Thirty-six thatched bungalows on a small, leafy island: a quiet, old-fashioned Maldives with no pools and no overwater villas.
Makunudu is a small, green island in North Malé Atoll, about 45 minutes by speedboat from the airport, with just 36 bungalows tucked into the beachfront vegetation. The style is rustic and Maldivian, with thatched roofs, teak furniture and open-air garden showers.
Deluxe Beach Bungalows sit right on the sand with a canopied patio, afternoon canapés and a daily sundowner at the Sunset Bar; the Beach Bungalows are a little smaller and a short stroll from the lagoon.
Meals are buffets and set menus at Ara Iru, with a weekly barbecue and Maldivian night, plus dinners in the Malaafaiy Tree House. Baby black-tip reef sharks swim in the shallows by Miyaru Bar, and the island has its own dive centre and Aavun Spa.
There's no pool, no overwater villas and no kids' club, and the bungalows are simple. It's for people who want a small, quiet island and the sea rather than facilities.
Twenty bungalows around the edges of the island, a short stroll from the lagoon, with an open-air garden shower.
King or twin beds
Sixteen bungalows right on the beach with a canopied patio, afternoon canapés and a daily sundowner at the Sunset Bar.
King or twin beds
The same resort and the same villa, booked through people who live here.
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All-day restaurant with buffets, set menus, a weekly barbecue and a Maldivian buffet night
Private dinners and yoga in a treehouse
The main bar, with wines and bar snacks, lively at night
Beachside bar where baby black-tip reef sharks swim in the shallows
Pop-up bar on the western beach at golden hour
Maldivian, Asian and European treatments, including a seashell and coconut-oil massage
Dive centre on the island
The shape comes from OpenStreetMap, simplified: a guide to the layout, not a survey. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About 45 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport.
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