What makes a Maldives stay extraordinary? The island design, marine life, cuisine, luxury touches, activities, and the room all play a part. But at Faarufushi, it's the people that set it apart and as someone on their 11th Maldives resort, I don't say that lightly.
The resort itself is boutique luxury in every sense. The water villa, deck, and private pool with two submerged sun beds are beautiful. The bedroom, bathroom, and storage are all exceptionally well designed. You also get a great quality beach bag (which I took home) and lovely flipflop style slippers a nice touch. I loved the bamboo comb and razors too.
The views are incredible, and the snorkelling directly around the resort is great.. lots of marine life.
From the stunning Eclipse bar (which sits completely over the sea) we spotted eagle rays, sharks, big fish, and jack fish at night. Aqua restaurant overlooks the beach.
Patrick (GM) comes round to check on guests and have a chat, that personal touch matters. Tharif, our villa host, was the best. Genuinely kind, exceptional at his job, and checked on us even on his days off. That's dedication. Someone give this man a raise before another resort snaps him up!
Hillol (F&B) is super helpful and genuinely runs a tight ship, and San runs the Eclipse bar ..he is a cocktail mastermind with his passion, gin selection, concoctions, and masterclass knowledge are genuinely impressive.
Rabiul our waiter at Carniverous was attentive and warm throughout, and Maish (housekeeping) was intuitive beyond words organising the room, toiletries, and my makeup to absolute perfection. They just sense what you need.
Carniverous restaurant is my favourite. Chef Jibin's lava clay oven prawns and wagyu brisket (slow-cooked for two days) were unforgettable, the steak literally melts.
Pastry chef Asanka made me the most delcious bespoke gluten-free, dairy-free croissants, pancakes, and chocolate cake, I genuinely miss all the food here.
Chef Pabir's off-menu thali was fragrant and the chicken curry insanely good. Donni at Mediterraneo made our last night special with a seafood platter on ice. Chefs made me a GF DF bday cake too.
The Beach Club Grill kiwi cooler (non-alcoholic and totally sugar free and freshly prepared) is one of the most refreshing drinks I've had anywhere.
The culinary team spans Italy, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia and you taste every bit of it. The outdoor Teppanyaki was super fun too.
The spa is huge and stunning, I loved the crystals and sound bowls in the room too. They accommodated coconut oil for my massage without hesitation. Fragrance allergy note: do ask them to remove any scented products from the room beforehand, and let them know about lemongrass burners - they turned theirs off for me which was a considerate touch.
The gym is very small, worth knowing, but the personal trainer is exceptional. Really experienced and very good at tennis. There's padel courts here too.
Allergy travellers: flag dietary needs early. The off-menu flexibility here is exceptional.
Marine life highlights: 30 minutes swimming along with a turtle, just me and him. Lot's of fish, triggers etc, blacktip reef sharks, octopus, and a sea snake.
Island also has great bikes to get around on. Takes 10 mins to walk around the island so it's easy. Boutique luxury at its best, would return without hesitation.
