The Barefoot Eco Hotel

Just spent two amazing weeks at the resort on a half board basis. All the staff were very friendly and helpful and the breakfast / dinner buffets were delicious. We went on numerous excursions and saw manta rays, sharks, turtles, dolphins and countless fish. The diving team were super and very professional. The onsite marine biologist was brilliant and it was great to learn more about the local ecosystems.

As a single female traveller, I have spent 11 nights at Barefoot in September 2023. This was my 8th visit to Maldives since 1986.

Positives

The hotel has a lovely Robinson Crusoe feel to it. There is an abundance of palm trees and vegetation. The local wildlife consists of some lovely birds, flying foxes, crabs, lizards etc. All very cute.

Piece and quite

Total relaxation. Nothing of note ever happened. This hotel is on a local island, as such, no alcohol is served on the premises. Consequently, no late nights, no partying, no excitement of any kind whatsoever. For me this was perfect, but this may not be for everyone. 10/10

The Beach

Beautiful beach about 800m long. Greenery all the way along, with plenty of deck chairs and parasols grouped in pairs between the shrubs. The beach is safe, and the white sands are exactly what you'd expect to find in the Maldives. 9/10

Staff and Communication

All staff are very friendly and helpful. From my experience, I would single out Mo, the massage therapist who is very skilful. The restaurant team are always on hand to explain what various dishes are. Ahead of my visit communicated via email. All my emails were answered in a timely manner and provided information requested. All staff are vert attentive and polite but not overbearing. I felt well looked after. 9/10

Excursions

These are posted daily and usually there are usually 3 to choose from. There is no "hard sell". If interested, you simply add your name to the list. Most are charged additionally, but some are free.

Beach Front and Seaside Rooms

I spent 2 nights in the Beach Front room and 9 nights in the Seaside Room.

I found both to be spacious with identical features, e.g., same bathroom facilities, minibar, etc. The view from the Beach Front room is fantastic with beautiful outlook over the beach, but it is a longer walk to the restaurant. The footpaths are lit, but many guests use their phones for additional lighting when walking to and from these rooms at night.

Seaside Rooms are arranged in a small courtyard with no direct view of the beach, but the beach can be seen as soon as one steps down from the terrace. These are just to the side of the diving centre and much closer to the main restaurant.

The negative - Seaside rooms are in two parallel blocks which face each other and although this did not bother me, some visitors may have privacy issues.

Orientation

When I was choosing the hotel, I could not work out which room was where, so going from left to right.

Seaside Rooms -> Diving Centre -> Restaurant -> Bar -> Pool -> Beach Front and Ocean View rooms -> Beach Side Rooms

Safety

Through my visit I have always felt very safe and comfortable. 10/10

Maldivian Night

Reading previous comments, I feel that this has been unfairly criticised. I have been here for 2 of these and I did some reading on Maldivian food and its origins. It's important to understand that the main foods here are fish and coconut. Traditionally there is no agriculture to speak of and the food is representative of these factors. There is a heavy influence from the Indian subcontinent, but the food is not Indian. For example, curry but no raita or chutney. Maldivian Night is a great effort by the local people and the kitchen team, and dishes served are an excellent representation of the food served in Maldives. 9/10

Wi-Fi

Overall, it works really well. I was able to use all my social media and stream Netflix without any issues. It is available in all rooms, restaurant, pool and the beach in front of the pool, bar and restaurant. Not available on the beach in front of Beach Front rooms. I hazard a guess that this might be the reason the deck chairs on the beach close the restaurant/pool are more popular. 9/10

Negatives

Rooms All floors are slippery when wet. This applies to absolutely all floor coverings including the shower, bedroom and veranda. I have slipped more than once. This is a health and safety hazard. There are no TVs in any of the rooms. This is a little bit odd, not a huge problem though. Downgrade only due to slippery floors. 6/10

Snorkelling

Outside of what the hotel can control, but there is no house reef. Consequently, free snorkelling opportunities are limited to the beach and free excursions (see below). The beach, being sandy, does not attract many fish. Additionally, if you travel in the monsoon season, the sea is murky, so the few fish that there are, are difficult to see. There are free snorkelling trips (not daily), but not being able to snorkel at will is a faff. In addition to the free snorkelling excursions there are excellent, well organised additional excursions, but these are charged additionally. 5/10

Food

I have read many comments about the food. It is mediocre. Let me explain.

