In the furthest north area of the Maldives is JA Manafaru, a nearly 20-year-old hotel which has some of the very best service and island vistas in the whole country. With ocean villas, wonderful dining and a tranquil castaway atmosphere, it’s certainly an unforgettable way to stay in the Maldives. Here’s what The Handbook writer, Rufus Punt, experienced…

First impressions

Despite the fatigue from the long journey from the UK via Sri Lanka, it’s hard not to be mesmerised as the seaplane smoothly glides in to land, and we’re welcomed by the Manafaru team, waving at us as if we’d stayed a hundred times before (a gesture they repeated when we departed).

Whisked on buggies to our villa, we got a decent look at the island as darkness fell, and were shown our rooms. Ours were the hotel’s Sunrise Villas, which are positioned to provide the best view of daybreak every morning (you can opt for Sunset Villas if you prefer). You quickly get used to the tranquility and very peaceful, quiet atmosphere of much of the island, as well as the waves of the ocean all around you.

Despite the fatigue from the long journey from the UK via Sri Lanka, it’s hard not to be mesmerised as the seaplane smoothly glides in to land, and we’re welcomed by the Manafaru team, waving at us as if we’d stayed a hundred times before (a gesture they repeated when we departed).

Rufus, Contributing Entertainment Writer

There are 84 different rooms and residences on the island, ranging from villas that directly overlook the sea or are located on a beach to considerably larger residences with multiple bedrooms, designed for families or groups. The island feels both small enough to feel like a secluded castaway, but big enough to fit in plenty of restaurants, bars, recreation areas and villas- unlike some places, longer stays of a few weeks don’t feel out of the question. Though there’s the option to take bikes around the island, we mostly opted to go on foot as it lets you take everything that bit more.

The location

JA Manafaru is the northernmost natural island in the entire Maldives, meaning a seaplane journey from Male is one of the longest regular routes at around 80 minutes. Once you arrive on the island, you really do feel that secluded, isolated nature (even more so than other Maldivian islands). As you’d expect, it’s surrounded by beautiful aqua blue waters and features plenty of lush green vegetation. The hotel prides itself on offering an authentic experience to discover the real Maldives, and from what I saw, it lived up to that ethos. You might be in a 5-star resort, but it does manage to balance the feeling of being on a proper desert island.

The villas

As mentioned, there are several accommodation options available at JA Manafaru, and my Sunrise Water Villa was unquestionably an ideal way to experience my time there. Tired as I was from the flight, I woke early and caught the sun peering over the horizon: the water villas are all perched directly above the sea, allowing a totally unbroken view.

In the living area, there’s a prominent walk-on glass floor, meaning you can stare straight down into the water- and a close inspection of the room’s light switch remote reveals an option to turn on lights to illuminate it at night and attract fish. If you can tear yourself away from the panoramic views, you’ll find a luxurious bathroom with a Jacuzzi. These villas are designed so you can hear the sound of the sea waves beneath you, creating a very zen experience in the tub.

As tired as I was from the flight, I woke early and caught the sun peering over the horizon: the water villas are all perched directly above the sea, allowing a totally unbroken view.

One of, if not the most impressive things at this hotel is the service, which has a rare ‘full marks’ score awarded to it by Forbes, and you can see why. Any issue in my room (which were all minor or accidental) was speedily fixed; the staff I encountered were always very friendly and polite, and I never felt anything other than looked after. There’s the option to get a “floating breakfast”, which I was given on my second morning, where a tray of breakfast is placed in the villa’s infinity pool so you can sit in the water and eat. It’s definitely ultra-Instagrammable, though I mostly just stared into the ocean ahead while buttering my toast.

We were given a tour of other types of properties at the hotel, including the larger residences, some of which had small private sections of beach with beautiful white sand. The ocean residences and villas, though, were my personal favourite, and while visiting one, we even spotted dolphins in the distance. You really are spoilt for choice, and wherever you choose to stay, you’re going to get that same impeccable service.

The food

There’s a great selection of places to get food packed into the island, and it’s impossible to list everything I ate, but all of it was delicious. In the mornings, you can treat yourself to an amazing breakfast at Kakuni, a casual and serene place with a great beach view of palm trees and the sea. All the food here is brilliant; even something simple like scrambled eggs feels fresh and perfectly done. It’s also an excuse to help yourself to slices of mango for a real tropical feel.

White Orchid offers amazing Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisine, and we had sushi for lunch one day and experienced a spectacular teppanyaki meal for dinner the next. The seafood here is a real highlight, caught by local fishermen, and you’re surrounded by ocean views as you eat.

There’s also the Ocean Grill, which is designed to be a barefoot dining experience on a sandy beach where I had a wonderful tuna steak and a truly decadent chocolate volcano cake, the type of thing that you feel you can get away with on a trip somewhere like this. We also got an experimental treetop dining experience, which is only just being introduced into the hotel, in which we are in a roofless treehouse at night, with a menu of dishes made with ingredients only from the island itself or its surrounding waters. There’s even a slide to get back down again if you’re feeling adventurous.

Things to do

Speaking of adventure, if you’ve come to the Maldives, you’re probably going to want to go for a dip in the sea or two. Like any good island hotel, JA Manafaru offers numerous sea-centric experiences beyond just getting into the ocean from your villa. One of these (and definitely the highlight of the trip) is night snorkelling by the island’s main pier. For an hour, we were submerged in night waters, illuminated partly by our waterproof torches, allowing us to see and swim past all manner of marine life, some of which are nocturnal.

We had two great snorkelling guides to help us with fish spotting and diving knowledge. While there are schools of brightly coloured fish and a few wandering crabs on the seabed, the most prominent creatures are the sharks, which in this area of the sea are nurse and reef species. They’re very docile and mostly swim underneath you, but it’s still an exhilarating experience to actually swim near them, if you’re brave enough. Very sadly, we weren’t able to go on the planned boat ride to another castaway island due to weather, but the option is there.

There’s also all manner of water sports from kayaking to windsurfing, as well as deeper coral diving. Land-based activities include a recreation area with a mini arcade, a kid’s play area and even pottery and painting. I’ve not even mentioned the island’s very large spa area, which offers a range of wellness treatments and massages. We took part in getting Tibetan and Hindu pulse readings, where you can receive advice and pointers on lifestyle choices suited to you.

Getting there

There are two options for getting to the island, including a speedboat journey from Hoarafushi/Hanimaadhoo or, as we did, the very scenic seaplane ride soaring beneath the clouds and getting a bird’s-eye view of dozens and dozens of Maldivian islands. The resort’s team will have representatives at the airport in Male to help you with your seaplane transfer.

The verdict

The Maldives is such a popular destination, whether dreamed about or realised, that it’s hard to compete, but JA Manafaru really is a great way to see the incomparable islands. Its location so far north in the Maldives gives it a unique quality, and with such a lovely island atmosphere and so many native Maldivians on the staff, it gave an authentic feeling.

Like I say, the service is excellent, both friendly and very attentive without being at all overbearing, and the food is sensational. And being able to swim with sharks at night is unmissable. If you’re looking for an incredible Maldives experience, JA Manafaru offers it. Would I return? In a heartbeat.

The service is excellent, both friendly and very attentive without being at all overbearing, and the food is sensational… Would I return? In a heartbeat.

For more information on rates, availability, and how to book, visit www.jaresortshotels.com.


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