Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa Hotel

This was our second visit to Emerald Faarufushi and we have to say it was fantastic. The Island is very beautiful, well kept and taken care of, the reef is really beautiful, but especially the people is what make the difference!! Thank you: Mr Rao, Mr Tharif, Mrs Latheef, Mr Shinaz and Mr Ramya, + all the others, you made our holiday fantastic!! Thank you! Hope to visit you soon again! I think the pictures tells more than 1000 words! Read less

Trip Rating: 5/5 Stars Trip Duration: 10 Nights (Couples / Leisure) OVERALL VERDICT Overall... wow, wow, wow. Emerald Faarufushi is something you truly have to see and experience for yourself to believe. From the unprecedented level of service to the total tranquility of the island, everything is designed to make you forget about the outside world. It is not a party island—it is a completely chilled-out sanctuary. Whether it’s waking up to the sunrise coming through your villa doors, taking a casual bike ride around the island after breakfast, or having every minor detail taken care of, you won't have a single care in the world. SEAMLESS ARRIVAL & SEAPLANE LOUNGE From the second we landed, we were met by an Emerald representative and escorted to their dedicated airport transfer lounge. The lounge was fantastic—stocked with drinks and food, plus shower facilities to freshen up. We only had about a 30-minute wait before our seaplane was ready, making the start of our holiday smooth and effortless. BEACH POOL VILLA – PURE LUXURY UNDER THE STARS We stayed in a Beach Pool Villa, which was exceptionally nice. The private pool area was wonderful, and the villa was stocked with a fantastic selection of drinks and snacks that were replenished regularly. For me, the absolute highlight was the outdoor bathroom setup—showering under the stars every single night was an unforgettable experience that I enjoyed daily. SERVICE & STAFF: SECOND TO NONE We have never experienced service quite like this anywhere else in the world. Right from the moment we arrived on the island, we were met at reception by the staff who greeted us with genuine warmth. Nothing was ever too much trouble, every request was met with a smile, and every effort was made to accommodate us. If you have any worries at all, the team here will make sure they vanish instantly! SPECIAL STAFF RECOGNITION While every single team member was amazing, we want to give special praise to these standout individuals: Rao (Resort Manager): It was so refreshing to see a leader at his senior level taking the time out to walk around, talk to guests, and ensure everyone was comfortable. Rao was instrumental in making our final day exceptionally pleasant. I spoke with him before leaving to thank him for his hospitality, and he kindly gave me his card to stay in touch for our next visit. Zaul (Villa Host): Simply incredible. Zaul couldn't do enough for us throughout our 10 nights. He gave us his WhatsApp on day one, constantly checked in to see if we needed anything, and handled every detail with ease. He was also hugely involved in organizing our special departure treat on our final day—thank you, Zaul! Nish (Pool Bar): Attentive service both day and night, and just a really great guy. He loves his cricket, loves making people smile, and kept us entertained throughout the trip. A total top guy! Erzhan (Carnivorous & Le Asiatique): Delivered exceptional service across both restaurants. As a huge Manchester City fan, he enjoyed swapping football stories with me (a Leeds United fan!) and talking about matches I'd been to. A fantastic guy who added a great personal touch to our meals. Kalyan (Wine Sommelier): Outstanding at his craft. He made sure my wife always had the perfect wine pairing for her meal choices. I personally don't drink alcohol, and Kalyan went out of his way to ensure I understood all the premium 0.0% options available. For non-drinkers, there are tons of fantastic zero-percent choices here—from beers and lagers to sparkling wines and crafted mocktails. Saiyaaf (Villa Cleaner): Kept our villa absolutely spotless. He went above and beyond every day—putting our sunbed umbrellas up in the morning, taking them down in the evening, and bringing our sunbed pads in whenever it looked like rain before putting them back out. Truly appreciated! WORLD-CLASS DINING & BARS The food and beverage offerings here are phenomenal: Aqua (Buffet): We ate breakfast here every morning, as well as several lunches and dinners. Breakfast had endless options: fresh salmon, eggs Benedict, eggs Royale, live egg/omelette stations, fruit chopped to order, fresh honey off the comb, and a full English option. For dinner, the theme nights were brilliant (steaks, chops, and fresh local catches every night). Do not miss the Sri Lankan / South Maldivian night—the butter chicken curry and fresh Indian/Maldivian breads are to die for! Mediterraneo: The absolute culinary highlight of our trip. You must try the Champagne & crab meat cigar with cucumber ketchup (I ordered it on both of our visits!) and the lobster tagliatelle. Finish with their tiramisu! My wife had the steak here and said it was amazing. Highly recommended overwater dining spot. Carnivorous: Fantastic South American steakhouse with high-quality meats—be sure to try the Meat Platter. Le Asiatique: Delicious Asian curries, starters, and sides paired with super friendly service. Pool Bar & Eclipse Bar: The Pool Bar is super relaxed during the day and evening—never overcrowded, with great drinks and service. For sunset, head straight to Eclipse Bar. Grab a cocktail, sit in one of the sunken seating areas over the water, watch the sun go down, and just soak in paradise. BREATHTAKING SNORKELING & WATER SPORTS House Reef: On day one, the Dive Centre team fitted us with masks, snorkels, and fins. We snorkeled on the house reef every morning after breakfast for about an hour and were blown away. We got up close and personal (10 to 12 feet away) with stingrays, sharks, and countless species of tropical fish. The ultimate highlight was having a pod of 12–14 dolphins swim directly underneath us—just 10 feet below—looking up at us as they passed. A truly breathtaking moment! Water Sports: Non-motorized water sports are included and hassle-free. No pre-booking required—just turn up and take out kayaks, paddleboards (SUP), or the glass-bottom pedalo around the calm lagoon. The staff there are brilliant as well. ABOVE AND BEYOND TILL THE VERY LAST SECOND Our departure truly proved how much this resort cares about its guests. We had a late seaplane transfer at 4:00 PM and asked if we could extend our stay in our villa. While our original villa wasn't available for the afternoon, they asked us to check out at 10:00 AM and promised to accommodate us somewhere else for the day while we waited. We were not expecting what they did next—let’s just say they placed us somewhere truly exceptional! They went completely above and beyond to ensure we were relaxed and comfortable before our journey home. It was a very special end to our 10-night stay that we deeply recognized, appreciated, and will never forget. FINAL THOUGHTS If you want a resort where you can completely unwind, ride bikes around the island, enjoy incredible food, dive into vibrant marine life, and be pampered by the kindest staff in the hospitality industry, book Emerald Faarufushi. We will definitely be back! QUICK TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS: Non-Drinkers: An amazing selection of 0.0% beers, sparkling wines, and mocktails to offer variety throughout your stay. Sunset Spot: Head to Eclipse Bar around 30 minutes before sunset to secure one of the sunken seating areas over the water. Buffet Highlight: Don't miss the Sri Lankan / South Maldivian night at Aqua for the butter chicken curry, biryani and fresh breads! Read less

