A small paradise island in the warm Indian Ocean. White sandy beaches and palm tree leaves that are swing in the wind. A resort in the Maldives which truly values & lives the local culture in an authentic way and will make you feel warmly welcomed from the very moment you set your feet on the island. All this describes the cozy boutique hotel Fushifaru. It’s one of the more affordable luxury resorts in the Maldives and in this hotel review you will find out if the Fushifaru is the right choice for your next trip to the Maldives.
LOCATION & TRANSFER
The Fushifaru is located in in the Lhaviyani atoll which lies north of the capital Male. A friendly airport host of the resort welcomed us after landing, took care about our luggage & the sea plane transfer and escorted us to the lounge. After just 15 minutes our flight was ready to board and we took off in the air. The transfer via seaplane is my favorite way to travel in the Maldives since the views over the atolls and the island are one of a kind!
During our arrival at the resort, the team of the Fushifaru Maldives has been waiting for us at the pier. Everyone was singing & clapping, we got a welcome necklace made out of palm leaves and took a memory photo in front of hotel sign. The night before our departure we found this very same photo, framed in our room as a goodbye gift to take home. This is such a sweet and personal touch which I absolutely loved!
The Concept of the Fushifaru Maldives
The Maldivian culture
The Fushifaru is a cozy and lovely boutique hotel which has a big focus on the Maldivian culture! Beside traditional dishes, dances and clothes, guests can watch a coconut show every Friday during the Maldivian Night. The show explains in a very entertaining way how the Maldivian people are using coconuts & palm trees in their daily life. Beside that the main restaurant will prepare a Maldivian food night and later in the evening, guests can even enjoy a traditional dance show.
The Fushifaru has a Maldivian owner and most staff members are local as well. They love to share their culture and traditions with guests in a wonderful and authentic way. This is a beautiful detail which is rare to find at any other resorts, which are owned by big international hotel chains.
The Pool & Beach
A huge infinity pool with several sun beds and sofas is located at the Fanihandi bar. The pool has a dreamy view over the blue lagoon and during sunset the surface of the water transforms into a huge mirror, reflecting the sky and the surrounding palm trees.
The incredible white sandy beach of the Fushifaru Maldives, which can be found all around the island, is one of the most beautiful ones we’ve ever seen. The warm turquoise water is kissing the long white beach softly which is sprinkled with coconut palm trees. It feels like living in a postcard motive!
The Heylhi Spa
The spa area of the Fushifaru Maldives is located in a tropical surrounding in the centre of the island. It has a catalogue of many relaxing treatments from classic massages to special Asian well-being methods. The treatment rooms are located in little huts which have an outdoor bathroom with bathtub. In the outdoor area of the Heylhi Spa you can find a little pool and cabanas to relax.
During our last evening at the island I enjoyed an amazing aromatherapy oil massage which has been the best way to end a day in paradise.
Activities
Diving Center
You can not only book several tours and water sport activities in the Diving Center of the resort but also rent kayaks, stand-up paddles and snorkeling equipment for free.
During our stay at the Fushifaru Maldives we’ve been super lucky, cause a member of the diving team spotted a group of Mantas not far from the resort! So the next day we booked a Manta snorkeling tour and had the chance to swim with a group of around ten friendly & giant Mantas! It’s been an unbelievable experience and one of our best snorkeling experiences in the Maldives. Even if you don’t travel to the Fushifaru during the Manta season, you will be able to experience amazing underwater adventures. I highly recommend joining the turtle quest tour to a reef with a sunken ship wreck and countless turtles – it is truly magical.
Underwater Playground
In the lagoon right in front of the infinity pool is an underwater playground located. Via several eye-catching installations the team of the Fushifaru planted young corals to repopulate the reef and attract fish. My favorite sculptures have been a bicycle and the underwater swing right at the reef drop. Beside colorful fish and (harmless) jelly fish we also spotted a reef shark at this spot.
