A natural 11-hectare island in Raa Atoll, near Hanifaru Bay, with 80 pool villas on the beach and over the lagoon, a spa in the trees and its own sandbank.
Alila Kothaifaru, run by Hyatt's Alila brand, is on an 11-hectare natural island in Raa Atoll, 45 minutes from Malé by seaplane or about 75 minutes by domestic flight and speedboat. Its house reef is easy to reach for snorkelling, and Hanifaru Bay, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, is close by.
All 80 villas have a private pool: 44 on the beach and 36 over the water. Beach Pool Villas (202 m²) sit in greenery steps from the sand, with a separate bedroom and living room and an open-air courtyard bathroom; they sleep two as standard and up to four. The overwater pool villas come in lagoon, ocean and sunset versions, and the Ocean Overwater Pool Villa (125 m²) has an overwater hammock and a ladder into the sea. There are also Sunset Beach Pool Villas, a Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Villa and the Boduge Residence for families and groups.
Seasalt is the all-day restaurant on the beach, with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours and fish from local fishermen. Umami is Japanese with a teppanyaki counter, next to the Yakitori Bar; Pibati Sul Mare is a beach café for Roman-style pizza, coffee and gelato; and Mirus Bar mixes cocktails with herbs from the resort's garden. The Shack is on the resort's own sandbank, five minutes away by boat, for picnic lunches and sunset barbecues. Spa Alila sits among the trees, and there's a yoga space, a gym, the Play Alila kids' club with a games room and a library, and diving on the Raa Atoll reefs.
This profile comes from travel agencies, because the resort's own website couldn't be checked. Adore Maldives lists a complimentary half-board offer, and The Shack's sandbank trips must be booked ahead.
A villa in greenery steps from the beach, with a separate bedroom and living room, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, a private freshwater pool and sun deck, and an open-air courtyard bathroom with a rain shower and bathtub. Two guests as standard, up to four.
King bed
An overwater villa with an open-plan bedroom and living room flowing onto a private pool and sun deck, an overwater hammock, a ladder into the sea, and a bathtub looking over the lagoon. Two guests.
King bed
The same resort and the same villa, booked through people who live here.
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Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours, with fish caught daily by local fishermen and salt-baked fish at dinner; breakfast 7–10.30am, lunch noon–3pm, dinner 7–10pm
Japanese-inspired dishes and teppanyaki, with Wagyu beef and sustainably sourced seafood
Asian-inspired cocktails, Japanese sakes and robata-grilled yakitori; 4 to 11pm
Cocktails made with herbs from the resort's garden and its own sea salt, organic wines, Spanish tapas and South Asian snacks; 11am to 11pm
Beach café: Roman-style pizza, pressed sandwiches, salads, cakes, gelato and coffee; 10am to 6pm
Four-hour trips for a picnic lunch, or a sunset barbecue cooked by a private chef; reservation required
Private and group dinners set up on the beach
Treatments in four double suites, with daily complimentary yoga
A yoga space in the greenery and a gym
Kids' club, with a games room and a library
Diving and snorkelling on the Raa Atoll reefs
Catamaran sailing, kayaks, snorkelling trips and dolphin cruises
The shape comes from OpenStreetMap, simplified: a guide to the layout, not a survey. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A 45-minute seaplane flight from Malé, or about 75 minutes by domestic flight and speedboat.
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