Looking for Information about Fushifaru’s Five-Star Boutique Resort?
You’ve come to the right place! We stayed at the five-star Fushifaru Maldives resort in the Maldive Islands in January 2022. It was our first visit to the Maldives and we had an amazing time. In this post, we tell you all about the resort and island, our experience there, activities on the island, the food and more.
The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago nation of 1,196 islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of India. It is composed of 26 atolls, or ring-shaped coral reefs that form as an old volcano erodes. With an average elevation of only 4’11” above sea level, it is the world’s lowest-lying country and at risk from rising sea levels. (Some reports suggest that 80% of the Maldives could be underwater by 2050.) English is widely spoken in the Maldives, and resorts accept U.S. dollars, Euros and British pounds for payment, as well as American Express, Visa and Mastercard.
Fushifaru: Five Star Boutique Resort
Fushifaru Maldives opened in October 2017. This chic boutique resort merges traditional Maldivian design with a modern aesthetic, cozy but luxurious, with a focus on excellent service. There is an assigned butler to meet the needs of each villa.
Resort staff greeted us upon arrival with an island welcome: the blowing of a conch shell and traditional Maldivian drumming as they assisted us with our luggage and escorted us to the reception area.
Fushifaru Maldives: Villas
Fushifaru has 63 Beach and Water villas:
- 6 Beach Villa Sunrise – 1,033 sq ft (96 sqm)
- 15 Beach Villa Sunset – 1,033 sq ft (96 sqm)
- 10 Pool Beach Villa Sunrise – 1,313 sq ft (122 sqm)
- 10 Pool Beach Villa Sunset – 1,313 sq ft (122 sqm)
- 2 Beach Duplex Villa – 2,583 sq ft (240 sqm)
- 1 Premium Beach Duplex Villa – 2,691 sq ft (250 sqm)
- 4 Pool Water Villa – 1,313 sq ft (122 sqm)
- 4 Premium Pool Water Villa – 1,313 sq ft (122 sqm)
- 11 Jacuzzi Water Villa – 1,023 sq ft (95 sqm)
Sunrise Villas look out toward the open Indian Ocean, Sunset Villas face the calm clear lagoon, and the Water Villas face the channel.
Villa Features:
- King-sized bed
- Indoor daybed
- Air conditioning
- Garden bathroom with bath
- Indoor and outdoor shower
- Private veranda
- Outdoor dining furniture
- Outdoor sunbed
- Sun loungers with umbrellas
- Ceiling fan
- Mini bar
- In-room safe
- Working desk with stationery
- Illy coffee / espresso machine
- IDD telephone (international direct dialing)
- IPTV (internet protocol television)
- Complimentary island wi-fi (data package also available)
- Iron and ironing board
- Hair dryer
- Complimentary water
- Butler service
We booked the Half Board program and upgraded to a luxurious Pool Water Villa.
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Relaxation
There was no shortage of fun places to lounge and relax.
Weddings and Special Occasions
The intimate and beautiful setting of the island is ideal for exquisite weddings and special occasions, and the resort staff are happy to customize special events to their clients’ specifications.
Green Initiatives
Fushifaru Maldives is proud to be an eco-friendly island. In fact, it recently received the prestigious Green Globe Certification for its sustainability efforts. Green initiatives include a commitment to using zero single-use plastic on the island; development of a coral propagation project to assist the rejuvenation of the coral reefs around the island, which is vital to sustaining biodiversity; creation of the ‘Plant Your Own Tree’ Program that enables guests to plant trees on the island; use of composted food waste to fertilize the trees on the property; and support of The Olive Ridley Project, which protects sea turtles and their habitats through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, education and outreach.
Fushifaru: Island and Features
The Island
Fushifaru is an island in the Lhaviyani Atoll, one of the Maldives’ most diverse. It is nestled between a national Marine Protected Area and three of the Maldives’ most iconic dive sites, making it the ideal location for diving and snorkeling excursions.
Coralline Sand
The beautiful beaches in the Maldives are renowned for their amazing white and extremely fine sand. This is because the sand is coralline and not quartzite. Every morning we would observe beautiful delicate henna-like patterns in the sand from nocturnal crab activity, something I’ve never seen anywhere else.
There is another feature of coralline sand that visitors will appreciate: even in the hot Maldivian sun, the sand does not get hot. Therefore, you can roam the island barefoot morning to night without burning your feet. Coralline beaches are rare; they represent less than 5% of the world’s beaches, the rest are made mostly of quartz.
