JA Manafaru Resort Reviews

Amazing resort! All the staff are so nice and helpful and the food was so good, highly recommended if you are looking for a quiet, relaxing and peace getaway

The service and sea view are first-class, and the facilities and sea resources are second-rate. It was a good vacation. In particular, I would like to praise LINDA, a girl from Chengdu, China. She was warm and thoughtful and made us feel at home.

We were unpleasantly surprised to learn 24 hours before our arrival at the hotel that the transfer from Male international airport to reach Manafaru was not included in the price. We had to pay $1500 for 2 adults and a child to reach the hotel. No flowers on our arrival for Valentine's Day despite my request when booking. No service to keep our 4 year old child and do activities. It is really disappointing for a 5 star hotel even if the place is magnificent.

JA Manafaru is a beautiful island. In order of importance, in the Maldives what interests us most is 1- House Reef, 2- villas, beautiful, spacious, with deck and pool 3- good diverse food and quality drinks 4- good service - and I must say that JAM was perhaps the island (of the 7 we were on) that in our opinion got the best overall score and balance. The island is really beautiful, with ancient vegetation that provides desirable shade, it's all very well looked after, with soft white sand and it's perfectly possible to walk round the whole island. We went in the first fortnight of April and found the clearest, most transparent and calmest water of the seven islands we visited. The GoPro filters didn't come out of the box, the Maldivian blues were a constant. When we arrived, the first thing I found strange was the fact that there were no paths made from the beach to the drop-off, but then I realised they weren't necessary, the reef allows you to enter or exit from anywhere, and there are also access stairs on each pontoon and also on the smaller jetty of villas. Everything seems harmonious, balanced and effortless. Starting with the service, we had Nishan who looked after us and did everything to help us whenever we needed it. We were very grateful, especially when we had a mishap and needed medical assistance, which was a precious help for us to be able to enjoy our holiday, everything was promptly made available to us, including treatment. The room service provided by Shiham was absolutely perfect, several times a day, without us needing to ask for anything, nothing was missing, not even the extra towels. In the restaurants, we always found constant friendliness and, even though the resort was very busy and there were some delays, everything went very smoothly. We felt well looked after everywhere. Of the 4 restaurants, our favourite was the White Orchid, with dishes that were absolutely divine and different from what we usually find in Asian cuisine, the Maldivian evening at Kakuni is unmissable, a great idea very well presented and delicious, the Italian cuisine at Andiamo was very tasty and in thematic contrast, and the meat and seafood buffet at the Ocean grill, all of excellent quality and abundance delighted us with enough variety for 12 days. Breakfasts were perfect with everything we liked, just as we asked, with exemplary freshness. We had the pleasure of visiting the Cellar, a very special and different restaurant in the Maldives. I confess that it wasn't the menu that fascinated me, but rather the beauty of the room, the possibility of tasting an unusual wine and the more personalised service due to the small capacity of the room that enchanted us. We stayed in villa 530, on the longest jetty, and we couldn't have had it better. I'd ask for it again and I'm very grateful that the resort was kind enough to fulfil our request for the room. The water villas are beautiful, with spacious and well-distributed spaces, with every detail tho

Where do I begin? This was one of the most magical vacations I've ever taken. Usually my husband and I go to places that require a lot of driving and sight seeing, but because my work requires I travel a lot, I really wanted to just go somewhere that was paradise on earth.... where we could just lay on the beach and do nothing for a week or so. Ja Manafaru was exactly this. It's the ultimate resort for rest, relaxation, and reflection. The moment we landed in Male, we felt like we were really being taken care of. Staff greeted us at the airport and accompanied us to our seaplane, which took us straight to Ja Manafaru in 1hr20min. When we arrived, our host, Firdavs, was there waiting with the other members of the hotel, and he was exceptional. He was so kind, so attentive, and you could tell he really wanted to make this vacation special for us. We also loved Mark, whom I believe was one of the managers, and he introduced us to local Maldivian dishes that we had to try (like the sticky rice and spicy fish, which we are obsessed with) and was super down to earth, kind, and just fun to talk to. The food, by the way, was on another level. So many friends of ours had warned us about general food in the Maldives, being generic or overall not very good. We were so happy when we had dinner the first night and it was outstanding. The fish quality was top level, the attention to detail, the way they plated the food, the ambience, the attentiveness from staff, and just the overall taste is something we're going to miss the most about Ja Manafaru. We really really really enjoyed their fresh fish BBQ buffet they had that one night at Kakuni, my husband is still telling me he misses it. They basically caught all the fish at 2pm that day and you could select amongst a wide variety and watch as they grilled it right in front of you..... and ugh the SAUCES that accompanied the fish... incredible (my mouth is watering). Of course though, how can I not mention the resort itself.... the location was extremely relaxing, private and surrounded by nature. We really appreciated the landscape of the island, that it was all natural, and how there wasn't concrete. It was very sandy, woody, and felt very serene to be honest... something we really wanted in our experience. Our thought is if we're in the middle of the Indian Ocean on a private island, we want to really feel in tune with our surroundings. We booked the private beach villa (room 107) and for us, it was the best decision. Every morning at 6:30am we would run into the ocean and watch the sunrise while taking a morning dip, then we'd get breakfast, take a swim in the pool, and lounge on our private portion of the beach all day, feeling really comfortable, relaxed, and in our own little world. I highly recommend Ja Manafaru to anyone looking for the ultimate vacation: where you are independent to do what you want, in tune with nature, given privacy to connect with your thoughts, or your loved ones thoughts, and spo

We found paradise at JA Manafaru. The water villas were spectacular and the beaches so white, the water cerulean blue and the grounds so carefully manicured. And oh my- the food- WOW to EVERY SINGLE MEAL!! But what makes this place so magical is the oh service provided by the team. From Mark - Director of food and beverage who leads by example, to Kristina, Nazim, Nishan, Kattey. And SO many others- too many to name. Everyone was amazing. The resort absolutely has exceeded our expectations. Thank you to everyone who gave us the most special and memorable experience!