Breakfast

Egg station is fine, and you can have your eggs cooked how you want them every morning. There is a selection of mini pastries, fruit (usually 2 varieties), bread, homemade jam and butter. Chicken sausages and hashbrowns, cereals are also available. I can't help but think that jam is a byproduct of leftover fruit served at lunch and dinner. You will not find a vast selection of fruit yoghurts, any cold cuts of meat or cheese.

7/10

Lunch and Dinner

Available evert day: -Salad bar with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, grated carrot, cabbage, peppers, olives, sweetcorn, beans. This is the same every day and does not change. Selection of dressings. -Bread A small selection of roles. Pasta Always tomato sauce and another sauce, available lunch and dinner. -Tuna To be expected, lots of tuna cooked in various ways. Carpaccio available daily, fried, curry, salad, whole baked in a sauce etc. -Curry There is always a meat curry, a vegetarian curry and rice. Unfortunately, although tasty, these are primarily too spicy. I have found that the hotel teams e.g., diving and reception, will have their lunch from the lunchtime buffet, often going for the curry option. I ask myself if chefs make these with more Southern hemisphere pallets in mind. -Stew and rice In addition to curries there is always a mild stew with rice on offer. Usually, chicken or beef in various sauces. Other dishes On different days the restaurant will also serve, pizza, roast chicken, beef, lamb, fried prawns, chips, cheese (fetta, edam, parmesan...) On offer there are also stewed/fried vegetables both local and international. I have found these to lack flavour. Although, the above appears to be varied, after about day 5, it becomes repetitive, pasta, salad, stew, fish or curry is the summary of lunch and dinner offering with some slight variations.

Overall, it could be better without much effort.

6/10

Pool

I wanted to know how long the pool was. No one was really sure, and answers ranged from 100-200 meters. A visit to Google maps provided a far more accurate information, and I'd say it's +/-25 meters. Although conveniently located next to the bar and the beach there are a couple of issues. Most importantly all tiles are slippery, and all internal and external edges are sharp. This is a health and safety hazard which I think should be addressed. Interestingly, this is an infinity pool, but the infinity edge faces the shed and trees. It would have been so much nicer if the infinity edge faced the beach. Downgraded due to slippery tiles. 3/10

Boutique

I understand that the local tailor is able to make customised clothing, I have not tried this so, cannot comment. I did buy cigarettes $9+ far too expensive (my fault for not getting any at the airport!). I also got some cotton earbuds, but the cotton tip fell off inside my ear. This was removed by the receptionist; however, the point is - substandard quality. On offer are various souvenirs, all rather pricey and available at a lower price at the airport. The only sunscreen available is SPF 50, lower SPF should also be made available. 7/10

Time difference

Barefoot is an hour ahead of Male as well as Hanimaadhoo. The explanation is that this enables guests to make the most of the sunshine. I have my doubts. Taking into account the restaurant opening hours, and the no alcohol situation, I'd say that this is related to the hotel's schedule rather than guests enjoying the sun. However, it causes little to no inconvenience, so it is of no real consequence.

Insects

This was a game of two halves. During the first 8 days I did not notice any insects worth mentioning. But during the last 3 days the insect population increased exponentially. Mosquitos and flies were everywhere, so much so that I had to move tables at lunch due to flies being all over me and the food. I had to ask for my room to be sprayed due to influx of flies and mosquitos. I appreciate the Eco ethos of the Hotel, but flies on buffet food are unacceptable. 1/10

Overall

This hotel has a diminutive feel to it, even when busy. I feel that it would benefit from some financial investment, as it currently comes across that its finances are closely monitored. Finally, did I have a nice time? Yes. Would I come back? To Maldives, yes, to Barefoot, on balance, probably not.

6/10