I spent 10 days with my wife at JA Manafaru in mid February of 2020. Overall the impression from our stay was very favorable and we would consider returning back.
The transfer from/to Male was an ordeal as the hotel is very remote. My wife and I arrived to Male at 9AM, but our transfer flight was not until 14:30. We spent this time in the airport lounge, which was ok, but nothing to rave about. The transfer involved a flight on domestic turbo-prop Dash-8 plane (~40 seater). After a ~30 minute fight the plane had an interim landing at another airport. After a short 15 minute stop (we stayed in the plane) it continued for another 15 minutes to the destination airport. We were met at the airport and taken to the transfer boat. Our luggage was handled by the meet and greet staff. The boat ride to the island took almost an hour. The boat was comfortable, however there was a strong smell of engine fumes that made the journey quite unpleasant for my wife. If you are prone to sea sickness and don’t handle flights well, this may not be the best hotel choice. When I later spoke to the property manager, she advised that this particular boat was taken out of service and our return was on a smaller, but a more comfortable boat, which was a lot more enjoyable. We arrived to the hotel at 17:00 quite exhausted. For the return we had to depart the hotel at 3:30AM, took a boat ride back for about an hour, waited for half an hour at the airport and arrived to Male around 8:30AM.
Upon arrival to the hotel we were met and greeted by the property and our butler Gani and taken in a cart straight to our room (water villa). We did not have to check in at reception. Our dedicated butler handled all the paperwork and brought all the papers straight to our room, which was a very nice touch given how tired we were. This was the most efficient check in I ever had. A chilled bottle of Moet was waiting for us in the room.
Gani provided us with a letter containing all the essential information about the property, excursions, restaurants and available activities. He also helped us with booking a restaurant for dinner.
The room was very spacious and clean. The amenities were of very good quality. The only minor complaint is that the toiletries did not include a shower gel (although there was a dispenser with in the shower stall) so if you wanted to take a bath, you did not have a bottled shower gel.
The infinity pool was set a very comfortable temperature and my wife and I really enjoyed it. The sun deck was well designed and appointed with a swing bed, sun bed, coffee table with chairs. A great place to enjoy the sunrise and sunset in the privacy of your water villa. You can snorkel right next to your water villa. I was amazed with the variety and quantity of sea life.
The bed and bedding were of a very high standard and were very comfortable to sleep in. A variety of pillows was available to choose from. Plenty of good quality towels too. A glass in the floor of the bedroom offered an opportunity to watch fish from the comfort of your room.
The bathroom offered a separate shower and a whirlpool bath with lights, which looked really nice in the evening. The only item that was a bit awkward was the restroom, which had a glass door which was tainted only to the waist level. Some hotels in Asia have a similar setup, but it is certainly not for everyone. On the positive, the glass walls of the restroom allowed you to enjoy the view of the sea and the fish beneath the villa.
There was a work area setup in the entrance corridor with a work desk and a comfortable chair. Beware that the internet connection on the island is very slow. One of my business calls got interrupted and I was not able to reconnect for 20 minutes due to connection issues. Property manager assured me that they are in the process of upgrading the bandwidth throughout the island, which should address the issue going forward. You can download videos from the internet, just don’t expect to be able to watch them live. On the positive, all the restaurants and bars were setup with WiFi which worked reasonably well.
Each room comes with bikes with fat tires, which are quite fun to ride around the island.
A cattle and a Nespresso machine with a variety of teas and coffees were a really nice way to start the day. All-inclusive option also covered a mini-bar with a bottle of white, a bottle of red, prosecco and alcohol free prosecco, Toblerone chocolate and an assortment of juices among other choices.
The island offers a beautiful beach with lots of nice seashells. Fish gets really close to you. During our stay we saw a group of small sharks, dolphins, an a large variety of tropical fish of all sizes, shapes and colors. Lots of birds on the island (mostly crow-like birds and cranes). We also saw several flying foxes (bats). In the evening you will see lots of small (up to 10 cm) crabs running around on the shore.
Public infinity pool was a real delight offering great views right on the beach. Bar staff was amazing and really focused on helping the customers. Rani (if I remember the name right) was particularly good always putting the sunbeds out well in advance of the official opening time, offering pillows, towels and cocktails, including those that were not on the menu. Exactly the level of service you hope for the price you pay. We felt pampered and really cared for.
One of the main reasons that we chose this hotel was food. We were not disappointed. We went for all inclusive option and did not regret.
The quality of food was outstanding. Even standard choices were offered with a twist that made them very appealing. Both presentation and the quality of ingredients were remarkable. We were on the island for 10 days and did not get tired of the choices. I am generally not a fan of Indian food, but the choices they offered at Kakuni (all day dining) and Ocean Grill (seafood and steak restaurant open in the evenings) were really delicious and to my own surprise I ordered Maldivian and Indian dishes a lot.
For breakfast Kakuni restaurant offered a few buffet options, but most of the dishes were served from the menu. Maldivian breakfast (tuna with onion, avocado sauce on a flat bread) was absolutely delicious. Asian breakfast as well as a wide variety of European and Arabic choices were also very good.
We also had most of our lunches at Kakuni. Tom Yam, lamb burger, shrimps tempura and Maldivian style, fish of the day were consistently great and we were not getting tired of them, although there were lots of other great choices. The drink menu included with all-inclusive option was sufficiently diverse to cater to most tastes. Unless you are on a diet and don’t drink alcohol, I would suggest going for all-inclusive option as it will save you money.
All of our dinners we had at Ocean Grill, which is located right on the beach with tables placed inside and outside. It’s got a pool with live lobsters and fish, which can be served straight to your table. Sounds of the sea and breathtaking views at the restaurant were a highlight of our stay as well as the food itself. Lobster bisque, carpaccio, several types of stakes, a variety of seafood options and a selection of decent wines were included in the “all-inclusive” option. We enjoyed every meal we had.
On Valentine’s day the Ocean Grill offered a multi-course special dinner, which included several appetizers including lobster sashimi. It was a great meal. We also ordered lobster Termidor on our last night and it was delicious.
I would like to thank the staff of JA Manafaru for 10 days of culinary tropical haven. The property manager and all of the staff really take every effort they can to make the guests feel welcomed and cared for. On the departure night the property manager stopped by to get our feedback, which demonstrates the level of focus on customer care. Despite a few minor items that I mentioned above, this is definitely a hotel I would consider returning to.