JA Manafaru was excellent. To summarise - we purchased the all inclusive and had the most stunning time on our honeymoon. It is one of the most northern islands and requires an additional 1 hr seaplane/domestic flight + short boat to arrive. But it is worth it! The island is stunning to look at, every single picture online reflects with perfect accuracy what it is in real life. The beaches are a beautiful white sand and the water a clear gorgeous blue, at a lovely temperature. Our sunset facing ocean villa was stunning and every time we woke up in the morning or returned from daily activities in the evening it still took our breaths away. The staff are amazing. Our host Phyu was extremely friendly. She was an instant WhatsApp message away and ready to accomodate our every request. She was proactive in finding and suggesting extra experiences for us to fill out our days. Sabaah was also always around to help us during our time and to drive us around on his buggy. The food on the island is immaculate. A breakfast that has options from all over the world. Two lunch restaurant options and many different dinner options, all offering different cuisines and creating a different experience. Ibbe soon became one of our favourite staff, seeing him often for lunch for a very strong Long Island ice tea! Highly recommend going with the all inclusive options as the food bill will quickly pile up. The spa experience is one to behold and the multiple water sports activities will fill up your day with fun and excitement. The only downside - outside of the all inclusive, the spa and the motorised sports cost a lot of money, so we mainly stuck to the non-motorised activities. Overall - my wife and I had the most amazing honeymoon on JA Manafaru. We count down the seconds until our return!

My third visit to Maldives, this was by far my favorite island. The resort was magical and offered plenty of activities. The staff were super friendly and caring (especially our personal server Sabaah who showed endless care and the Head Chef who’d greet us with every meal). I had an unfortunate illness and the staff along with the island physician took very good care of me and helped me a lot, that humanity and compassion they had showed me that they’re relationship with their visitors is really unique. Thank you so much for such a memorable vacation, I’m definitely going to see you guys again.

Wow, what a resort! The whole team are so friendly and welcoming, we couldn’t have asked for more. Jason and Victoria have a very special place here and we’re so pleased we chose this resort to celebrate my husbands 50th birthday. Special mentions go to Treasure, Ibbe, Raphael, Rosa, Ashraf and Shaad. Sabaah, our host took great care of us throughout our stay, so thank you! The food is on another level and we are so pleased we opted for the AI package, really good value for money. Huge thanks also to Exec Chef Moosa, we are still dreaming of breakfast, lunch and dinner - Outstanding!! The room was spacious and the mini bar well stocked. The sunset dolphin cruise was magical, highly recommend. There is quite simply nothing not to like here - calm, tranquil and pure paradise! We shall be back!

This is absolutely a first class 5 star resort. The scenery, accommodations, restaurants, etc., are all first class. But what makes this resort unique is the quality of the service you get and the professionalism and friendliness of the staff. Undoubtedly there are other resorts in Maldives that might offer the same scenery and food quality. However I doubt there are any that offer this quality of service . Everyone from senior management to all the restaurant staff treat you like family. The F&B director Mark literally checks on you at every meal to make sure everything is to your liking. Executive chef Musa makes the rounds often to see if they can do anything special for you. His sustainable seafood Bar B Que night and Maldivian night are unforgettable experiences. Our host/Thakaru Imran was absolutely amazing. He saw to our every need including some nice surprises to celebrate our anniversary. Imran(the beach bar ), Pravin, Ashraf, Faarish , Shammil, Muhammad and Sembq, among many others whose names we don’t remember did everything they could to make sure that we had a great vacation. Add the secluded white sand beaches, the fabulous snorkeling right off your overwater villa or off the house reef and the incredible natural scenery and you will have the experience of a lifetime. The only negative about this resort is that it is a little too far from Male. Currently you will have to take an internal flight from Male which takes about an hour and then a 10 minute speed boat ride to get there. However according to the staff, starting in late January, there will be direct seaplane flights to the resort.

The entire trip was incredibly enjoyable, exceeding all our expectations. My wife and I felt like we had stepped into the planet of Avatar, with everything appearing surreal. The staff on the island provided exceptional service; it was truly outstanding.

The restaurant had amazing food that was of the charts📈📈, the f&b manager was very good to our child The water sports was very thrilling, the staff was very welcoming and a special thanks to brem, he was very friendly and his hospitality was very good

Beautiful island, wonderful resort. The staff is helpful and supportive, very friendly. Thank you to Mark and Max for excellent experience. The food is delicious. Spa is great, dinner in the cellar is must try. Memorable experience. Thank you

Tucked away in the idyllic Maldives, JA Manafaru is like stepping into a dream. As a 30-year-old who's seen his fair share of the world, I can confidently say this place is something else. The moment I arrived, the clear, warm waters instantly washed away any stress I had. And let me tell you, the service here was top-notch. It's like they know what you need before you even ask. Plus, the food... Unreal! From gourmet dishes to beachside seafood barbecues, every bite is a flavor explosion. And don't even get me started on the beaches—pristine white sands and turquoise waters as far as the eye can see. The staff were beyond amazing and took care of our ever need. JA Manafaru isn't just a resort; it's a slice of paradise that's got me planning my next trip back before I've even left.