The Sandbank
Within sight and only a short boat ride away from the Fushifaru is a huge sandbank situated, where you can book a private picnic. Beside sun beds the team of the Fushifaru will prepare a shelter with pillows to chill and enjoy the endless blue views and of course your snacks and drinks! We had the best weather conditions when we arrived by boat but unfortunately the weather can change within minutes in the Maldives and 15 minutes later we got soaked in a heavy tropical rain shower! Unfortunately it didn’t clear up very soon so we had to get to go back to the resort. But that’s definitely a reason for us to come back 😉
The Villa
Beach Villa with Pool
Located at the beautiful sunset side of the island we had a cozy beach villa with direkt access to the tropical beach. Thanks to a lush vegetation around the villa, your terrace and pool is view-protected to enjoy a relaxing privacy.
Two sun beds are located in the pool and from the roofed terrace a sliding door leads into your villa.
The villa consists of one big room which has a big double bed in the center and a sofa on the side which can also be transformed into another bed. This way the Beach Villa can host up to three adults.
Behind the bed a door leads into the big tropical bathroom. In case of a rain shower, part of it is roofed. I especially loved the second shower which is surrounded by lush plants and of course the freestanding bathtub which gave the bathroom a very elegant design. Nothing is a better way to start the day and getting into holiday mood than with a shower while the sun is shining through the palm trees! 🙂
Water Villa with Jacuzzi
During our second stay at the Fushifaru we stayed in one of their brand new Water Villas. The resort used to have only five water villas in total but added a second jetty during covid. During this same time, the previous water villas also got completely renewed, in the same style as the brand new ones.
The water villas are incredibly spacious with a wonderful bedroom facing the private terrace and the blue lagoon. Behind a sliding door, which can completely be opened, is the bathroom located with a freestanding bathtub.
Outdoors is the private terrace with a roofed relaxing area plus a sun deck with loungers and a jacuzzi. You can also book water villas with pools and overwater hammocks at the Fushifaru. But of course you’ll always have the best pool right in front of you: The turquoise lagoon!
Restaurants
Korakali
The main restaurant Korakali is where you can enjoy your breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a buffet restaurant – but no worries – even if you’re usually not a buffet fan, like myself, I promise you will love the food here! Every night they have a different theme night and the buffet mostly consists of cooking stations which change depending on the nightly theme. The Lunch buffet is a bit smaller but still different every single day – and most of all: Always fresh and delicious. This has honestly been one of the best and most varied buffet restaurants I ever tried in the Maldives!
For breakfast you can choose from international dishes, freshly prepared eggs or you go all local at the Maldivian Breakfast station – you can try something new every single day.
Raakani
The Restaurant Raakani, is the fine dine grill restaurant of the Fushifaru. Here you can enjoy a Live Japanese Teppanyaki Cooking Show or order freshly grilled meat and fish from the à la carte menu.
Floating Dhoni
From pictures on Instagram we all know a breakfast which gets served on a floating tablet but the Fushifaru decided to level it up to floating Canapés during sunset. We got fresh waffles, savory Maldivian pastries, tea, fresh juices and other snacks which got served on a wooden traditional Maldivian boat – right in your pool! I’ve never seen anything like this in any other resort and it has been so lovely to enjoy the afternoon tea while watching the sunset right in front of us! Of course the boat can be ordered as a floating breakfast too 🙂 Recently they even added a Floating Sushi Boat.
RÉSUMÉ
The Fushifaru Maldives is the ideal resort to recharge and enjoy the peace of this paradise island. Especially couples which are planning a romantic getaway or even their honeymoon will love the resort! But also families will have a great stay at the Fushifaru thanks to the kids club and the incredibly kids friendly staff!
Mihai
5 Starts from me and my wife for this beautiful hotel and very friendly staff. Our host Cathy was taking care of us from the first minute to the last. We enjoyed our vacation a lot and very happy that we choosed Fushifaru. What a lovely place❤️ Hope to see you soon guys.
voyagefox
Happy to hear that you had a great time at the Fushifaru too! We really loved it 🙂