For most of its life Bathala Island Resort was a German dive island, one of the original and best. It then brought in many Italians, who prefered a very different type of holiday. The mix didn’t work very well, the diving focus fell away and the character of the resort altered and not for the better.

With a change of management to the experienced Maldivian AAA company and a new dive centre under the great Werner Lau, the resort is once again focused on pleasing divers and snorkelers from around the world (though mostly from Germany and the UK).

The 2 nearby diving highlights are the Protected Marine Areas of Maaya Thila, which has been described as “the white tip reef shark capital of the Maldives”, and Fish Head, described as “the grey reef shark capital of the Maldives”. The latter has also been adjudged one of the 10 best dive sites in the world. In addition, at least once a week, in the appropriate season, the dive centre puts on a trip to see manta rays and hammerhead sharks.

Diving on the housereef independently is also a regular and rewarding experience, with overhangs and caves. Being inside a channel, many big fish arrive from the deep and linger around the reef. Common sights are sharks, eagle rays, tuna, turtles and napoleon wrasse.

The housereef is still one of the best and most beautiful in the country. And with so much livecoral and varied fish in the shallows, it is perfect for snorkeling.

If that isn’t enough, the island also has a very fine beach. It is wide, white and deep almost all the way around. And with almost all the rooms having great views out to the beach and the lagoon, this is an ideal place for lounging on your veranda in the shade alternating with a few steps out for full-on sunbathing. Even when the resort is full, it seems calm and quiet around your room.

The 46 rooms have not been added to, which is good news, but they have all been renovated. There is just one category and they remain simple and clean, with everything you need and nothing you don’t need. There is an unusual pleasure in settling into your round, thatched room. The walls are made of coral stone from the time when that was how all the resort rooms were built. Its an enchanting remnant of the original Maldives. And as the rooms have been renovated, so has the island. After several years of neglect, it is great to see the plants flourishing again and the island once more attractive.

There is just one restaurant serving buffets, with à la carte on request. The sister resorts ofFilitheyo and Medhufushi have excellent cuisine so Bathala is not going to disappoint. And there is just one bar. There is one disco a week and otherwise entertainment is a matter of table tennis, chess, darts and carrom, along with badminton and beach volleyball. The restaurant and bar have sand on the floor. You go barefoot everywhere, all day everyday.

This is, you will gather, a simple, straightforward resort that delivers on the original Maldives promise: get away, relax, snorkel and dive in a tropical paradise.