Huvafen Fushi break

Huvafen Fushi

Our rating: Deluxe

Rooms

The stylish rooms are contemporary in design, with classic touches and some great gadgets.

All of them come with Bose surround sound systems and there is an espresso machine for your morning coffee and a private bar for making sundowners.

Please be aware that the over-water rooms have no barriers or balustrades. If you are uncomfortable with this setup, we would suggest that we find alternative accommodation for you.

Location

Huvafen Fushi sits in the North Malé Atoll, 30-40 minutes by speedboat from Malé International Airport. The resort is one hour ahead of Malé time, to allow for a later sunset and more 'sun hours.' This also works well with early morning flights out of Malé.

The island is tiny — you could walk end to end in a matter of minutes — but perfectly formed, with swaying palms in the centre surrounded by a strip of white sand.

Food and drink

For a small resort, there is a rich variety of dining options, and Huvafen Fushi has one of the most comprehensive wine cellars in the Maldives.

Celsius is the main restaurant, offering a variety of dishes from soups and pasta to seafood, curries and steaks. Raw offers healthy, organic food that still manages to pack a punch in the flavour department; the sunset deck at Raw is an unbeatable spot to watch the sun go down. Forno's offers contemporary Napolitano cuisine beneath a canopy of palms on the beach while Feeling Koi, the Japanese restaurant, is set over-water with an open kitchen and ocean views.

UMBar is the place to go for a cocktail, snack or sundowner, open-air screenings of films and chill-out music played by visiting DJs, while The Lair is a fantastic place to read a book or watch live sports with a drink.

Facilities and activities

For a small resort, there is plenty to keep you entertained. Water sports are in endless supply, including snorkelling, SCUBA diving, windsurfing, catamarans and canoes. Sunset and big game fishing are available.

If you prefer to stay on dry land, The Lair is perfect for when you want to lose yourself in a good book, play board games, or check the weather back home. There is a fully stocked library of books, CDs and DVDs, and complimentary access to the internet — 24 hours a day.

Yoga in the pavilion, surrounded by turquoise waters, is the epitome of peace and relaxation. You can also take part in beach volleyball or football, or wander down to the seashore in the evening to watch the staff feeding the local stingrays.

Local excursions

There are many excursions to do from this hotel, but one of the most interesting is night snorkelling, which the resort terms ‘CSI Marine’ after the popular TV show; you can experience underwater fluorescence with a blue flashlight and see the corals feed.

If you would rather not get wet, enjoy a SpaQuarium Night Life Discovery from the comfort of the underwater spa. Rather than getting a mouthful of seawater, you can get a mouthful of champagne while the resident marine biologist explains the nocturnal life on the reef.