Telegraph Review
Abigail Flanagan
Travel writer
10 July 2025
Maafushivaru, with its iridescent turquoise lagoon, blinding white sands and lush interior, feels like life viewed through a magical filter. This chic spot is adored for its warm, personalised service and, though just 350 metres long, packs in five restaurants, a dive centre and serene spa, yet somehow never feels crowded.
Location
Nestled into the South Ari Atoll’s south-eastern corner, “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” Maafushivaru is a 25-minute seaplane from the Maldives’ capital Malé. A bustling house reef with sharks aplenty, plus easy access to whale shark and manta ray hotspots, makes this a great base for both snorkelers and divers.
Style and Character
Maafushivaru, ensconced in towering palms, pandan and flowering periwinkle, relaxes effortlessly into its tropical surroundings. Laid-back life here orbits the ocean-facing infinity pool, with all amenities a sandy stroll away. Wooden panelling, sun-bleached cedar roofs – one peaked like a toasted meringue – and sprawling decks are balanced by sleek accents of brushed concrete, black marble and stark tiling, ensuring a castaway aesthetic, but one that’s more stylish than shipwrecked.
Service and Facilities
Friendly staff are consistently helpful. Each villa has a dedicated “Guest Service Assistant”, poised to sort everything from excursions to reprogramming the television – which I somehow managed to break.
Complimentary activities include yoga and gym classes, paddleboarding, windsurfing, kayaking and beachside “silent” cinema nights. You can borrow snorkelling kit, too. Scuba aside, Coral’s PADI dive centre offers motorised water sports and numerous boat trips, including snorkelling quests in search of South Ari’s astonishing marine life.
Navasana spa treatments range from threading to five-day detoxes. Allow time post-massage to enjoy the glass-sided pool: extending out over the lagoon, it’s brilliantly placed for spotting juvenile sharks. Ditto the overwater gym: for once, I wished I’d packed my trainers.
Bar Beach Fitness centre Laundry Pool Restaurant Room service Sauna Spa Steam room/hammam Wi-Fi
Rooms
Of the 81 villas, most are overwater, with those with pools providing easiest access to the house reef (villas 329 to 334, especially). The remaining 25 – including family-friendly two-bedroom Duplex beach villas with pools – sit just seconds from the shore.
All share a fresh white and muted grey palette, with wooden parquet floors, vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows enhancing the airy, contemporary feel. Faux marble-clad bathrooms – some with freestanding tubs – feature walk-in rainfall showers; beach villas come with outdoor showers, too. Towels aside (bigger and fluffier, please), they’re suitably swish.
Entry-level rooms here are water villas – albeit sans hot tub or pool, but with the millpond-calm lagoon as your playground, who’s complaining? Far from pokey, they’re perfect for cost-conscious couples. Add a treat-filled minibar (included with most meal plans), Nespresso machine, smart television and Bluetooth sound system, and you’ve all you need to hole up in style.
Food and Drink
Cuisine Gallery’s globetrotting breakfast buffet veers from fry-ups and pancakes to dim sum and Maldivian mas huni – a tuna and coconut staple best gobbled in roshi flatbread. Whether paired with a detox juice or a bloody mary is your call. Dinner (for guests on half board) features an array of Asian, Levantine and Western dishes. Poolside Edgewater – the main bar and chillout zone – nails lunchtime lounging with casual light bites (my gazpacho was great), salads, pizza and more. Still peckish? Kofee ‘n Chill’s espressos and sweet treats will eradicate afternoon slumps.
Open evenings only, à la carte restaurants book quickly, so reserve your first night’s before arrival. For Tandoor and smokehouse dishes, head overwater to Moodhu Grill. The restaurant offers fab lagoon views plus, for a fee, quirky “bubble domes” for private dining.
Japanese restaurant Koto’s small plates are designed for sharing, but double up on favourites: three sashimi slices weren’t a dish I thought worth dividing; they’re an argument waiting to happen. For additional theatrics (versus more salmon), book the Teppanyaki table with its cleaver-juggling chef.
Best, though, is Art-i-San. Beautifully lit, the fine-dining restaurant sits above Edgewater at the island’s highest point, making a romantic terrace table a must for the views alone. I enjoyed butter-soft scallops as giant fruit bats swooped overhead – it was a trip highlight.
Included with All Inclusive and “Half Board+” meal plans, the expansive standard drinks list (including a quaffable champagne) will quench most guests’ thirst. Signature cocktails add a nice twist: Koto’s Matcha Coco concoction merits a special “yummy” rating.
Value for Money
Villas from $955 (£718) in low season; and from $1,256 (£944) in high. Breakfast included. Round-trip seaplane transfers from $672 (£506) per person.
Family-Friendly?
One-bedroom villas can accommodate a complimentary extra bed (for children aged under 12) or cot. Duplex villas have a treasure chest of games. Free fun includes “meet the marine biologist” sessions and twice-daily arts and crafts activities. A paddling pool abuts the main pool, and there’s mini-golf and a games room (for children of all ages).
Children’s menus are available, and chefs will cook to order for babies or picky eaters. Kids under three eat free.
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Read the story on The Telegraph, HERE