The Barefoot Eco Hotel is an amazing place in the Maldives!
It's not your traditional Maldivian resort, since it is situated in an island with a village (normally resorts are located in private islands). This adds greatly to the whole experience! If you are the type of person that likes to learn about the local culture of the places where you travel, this is a perfect combination.
The hotel does a lot of work to support the local community, such as hiring locals, providing free training for people to work in the tourist industry, tours into the local village, cooking shows hosted by locals and others.
The hotel also tries to minimize its footprint in the environment. For instance, the hotel doesn't sell any drinks in plastic bottles.
The location is stunning! You clearly get this sense of being off the grid, in a tropical place. We saw turtles, harmless sharks, different kind of rays (manta, eagle, sting), tropical fishes and dolphins. The hotel offers different daily programs to get up close to these, as well as to visit nearby historical places.
The food provided is delicious! It's a mix of Italian with influences of local cuisine. On Friday's, is Maldivian night and you can have a full Maldivian dinner experience.
Finally the staff makes the whole experience 5 stars! Everyone, from the reception, to the restaurant to the diving center was friendly and helpful!
We spent there almost two weeks and had the time of our lives. We will definitely return, if we have the chance.