Vakkaru Maldives

The sight of paradisiacal islets overgrown with swaying palm trees and ringed by the ivory-white beaches makes the Maldives a truly iconic destination. But much of its attraction lies in the luxury resorts that occupy these islands. And we just found one of the newest such havens: Vakkaru, where barefoot elegance meets rustic charm.

The experience of Vakkaru Maldives begins before arriving on the island — the private seaplane lounge in Male, where we waited for the transfer to the resort, gave us the first hints of what to expect. The warm reception, the quality of service and food, the atmosphere, all that put us in the right state of mind from the get-go.

Welcome

It took just under half an hour on a seaplane to get to Vakkaru, and as the plane reached its final destination, bobbing on the waves, we saw the welcome party awaiting with drums, cold refreshments, towels.

Introductions followed, and, a delightful moment: our personal butler recognized us from a few years ago. We met at Six Senses Laamu!

Soon we were riding a club car on the winding sandy paths on the way to our villa. And what immediately drew our attention was just how lush the island was. The trees were mature, the bushes dense and verdant, and well taken care of. It makes for a nice first impression.

Villa on stilts

As we stepped into our overwater villa we were struck by just how elegant it was — and how well integrated into the design were rustic tones and hints of local art and craft.

From a four-poster bed at the center of the bedroom looking directly to the sea, and a free-standing eggshell bathtub in the bathroom, to the sundeck and nets, stretched over the water, our villa hit all the right points when comes to the romance factor.

The beach villas have more of a wow factor when comes to the amount of roaming space, enveloped in tropical greenery. In fact, it’s the best choice for everyone to whom sand under the feet is what makes the vacation.

Beyond the villas, the materials used to construct the resort, the patterns, the colors, and art pieces — they all create a place of unassuming luxury and timeless elegance. And yet the Vakkaru, at its core, has a healthy dose of a “down to earth” feel as well. We liked that a lot.

Delicious

Our favorite time of the day was breakfast at Amanny. The spread was lavish, with literally everything on display, including a champagne station… And nothing kicks off the day quite the same way as a glass of bubbly on the beach.

There are four restaurants. For lunch, we would pop in to Isolette, the restaurant specializing in contemporary Italian dishes, and to the Lagoon Bar for sundowners, though the bar serves delicious sushi and sashimi as well. If we felt like grill we would go to Vakku, and to the Onu restaurant for tasty Asian fusion dishes.

Food can make or break the resort experience, and at Vakkaru it certainly makes it, but there are other things to enjoy here, too.

Check availability for Vakkaru Maldives: Booking.com | Kiwi Collection | Tablet Hotels | Hotels.com or see what others think on TripAdvisor.

Sea and sun

You can fill your day with water sports, such as kayaking, sea bobs, jet-skis, and catamarans, and the diving center here is exceptional. Manta rays are a frequent sighting in the nearby waters.

But we were perfectly happy to not do much at Vakkaru, other than relaxing by the pool, paying a visit to the overwater spa (a fave of ours), or enjoying the beach and the intensely blue water of the lagoon.

This is really why we visit the Maldives over and over again: to switch off, and experience the simplicity of the sea and sun. And when it comes to creating that pure barefoot holiday experience, the Vakkaru delivers — packaged in a perfect blend of rustic charm and sophisticated luxury.

in our opinion

With beautifully-appointed accommodation, white sandy beaches and excellent food, Vakkaru Maldives is a wonderful new island getaway, set up perfectly for romantic couples, honeymooners, and families with children wanting a private escape.

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What we love

• Design. The creators of Vakkaru artfully combined a simple Maldivian feel with contemporary style, and refined luxury with a "down to earth" feel.
• The villas are well-appointed and beautiful, with great attention paid to the smallest of detail. The bedroom was our favourite, with a romantic four-poster bed and an overall open feel. Loved the massive bathtub and the over-water nets, perfect for a nap.
• Exploring the picture-perfect island (with its mature greenery and lovely beaches) on bikes provided by the resort was always fun.
• The service. The staff is gracious, friendly, and well acquainted with the cultural habits of the guests. Our butler was very professional too and he immediately sensed our preferences as to how much he needed to be around.
• The Merana Spa. Set on stilts with its own jetty and with treatment rooms positioned for the best sea views, it offers a holistic approach to wellness. The menu lists a range of massages and pampering sessions, and the spa offers yoga sessions and has a nail salon and a boutique.
• Delicious food. Uncomplicated and healthy, all the meals were truly fantastic, but our favourite were the lavish champagne breakfasts served on the beach (weather permitting).
• We got to visit and explore the Four Bedroom Pool Residence. This two-floor overwater villa is truly a magnificent residence, with all kinds of indulgences, including a massive infinity pool with a stone jacuzzi. It's decadent and sprawling, and it occupies the best spot, guaranteeing total privacy and uninterrupted sunset views.

What you should know

• Get exclusive perks when you book via Kiwi Collection: Automatic room upgrade upon arrival and late check-out upon request (when available), as well as a $25 Spa Credit.
• The island is located some 25 minutes by seaplane from Malé, and the flight is scenic.
• Not a biggie, but the in-villa air conditioning had some issues. It switches off immediately upon opening the external doors, but it didn't always switch itself back on. Also, it was only set up to work in the bedroom, and if we left the sliding door to the bathroom open, the AC couldn't quite cope.
• Our overwater villa had complete privacy and a good ocean view, but the first impression when walking into our villa was that it was not the biggest we've seen. We had no pool, but at Vakkaru only five overwater villas have them (and about half of the beach villas). We didn't mind but it's odd if you grant that these days the pools are de facto standard in new resorts of this class. That said, the resort is already planning to add pools to at least 10 additional villas.
• At the time of our visit, there were a lot of families with children (this depends on the month), but Vakkaru is well prepared to welcome couples and newlyweds, or larger groups of friends. Children between 3 and 12 years old can be entertained throughout the day at the Parrot Fish Club.