Review of our beautiful resort by Nathalie of Voyagefox — Ayada Maldives

Nathalie has been travelling the world for the past four years and shares her experiences through her blog and on Instagram. She is extremely passionate about travel and has made it her mission to inspire as many people as possible to explore the world.

Location and Arrival

Ayada Maldives is located in the beautiful Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in the south of the country. It’s quite far from the international airport in Male so you have to take another domestic flight to the small Kaadedhdhoo Airport.

There the Ayada crew picked us up with their speed boat to bring us to the resort. The ride takes around 30 mins but on the way we already spotted a huge pod of dolphins which obviously wanted to welcome us.

When we arrived we were greeted by the team at the resort with a fresh coconut and our private butler picked us with a buggy to show us the island.

Hotel Concept

Unlike many other resorts in the Maldives, Ayada is quite large with a tropical jungle in the middle of the island and a white sand beach around it. Every Villa comes with bicycles which is the best way to explore the island.

The activity spots and restaurants are spread over the whole island. At the Watersports Center you can rent kayaks, stand up paddle boards or even Jet skis –which is really a lot of fun.

If you want to experience something away from the island you can book different tours – for example to amazing snorkeling spots or sandbanks.

From our Ocean Villa we loved jumping directly into the ocean to go snorkeling. The water of the lagoon was really calm – which makes it also perfect for snorkeling beginners.

AySpa is the perfect place to relax a bit after some adventurous days – we tried the Hammam treatment in a traditional Turkish bath and absolutely loved it. The Outdoor Relaxing area is super luxurious and we got some delicious coconut sorbet served after our treatment.

All around the island you find cute spots like swings, hammocks and other spots to relax or take some pictures.

The huge infinity pool is perfect to enjoy the sun or sip a cocktail from the bar – It’s also a nice spot to watch the sunset in the evening.

Villas

We stayed in a wonderful Ocean Villa directly over the crystal clear lagoon during our stay at Ayada. Entering the Villa we already felt at home thanks to the warm interior design and the lovely details. A bottle of champagne was waiting for us as a welcome gift together with a really huge fruit basket.

The bedroom is spacious and through a huge sliding door you enter the wonderful bathroom with a freestanding bathtub. The windows of the bathroom can be opened completely to enjoy a bath with the amazing view over the ocean.

My favorite part of the Villa was the huge veranda with sunbeds, a relaxing lounge, a private pool and even a hammock to chill over the lagoon. From all Ocean Villas you have private access to the ocean to go swimming or snorkeling.

Breakfast and Restaurants

The Main Restaurant of the Island is Magu where Breakfast and Dinner are served – the theme for the Dinner changes daily with many options. For breakfast or dinner you always have vegetarian options, live cooking stations, fresh choices and yummy deserts . The buffet was always amazing and varied!

If you want to experience something else there are many options! For one day we ordered a floating breakfast to our villa which was my favorite breakfast in the Maldives.

A special Dining experience is the Sea Salt which opens twice a week for a Beach Barbecue. All tables are prepared right at the Ocean with live music and amazing food like fresh grilled seafood.

Zero Degree is a Restaurant & Bar right at the huge infinity pool which is perfect for a light lunch or some cocktails in the evening.