This is the review of my stay at Maafushivaru resort in the Maldives. I spent 4 days at this resort in the Ari Atoll in September. The Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa opened in August 2020. Find out if it is really one of the best resorts in the South Ari Atoll resort Maldives and how to plan the best possible trip to the Maldives
Review of the resort facilities at Maafushivaru Resort Maldives
The location of the Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa is absolutely beautiful. It is located in the South Ari Atoll, one of the most interesting atolls in the Maldives for its marine life, as you can encounter sharks, Manta Rays, and humongous whale sharks!
The island is in the middle of a large lagoon. It has a few stunning beaches.
When you see the pristine white sand, you’ll understand why the Maldives is “the dream beach destination.”
What amazed me was all the shades of blue you could find in the sea. I could not stop looking at it.
The Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa was built in 2020. I didn’t associate LTI resorts with ultra-luxury, but their Maafushivaru resort in the Maldives definitely holds its place amongst the best hotels.
From the architecture to the lighting or good service, the place is a delight to stay in.
I enjoyed my villa so much that it was hard to drag myself away from it. I did it from time to time, and it was rewarding. The island is small, and it takes about 10 minutes to walk around.
The infinity pool is divine. It is large and great for swimming laps. It has a pool bar, which is convenient to get drinks and food while lounging around.
There are a few pristine white sand beaches around the island.
As I walked back to my room at the Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa during sunset, a stork was catching fish on the beach while baby sharks were hunting!!
Maafushivaru is surrounded by incredible nature.
Review of the water villa at Maafushivaru Resort Maldives
The resort is built on a sandy outcrop surrounded by nothing but amazing blue waters.
Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa has five types of accommodation: The beach villas beach pool villas and Duplex pool villas are located on the island, the water villas built over the waters in an interesting leaf shape, and the water villas with pools, also located over the water and offering a private pool. five types of accommodation
If you want to splurge, choose a Maldives water villa with a pool, as it is the ultimate experience in the Maldives.
I stayed in the water villa 218. Each water villa covers a sizeable 95 square meters ( including the spacious balcony). I was traveling alone, so I had plenty of space!
The South Ari Atoll resort water villas are made up of a small bedroom, dressing area, a large wrap-around balcony, and a bathroom. The bedroom houses a large and comfortable king-size bed for couples, with side tables.
If you, unfortunately, have to work while on holiday, there is a desk with a beautiful sea view that will make work more acceptable. However, it doesn’t have a plug for your laptop, so I had to use the plug from the bedside table.
The bedroom also comes with a large LCD TV, ceiling fan, air conditioning, and lighting. The lighting was very sophisticated, with plenty of different light options depending on your mood. It took me a few minutes to understand it and figure out how to turn off all the lights on my first night. The bedroom is painted white with wooden accents, and the floors are made with beautiful wooden tiles. It all looks fresh, natural, and relaxing!
There is a Teufel speaker to play your own music
Behind the bedroom is a dressing room with plenty of cupboards, including bathrobes, iron, a safety box and everything else you might need.
Complimentary drinking water is available. Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa is currently piloting a program to use glass bottles instead of plastic bottles to reduce their environmental impact.
I would sometimes still be offered plastic bottles in some restaurants, but I could usually get the staff to swap them for glass bottles. Small gestures like this make a big difference for our planet over time!
The spacious bathrooms are beautifully lined in white marble-style tiles and kept pristinely clean by the resort staff. It features a shower, bathtub, hairdryer. The view from the bathtub over the ocean was mesmerizing, and I loved soaking in it after a day on the beach.
The South Ari Atoll resort villas might not be the biggest Maldives water villa with a pool, but they are extremely well designed and offer an amazing view of the atoll.
TIP: If you are like me and like to watch the sunset, get a water villa with an even number, as this is the side facing the sunset. Also, the villas at the end of the pier offer quiet and privacy. So, in my opinion, the best villas in the Maafushivaru resort are 216,218, 220, and 221. For the overwater pool villa, ask for the pool villas 329, 331 or 333
The balcony meanwhile has a spectacular open view of the ocean. The front features two lounge chairs and a coffee table with two chairs, while the back sports a bench with a small table. To gain access to the clear blue water, there’s a platform accessible from the balcony. What a treat to be able to swim directly from your balcony! So while my water villa didn’t have a pool, I felt like I had the biggest pool in the world at my doorstep and did go and swim in the ocean many times during my stay.
Review of the Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa
The spa is a beautiful curvy building by the edge of the sea.
I was greeted with a cold towel and fragrant juice, which was a bit too sweet for my taste.
I was blown away by the design of the chill-out area and the plunge pool.
