Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa Hotel

Recently returned from EF after spending 11 nights in sunset Water pool villa at the far end of the jetty. For context we are not newcomers to the Maldives, this being our 10th visit and have stayed at a variety of resorts over the past few years including Veligandu, Moofushi, Kandolhu, Baros, Milaidhoo, Hurawalhi, Ayada and Halaveli so have plenty to compare with but overall our stay was nothing short of exceptional! The villa was well maintained (no signs of wear/tear whatsoever) and kept immaculately clean by Irman while we were at breakfast, a truly lovely guy who left us the most beautiful bed art and treats. The bed was very comfy (we’d requested a bed topper in advance as read from other reviews it could be on the firm side otherwise) as were the pillows. We had plenty of towels including pool ones, the hairdryer was fine for my thick hair and the toiletries, while not a luxury brand, were OK for Mr W but I preferred to use my own shampoo and conditioner. We had 2 separate wardrobes with plenty of hanging space and drawers and plenty of sockets (UK 3 pin plugs) and USB points near the bedside. The air conditioning worked well and it was really nice to have a flat space near the entrance to open 2 suitcases out together at a decent height for packing/unpacking, very thoughtful! We had a sofa and chair in the villa which we really appreciated as for half of our stay the weather was not good so it was nice to have somewhere to sit indoors to read/ watch a bit of TV (took a Firestick with us!) and raid the minibar until the bad weather eased and we could at least sit on the outside deck. The mini bar had full bottles of red, white, rose and sparkling wine plus Pringles, nuts, Haribos, Bounty and Snicker bars and plenty of fresh bottled water was provided. We asked in the restaurant and were given a full carton of fresh milk for our morning cuppa! The deck had plenty of outdoor space, there was always plenty of shade at all times for Mr W and sunny areas from about 10.30/11am on our sunset facing deck. The pool was a generous size but sadly due to the windy conditions we experienced during our stay it was usually too cool to use. A big bonus was the “staircase” into the sea from the villa deck, no awkward entry/exit via a ladder! Food was at the very least very good at all outlets (we tried them all!) and we had several excellent meals too. I’d booked most of our dinners on the app about 2 weeks before our arrival to ensure we had preferred dining times but we ended up changing a few once there through our villa host. As the resort was at 90-95% capacity I was pleased we did this (and had made a few bookings for lunch at the Beach Grill) as we could not make another booking for the Beach Grill for less than 4 days away by the end of our stay. Would highly recommend not missing Italian Buffet Night, the made to order carbonara is authentic and fab as is just about everything else on offer, not surprising as the Head chef Moreno (lovely guy!) is Italian! We also enjoyed pizza delivery, within 20 minutes from order just as stated, when we didn’t fancy leaving the villa in bad weather days, ordered through the app via the Beach Grill section. We added a few toppings on in the “Dietary Notes” section, not being sure if it would be picked up but it was and Pizza was delicious! We also enjoyed some lovely sunset meals at Mediterraneo (book for 7pm!) but if going for a sunset drink at Eclipse, get there early as the booths get taken fast! Drinks: Our glasses were never empty, no problems with getting refills of anything (staff seemed to know what we wanted before we did!) or asking if we wanted more tea/coffee at breakfast, even bringing extra teas bags without asking with my morning tea pot as they knew I sometimes wanted a stronger brew! The AI beverages are very good indeed, we had some lovely cocktails and the wine is very decent, perhaps not quite as good as Halaveli (Mr W likes a decent drop and knows his stuff!) but we found a few very nice ones on the AI list. I have to point out that we didn’t really enjoy being subjected to a bit of a hard upsell on the wines: we’d ask for a recommendation and then find the one they’d suggested came with a big mark up as they weren’t on the AI list. We had to say that we were sticking with the AI wines nearly every dinner time. We did however try one of the wines that came with a $99++ supplement one evening and it was no better than the AI wines and found out later it was same $$ value as those anyway so it did feel a bit of a rip off. Spa: Being honest it’s not the most luxurious spa I’ve visited in the Maldives and the treatment room was quite basic, no views and no delicious scents wafting around as