Animals
There were very few animals on the island. Other than hermit crabs, we saw a heron. One night, though, we were sitting by the pool, watching the sunset, and this huge black bird goes flopping by. I looked at my husband and said, “That looked like a freakin’ bat!” We are from Austin (home of the world’s largest urban bat colony in a downtown bridge) so we are aficionados of these creatures. A quick Google and I had my answer: greater Indian fruit bats, one of the largest bat species in the world. There were two on the island and sometimes the juice truck person would place bananas on the roof, then they would come feast. I was obsessed.
Island Activities
Most island activities are centered around the water. After all, this is why you’ve traveled thousands of miles to this magical archipelago! Upon arrival, we were issued a mask, snorkel and fins to use for the duration of our stay. This made it super easy to just jump in the water and start exploring any time we wanted.
Diving
The Dive Centre offers PADI courses for beginners and experiences divers, as well as specialty courses and dive excursions, including a night dive. If you dare!
Snorkeling Tours
The Dive Centre offers a few different snorkeling tours by boat to nearby reefs, and this is the best way to see the massive diversity of fish. There are 1,100 species in the Maldives, plus 5 species of sea turtle, and 21 species of whale and dolphin. Lhaviyani Atoll is one of the Maldives’ most diverse. Natalia (from Spain) and Maria (from Germany) were the two resident marine biologists when we were there, but they unfortunately didn’t go on any of the tours we took.
Turtle Quest
This tour took us by boat to snorkel near the island of Kuredu. It was one of my all-time favorite snorkeling experiences. In addition to seeing two green sea turtles, there was an enormous variety of beautiful fish. We saw unicorn fish, angelfish, butterflyfish, tangs, lagoon triggerfish, a lion fish, an empress angel fish, rainbow parrotfish, Oriental sweetlips, ocean surgeonfish, banner fish, Indian snappers, cornet fish, titan triggerfish, yellowfin fusilier… At one point I looked up and found myself inside an enormous school of convict surgeonfish. It was magical.
Snorkeling Extravaganza
This tour took us by boat to another nearby reef. I saw a ghostly blotched fantail ray undulating languidly over the coral reef; I followed it for about 10 minutes. I saw soldierfish, lion fish, various groupers, banner fish and moorish idols, black pyramid butterflyfish, wrasses, powder blue surgeonfish, lined surgeonfish, red-toothed triggerfish, starfish, a lobster, sea cucumbers, and spaghetti eels (garden eels).
Other Tours
Manta Quest, Dolphin Sunset Cruise, Local Island Visit, Sunset Fishing
Snorkeling Off the Island
In addition to paid tours, there is nice snorkeling off the island, particularly in front of the pool. There you will find a sunken playground and coral reef. I saw not the numbers but a really nice variety. Some favorites included regal angelfish, Picasso triggerfish, threadfin butterflyfish, titan triggerfish (can be aggressive so give this guy space), and a school of trevally.
Powder Blue Tang
Coral Reef at Fushifaru
Green Sea Turtle
Moorish Idol
Striped Surgeonfish
Black-tip Shark
Water Sports
In addition to the beautiful resort infinity pool and soft white sand beaches, the sports center offers kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, jet skis, kite surfing, catamarans, parasailing and other fun water sports.
Gym
A small but modern (and well air conditioned) gym features free weights, bikes, ellipticals and treadmills, as well as yoga mats.
Yoga
Private and group yoga classes are offered by the in-house yoga instructor to balance mind, body and spirit.
Heylhi Spa
The award-winning spa is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm. Nestled in the lush green jungle and featuring five treatment rooms inspired by Maldivian cottages, it’s the perfect place to rejuvenate after a day in the sun.
Tennis
There was a tennis court but the equipment was pretty beat up and the balls were flat. It was for us the most disappointing part of our visit… but we weren’t really there for tennis anyway.
Kokko Kids Club
While the resort receives many couples, families with children are also welcome. They have a kids’ playground and number of activities, including a little culinary cookout, nature strolls (where they get to plant a tree!), Thaana writing class, Boduberu beats music class, and palm tree weaving and crafts. Babysitting services available upon request.
The Food
We are foodies and we did have some concern that the buffet-style restaurant might not be up to our expectations of quality and variety. However, we were pleasantly surprised to have lots of choice, extremely high quality, and the right combination of consistency and new offerings each day.
Korakali
Our Half Board program included a buffet breakfast and dinner at the main restaurant, Korakali. A large open-air structure with a thatched roof situated on the beach, there are multiple stations serving international and island-inspired dishes, and tables on a wooden deck as well as in the sand. In the back was a grill station and they always served different grilled fish and meats, as well as local Maldivian specialties. Traditional Maldivian cuisine is based on three elements: coconuts, fish and starches.
In addition to traditional Western breakfast offerings, there was something called mas huni, a Maldivian ‘burrito’ with chopped tuna, coconut, onions, chili and a squeeze of lime. I ate that along with two fried eggs, grilled vegetables with green pesto, and egg noodles all mixed together. It was the Breakfast of Champions.
