I stayed at Gili Lankanfushi for 3 days to celebrate my 40th birthday. After a short speedboat ride from Male, I arrived at Gili and was welcomed by Nicolas, the resort manager and Serene, my Miss Friday. After a tour of the island, I was taken to my room to complete the check-in process.
I stayed in a Villa Suite, which was even better than I had imagined it to be. Split over two floors, you have the option of sleeping under the stars or in the bedroom downstairs. I loved just sitting out on the deck, watching the sunrise and listening to the ocean. No other hotel room will ever compare to this!
The staff at Gili treat you like royalty. Nashid, Roberto, Shayan, Samu and Nakul enhanced my dining experiences with their warm and welcoming manner and attention to detail. Serene, my Miss Friday, was amazing. As I was travelling on my own, she happily obliged my numerous requests for photo shoots (Sorry, Serene!) She arranged a trip for me to see the Private Reserve and also managed to source some deodorant from Male for me, when i realised that i had left mine on the plane! But the one thing I will remember the most is the beach decoration for my birthday and the dinner that followed. I had seen pictures on Instagram of decorations on the beach and asked Serene if i could have something similar but with a star. When i arrived to dinner on the beach, i was speechless! Serene, Samu and the team had gone above and beyond to create something special for me. During my dinner some of the team came to sing happy birthday to me, including the resort manager, which made me feel special again! Then when i returned to my villa, Serene had decorated it for my birthday and i had a cake waiting for me, wishing me a happy 20, 20th birthday which made me laugh! This was a joke that i had shared with a few staff members about not wanting to be 40, but 20 20 instead. It was incredible that the staff had remembered this joke, especially when they are interacting with many guests, and used it to enhance my Gili experience.
When the time came to leave, i was holding back the tears. Just before i got on the speedboat, i had my photo taken with Serene. All guests have a photo taken with their Friday and this is framed - a lovely momento! Then i bid Gili farewell.
I'd like to thank everyone at Gili who made my Gili story so memorable. I will definitely return when the resort re-opens and hopefully throw my passport into the ocean this time, so i wont have to leave!

Our visit to Gili Lankanfushi had to be cancelled due to a fire the hotel suffered in January 2019. Despite the extremely difficult circumstances the hotel staff must have found themselves in, they truly excelled themselves by finding us alternative accommodation of a comparable standard. Not only that but the hotel funded on our behalf a room upgrade and transfer flights. I cannot praise the hotel and staff too highly, they have made every effort to ensure our holiday was not affected. This is service above and beyond what I would expect and if they are this good when we have never actually attended the hotel, I can only imagine what the service must be like at the hotel. We will be sure to book when they re-open.