JA Manafaru, Maldives
On arrival in Male airport I was greeted by a rep holding a beautiful wooden sign stating “JA Manafaru” (I noticed the other resorts reps simply had laminates or pieces of paper). With a friendly smile our bags were taken to the Air Maldives desk, we were promptly checked-in and then whisked to an air-conditioned SUV - very important to note as it was so humid! This vehicle had a lovely video playing on the back of the headrests, giving us a wonderful sample of what was to come. JA Manafaru have a private lounge where you can refresh with a shower, fill up on some food and relax in comfy chairs. As we had been the last ones to arrive, we didn’t spend long here before boarding our seaplane.
The seaplane transfer took 90 minutes, I loved looking out of the window and seeing the gorgeous Maldivian islands below.
As we came into land there were staff waiting and waving to us from below. We were greeted with a refreshing drink, introduced to our personal villa host and taken by golf buggy to our beachfront villa.
Wow. Our beach bungalow with private pool was spacious, air-conditioned and well equipped with a private pool, flat-screen TV, Nespresso coffeemaker, free Wi-Fi and complimentary daily fruit.
During my stay I was given a full tour of the island (travel agent perk “don’t cha know” – if you can take a peek at my Facebook business page and watch the live video of the grand water two-bedroom suite (with private infinity pool!) All accommodations were finished to a high standard, if you were trying to make your budget go a bit further, I’d recommend splitting your stay between a beach and an over-water villa.
Whilst I stayed here, an incentive trip was being held which for me in my profession was great to see how they managed – expertly I will add, I would have no hesitation in referring my incentive groups to Manafaru.
The resort hosts 7 dining options including high quality restaurant Kakuni, seafood venue Ocean Grill, Mediterranean Andiamo Bistro, live music spot Horizon Lounge and The Cellar which stocks a range of fine vintages. My favourite was White Orchid with its Asian fusion cuisine and stunning views – we ate here 3 times during our 5 night stay! (I am a big lover of sushi). The food quality, service and presentation were outstanding.
I visited the spa and had a wonderful Maldivian traditional full body massage and luxury pedicure. I can honestly say it was the most beautiful spa I’ve ever been to.
One of the activities on offer at JA Manafaru is a “Castaway Experience”? You can sail off on an adventure to one of JA’s two uninhabited islands for the ultimate luxury experience, a truly secluded retreat to call your own. This experience is perfect for a day of romantic strolls along white sandy beaches or completely private snorkelling in azure waters.
There are many activities to do - We snorkelled and saw the most beautiful fish. At 4pm each day you could view the fish feeding – there were some families on the island whose children looked like they were having great fun throwing the feed in. There is a marine biologist.
The island is so well equipped for children of all ages with a playful hideaway for younger children and a trendy area for the teens. Both are manned by qualified experience childcare staff.
I am sure I have missed something in this review, should you have any questions please just give me a ring. I’m more than happy to discuss the resort and whether it would suit your needs.