For dinner, the theme varied nightly, but was always good. Most memorable was the delicious Maldivian fish stew. Typically we feasted on grilled fish and shrimp, spicy noodles, curries and wine.
Fanihandi Bar
This is the main bar on the island, adjacent to the pool, where you can sample signature cocktails and watch the sunset. Some of our favorite cocktails were the Maldivian Daiquiri (spicy) or the Blueberry and Coconut Margarita. Lite bar bites and all-day poolside dining, always with an amazing view. Billiards and board games are available, and shows, performances, live music and other entertainment take place here.
Thundi
Since our plan didn’t include lunch, we came to this cute little juice stand every day for an afternoon snack. They feature cold-pressed juices, immune booster shots and fresh fruit skewers. We tried a few things, then settled on a routine. Caesar salad and quinoa salad to get us from breakfast to dinner, supplemented with two fresh Pine and Gingers – SO good!
Mark at Thundi
Pine and Gingers at Thundi Fushifaru
Sippin’ from a coconut
Teppanyaki
This is always fun. Fresh seafood and Angus beef with all the Japanese accoutrements flame-grilled in a dramatic and interactive dinner show, perfect for groups.
Raakani
We splurged and enjoyed a candlelit dinner at Raakani with a couple we met, and it was a special experience. Delicious food including lobster thermidor, wine and dessert with an ocean view.
Special Dining Experiences
In addition to the restaurants noted above, the resort can arrange a variety of bespoke dining experiences, such as a Floating Breakfast, Handhu Platform Dinner, Romantic Beach Dinner, Private Sandbank Picnic, Private Sundowner with Champagne, Maldivian Breakfast, Fruit Lagoon and more!
Intimate dining on the Handhu Platform
Nearby Underwater Restaurant
➡️ It’s important to note that the world’s largest all-glass underwater restaurant (5.8 Undersea Restaurant) is on a nearby island and is accessible by boat.
Other Important Notes
Drones
Drone use is allowed within the resort, but you must get permission from Reception before flying it.
Medical Assistance
There is a medical resident on the island trained in first aid. In case of an emergency, the nearest hospital is only 10 minutes from the resort by speedboat.
How to Get to Fushifaru
It was a long journey for us to get to Fushifaru. We first drove from Austin to Dallas (4 hours), then flew Dallas to Doha on Qatar Business, my favorite 777 configuration with lots of storage, which was super nice. This flight was just under 15 hours, so comfort is key! Doha to Malé was another 6 hours.
Once we arrived at Velana International Airport in Malé, we first cleared Customs and Immigration, where a complimentary 30-day visa is issued to all guests. A Fushifaru host met us in the arrival hall, assisted us with our luggage, and escorted us to the bus to the nearby seaplane terminal. (Please note that the baggage allowance is 55 lbs.) From there we were just a 35-minute breathtaking seaplane flight away from our island paradise which was very cool! Our first and second water runway ever!
Trans Maldivian Airways operates flights to all the islands via De Havilland Twin Otter seaplanes and it’s fascinating to watch their operations at the seaplane terminal. Don’t be alarmed if your pilots are barefoot. This is normal.
NEW! As of March 2022, there is a second option for getting from Malé to Fushifaru: a new land airport, Madivaru Airport, has opened on Lhaviyani Atoll, so you can take a 25-minute domestic flight, then take a 15 minute speedboat to Fushifaru. The seaplanes are so much fun and you get an incredible view, but their operation is limited to daylight hours. If you arrive after dark, the domestic flights can get you there (although the pilots probably wear shoes.) Both options can be arranged through the resort.
How to Book Fushifaru Maldives
We found our deal for Fushifaru back during Covid, March 2020, through a TravelZoo promo. These deals may appear here from time to time so it’s always good to check.
➡️ Check rates and availability at Fushifaru Maldives
What to Bring
Bring light, casual summer clothes. Comfortable shoes such as sandals. Heels not recommended. Most people go barefoot. The dress code for the evening is island chic. Bring lots of sunscreen!
The Maldives is a Muslim country, so certain items are forbidden, including religious items (like a Bible), alcohol, and pork. However, the last two are available for consumption in the resorts.
The Weather and Best Time to Go
The best time to visit the Maldives is between November and April, outside of the monsoon season. The weather in the Maldives is hot, sunny and humid. Temperatures range from 77 at night to 86 during the day.
Summary: Fushifaru Maldives
This intimate and beautiful boutique resort is a fantastic way to visit the Maldive Islands. While it’s a long journey from the U.S., the sheer beauty, amazing weather, cool white sand, massive diversity of aquatic life, and Maldivian influence make for an unforgettable experience.