TIP: If you book a spa treatment, make sure you come at least 30 minutes before so that you can enjoy the sauna, steam room, and plunge pool.
While I was in the sauna, there was a fish frenzy going on in the sea below, with plenty of fish jumping out of the water. This has to be the best view you can get from a spa anywhere in the world!
The massage room is gorgeous, with a wide door that opens up on the sea.
When I arrived, the window was closed, so I asked my therapist to open it so that I could have my massage by the sound of the sea. I had a Swedish massage and the technique of my therapist, Yuli, was good.
I had been waking up before 6 am every day of the last week to dive while on the Blueforce liveaboard, so I needed a bit of relaxation… The massage was perfect for removing any tensions I had and set me in the right mood for this holiday. A massage is also the perfect thing to do after a long flight on your arrival day!
Review of the food at Maafushivaru Resort Maldives
Maafushivaru resort has four restaurants.
Most people going to the Maldives complain about the quality of the food. The food at Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort was diverse and delicious. I looked forward to every meal.
The main restaurant is the cuisine gallery.
Most guests booking at Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa include breakfast and dinner at the main restaurant. It is buffet-style.
The breakfast is extensive, with many cooked options–from Asian to Indian or Europeans, all cuisines were represented. It was missing fresh fruit juices, but they have a healthy corner if you want to make your own breakfast salad.
Cielo is an Italian restaurant.
This is on the upper floor of the Water bar and enjoys a panoramic view over the sea.
They call it an Italian restaurant, but the menu is much broader than that. Yes, it has pizzas and pasta but also burgers and Asian food. I wasn’t convinced by the Italian food, but the chocolate mousse dessert was delicious.
The signature restaurant is Moodhu grill.
It serves Indian food and grilled meats and fish.
It was my favorite restaurant in the resort for both setting and food.
The building is stunning, standing out over the water.
TIP: make sure you book this restaurant in advance, as it is often fully booked. Ask for one of the tables in its individual round platform over the water.
I had the tuna tartare and the butter paneer. The butter paneer was absolutely delicious. It is the best I’ve had in the last few months!
Las Tapas is the poolside restaurant.
It is open for lunch, and you can choose between a whole range of small bites. It is not high gastronomy, but it was tasty and filling.
Umi is a Japanese restaurant.
You have two options here. The traditional Japanese menu with sushi and other traditional dishes or the Tepanyaki experience.
I did the traditional menu on the first night.
The Tuna Tataki was delicious. I usually try to avoid eating tuna, as it is one of the endangered fish species. But it is a locally available fish here in the Maldives. I saw many tunas diving the Maldives archipelagos in my last two weeks, so I felt it was OK to order it. It was delicious.
The next day, I went back to Umi to try the Teppanyaki. This is an experience in itself as the cook is very entertaining. All the guests sit along with the grill, so it is also a great way to meet other guests in the resort. The food was delicious.
Are there all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives?
Yes, and Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa offers you the option to go all-inclusive and is one of the top all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives.
Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort offers three meal plans options.
1) The basic plan includes breakfast and dinner at the buffet restaurant. It also includes drinking water in the room.
2) The half board + package is the basic package + selected standard drinks ( alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
The range of drinks included was quite impressive, with tens of cocktails, liquors, and plenty of wines to chose from.
I was underwhelmed by the beer selection, with only Lion beer and Carlsberg available. I also wished they would offer more fresh juices as part of the plan.
The only thing not included was champagne, premium wines, fresh juices, and premium alcohol.
3) The All-Inclusive package allows you to eat in any of Maafushivaru’s restaurants for lunch and dinners and also includes all standard drinks.
I recommend going for their all-inclusive package. Food and drinks prices in the Maldives are generally high, and the last thing you want to do is spend your holiday worrying about the cost of what you eat and drink. Being able to eat at the specialty restaurants in the evening also adds to the resort experience as the food is delicious. Maafushivaru has its place amongst the best all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives.
Review of Covid Procedures at Maafushivaru resort
Covid is generally taken seriously in the Maldives. It is a destination that works well, as most of the resorts are on private, isolated islands, and you spend a lot of time outdoors with little contact.
All the guests flying to the Maldives are required to do a PCR test before arrival.
I had been in the Maldives for the prior two weeks and had to do a PCR test as well.
So during my 3-week stay in the Maldives, I ended up doing four Covid tests!
We received a sanitary kit in the seaplane with a mask and some hand sanitizer. All the staff is vaccinated, and it is easy to keep social distancing, as the resort is mostly outdoors and spacious.
What if you test positive to Covid while at the Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa?
