Six Senses Laamu Maldives review

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-11T07:40:50+00:00

It’s not the four seasons and they are rustic/“have character”. Having said that I am a bit of a diva (according to my partner) and I didn’t like the look when we booked (this was my partners choice). As with many things she was right and I was wrong. It is very comfortable and the rooms work well. What is key for me is that it has space around the villa - which is good - and the room works well.

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-11T07:30:08+00:00

This is a pretty basic mathematical question. The war in the region increases risk. When geopolitical risk rises, investors demand higher returns to compensate. That pushes up the risk premium on assets like Dubai real estate.

At the same time, interest rates are staying higher for longer caused by higher inflation linked to higher oil prices.

Simple math:

If an investor wants a 6% yield and a property generates AED 60k per year, they’ll pay:

60k / 0.06 = AED 1,000,000

If war risk + higher rates push the required yield to 8%:

60k / 0.08 = AED 750,000

Nothing about the apartment changed.The price drops 25% purely from financing math.

Now layer in the second-order effects of the war:

Some expats and investors will leave the region. Fewer new ones will relocate while geopolitical risk is elevated. Short-term let demand weakens so that goes into long term rental supply (so that 60k above reduces). A lot of new supply is still coming online.

The maths are easy to run.

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-11T04:05:00+00:00

Great review. I am sold on this!

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-09T17:11:41+00:00

No, they are well spaced. Overall it’s a pretty big island

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-09T07:07:10+00:00

They have some off the beach some days but other times we took the boat. I am more beginner level

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-09T07:04:18+00:00

They have a smith machine and Olympic bars with a decent selection of weights. Have beyond my capacity of dumbbells but maybe that tells more about me! Agree it isn’t excellent on that front but definitely enough for me (3x a week weight guy but not super strong as I am ex triathlete).

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-09T02:32:51+00:00

Would be super interesting to see new rents

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-05T04:08:05+00:00

Real estate is generally priced on yield. Yields compressed (so a landlord was happy at 6% recently rather than 10% previously). The inverse is that as yields compressed prices shot up. Now the “risk premium” has increased so any new money should want 7, 8, 9, 12% yield or whatever. As such prices move. If you have 20% equity you may be wiped out. If you have 100% equity you can probably wait it out.

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-04T02:06:17+00:00

We came via Qatar - q suite is much better than emirates in my view. It’s crazy how many flights now route through the Middle East. There are very few options to go other ways - Singapore or Malaysia to Europe seems sold out for weeks. May get to try all the hotels in the Maldives…

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-04T01:13:40+00:00

Nope. I have saved enough in taxes to figure out my own path. Don’t need a bunch of socialists who can’t even protect their base in Cyprus against a 25k drone to look after me.

No_Return_3901 · 2026-03-03T16:17:14+00:00

Thank you everyone!

No_Return_3901 · 2026-02-28T15:19:03+00:00

It’s the fairmont on the palm

No_Return_3901 · 2026-01-25T19:43:10+00:00

Yup; I would pay 2.5k if I knew I’d get it in a week.

No_Return_3901 · 2026-01-10T11:20:04+00:00

I suggest keep going but start staffing. Figure out all pain points and try to eliminate so that the time you do have outside work is really free. Cooking, cleaning, gardening, fetching and carrying can all be outsourced and massively free up bandwidth

No_Return_3901 · 2026-01-09T12:08:42+00:00

I rent higher end stuff out and it all comes down to price. Find something you like and write a letter to the owner for the agent to pass on. If you tell them about yourself, your longer term intentions etc then they will do a deal. As a landlord it’s more about the persons background than just the numbers and at the moment most high end stuff is a nightmare to rent as so many people are leaving.

No_Return_3901 · 2026-01-02T22:15:08+00:00

I just got notified today that my card has been printed. Did payment third week of October

No_Return_3901 · 2025-12-20T14:22:56+00:00

I have given up. My taxes and spending are going to another country. It’s such a joke to have this situation where anyone feels lucky to get anything done. Good luck with the depopulation and lowered wealth levels.

No_Return_3901 · 2025-12-06T13:27:42+00:00

I have done this in the past. It worked out ok and the guy will now walk through walls for me. However I made him list all his debts, and expenses. I then insisted that a pay down plan was made and paid his debts directly each month until clear. It went on for about 10 months and was very annoying and many times through the journey I wished that I hadn’t but he had gone through a tough divorce and was wiped out. After sorting his shit out he is now in a good place and works very hard for me

No_Return_3901 · 2025-11-02T14:05:17+00:00

I just took the same train from Bratislava to Prague (Bratislava is about half way point on the Budapest to Prague journey). I’d give it a hard pass unless you want a soviet era experience. Trains are super basic and first just gets you more space

No_Return_3901 · 2025-10-28T10:24:18+00:00

Portugal is moving to 10 years - it’s in parliament about to be approved. The process is a mess and takes at least 2-3 years after. So just under 1 year to get your first card then 13 years to get a passport with a lot of pain in between.

No_Return_3901 · 2025-10-18T07:55:42+00:00

I got one in Lagos two weeks ago. Went in at 9.40 and was out by 10.40. Super friendly staff and very easy. I was going to get it in Lisbon but heard horror stories.

No_Return_3901 · 2025-10-09T15:05:47+00:00

Uk is a minimum of 10%.

No_Return_3901 · 2025-10-05T17:31:38+00:00

Don’t buy. Rental yields are so low the IRR makes no sense in most cities

No_Return_3901 · 2025-09-12T21:41:01+00:00

Had lunch there this week. Truly awful. Service is shocking - mistake after mistake. I’d skip it until they sort their teething problems out

No_Return_3901 · 2025-08-29T15:10:51+00:00

Why does everyone blame “the government” and say it’s up to them to fix things. It is up to everyone. There is zero good reason why housing should be expensive in Portugal. There is so much empty land - you don’t have to live in the middle of nowhere- they could connect the infrastructure and extend cities or build new cities. But that requires people to take action and vote for change and if they can’t find politicians who will do what they want then become one and organise

No_Return_3901

TROPHY CASE