Many prospective guests seek out the authentic Maldives experience when visiting and one aspect is to enjoy Maldivian products made by Maldivians themselves. Ailafushi’s spa features the Ogaa line of soaps and candles at its NU The Spa so you can not only enjoy Maldivian body care pleasures, but even take them home.
A real treat for both children and parents alike is them having their own room. In the Maldives, unless the resort offers special family room set up (which about 10% do) this arrangement often means (a) having their own villa, or (b) getting a pricey 2-bedroom villa. Ailafushi is one of the 10% that do offer a family room, but the bonus is that it also comes with its own, directly connected bathroom. No having 4 family members jockeying for use of the single bathroom of the villa (and the inter-generational privacy is going to be well appreciated by both).
In the category of “IWOOT” was Ailafushi’s wine-on-tap featured at its buffet.
The gentle lapping of water ripples on the soft coral sand dominates the typical soundscape of the Maldivian seaside. Resort water villas are typically set in protected, tranquil lagoons so people can easily swim and snorkel straight from their deck and the so main sound you hear is the water sloshing around the support pylons below. But some islands are a bit more exposed to the larger swells of the open ocean produce more substantial waves. The move substantial crests not only create some of the world’s best surfing, but also can provide the more dramatic wave crashing commonplace around other coasts.
But Ailafushi water villas are situated in more open water though protected by a rocky breakwater a short distance out. As a result, a breezy day will produce a regular percussion of waves crashing just a stone’s throw from your deck. While the aquatic activity is reduced, the acoustic activity is enhanced. Lori and I love seaside rooms where you can lie in your bed and hear the sound of waves crashing below. We dozed at night on the loungers just listening to it, but you could hear it clearly inside the villa as well.
Many people will be bopping to music and singing along to ring in the New Year tonight. Including the kids at Ailafushi whose kids club includes its very own karaoke studio so they can bop in the New Year or any time they want.
Some people ask why people want pools in the Maldives when there is some much delightful water surrounding the entire property. One advantage is that a pool provides a swimming area more protected from currents. Well, Ailafushi’s island is sculpted with a channel dissecting it with a circular “pool” right in the centre. It not only offers a natural bathing spot for the aquatically minded, but also an alluring water feature for the landlubbers. More and more new islands have been built with terrforming, but this shows that you can craft the water-scape as well.
Plenty of reasons to treat your children to a break from Mom and Dad, and Mom and Dad can benefit too with some time together. One of those times is a romantic meal together, but how do the children get fed. Well, Ailafushi’s kids club features its own kids restaurant serving up pizza and pasta as well as sweets like cakes and cookies.
Arrrggh, maties! Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day! And if you want to celebrate by playing like a pirate, then Ailafushi’s kid’s club features the arcade game – “Lost on the Island of the Tropics” ($5 buys tokens to use). Avast ye swabbies!
While I’ve already highlighted Aiafushi/Lobigili’s underwater treasure hunt at their underwater restaurant, Only Blu, our recent visit allowed us to see all of its spaciousness which also makes it the largest underwater restaurant in the Maldives. And with lots of restaurant real estate come lots of windows to see the vibrant aquatic life. Especially with every panoramic portal packed with fish frolicking corals. The most vibrant fish life of any underwater restaurant we have been to. Probably because (a) there is limited coral elsewhere in the area, and (b) they were drawn by the light of the diners.
Ailafushi is big in every way. Big in room number (270). The biggest underwater restaurant. A massive pool. And a massive main restaurant (so big that it provides a map of all the stations). In fact, Ailafushi is joined by its sister property Lobigili which makes the entire estate all the more expansive as Lobigili sits like a mirror image opposite Ailafushi.
Since diminutive charm is one of the traditional lures of the Maldives, what does this counter-conventional scale offer in return? More choice in the expansive restaurant. But mostly, the scale economies. The two operations nots only share a gym and the underwater restaurant, but also all the logistics and overhead. Value pricing with water villas under $1000 and beach villas in the $300s.
In addition to intimacy, the other sacrifice is service. The restaurants are entirely self-service. The resort asks you to check yourself in with their app. For people who think the personal butler invasion of the luxury properties is OTT and who are just fine with checking themselves out at the grocery store, then this approach will not be any inconvenience.
And just how much of the classic Maldives experience do you miss with such a new mega-resort concept? You get the same sunsets, the same tropical sun, the same dappled blue ocean. But mostly you get the paradise of the Maldives with lots on offer for a budget price.