This is one of those places that I struggle to tell because for me this luxury resort in the Maldives is flawless.
HOW TO REACH IT
Located in the Raa atoll, this luxury resort in the Maldives can be reached in two ways:
By seaplane in 45 minutes from Male
With a 40 minute domestic flight and a 5 minute boat transfer
I remind you of the evaluations to be made before choosing the transport method:
The seaplane is faster, cheaper and only flies during the day.
The internal flight + boat combo does not save you time, it is cheaper and the transfers can work even without light.
WHY CHOOSE THE EMERALD FAARUFUSHI
Choosing the Emerald Faarufushi as a destination for your luxury holiday is marrying the real mood of an island, since in this small structure you will feel an integral part of something wonderful.
The staff makes the resort special as you will be pampered and looked after throughout your stay in all your experiences. A concept of resort that is aimed more at experiences (culinary, aquatic, sensorial) than at the richness of the villas.
The simple and clean style of the resort allows you to connect as much as possible to everything that surrounds it, placing the emphasis on the highest quality of service. We are facing an exceptional combo: a minimalist yet modern architecture, with meticulously refined services that defy fiction.
I love expressing my thoughts in my reviews and I have no problem writing that I have literally fallen in love with this brand new resort that has only been open for six months.
THE ISLAND
The Emerald Faarufushi is located on a very small island, full of thick vegetation and surrounded by a beautiful coral reef and white sand. In this luxury resort in the Maldives it is possible to go around the island on foot as the beach is present at 360 degrees. It is very easy to access the reef thanks to a jetty that allows you to easily immerse yourself in the water. The reef is full of colorful fish and surrounds almost half of the island. Obviously you don’t have to worry about bringing a mask and fins from Italy because the Diving center is well stocked with them – the rental is included in the resort’s all-inclusive formula -.
THE VILLAS
The style of each villa is simple, well-finished, but with total respect for the environment. The wooden furniture and the Maldivian bathroom make each villa in perfect Luxury style.
We have two types of beach villas which are in turn divided into two-bedroom or one-bedroom villas.
THE BEACH VILLA
The Traditional Beach Villa has a large beach front and can be used to accommodate two adults or two adults plus a child. The two-bedroom solution, on the other hand, provides in addition to the double bed, a separate room with a bathroom with two single beds.
THE BEACH POOL VILLA
The beach villa with pool is identical in essence to the beach villa, but has a small private pool located on the beach front.
The blue of the pool mixes with the colors of the lagoon creating a surreal atmosphere.
THE WATER VILLA
There are no water villas in this luxury resort in the Maldives without a private pool: each villa located on the pontoon is equipped with this comfort.
The water villas are all arranged on a single pier: one sunrise side and one sunset side.
Despite the luxury of the swimming pool, the style of the villas remains simple and not at all opulent.
THE RESTAURANTS
Here we are in that section which in my opinion makes the Emerald Faarufushi incomparable to other resorts: the food and the choice of restaurants are the true excellence of this luxury resort in the Maldives.
An island just over 400 meters long boasts 5 restaurants and 2 bars, one of which is simply fabulous.
THE AQUA RESTAURANT
The main restaurant of the Faarufushi resort is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner: located on the beach facing the infinite lagoon, it offers a rich buffet with cooking stations dedicated to the most famous international cuisines. It is precisely in this restaurant that Chef Moreno also organizes Italian cooking courses (we had the honor of assisting in the preparation of the gnocchi)
THE BEACH AND GRILL RESTAURANT
Also located in front of the lagoon, it offers a barbecue cuisine of meat and fish and is only open for dinner.
CARNIVOROUS RESTAURANT
Open only for dinner, it is inspired by the concept of the Churrascharia and boasts an excellent selection of fine meats.
MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT
Usually, when I’m abroad, I don’t try Mediterranean cuisine because I prefer tastes and flavors that I can hardly test in Italy. This is my biggest exception because Executive Chef Moreno made this place something really inexplicable.
Located directly on the Faarufushi lagoon, this Overwater restaurant is the ultimate upscale Mediterranean dining experience in the Maldives. The location is inimitable and cared for down to the smallest detail and the choice of dishes is wide and detailed. For the most skeptical of Mediterranean cuisine abroad I recommend tiramisu in perfect made in Italy style 😉
THE ASIATIQUE & TEPPANYAKI GRILL
Every luxury resort in the Maldives has an Asian restaurant enhanced with the Teppanyaki grill. This combo is located on the second floor of the Beach Club Grill and boasts dishes faithful to Asian culinary traditions and recipes. Of course, it is only open for dinner.
As for the two bars, the Sunset pool boasts an all-day cocktail service capable of refreshing the hot Maldivian afternoons, and the Eclipse represents the real pearl of Faarufushi.
Located on the pier, at the end of the Mediterraneo Restaurant, it is the ideal place to experience the magic of Maldivian sunsets over the crystalline lagoon. A unique and innovative place in full respect of the Maldives style.
Each restaurant is included in the all inclusive formula.
AN EXCELLENT STAFF
I added this section because the staff I have found at this resort have never been found anywhere else. I only stayed 3 days at the Faarufushi and I have grown fond of each of them as if I were a recurring customer.
Moreno – The Executive chef – has the ability to involve each client in a real culinary experience. With its off-menu items, it has made lunchtime one of those moments to look forward to every day. Appropriate, competent and super passionate, he is a true genius of the kitchen.
Our Mr Friday, whose name I won’t mention because I want to “reserve” him for Souri Trip customers, is one of those people you can adore from the first moment: attentive, smart, smiling and appropriate is the great added value for the organization of your days in the Maldives.
Faarufushi is a 360-degree cuddle: every proposed experience is designed in such a way as to make you feel special and grateful for what you are experiencing.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
I think I’ve already written between the lines what I think are the strengths of this resort. I hardly go back to the same structures because one of the most important aspects of my job is to continuously test new solutions. Having said that, I will make sure to return to Emerald Faarufushi as soon as possible for dozens of different reasons, first of all that every single piece of this puzzle makes this private island one of the best luxury solutions in the Maldives.
