Lti Maafushivaru Maldives
Lti Maafushivaru is an exclusive 81-villa 5-star Maldivian resort located on an extraordinarily beautiful island in the fascinating country located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is open for tourism and is again receiving a lot of tourists despite the ongoing pandemic.
The Maldives is one of my favourite countries in the world because of its beauty, beaches, and stunning islands. There are about 1,200 islands in the country of which around 200 are inhabited. I have been to more than 60 islands in the country over five previous visits, before this sixth visit to the country. I travelled during this pandemic as I wanted to visit the Maldives with my wife as it is the number one honeymoon destination in the world in my opinion.
The Maldivian experience started with passport control, which was a little different than usual as one is now required to submit a health declaration form prior to arrival. After the immigration, we were asked questions by a customs staff who wondered why we travelled so light. I explained and I talked about my travels. It has worked several times in my travels to get the suspicion out of the way. I remember one time in the UK, where they actually checked my website. Usually, I stand out because I travel extraordinary light, but that is my preference when travelling on trips that include flights as it is a lot more comfortable.
After being allowed into the country, we found Lti Maafushivaru’s representative at Malé’s international airport which escorted us to the seaplane check-in and then to the bus that took us to the seaplane lounge. After a few hours, the seaplane was ready to take us near Maafushivaru. After arrival, a small trip by boat followed and then a warm welcome at the jetty. We were offered a welcome drink and had a nice talk before being escorted to the villa.
Villa
I stayed in a 95 square metres water villa with a beautiful modern design, comfortable bed, free Wi-Fi, bathtub, separate rain shower, outdoor shower, toilet, sink and obviously stunning views. Staying in a water villa is something special as it is not something you find in many beach destinations with the Maldives and Bora Bora perhaps being the most famous destinations for such an experience.
There are 81 villas total at Lti Maafushivaru, with the beach villas being the entry-level and slightly cheaper than the water villas. Some guests prefer to stay on the beach, but my preference is water villas because it’s not often you get the opportunity. As my wife had never visited the Maldives, I was even more thankful we got to stay at a water villa during this important trip.
Service
The staff of Lti Maafushivaru is a mix of a lot of nationalities, and they do a really great job. Both the local Maldivians and the expats impressed me during the stay. The General Manager, Laurent is from Switzerland, and he is a man who knows the Maldives very well having worked in the country for several years including at other top resorts in the country. I would also like to mention the resort doctor, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Razee who helped me a lot during the stay with medication because of a chronic pain condition that I’ve had for more than two years. He has experience from several countries and you can expect professional help if you need it during your stay.
Food
I had read great things about the food in the Maldives prior to arrival. The Luxury Traveller was very impressed. Of the approximately 60 private island resorts I have stayed in the Maldives, I have mostly been disappointed with the food, but Lti Maafushivaru was a pleasant surprise. It was actually one of the best island resorts I have stayed for the food. The restaurants had attention to detail, a nice selection of food in addition to the excellent food. Not only by Maldivian island standards but also when you compare to some of the best beach destinations around the world, at least the ones I’ve been to. You can see some of the photos of the food below. My wife is vegetarian and there are excellent choices available if you don’t eat meat or fish. They even have the impressive Beyond Burger on the menu, while the best dish during the stay probably was the mushroom risotto.
More info and conclusion
Lti Maafushivaru left me with a really great impression. First and foremost it feels excellently run by the management with professional and kind staff in all areas. Lti Maafushifaru’s attractive design is another big plus while the biggest probably is the food. I have stayed at a number of Maldivian resorts I didn’t enjoy much because the food was disappointing, but this was not the case here.
The resort has a number of activities such as a beautiful spa, a fitness centre excellent snorkelling at the resort itself as well as sunset cruises and snorkelling trips. Lti Maafushivaru is a fantastic place to relax and calm down. Due to the current travel restrictions and the extra effort needed to visit the Maldives, I suggest at least a week-long stay to properly relax after a long challenging journey. As soon as you arrive on the island things starts to feel like before Covid, where only a mask while using the breakfast buffet is recommended. The rest of the time you can relax and have a private island resort experience like it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, you can visit Lti Maafushivaru’s official website at Maafushivaru.com or download their app here for Android or here for iPhone. The app is impressive with a gallery, a directory with a lot of information such as weekly activities schedule and an option to write directly to the resort via chat, dining menus of the restaurants, maps and weather.
Resort experience: 10/10. A great Maldivian private island resort is one of the best travel experiences on the planet in my opinion, and Lti Maafushivaru is highly recommended for even discerning travellers.
I don’t have a snorkelling gear guide on this site. Instead, you can, for example, read more about it on divein.com.