We visited this resort for our honeymoon, and it was truly an unforgettable experience! From the friendly and welcoming staff, the fun beach pool, and the atmospheric Sunset Bar to the stunning emerald-green ocean, everything was perfect. One of the highlights was being able to walk down the stairs from our water villa and spot sea turtles and baby sharks just a short swim away. It was an incredible experience! We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the staff who made our honeymoon so special, and especially to our amazing butler, Aboo, who helped us with everything throughout our stay. His kindness and dedication made our trip even more memorable. Thank you for making our honeymoon the best trip we could have asked for. We would love to come back again! Read less

Together with friends we stayed at Enerald Faarufushi at their 2 bedroom presidential villa. We liked its open beach and see view with enough foliage on the side to ensure sufficient privacy. The villa was minimalistic in style but well appointed. modern and well maintained. It’s our 10th visit to the Maldives and first time to Emerald which we had chosen based on its excellent reviews and smaller size ( 80 rooms ) but still 5 restaurants / dining choices compared to many other resorts and the resort absolutely matched our expectations. We loved the many dining choices, and all alc restaurants but also the buffet was of excellent quality. What distinguishes Emerald to other resorts we had visited is its unmatched customer service. Everyone seems to be always interested in your well being asking how they can make your stay perfect. It feels genuine even though this level of service and attention only can be achieved by appropriate staff education and training. The word no doesn’t exist, and everyone always tries to find a solution to any question. critique or complaint. The level of food quality was outstanding. Whilst food presentation was pretty basic ( which is absolutely fine for us ) it was always fresh and tasty. In particular the tuna Sashimi was to die for. I was lucky to be invited into the kitchen to see how the chef prepares fresh Sashimi out of a yellow fin tuna. Beef quality was ok, with Picanha and burgers standing out ( excellent quality and preparation ). Their Italian chef prepared several fresh pasta dishes for us which felt as a very special and personalized service. I loved his Lobster Risotto while our friends hadn’t had Spaghetti Carbonara that perfectly prepared for many years Serving of food and drinks was professional and very enjoyable and friendly. No long waiting times and spontaneous refill of our empty glasses. Snorkeling was pretty good with a jetty making it easy to reach the drop off of the reef. Corals were in average shape, mainly bolder corals, limited coral diversity. A lot of fish soup, all kind of reef fish, eels, occasionally a shark or an eagle ray. Certainly enough to be well entertained but not spectacular compared to other resorts we have been to. The resort has a professional diving center but not many divers when we stayed there. All my 18 dives were kind of private dives with no other guests joining. On a highlight I saw my first leopard shark and guitar fish during one of the dives, here a link to the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/ppBB7uhx5jg?is=Wa5ksASPh0Az3o1b The island is a small walk around island ( 15 minutes ) with a lot of see walls protecting the shores. The resort is quite new, built in 2019 under Universal ownership and reopened in 2022 as Emerald. The beach in front of our villa was powder soft white and the Lagune was very sandy as well, no need in this area for watershoes to protect against corals. We enjoyed our stay and liked the resort particularly due to: - quality of service, friendliness of staff - excellent dining choices, variety and comprehensive AI package .. and certainly wish to return once in the future. Read less

The long plane ride to the island, and the fickle October weather was something to think about. But, the location was amazing with good views, good food, and lots of activities that you could choose from. Each room gets a host, and our host Aboo, has been the most hospitable that made our stay very comfortable. Rooms were cleaned with detail whenever we were outside to eat lunch or at the bar or doing activities like snorkeling. I would recommend to anybody looking for a holiday with family and loved ones. You will be taken care of with great care. I would love to visit again in the future when we have the time for it. Read less