expected. However, I had the most fantastic massage (the special offer 75 minute Tropical Glow Ritual with additional 15 minute head massage) by Setiti the Spa manager, one of the best I have ever had (and I’ve had quite a few in my time!) truly wonderful and highly recommended! Excursions:As part of the AI package we had a dolphin trip, fishing trip and photoshoot included which our villa host had already scheduled in for us. We were very lucky to see dolphins (the excursion before and after ours were not so lucky!) but the fishing trip was cut short after only 20 minutes due to bad weather. The photoshoot lasted about 15/20 minutes on the beach in a few locations and we received a free print. We wanted to purchase a few more and these were charged at $20++ each but you only get a digital image for this, not even a print which felt a bit mean and the link you’re sent for your images expires after 7 days (and a resend only 3 days) so bear this in mind if you want to download onto a desk top for saving once you’re home! Villa host: I see a lot of reviews mentioning their host and I can see why, ours was a lovely friendly young lady named Apekcha who truly deserves a special mention. She went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with every aspect of our stay. If we needed/wanted anything she not only made it happen but made it happen straight away. As an example, as she showed us around the villa on arrival, Mr W mentioned that it would be nice if we could move the day bed across the decking for a bit more shade. She told us that the day bed would be in the shade in its current position from late afternoon but within 5 minutes she had another sun lounger and cushions delivered onto the deck so that we could be in the shade for the whole time on the deck if we so wished. She managed to get me a last minute spa booking on a rainy afternoon even though the app said there were no vacancies and checked in with us every morning via the app and in person for a quick chat later in the day. In fact every staff member we came in to contact with wanted to make our stay as perfect as it could be and it was nice to see so many senior staff/managers/chefs taking such a personal interest in their guests too, service really was exemplary here, some of the best we have experienced anywhere in the world! Now onto some other stuff which may be of interest: The resort was running at 90%+ occupancy during our visit but never felt busy, apart from maybe breakfast at peak times (9am-10am) and during Italian buffet night but there were plenty of staff on hand to clear/carry plates and serve drinks very promptly. Just about all worldwide schools had returned for the Autumn term so there were only about 5 children staying (maybe aged 6/7 and under) and they were well behaved, Staff say it gets very busy with families during school holidays so maybe check dates if you prefer a quieter atmosphere! The kids club looked nice and the little pool had a sail for shade but the outdoor play equipment was in full sunshine. We witnessed staff and chefs bending over backwards to cater for little ones so I have no doubt that families are very well taken care of here. Bikes are supplied for each villa (including ones for children with stabilisers) but there are no brakes, you have to back pedal to stop. This caused quite a problem for a few guests but we didn’t use them, preferring to walk everywhere and get our step count in! Buggies are available at any time if you need to use one, very welcome in bad weather or if you just don’t fancy walking/cycling. A quick whatsapp message to our host and a buggy always arrived within 5 minutes or they would be waiting outside restaurants to take you back to your villa if it was raining. For those interested in the demographic nationality split, as an estimation the majority of guests (~70%) were Asian, 10% from UK, 10% European and 10% Russian at the time of our stay. The island is very lush with a “jungly” interior and with only 1 visible inhabited island in the far distance there is very little light pollution. You can walk around the island fully via the beach but some of the beach villas have very little actual beach in front of them, may be a time of year thing so would request a preferred villa area if this is important to you. There are sea walls around the island which some people don’t like but they do provide some sheltered areas for swimming or for little ones to play in the sea. There are plenty of daily activities to suit just about everyone, they’re all on the app on a weekly schedule but plan in advance as some need pre-booking and places can be limited! Finally, of course not every resort can be truly perfect for everyone so I’m only mentioning the following so maybe of some help to management to enhance the guest experience: 1. Please invest in some decent teapots/milk jugs for your breakfast table, dripping teapots and milk are not what we like in a LHW property! 