Tom C
Reviewed: 2 weeks ago
5/5
We went to JA Manafaru for 2 weeks in January for our honeymoon. I don't often leave reviews for places that I travel to, but I feel compelled to do so after this indredible holiday. I'll do my best to contain my excitement and make this review as informative as possible.||The island itself:|The island is excellently maintained. The winding sand paths through the jungle are beautiful, showcasing some wonderful natural trees and bushes that offer some respite from the sun. Occassionally you will see a local lizard, wild bird, and even chickens. The size of the island is ideal, with no bar/restaurant/sports centre being no more than a leisurely 5-minute walk away. Surrounding the jungle is (you probably guessed it) the most amazing white sand beach. The photos really don't do it justice, it has to be seen to be believed. The water is warm, azure, sandy, and not too salty (I was able to open my eyes underwater without any discomfort). We especially appreciated the 'low light' policy at night time. There's no light pollution, though it's perfectly easy to see where you're going..!||The villa:|We stayed in one of the sunset overwater villas. We couldn't decide whether we wanted sunset or sunrise, but sunset ended up being a good choice because the water was a little bit deeper (for jumping in from the terrace), the wind seemed to come from the east so being west-facing meant we had some protection, and the sun was over the private pool/deck area from 10:00 until sunset. Inside, we had a great view of the sea through the huge windows - just a great way to wake up in the morning! The bed was huge and comfortable. There was plenty of storage in the two large wardrobes. There weren't quite enough coat hangers when we arrived, but we asked about this and, when we got back from our first meal, there were plenty more set up in the wardrobe.|The mini bar was excellent. There are two fridges - one for wine/prosecco, and another for soft drinks, beer, and snacks. Each day it was replenished, and at the start we asked for some small ammendments which was kindly agreed upon (e.g. white wine instead of red, orange juice instead of mixed fruit so we could have our homemade mimosas!).|The bathroom was very spacious; the shower was huge, and had a kind of half-metre gap in the wall which offered a gentle, fresh breeze while showering (blocked from outside sight, don't worry!), his and her sinks, and a large jacuzzi style bath with views of the sea. |The terrace/balcony was great. There were two large and comfortable sun beds, a parasol for those wishing to get a break from the sun, and a table with four chairs. The infinity pool was such a hit. I think I spent more time there than anywhere else! Our butler joked that I was lazy when I told him that on one day we spent the entire time on the terrace, reading books on the sunbeds and drinking wine in the pool - but they shouldn't make the villas so comfortable in that case!||The restaurants:|The food was just ridiculously good. We would divide lunch between Andiamo and Kakhuni. Andiamo has Italian cuisine, and is set in a lovely, relaxing, jungle style pool area with large trees offering shade and the pool waterfall providing a calming sound of trickling water. The beef carpaccio went down very well with my wife, and I loved the pizza and, in particular, one dish made of roasted chicken with potatoes and artichokes. Kakhuni also had a very nice lunch menu, with a great view of the sea. I'd recommend the catch of the day! |For dinner we had the option of The White Orchid and Ocean Grill (Andiamo is also open at this time). Ocean Grill was probably our favourite - it was very atmospheric to be sitting at a table on the beach with the sand under your feet, hearing (but not seeing) the sea lapping the beach. |Every few days there is a special meal in Kakhuni restaurant (Sustainable Seafood BBQ, Maldivian Night, and Asian Street Food Night). These events were so much better than I expected. Maldivian Night is very interesting. I tried so many dishes I would never have tried before, and it's delivered to your table by waiters carrying a large tray of food covered in leaves and served in a kind of thali style. The Asian Street Food Night had so many great dishes to try (buffet stlye), I became flustered ! The Seafood BBQ was probably my favourite. I'm not a big fish eater in general, and was worried that I'd end up with a plate of rice and vegetable, but even I went back for second portions of fish. You can choose an entire fresh fish, and the chefs cook it on the BBQ right in front of your eyes. Probably the best thing I ate there.