Equator Village in Gan Island

Just returned from a 9-night all inclusive stay at Equator Village. Once you acclimatise and pull round from your outbound treck (our treck was 26-hrs and 4-flights) you can begin to relax / enjoy your surroundings. Hotel is on an ex RAF base but the layout etc is good / easy to find your way round. Rooms are a good size with good amenities (one slight criticism would be a lack of wardrobe space). Restaurant - great service / meals - decent choice and good quality (the bolognese and dhal curry was tremendous). Drinks - all beers on offer were good quality.....A.I. cocktails were decent and if you want a change you can buy a large range at a reasonable price (another slight criticism would be during our stay they did not have any tomato juice for a Bloody Mary which I like starting the day with). All bar staff were very friendly / chatty / professional (Harry was the one that stood out). One slight criticism would be the pool bar was only open on 2-occasions during our stay. The hotel offers excursions......some free on A.I. package and some you had to pay a small price (dolphin trip was great value at only approx £21 ) The cats, kittens and chickens were a nice distraction and didn't get in the way at all......our favourite was a little white / ginger kitten that had such a needy meow....he was our little furry holiday buddy. The hotel has a large range of nationalities, all of which were friendly. Big shout out to Stella, Ariane and Angie from Germany....it was great to spend some good times and have a few laughs with you all....Prost ! All things considered a great hotel with fantastic staff, good food and drinks and great company. A great vacation !

I spent 4 nights here and thoroughly enjoyed my time. My rooms are very clean, with great A/C. All the staff were friendly and the water access (pool and beach) were great. There's loads of places to sit/lie and relax and the vibe is super chilled. There was entertainment 3 out of the 4 nights I was there too. I'd happily stay again!

I have just spent a week in his resort on a dive trip and found it quite a surprise, rooms were comfortable with great aircon.. setting is wonderful and very relaxed, and staff were all very helpful. The meals are Buffet style with great selection for all.. a delightful pool and great bar service. Was a great stay! Thanks.

We were one of only three sets of guests staying at this large resort. It's the beginning of the wet season and start of European summer so patronage is low at this time of year. We were upgraded to a spacious beachside bungalow/room. It was reasonably clean and had all the basics one would expect. Easy to access power outlets were lacking though. The pool area was superb and staff were super friendly. Overall, parts of the resort and garden looked a bit rundown but we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay. This resort is also the only place on Gan Island that serves alcohol.

Was a little concerned as this hotel is rated 3 stars. I have had a few bad experiences staying at 3 star hotels and normally go for 4 stars. I would definitely rate this hotel with 4 stars, the staff were very friendly and the chef's were exceptional. Choice of food was very good, only downfall in my opinion was the deserts (same every day), great if your a fruit lover. Pool and surrounding areas clean and not overcrowded. Rooms clean and comfortable, well stocked with water, coffee, tea etc, at no additional charge. My only criticism with regards to the rooms are, they are a bit dated but the do have everything you need for a lovely stay. Just like to say a big thank you to all the staff, who made me feel very comfortable as a solo traveller and providing a great service. Highly recommend this hotel.

This was our first time in the Maldives, and for a first timer, it was a 100% vacation! We were delighted with the beauty of the hotel, the kind and friendly staff, the delicious food, and the cocktails. The downsides include midges and mosquitoes, be prepared for that, and the rooms are a bit tired, but we were barely there, so nothing really bothered us. There were small ants in the shower, but that's normal for Asia. The entrance to the ocean is covered in seaweed, but then you swim past and it's a blast. It's only a 3-minute drive from the airport, and we just spotted it. It's a very cozy hotel, everything is clear, everything is close and beautiful. The staff only speaks English, but everyone understands sign language. The room has all the amenities - a refrigerator, lots of closets with hangers, an iron and ironing board, a safe, huge umbrellas in case of rain, air conditioning, and a fan. Soap, shampoo, and shower gel are provided, and there's a hairdryer. There's a small souvenir shop next to the hotel (we got three postcards for $1, which you can send right there), masks, clothing, and sunscreen. There are plenty of fish and crabs, and a stingray and a turtle also visited, but it's a matter of luck. There are cats on the hotel grounds, geckos, chickens, and roosters—a daily morning alarm clock starts at 6 a.m.—be prepared for bats, storks, or herons, we never figured out. We were on our honeymoon, and they decorated our bed and gave us a fruit basket. The pool is very nice with its own bar, but they only serve juice, water, soda, and beer. If you want a cocktail, you have to go to the bar, which is fortunately close by, so you can lounge by the pool with a cocktail. There are plenty of sun loungers and beanbags. The waiters are super friendly. The food is delicious and varied – tuna, chicken, and beef are always available, along with pasta and side dishes like potatoes and five types of rice. There are also delicious salads (3-4 pieces), and fruit (pineapple, banana, guava, orange, papaya, watermelon, and passion fruit). We left at night, and they gave us lunchboxes – tuna toast, a boiled egg, raisin pie, and fruit. You're assigned a table, and you eat at it throughout your vacation. Drinks are served at lunch and dinner by the waiter. There's tea time after lunch, but we didn't eat much there; we usually just relaxed during that time. Every day they take you out snorkeling in the morning and evening for an hour, but you can also ride a bike (the hotel provides) to this place and snorkel for longer. The Island Hopping excursion is an excursion to the locals, snorkeling, and lunch on the boat (if you stay longer than 7 days, it's free, but we paid less and paid $50 per person. I wouldn't recommend it, but you can go for free just to see it). There is also a dolphin excursion for $27 per person - we really liked it. There is also fishing in the morning and evening, but we didn't go. Fins and a mask are required for snorkeling, without them you won't be allowed on board. You can rent fins at the diving center (located on the hotel grounds) for $7, with a $35 deposit refunded. A mask and fins set costs $15. Of the 5 evenings, there were musicians twice and a DJ once. We had a woman with us who had been to the Maldives three times and was disappointed, but for us, our first time was wonderful. But be prepared,

best value for money resort on Maldives
best value for money resort on the Maldives, spacey room with good aircon, good buffet style food, big pool, nice bar area with decent entertainment in the evenings, not noisy, friendly and helpful staff, good house reef for snorkeling, 1 snorkel trip per day and pedal bike rental included in AI rate, great snorkeling spots visited with the boat.

Its very good to stay..staff are too good and polite.