Whale-shark and hammerhead sightings are common and some excellent empty surf breaks as well as a string of uninhabited private islands are nearby at Maalifushi by COMO the first luxury resort in the Maldives to open in the pristine Thaa Atoll in the archipelago’s southwest.
Like most Maldivian resorts, Maalifushi offers a mix of over-water and beachfront bungalows in a private-island setting. The hotel features a mix 66 beach villas (Open-plan indoor-outdoor living spaces rising out of the water and garden suites set surrounded with unmatched white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. The villas with cool-white interiors by Japanese architect Koichiro Ikebuchi, who designed the COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali and Bangkok’s Nahm restaurant. Maalifushi is therefore the ultimate away-from-it-all destination for families, couples, surfers and divers. The over-water suites and villas are built off wooden walkways that stand above the shallow lagoon and feature their own private terraces. Families with children will no doubt prefer the garden rooms secluded in the island’s tropical heart.
The Como Shambhala Retreat, a highlight of any Como Hotels and Resorts property, Maalifushi doesn’t amount to just another spa resort in the Maldives, its philosophy is to have a healthy living that COMO Shambhala has successfully refined at its award-winning Retreats all over the world . It has eight over-water, ocean-facing treatment rooms, steam rooms, a pool, and an open air yoga pavilion—all enveloped by blue horizons and gentle sea breezes.
Among Maldives island hotels, Maalifushi with its understated style is on the smaller side for a Maldivian resort encapsulating the spirit of the Indian Ocean and the barefoot chic of a COMO private island resort. (+960.664.1818, www.comohotels.com,www.booking.com).