2. Likewise please replace the wine glasses in the buffet restaurant, we’re adults paying a premium price so do not expect chunky cheap ones from a $ store! 3. The jetty to the water villas is currently in a poor condition with split wood and sticking out screws. It’s the first time I’ve ever not gone barefoot in the Maldives for fear of getting splinters in my feet! 4. The main bar permits smoking and is open sided. As non-smokers we couldn’t really use the bar for a change of scenery from our villa during the day when we suffered poor (i.e. rainy) weather for half of our stay, or for an after dinner drink, thank goodness for the mini-bar! To conclude we very much enjoyed our stay and would recommend and return without hesitation! Read less

We spent 4 days on our honeymoon at Furaveri Island, and from the moment we arrived, every single staff member made us feel genuinely welcomed and cared for. If you're hesitating about whether to come here, let me tell you: just go for it — it's absolutely worth it! First, a special thank you to our private butler, Sioma. She arranged everything for us perfectly, so we never had to worry about a thing. What touched me most was that one day we got really seasick, and she immediately communicated with the other staff and brought us seasickness medicine right away. That kind of care made our honeymoon feel safe and sweet. Housekeeping was full of surprises too. Ruwan folded towel animals for us every evening — elephants and swans. Coming back to our room felt like opening a gift every day. So much thought and heart in every detail. The dive centre team was the highlight of our trip. Tapos, Aleks, and Thas took us on our introductory dive — patient, professional, and they even brought us to see turtles and manta rays! We also experienced sunset fishing with them, and we were well taken care of the entire time. They're not only skilled but also incredibly friendly, making our first dive completely stress-free and full of joy and surprises. Of course, the beauty of Furaveri speaks for itself, but what truly made this honeymoon unforgettable was these lovely and warm-hearted people. If you're looking for a holiday where you're treated with genuine kindness and filled with surprises, this is the place. I already miss everything there～🌴🐢🐘🦢 Highly recommended to everyone thinking of coming! Read less

We stayed at Emerald Faarufushi for our honeymoon, and honestly… we’re not sure how we’re supposed to go back to normal life. From the moment we arrived, everything was incredible. We stayed in the overwater villa and it was beautiful. The food at the resort was absolutely amazing. Everything we had was genuinely delicious, with plenty of variety and something to look forward to at every meal. A special mention has to go to Chef Moreno, who was fantastic. Not only was the food excellent, but his hospitality and personality really stood out. He always made us feel welcome and was a pleasure to speak to. Special note to the sommelier Vaibhav who always proposed great wines. The bar staff were brilliant, especially Sundara Raman and Lakmal. They were always friendly, attentive and happy to have a chat. I was impressed by all of their cocktails, Lakmal's bloody marys were fantastic and I wasn't expecting Sundara's perfect caipirinha on this side of the planet. Our housekeeping was also fantastic. Irman did a great job and our villa was always spotless and beautifully looked after. The crew at the dive centre were also great, special thank you to Roberto for taking great care of us. And a huge thank you to our villa host, Zaul, who was fantastic throughout our stay. He was always available whenever we needed anything. He made everything incredibly easy and stress-free, which is exactly what you want on a honeymoon. But more than anything, it was the people that made Emerald Faarufushi so special. Everyone we met was friendly, welcoming and genuinely seemed to care about making our stay memorable. Special thanks to the management team, Mr Patrick and Rao, who were incredibly attentive and friendly during our stay. Thank you to the entire team for making our honeymoon so special. We absolutely loved it and will hopefully come back! Read less

5 nights and 6 days at Emerald Faarufushi Resort in the Maldives were unforgettable memories. Thank you very much to Apekcha and the resort team for making a happy honeymoon. It was nice to be able to use many restaurants in the resort, and snorkeling was also very fun. I want to come back to celebrate my first wedding anniversary with good memories. Read less