DHONI STELLA 1

Myself and Kate have been to the Maldives before. It’s a wonderful place full of stunning resorts, but you probably already know that. However there is so much more to enjoy in the Maldives than just a luxury room with a powder soft white beach directly outside your door. Let me tell you about our holiday. I received a questionnaire about our preferences for food, drink, activities, in fact just about everything that I might want to give my opinion on. This was a nice touch. Once on board, a quick look around the boat confirmed that it is exactly as described and in fact bigger than the photos suggest. The food was fantastic and varied - Maldivian, Italian, English - a lot of fresh fish, fresh fruit, beautiful curries. It is quite remarkable what can be produced from such a small kitchen in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The service from the steward was exemplary, he really did make a difference. From serving breakfast in the morning, to ensuring the air conditioning in the bedroom was on at night, his attention to detail was faultless. The boat itself has a rustic charm not found on modern super yachts. Solid and homely, it’s deceptively large compared to the photos. The bedrooms (there are two) are 5 metres x 3 metres with a small en-suite shower room that is perfectly sufficient. The dining area, which is at the front of the boat, is open, cool and features a large solid table that can seat six. At the back of the boat there is a platform that is used for diving and fishing. There is also a small dingy that is used for visiting islands and fishing in the evening. In the evening the crew tend to stay at the back of the boat giving guests complete privacy, just in case you were wondering! So is Dhoni Stella for you? If you want freedom, excitement, adventure and a small amount of indulgence, then yes, it probably is. I’ll put it like this. After spending 10 fantastic days on Dhoni Stella, I really don’t think I would want to be trapped on an island for a full holiday again. Would I go back? Yes, tomorrow if I could and almost certainly next year to sample the delights of what the Ari Atoll has to offer.

We are now well back in Denmark (- 2 °C and light snow), after a great and inspiring week onboard Stella 1. Hereby some feedback as promised. It was a week filled with joy, new experiences, great company - and it certainly lived up to our expectations. We would especially like to say thanks to your hard-working and very competent crew, so please also convey our message to them. Malla, as our main point of contact, managed to make us feel comfortable at all times - but besides from this, he was also a great source of information about the Maldives. We are by nature very curious, and Malla was always ready to explain about daily life in the Maldives. We really appreciate his way with guests and his great sense of humor. We had expected that we would have to do most of the snorkeling activities on our own, and were therefore very pleased to learn that Nasru was onboard and ready to go snorkeling with us on a regular basis. He took us to snorkeling places, which we would never have found on our own, and was always happy to share his vast experience and knowledge. Great to learn about snorkeling in the Maldives from someone that experienced! In the passengers form, we asked for local dishes and fish/seafood. And we got it! Kumar did a great job in preparing delicious and nice-looking dishes, despite the limited space and the heat in Stella's galley. Everything presented in a nice and appealing way. And our favorites were of course the days when fresh-caught fish were available. On top of all this, a very kind, caring and trust-worthy captain, Dhotte, who managed to calm down a sometimes rather concerned Lone - when the waves got a little too big. And who let Christian take care of the rudder at more calm times. So: A great team, with whom it was a pleasure to share Stella 1 for a week.

Hello Max, I wanted to express our sincere appreciation for a wonderful experience aboard Stella 1. We cannot say enough about the wonderful crew. Bill really enjoyed diving with Nasru, as he was so knowledgable and helpful with diving tips and guidance. Kuday is nothing short of amazing as he runs around like crazy, multi-tasking, all the while with a gentle smile and asking what more he could do for us. Dhodtey very confidently took us through some very rough seas and kept us safe. Saranga made us beautiful meals but fell sick the last day. I hope he is feeling better. Credit to Nasru, and his amazing chicken curry, we did not starve! We enjoyed ourselves so much we would like to come back next year. We will definitely spread the word about the wonderful time we had aboard Stella 1. Thank you so much to you and your wonderful crew!

Max, we had a fabulous time aboard Stella. Thanks for giving us extra time on the last day so we could squeeze in an early morning channel dive. Despite the variable weather, we were able to do one dive a day, a night snorkel among nurse sharks, had all the time we wanted on a lovely sandbank and three good nights' sleeps. Hats off to your dedicated, very professional and fun loving crew who are so skillful in assessing the weather, high winds, currents, dive conditions and our capabilities to make this a super fun and safe journey. Stella is a beauty! The cabins are spacious, comfortable and the en-suites impeccably cleaned. A tissue box in the bedroom would have been appreciated. Fay commented about the lack of storage in the dining room, but I rather like the simple esthetics of the dining area with no clutter. Three nights gave us a sweet sampling but really too short. We want to come back for 10-14 days! Now I know why you have so many repeaters. Thanks and have a great year ahead!

Hello Max, we have finally settled in back home in California and have a minute or two to let you know we are still sharing our amazing Stella Yacht adventure with all our friends. Your yacht and crew, were exceptional. The food could not have been better. All three meals each day were different and delicious. The attitude and positive energy from each crew member aboard your boat made every day wonderful. The beautiful islands and unbelievable water speak for themselves. We argue there may not be better islands to vacation to. I must tell you, our dive master Maullim was the best and most exceptional person we met in over 60 days of travel. He is incredibly special and we hope to see him again. We wish you all very good luck this next season and forever.

Hi Max, Just wanted to say a massive thanks to you and the team - we had the best time. Your service prior to booking, the boat, the food, the islands/things we did were all amazing. And to top it off the crew were unbelievable - seriously the best. Thanks again to all for making it a honeymoon we’ll never forget. We really hope to come back one day soon. Cheers, Phil and Marcella.

Hi Max, we had a lovely 10 days on the boat, really relaxing and so many stunning memories. We’ll write a more comprehensive review for you when we return to the UK. Many thanks again for hosting us on such a wonderful holiday. We’re relaxing now at the resort, with our bodies feeling the occasional swaying motion to remind us of Stella 1. Have a great New Year.

Many thanks for the great 10 days on board the Stella! Mallah, you are a very good leader and divemaster, picked great dive sites, and kept a watchful eye on our safety. Kudey, you are an outstanding captain navigating through high winds and the best fishing sites. Suranga, we enjoyed all the meals you have prepared for us! We are very impressed that you can do so much variety and we loved the traditional Maldivian flavors. Shobuj, thanks for everything you did. Until we meet again, all the best, John and Kathy.