaining the healthy state of the reefs) – one experience not to be missed is the guided night snorkelling safari with the resident marine biologist to discover how the reef ecology changes at night!

Above the water there’s plenty to keep you happy too - all non-motorised watersports (windsurfing, canoeing and catamaran sailing) are free of charge unless you need a lesson whilst for a bit more excitement you can enjoy tubing and banana boating. Perhaps you’ll choose to head out on a dolphin watching trip, or perhaps head across to the Banyan Tree where the rays are fed every afternoon. If that sounds too much like hard work, then rather head to the fantastic Spa where a team of gentle Thai ladies will work their magic on any lingering city stress that remains!

Superbly personal service from some of the friendliest staff you’ll ever encounter on your travels

One of the best house reefs in the Maldives – keen scuba divers come here and don’t even bother strapping on a tank as the snorkeling is so excellent!

Bold and vivid décor in the villas lifts them above the boringly neutral colour palettes seen in so many resorts these days

Excellent quality food and great variety too – boredom isn’t likely to set in here, even with just a single restaurant

No water villa option for those travelers who hanker after sleeping over water

As in the rest of the Maldives, drinks prices aren’t for the faint-hearted

Rooms aren’t as spacious as in some of the other luxury resorts – but they’re certainly not cramped either

Just one restaurant and bar (as you would expect with only 45 rooms) may not appeal to those people who want a change of scenery every day