Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

My husband and I have enjoyed six superlative travel experiences thanks to the WOW List, but our most recent trip to the Maldives was the trip of a lifetime: perfection above and beyond our highest expectations. There are over 200 resorts in the Maldives. Thanks to our WOW planner Justin, we spent a week in paradise at Gili Lankanfushi. Justin personalized our list of requests to perfection—surfing and scuba diving for my husband; snorkeling and the fantasy over-the-water villa with easy access to the ocean for me.

The Gili team from wait service at the restaurants to our concierge Mr. Friday (named after Robinson Crusoe’s helpmate) treated us like extended family. Every excursion and activity is staffed by experts delighted to share their skills and love of their craft with us, and all the equipment is top notch. I participated in the very successful coral restoration project that made me part of a positive global effort.

The spa and services are world class and the perfect respite after a day of sun, sand and surf.

The villas are spacious with multi-levels and feature impeccable design with local craftsmanship and every item one could possibly want for comfort.

The food is international and excellent with dining options to suit anyone’s taste. The amenities and all facilities are meticulously maintained with comfort, ease and luxury felt everywhere throughout this breathtaking property on land and ocean.

It’s no surprise that Gili guests are often returnees—the experience is that incredible. We met people from around the world, some celebrating milestones—wedding anniversaries, honeymoons, birthdays—and the Gili team went 100%+ to make every moment special and personal. The overall feeling is one of relaxed luxury. Everyone—staff and guests—are encouraged to go barefoot and bikes are provided at each villa for ease in exploring the many paths and viewing opportunities throughout the resort.

We have traveled to exotic locations throughout the world but have never seen water as clear and storybook turquoise as the Indian Ocean, footsteps away. And the diversity and sheer presence of ocean life made me feel like I was in the middle of Finding Nemo!

Even the 23-hour travel from Los Angeles to the Maldives was not a deterrent for the perfection we enjoyed at Gili Lankanfushi. Yet again, one of Wendy’s WOW List experts delivered magic for us—thank you so, so much!

Mary Ko's kids on the swings in Vakkaru, Maldives.

“I can’t imagine ever going back to a standard beach hotel and not being let down.” Photo: Traveler Mary Ko

We went to Dubai and Maldives for the last 10 days in March. It was the best trip our family has taken to date. Dubai has so much to offer I wish we had stayed an additional day. The shopping and tourist attractions were amazing. Our hotel, the Grovesnor, was also amazing and we got upgraded to a top floor suite.

The Maldives are the perfect family vacation. We biked to our meals. We saw hundreds of dolphins out on the wild. We swam with sea turtles near the blue holes. We snorkeled and went on stand-up paddle boards. We had our own villa with a pool and it was so relaxing. I can’t imagine ever going back to a standard beach hotel and not being let down. Vakkaru in the Maldives was our best beach vacation ever.

We just got back from a trip to the Maldives. Everything was incredible. I don’t think I have ever been on a trip that went that smoothly. Justin did a great job both with suggesting a one-day stopover in Dubai and recommending we stay at two separate resort islands while in the Maldives. I was really glad we saw the two different places and the beach versus over water villas. Also, he reached out to the resorts—my brother’s birthday was during the visit and they both went out of their way to celebrate it. And when we found out on the last night we had a 7-hour layover in Male, I reached out about how to spend the time and he got us through Cheval Blanc a wonderful private tour of the capital city, which we would not have done otherwise. The tour guide was more a native than a tour guide, which made it much more interesting to us all. Thank you Justin for a great trip!

We traveled to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in December 2024 with the help of experts from Wendy Perrin. Wendy put us in touch with Justin, and he helped us narrow down the many resort options available. We didn’t love the choice we went with (Coco Bodu Hithi), but it was nice enough for a 3 day trip. If I were to go again I would have gone with a nicer more up-to-date resort.
Thanks Wendy for another great vacation experience.

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