A small, heart-shaped island in North Malé Atoll, 45 minutes from Malé by speedboat, with thatched beach and water villas, a house reef and a shipwreck to dive.
Taj Coral Reef is on Hembadhu, a small heart-shaped island in North Malé Atoll, about 45 minutes from Malé by speedboat. It's a contemporary resort of thatched villas, popular with honeymooners and couples celebrating anniversaries, and it's known for its conservation work: guests can volunteer at the coral nursery, join a guided house reef tour and watch stingrays come in to be fed. Divers can visit a ship that sank off the island about 30 years ago, and between January and April there are trips to Manta Haven, 20 minutes away.
Superior Beach Villas (58 m²) are tucked among the greenery with outdoor showers, and Deluxe Beach Villas (66 m²) have bay windows and a large deck facing the beach. The Premium Water Villas (85 m²) stand over the lagoon with a sun deck, and the Nirvana Presidential Suite (215 m²) spreads over two floors, with two bedrooms, a deck and a plunge pool.
Bokkura, the all-day restaurant, is designed after a Maldivian fishing boat and serves Continental, Indian, Pan-Asian, Middle Eastern and Maldivian dishes, with live music in the evening. Open – The Grill cooks seafood and prime cuts over an open fire by the pool and lagoon, the Pizzeria makes wood-fired pizzas through the day, and the Reef Bar overlooks the infinity pool. Private dinners range from the Moon Deck to a sandbank or a table set in the lagoon, and the J Wellness Circle is the spa.
This profile comes from the resort's official fact sheet and travel agencies, because the resort's own website couldn't be checked. The agencies disagree on the star rating (Purely Maldives says 4, Resortlife 5), and the price is only maldives.com's 'starting from' range, so treat it as a rough guide.
One of 12 thatched beach villas set among the greenery, with pastel interiors, a sea-facing bed, an open layout and an outdoor shower. Two adults.
King bed
One of 16 thatched villas with large glass bay windows, beach views, a king bed and a big outer deck. Three adults, or two adults and a child.
King bed
One of 32 thatched overwater villas, reached by a jetty, with an outer deck and sun loungers over the house reef. Two guests.
King bed
A two-floor suite with two bedrooms and a living area looking over the Indian Ocean, a wooden deck, an outdoor rain shower and a plunge pool. Five adults, or four adults and a child.
The same resort and the same villa, booked through people who live here.
Request a free quote
All-day dining: Continental, Indian, Pan-Asian, Middle Eastern and Maldivian, with live music in the evening; breakfast 7–10.30am, lunch noon–2.30pm, dinner 7–9.30pm
Seafood, prime cuts, ribs and local lobster over an open fire; dinner 7–9.30pm
Wood-fired thin-crust pizzas, 11am to 6.30pm
Sunset cocktails and bar snacks, 10am to midnight
The Moon Deck, sandbank dinners, tables set in the lagoon, beach barbecues and breakfast on a dhoni around the island
Single and couple treatment suites, wet areas, a beauty salon and a fitness centre
Shipwreck diving, Manta Haven trips (January to April), big-game fishing, sandbank snorkelling and non-motorised water sports
The shape comes from OpenStreetMap, simplified: a guide to the layout, not a survey. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About 45 minutes from Malé by speedboat.
Dates, budget, who is coming. We will come back with three resorts that fit, and why.
All-inclusive