What we liked

  • Space and privacy. With so few villas on such a large island, it never feels crowded, and every villa has its own pool.
  • The food. You can dine around all the à la carte restaurants on half or full board, and private dining options range from sandbank dinners to a lantern-lit jungle glade.

What we didn't

  • The extras add up. Transfer costs are steep on top of already premium room rates.

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Tucked away in the Baa Atoll region of the Maldives, Amilla offers the perfect antidote to the UK’s bleak winter, all barefoot luxury and turquoise water. Whether you’re planning a family trip, a couples’ getaway or a few days of downtime after work, here’s what you need to know.

Amilla sits within the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, famous for Hanifaru Bay, which draws the world’s largest gatherings of manta rays. It is one of the Maldives’ largest resort islands, yet it has just 67 villas, so around 70% of the land is left untouched.

After landing at Velana International Airport in Malé, there are two ways to reach the island. You can take a 30-minute seaplane, or a 15-minute domestic flight to Dharavandhoo followed by a 10-minute speedboat. The seaplane is the showstopper.  Grab a window seat on the right-hand side of the plane on the way out for the better island views.

The villas are soothing and airy, finished with sleek wood and marble, and each comes with its own private pool. You can stay overwater, on the beach, in a Treetop Villa perched on stilts in the island’s centre, or in one of eight residences of four to eight bedrooms, ideal for multi-generational families or friends travelling together. Each stay also comes with a Katheeb, Amilla’s name for a guest experience manager, similar to a private butler.

There are seven restaurants and three bars. Guests on half-board or full-board plans can dine around all of the à la carte restaurants, including the overwater signature restaurant Feeling Koi. Dietary menus, spanning vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto and paleo, are available at every restaurant at no extra charge.

Private dining is where Amilla really shines. You can book dinner under the stars on a secluded sandbank or a sunrise breakfast in a secret spot. There’s also dinner in the Mystique Garden, a lantern-lit jungle glade where a private chef cooks. Wine lovers can book a private tasting in the cellar. For something different, Amilla Glamping offers a climate-controlled beach bedroom under the stars.

Divers can explore the Blue Hole or meet the manta rays at Hanifaru Bay, and the manta congregations peak between June and October. On land there’s tennis, football, volleyball and badminton, plus sandbank picnics and sunset dolphin cruises. Families will appreciate the Sultans’ Village kids’ club for 4 to 11-year-olds.

Amilla also works well as a reward at the end of a business trip. If work takes you to the Middle East or Asia, it’s easy to add a few days in the Maldives before flying home. Villas come with complimentary Wi-Fi for anything that can’t wait. The Javvu Spa is the place to switch off properly, with treatments drawing on traditional Maldivian herbal medicine, and the resort’s Wellness Your Way approach combines spa, yoga, massage and meditation with nutritious food.

Amilla has two rare qualities for the Maldives: room to roam and a genuine sense of place. Couples get privacy, families get a proper kids’ club, and business travellers get the perfect place to decompress.

 

 

 

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How we review

Travelling for Business pays for the rooms, flights and products we review unless we explicitly say otherwise. We never accept paid reviews or gifted stays in exchange for coverage.