||The bars:|Just a few weeks before we arrived a new bar was opened (Veli Bar). This stayed open until midnight. We didn't know about this bar before we arrived, and we read that the last orders used to be at 11pm, and were worried that that would be a bit early since we like to have a few late drinks when we're on holiday, so this was perfect timing. A big thank you to the staff, who would never put you under any pressure to finish up and get out at closing time (I think the latest we stayed was 12:40). We tried not to do this so as not to annoy the staff, but we got carried away with drink and good atmosphere! There was a nice couple playing live music there every night. Normally live music can annoy me if I need to raise my voice to the person I'm speaking to, but they played very softly, showing a good understanding of the atmosphere of the resort.|The other main bar is at the Infinity Pool. In my opinion, this place served the best cocktails! The sunbeds there were comfortable, and the view from the sunbeds looking at the pool over the sea was just fantastic.||The activities that we did:|We weren't the most active on this holiday seeing as the main aim was to relax, eat and drink! We did some which I'll review now, but there were some we didn't which other guests said were very fun, like sunset fishing and the dolphin cruise|Jetski - if you only have time/money for one activity, this might be the best. It's expensive, but riding a jetski over Maldivian sea water was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We rode out to the nearest uninhabited island and got off. This island is beautiful, and there are flocks of seabirds and shells on the sand, which might have been even more idyllic than on the hotel island!|SUP/Paddle Boarding - this was one of the free activites, but definitely worth trying. We had more than a few times when we fell off from the smallest wave, but when the water is so warm it isn't so frustrating!|Golf driving range - this was surprisingly fun. We took 10 balls from the infinity bar ($30, probably the worst value in terms of what you get for an activity) and hit them at sunset from the small grass patch at Veli bar. Watching the sunset while drinking gin and tonic and hitting some balls was so much more fun that I could have imagined!|Tennis - we played tennis once, stupidly at 2pm. It was a bit exposed to the sun at that time of day, and sheltered from any breeze by the surrounding trees. Mercifully, an ice box was brought out to us full of cold water, but we mostly just poured the ice down our shirts!|Flyboard - I knew instantly that I would be no good on the flyboard, but my wife was keen to try so she booked a 30-minute session while I filmed from the back of a jetski. The conditions were a bit choppy, so there wasn't much 'hovering', but she said with a bit of practice it would've been much better. Maybe worth doing if you already have some experience|Cocktail masterclass - another free activity, this time at Infinity Pool Bar. Our barman, Imran, taught us how to make two cocktails each. I went for a passionfruit mojito and an espresso martini! It might not be for the thrill seekers amongst you, but there was something very satisfying about drinking your own cocktails on the sunbeds afterwards, and Imran was very friendly and clear in his instructions.|There were also a few nice things to do dotted around the island. For example, on our way to the Ininity bar for some much needed drinks, there is a coconut shy and tennis balls - just a bit of harmless fun to break up the short walk!||The staff:|Everyone at the resort was so kind, and I mean everyone. |Rosa - Rosa was a very fun waitress working all over the resort. She was very helpful and kind, and enjoyed tolerating (and joining in) our games of 'Guess the Bill'!|Kristina - Kristina was another waitress who was incredibly kind and sweet. We wanted to give her a tip on our last day, but, unfortunately, it was her day off. Kristina, if you're reading this, thank you!|Imran - Imran worked in the Infinity Pool Bar for the first week we were there. He made the BEST cocktails (clearly an expert). JA Manafaru, protect him at all costs!|Dharshana - Dharshana took over from Imran, and also made some great cocktails. He was very friendly and always smiling!|Nizam - Nizam worked in several restaurants and was always hovering nearby to top up my wine! A very important quality for a sozzled Scottish guest!|Sabaah, thank you for being a great butler to us and always sorting things out for us!||Well, I think that's all. Hopefully those reading this will be persuaded to go. You won't regret it.