Maafushivaru resort has its own quarantine rooms. So, if you are diagnosed with Covid while still on the island, you will have to stay in one of those ocean-facing rooms until you test positive. You won’t be allowed out of your room, and all meals will be delivered straight to you. They offer a very discounted rate for this “unplanned” quarantine that is 70 to 80 percent lower than their normal rates, so you could almost view it as an extended holiday. I have seen worse places to quarantine 🙂
They have a doctor and a small clinic on the island who can help you manage the eventual symptoms.
Review of the activities at Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll Resort
Most people go to the Maldives for a relaxing holiday on the beach, but there is plenty to do at Maafushivaru. It is one of the best resorts in the Maldives for underwater activities and marine life.
TIP: Maafushivaru has developed an app that you can download from the Google play store or the Apple app store. The app is great. It lists all the restaurants and their menus and also has all the weekly events and activities. Download it before your stay to make sure you don’t miss out.
Whaleshark tour
If there is one activity that you shouldn’t miss while at Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa, it is the whale sharks tour. This is a half-day tour and costs 130 USD. The trip takes you to the South Ari Atoll of the Maldives.
When it comes to the animal kingdom, it’s often mis-conceptualized that bigger creatures are dangerous than smaller ones. This is untrue on land when it comes to creatures such as horses, elephants, and giraffes. In the ocean, few creatures are as gentle as whale sharks. However, gentle as they are, the sheer size of whale sharks provides a sense of excitement and intimidation among divers who have had the honor of swimming with these gentle giants.
By staying at Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort , you get a chance to do just that.
A 50-minute boat ride from the resort of Maafushivaru lies South Ari Atoll, where whale sharks congregate.
Tip: if you get seasick, take sea sickness tablets before the trip. Four passengers on our boat got seasick, and it was not a pleasant trip for them.
In the past two weeks, I had been on whales sharks trips at the same place with the Blueforce liveaboard and the Scubaspa liveaboard, and I didn’t see any. I was starting to question whether the Maldives was really a place to see whale sharks.
The boat ride was smooth as we waited to arrive at Maamigili Beyru. There were twelve of us on the tour.
We quickly found a small whale shark near Maamigili Beyru and went swimming with it. It was a small one, about 4 meters. We got to swim with it for about 10 minutes, and it was fantastic. But after that, all the other boats showed up, and it became overcrowded. There were 10 boats and close to 100 people in the water. It was crazy, and I got kicked with fins a few times, so I gave up. We went back on the boat and started to look for another whale shark. We were super lucky and found another bigger one, and we again got to swim with it alone. It was about 7 meters! Unfortunately, the other boats caught up with us, and it became too crowded again.
Big congrats to the team of Maafushivaru spotters, who were able to find the two whale sharks.
TIP: if you are not used to snorkeling, I suggest that you practice on the house reef for a few days before doing this tour. It is in the open sea with some waves, and some inexperienced guests were struggling.
The tour also comes with free water and fruit salad.
Snorkeling the Maafushivaru house reef and around
The reef around the Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resorts is astonishing and made for great snorkeling: schools of fish greet you the moment you enter the clear waters of the lagoon around the resort.
TIP: Maafushivaru resort can lend you snorkels and fins free of charge for the duration of your stay.
Past the drop-off, you get on top of the wall, where you can encounter bigger pelagic fishes. I went snorkeling on my own in the morning and saw three longnose devil rays gracefully gliding around, two large blacktip sharks, a great barracuda, and many tunas and Jacks. Not bad for a pre-breakfast snorkel…
The coral around the resort and in most shallow places in the Maldives is in bad shape. Most of it is dead following the last El Nino events. There is, however, hope as we can start to see small corals growing back from place to place.
Schools of fusiliers and unicorn fishes were there en masse. I was accompanied during my swim by a school of hundreds of butterflyfishes. It was stunning.
TIP 1: If you like snorkeling, don’t miss your morning snorkel at Maafushivaru. The best place is the drop-off that starts near the end of the pier with all the water pool villas.
TIP 2: Don’t go when the tide is at its lowest. If you see bits of corals sticking out of the water, wait for a couple of hours to make sure there is enough water for you to swim above the reef.
I also joined the snorkeling safari that the Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa team organizes a few times a week.
This is a two-hour adventure to go and explore two other reefs. We first went to Villamandhoo reef that was about a 20-minute boat ride away. Visibility was not great on that day, most of the corals were broken, and I didn’t see many fishes, so I was not a fan of this reef.
We then went to Turtle reef that looked a bit better. We hung out with two turtles and a Murray eel and then it was time to get back to the resort. Honestly, I preferred the snorkeling just outside of the Maafushivaru resort.
