Reethi Faru Resort

Rooms

With 150 villas you might expect a lack of privacy, but the design and location of villa categories are quite impressive. Protruding into the the lagoon, the thatched Water Villas are the clear standout. Positioned on stilts over baby-blue waters, these villas have spacious, functional interiors with kingsize beds (which face the ocean) and private terraces with a ladder leading down to the lagoon. All come with bathtubs, rain showers, huge TVs, and sun loungers. Though packed together, their angled terraces come with screens ensuring maximum privacy - and the chance to sunbathe nude.

Deluxe Beach Pool Villas occupy the western beach and are just steps from white sands. The sand-and-salmon interiors are spotless and include a spacious open-air bathroom with a tub and rain shower. The shaded terrace opens onto a private patch of sand with a large plunge pool – providing relief from the Maldivian heat, if you can't manage the few steps to the sea.

The Deluxe Beach Villas are found on the northwest beach. Bright and spacious (especially the large 2-bedroom villas), they have airy stone-tiled bathrooms with tubs and rain showers, huge kingsize beds, and pleasing blue, lime and beige furnishings, plus large shaded terraces.

Entry level Garden Villas are located slightly inland, but still only 100m (or less) from the beach. Spotless and functional, you still get plenty of comfort – a large kingsize bed, a spacious semi-open bathroom with rain shower, and a decent terrace.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Reethi Faru delivers 6 restaurants and 6 bars, all created by executive chef Sreekant. The largest, Vakaru, is the main buffet-style restaurant with different cuisine themes each evening. It’s a large open dining space with great beach views, and the best option for continental or cooked breakfasts.

Located on small pier over the lagoon, Dhiyavaru restaurant is open 24 hours – quite rare for the Maldives – and offers 2 tiers of decking to soak in those turquoise views. For lunch there’s a good selection of Western and Asian dishes, decent starters (spring rolls, bruschetta, chefs salads), plus sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs; mains include pizzas and pastas (try the Maldivian reef fish penne), impressive seafood (grilled lobster, lagoon prawns in coconut gravy) and a large meat menu (duck, chicken, pork, lamb or beef). There’s also a ‘cake of the day’ in the dessert menu. The coffee shop at Dhiyavaru allows you to get your daily brew 24/7.

The romantic evening restaurant, Huvandhu Garden, is situated on the beach and delivers a fine dining setup with 3 to 5 course meals served as a fusion of Western and Maldivian cuisines – lamb racks, fried chicken Maldivian curry, grilled chicken fillet, seared scallops, and a fantastic lobster menu. It also has a decent vegetarian menu.

Reethi Grill serves open-air grill specials with live cooking stations and your own personal dining cabana. Expect wood-oven pizzas, seafood tandooris, seared chicken, grilled ribeye, lamb kebabs and surf ‘n’ turf platters.

For cocktails and drinks, choose between the main Haruge Bar – complete with games room, a dance floor, and a whopping big screen TV; the tranquil Nala Bar on the eastern beach; the Veyo Bar near the infinity pool, which serves revitalising smoothies; the intimate Sunset Bar on the southwest beach, with great signature cocktails (and a few mocktails); and the one-stop open-air Raalhu Café for wine and beer, soft drinks, light snacks, plus burgers and pizzas.

Features include:

• Bar
• Dinner by arrangement
• Restaurant
• Room service

Activities

• The amazing watersports centre has international instructors and offers catamaran sailing, windsurfing, ocean canoeing, kitesurfing, paddle-boarding and surfing. For power sports junkies, try the Seabobs, flyboards, jetpacks and jetskis
  
• Divers will enjoy Reethi Faru’s 5-star dive centre with a Sea-Explorer team. They offer excursions to submerged islands, dramatic overhangs and stunning drop-offs. Night dives, beginner courses and Nitrox courses are available
  
• Pamper yourself at the Coconut Spa, located in the resort’s coconut grove, which is staffed with Balinese therapists providing a wide array of massages (the signature coconut massage is a winner), plus foot reflexology, Indian ‘Shirodhara’ hair treatments, body scrubs and wraps, Ayurveda packages, anti-cellulite treatments, facials and mani/pedis. There’s even an aromatherapy chocolate bath!
  
• For fitness fanatics, the sport & health centre covers a range of equipped activities including a trio of racket sports (tennis, badminton, squash), indoor and outdoor courts, yoga sessions, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and a teched-up gym
  
• Sign-up for a half-day ‘Robinson drop’ on your own deserted island (with picnic), or try a sunset cruise, a dolphin safari, big game fishing, speedboat charters or moonlight sailing
  
• While still in its infancy, Rethi Faru’s marine conservation programme includes a manta ID project and an artificial coral garden to counteract the bleaching of 2016’s devastating El Nino

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Fishing
• Jet skiing
• Kayaking
• Kitesurfing
• Pool table
• Private guided tours
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Scuba diving courses
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Tennis
• Well being
• Wildlife
• Windsurfing
• Yoga

Kids

While children of all ages are welcome, Reethi Faru is probably best suited to couples or groups of friends. Families with pre-teens and teenagers will be happy with the wide variety of water-based activities, but younger families will rely on their kids being happy to potter on the beach/play in the pool. At present, there is no kids club

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

All rooms come equipped with a sofabed, or can fit a baby cot on request. There are 2 types of family suites: the Deluxe Two-Bedroom Beach Suite, and the Two-bedroom Water Villa Suites, each sleeping up to 6 adults.

Distances:

• Airport: 170km (Velana International Airport in Malé)
• Medical facility: Resort clinic

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Reethi Faru Resort is set on a private island in northern Raa Atoll in the Maldives.

By Air
All international flights land at Male’s Velana International Airport (170km). From Malé, you'll transfer to the hotel by seaplane which MUST be booked at the same time you confirm your accommodation. Seaplane transfers are possible only between sunrise and sunset for safety, so guests arriving at night into Malé must stay overnight and then transfer the next morning to Reethi Faru. Please advise of Malé arrival/departure flight information at time of booking.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.