Ayada sits on Maguhdhuvaa in Gaafu Dhaalu, one of the southernmost corners of the Maldives and a world away from the busy atolls near Malé. Getting here takes a domestic flight and a boat, and the reward is space, quiet and some of the least crowded surf breaks in the country.
Villas range from Garden Villas in the island's greenery to beach suites with plunge pools and, over the water, Sunset Ocean Suites with glass floor panels and three hammocks. At the top, the two-storey Ayada Royal Ocean Suite sits at the end of the jetty with a 180-degree terrace.
Dining is unusually varied for a remote island: international buffets at Magu, modern European over the water at Ocean Breeze, Asian food at Kai, teppanyaki at Mizu, a Turkish café, and an overwater wine and cheese bar a hundred metres out in the lagoon.