Diving the South Ari Atoll
If you are into diving, some of the best dives sites in the Maldives are located near the Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort . I didn’t dive with the resort, but I did spend the previous two weeks diving liveaboards. You can find out about the dive sites in my reviews of the Scubaspa liveaboard and the Blueforce liveaboard.
Watersports
Watersport on offer included kayak, windsurfing, banana boat, and paddle boats.
Yoga and Gym
I will be honest, I was so busy relaxing that I didn’t get to try the gym. However, it looks great with a splendid sea view and plenty of cardio machines.
Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort offers complimentary yoga classes a few times per week.
The sunset yoga class was a great way to end the day.
Getting to the Maafushivaru resort by Seaplane
I was a bit worried about booking a resort away from Male airport, as it would make the transfer more complicated.
I should not have been. The transfer to get there was seamless, and taking a seaplane was fun!
It was actually much smoother than small private planes. The landing on the water was very smooth.
The plane ride over all the beautiful islands of the Maldives was an experience in itself.
Maafushivaru is located in the South Ari Atoll and accessible via seaplane.
The Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa organizes the seaplane transfer, which costs about 300 eur round trip.
I arrived at the airport and was greeted by one of their staff.
They have a booth at counter number 5. From there, they took my bag and escorted me to the transmaldivian check-in counter. It is a mere one-minute walk from the international arrival door, so it is very easy.
I got a boarding pass, and we made our way in a minibus to the Maafushivaru airport lounge.
It was a nicer place to wait for the plane than the Male airport.
Once in the lounge, I waited about 70 minutes for the seaplane, as we were waiting for passengers from another flight.
Review of the Maafushivaru lounge at Male airport seaplane terminal
Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort has its own private lounge at the airport and is a comfortable place to wait for the flight, especially if you come from a long overnight flight.
It is large and furnished with plush white sofas.
There is a smoking area outside and a few lounge chairs if you want to start with the holiday vibe.
Soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee are available. There is wifi, but it is very, very slow.
Luggage allowance on Maldives Transmaldivian airlines seaplanes
Transmaldivian airlines allow only 20 kg of luggage and 5 kg of carry-on, so pack light.
They weighed all my bags.
My carry-on was a bit heavier as I was transporting cameras, but it was small, so they let it pass.
I had a lot of luggage. I had been doing the Scubaspa liveaboard and the Blueforce diving liveaboard and had all my diving gears, which I would not need at the resort.
The Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa team offered to store them in the lounge during my trip free of charge so that my luggage would remain within the seaplane allowance.
Seaplane trip back to Male, Maldives
The return to the airport was a bit more painful. The last seaplane of the day was departing Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort at 3 pm, so I got to Male airport at 4 pm, while my Emirates flight was at 11 pm.
I, therefore, had 7 hours to wait, and I could not enter the airport as they only allow check-in three hours before the flight departure time. The Male airport has a limited seating area and was very crowded. It is loud and unpleasant to wait there for a few hours. Maafushivaru Maldives resort & spa might want to look into this and find a way to make the return trip more pleasant by maybe keeping their lounge open.
The departure area at the airport was chaotic, with hundreds of people trying to get into the terminal and pass the health check. It was the worst queue I have seen from all the travel I did during Covid ( If you could even call it a queue) and was a sad ending to an otherwise great trip to the Maldives. I hope the airport authority improves this in the future…
TIP: Book an afternoon return flight no later than 8 pm. This way, you don’t have to spend too much time waiting for your flight but leave enough time to queue at the airport entrance. See my review of Emirates Business class flight to the Maldives
In conclusion of my review of Maafushivaru Maldives resort & Spa.
Maafushivaru is a splendid resort that has a lot to offer. It might not offer large or multi-room suites or butler services, like some top-end hotels in the Maldives, but it does hit all the marks where it matters: Gorgeous beaches, stunning architecture, comfortable rooms, and great food. It offers splendid value for money and is one of the best Maldives all-inclusive resorts if you chose their all-inclusive plan.
The location in the Ari Atoll allows you to get a glimpse of the splendid underwater world of the Maldives, with frequent Mantas and whale sharks sighting nearby.
I absolutely loved my stay at Maafushivaru South Ari Atoll resort and wish I could have stayed longer.
For more information and bookings at this South Ari Atoll resort, check the Maafushivaru website.
For more information about diving in the Maldives, check my review of the Blueforce liveaboard and the Scubaspa liveaboard
For more information about the airport and flying to the Maldives, check my review of Emirates airline Business class flight to the Maldives