My wife and I made a return stay to Utopia Village in March of 2018. This was our second stay (our first was 2 years prior). We thought our previous stay was incredible, but this most recent stay was absolutely phenomenal.
Let me start with the staff/service - the owners, Paul & Chrisna, have assembled a staff that is second to none when it comes for friendly and considerate service. Guests are always greeted with a smile at every encounter. Every staff member goes above and beyond to make guest feel "at home". I'd love to go into all the fine details, but I'd go on forever, and I would hate to spoil all the surprises future guests would enjoy. Our group was very small - only 8 people. By the end of the first full day, the staff all knew our names.
The food - you will never go hungry at Utopia Village. All meals are absolutely delicious and plentiful. Utopia Village accommodates all diets and food restrictions. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.
The diving - in my short 2.5 years of diving, I've had the luxury of diving at a few of the better diving venues (Maldives/French Polynesia/Red Sea). While you may not see some of the larger animals such as mantas and an abundance of sharks, we had some incredible encounters - octopus, squid, toad fish, nurse shark, hog fish, spotted eagle ray, stingray, spotted moray, green moray, fire worm, mantis shrimp, slipper lobster, and so many other fish and macro life. John was our dive master all week, and he did a great job of taking care of us and pointing out wildlife. We were lucky to have him as our guide. In addition to the diving, we had probably a dozen different "jumps" where we were able to put eyes on whale sharks - one of the encounters was about 5 minutes long. We also were able to swim with dolphins and a pilot whale. We dove the first week of March. The water temperature was about 81 degrees at the surface and about 79 degrees at depth. I wore a long sleeve 2mm shorty wetsuit and got cold during a couple of the slow moving or longer dives. Some of the guests were wearing 3mm or 5mm wetsuits and that seemed to be sufficient. The house reef is exceptional. We saw so much just in front of the resort. Over 6 days we were able to do 17 dives.
The resort - this stay, we were in room 108 which has a great view of the ocean. The room was very comfy and clean. The staff keep the resort immaculate. Every morning, staff are picking up fallen leaves, raking the grounds, and cleaning up the waterfront from any debris that washed up. The dining area is cozy and welcoming. The hot tub and pool area have a beautiful view of the ocean. Bring some bug spray with deet. U.V. does a lot to help control sand fleas but if there is rain or light winds, you may get a couple bites without.
If you are looking for a 5 star dive resort with all the luxuries to go with, Utopia Village will not disappoint you. I look forward to a return trip. To Paul, Chrisna, and all the staff- thank you for a wonderful week.
Let me start with the staff/service - the owners, Paul & Chrisna, have assembled a staff that is second to none when it comes for friendly and considerate service. Guests are always greeted with a smile at every encounter. Every staff member goes above and beyond to make guest feel "at home". I'd love to go into all the fine details, but I'd go on forever, and I would hate to spoil all the surprises future guests would enjoy. Our group was very small - only 8 people. By the end of the first full day, the staff all knew our names.
The food - you will never go hungry at Utopia Village. All meals are absolutely delicious and plentiful. Utopia Village accommodates all diets and food restrictions. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.
The diving - in my short 2.5 years of diving, I've had the luxury of diving at a few of the better diving venues (Maldives/French Polynesia/Red Sea). While you may not see some of the larger animals such as mantas and an abundance of sharks, we had some incredible encounters - octopus, squid, toad fish, nurse shark, hog fish, spotted eagle ray, stingray, spotted moray, green moray, fire worm, mantis shrimp, slipper lobster, and so many other fish and macro life. John was our dive master all week, and he did a great job of taking care of us and pointing out wildlife. We were lucky to have him as our guide. In addition to the diving, we had probably a dozen different "jumps" where we were able to put eyes on whale sharks - one of the encounters was about 5 minutes long. We also were able to swim with dolphins and a pilot whale. We dove the first week of March. The water temperature was about 81 degrees at the surface and about 79 degrees at depth. I wore a long sleeve 2mm shorty wetsuit and got cold during a couple of the slow moving or longer dives. Some of the guests were wearing 3mm or 5mm wetsuits and that seemed to be sufficient. The house reef is exceptional. We saw so much just in front of the resort. Over 6 days we were able to do 17 dives.
The resort - this stay, we were in room 108 which has a great view of the ocean. The room was very comfy and clean. The staff keep the resort immaculate. Every morning, staff are picking up fallen leaves, raking the grounds, and cleaning up the waterfront from any debris that washed up. The dining area is cozy and welcoming. The hot tub and pool area have a beautiful view of the ocean. Bring some bug spray with deet. U.V. does a lot to help control sand fleas but if there is rain or light winds, you may get a couple bites without.
If you are looking for a 5 star dive resort with all the luxuries to go with, Utopia Village will not disappoint you. I look forward to a return trip. To Paul, Chrisna, and all the staff- thank you for a wonderful week.
