Gili Lankanfushi Review: Forty-Five Overwater Villas, Thirty Minutes From Malé by Boat

Visited by 360 Degree World in October 2022 · Updated October 2026

Gili Lankanfushi sits in North Malé Atoll, about 30 minutes from Velana International Airport by the resort's own speedboat, with no seaplane involved. All 45 villas stand over the water, built in timber under thatch. The compromise is the reef: it is average, and the snorkelling worth the effort is at the drop-off or on boat trips.

What stood out on the visit

The 360 Degree World team visited Gili Lankanfushi in October 2022, its third visit to the island, and found that it never gets old. The team found a tiny island with pristine beach sand and hand-crafted wooden villas that feel authentically Maldivian, not concrete-heavy like many resorts. The overwater villas, with thatched roofs and lagoon views, struck them as stunning hideaways, perfect for doing absolutely nothing.

What truly set Gili Lankanfushi apart for the team was its barefoot, laid-back soul. Warm hospitality, exceptional cuisine and lush, unpolished beauty made for an intimate escape that felt refreshingly different from typical luxury resorts.

What the island is like

An atoll is a ring of coral reef with islands scattered around it, and a lagoon is the shallow, sheltered water inside that reef.

Gili Lankanfushi is operated by HPL Hotels & Resorts. Malé is about 20 kilometres away, close enough that the city skyline is in view and aircraft can be heard.

There are no rooms on the island itself. The villas run out over the lagoon on jetties, and a handful of residences stand alone in the water, reached by boat. The island holds the main restaurant, the organic garden and a pool, and even the spa's treatment rooms stand over the water. Every guest is given a bamboo bicycle, and every villa has a 24-hour butler, called Mr or Ms Friday.

Resident marine biologists have worked here since 2012, growing coral on ropes to replant damaged reef.

Arriving

There is one way in: the resort's speedboat from Velana International Airport in Malé, about 30 minutes across the atoll. An airport host meets guests and walks them to the boat.

Seaplanes in the Maldives fly in daylight only, so on a seaplane island a late arrival means a night in Malé. A speedboat is not bound by that daylight rule, but ask us for the last boat against your landing time before you book flights.

Boats run to a schedule rather than on demand, so allow for a short wait at Velana before departure.

The villas

The villas share a pattern: a rooftop terrace and a deck over the water with direct access to the ocean.

The Villa Suite, about 210 square metres, is the most common, with 18 of them, and suits couples. It has a semi open-air bathroom. The Gili Lagoon Villa is the same size, with five facing west for sunset and a hammock slung over the water. The Villa Suite with Pool, about 264 square metres, adds a 19 square metre infinity pool.

The Residence and the Gili Lagoon Residence are about 250 square metres each. The resort says its residences have a living room that converts into a second bedroom and suit families of four. The Island View Crusoe Residence and the Sunset Crusoe Residence, also about 250 square metres, stand alone in the lagoon, reached by boat, and the Sunset Crusoe Residence is on two levels. They suit guests who want seclusion, at the cost of a boat ride to dinner.

The Residence with Pool, about 374 square metres, has a 24 square metre infinity pool. The Two-Bedroom Villa with Pool, about 385 square metres, faces sunrise and has an L-shaped pool. The Gili Lagoon Retreat, about 369 square metres at the end of the western jetty, has two bedrooms, its own steam room and exclusive access to Three Palm Island. The Private Reserve, about 1,700 square metres with a water slide into the lagoon, is described by the resort as the largest standalone overwater villa in the world.

Eating and drinking

Kashiveli is the main restaurant, open-air, cooking with produce from the island's organic garden and local waters. Dinner rotates through tasting menus and theme nights. For Indian guests the one to plan around is Sunday, when a tandoor is fired up at the Overwater Bar.

By The Sea is the Japanese restaurant, set among the trees with views over the ocean. The Overwater Bar is the place for sunset cocktails. Fini Foni, beside the pool, serves handmade ice cream, cold drinks and snacks.

The Underground Wine Cellar holds about 500 labels, with sommeliers who pair food to the bottle. Vegetarian, vegan and allergy needs are catered for with notice.

The spa, sport and children

Meera Spa has its treatment rooms over the water and uses plants and herbs from the resort's garden. The menu runs from massage to Ayurvedic therapy.

There is a gym, and yoga runs every morning. Tennis coaching is through Tipsarevic Luxury Tennis. Tropicsurf runs surf lessons, from a gentle hour in the lagoon to trips by dhoni, a traditional Maldivian boat, to breaks nearby.

There is no kids' club room, and no all-day supervision. Instead, children get a daily activity programme of two sessions, on a two-week rotation, from gardening to sandcastles. Babysitting can be arranged. The resort's own view is that the island, with no rooms on it, is the playground.

The water

A house reef is the coral reef you can swim to from the resort itself. At Gili Lankanfushi it is average by Maldives standards, and the resort does not trade on it. What is worth the swim is the 15-metre drop-off at the edge of the house reef, with coral walls, small sharks, turtles and rays, and the best stretch lies between the two palm islets. The jetties differ: one is a short swim from the reef, another is shallow and safer with children, with rays and sharks visible from the shore. Ask which jetty your villa is on.

The good snorkelling is on boat trips, and the resort's current weekly programme sets one animal to each day: mantas on Sunday, sting rays on Monday, sharks on Tuesday, nurse sharks on Wednesday and turtles on Friday. Dhoni trips need at least two guests; speedboat trips need four. Snorkelling with the resident marine biologist runs three mornings a week.

Divers go out with the PADI Ocean Paradise Dive Centre to sites such as HP Reef and Manta Point. The resort names May to November as the best period for mantas. Whale sharks are found in South Ari Atoll, several hours away, and are a full-day private charter from here.

Where the compromises are

The reef is the first. Anyone who wants good coral straight off their own deck should look elsewhere.

The second is the setting. There is no beach villa, and Malé's skyline and aircraft are part of the view, the trade for a transfer this short.

The third is children. Families are welcome, but parents who need a supervised room to leave children in will not find one.

The fourth is the extras. Excursions, diving and water sports are charged, and trips run on fixed days, so a short stay may miss the animal you came for.

Who will love it, and who won't

Gili Lankanfushi suits couples and honeymooners who want a barefoot, timber-and-thatch island close to Malé, a villa over the water, warm service and a short boat ride from the airport. Families of four fit well in the residences. It suits keen snorkellers, and anyone who wants sand outside the bedroom door, considerably less well.

Common questions

How do you get to Gili Lankanfushi?

By the resort's own speedboat from Velana International Airport in Malé, about 30 minutes across North Malé Atoll. A speedboat is not bound by the daylight rule that grounds seaplanes, but check the last boat against your landing time before booking flights. An airport host meets guests, and boats run to a schedule, so allow for a short wait.

Does Gili Lankanfushi have beach villas?

No. All 45 villas and residences stand over the water, with direct access to the ocean from the deck, and some residences stand alone and are reached by boat. The island itself holds the main restaurant, the organic garden and the pool, so the beach is shared rather than private.

Is the house reef at Gili Lankanfushi good?

It is average by Maldives standards, and the resort does not trade on it. The 15-metre drop-off at the reef edge has coral walls, small sharks, turtles and rays. The best snorkelling is on scheduled boat trips, each running on a fixed day, so check the weekly programme on arrival.

Is Gili Lankanfushi good for families?

Yes, with one caveat. There is no kids' club room, but a daily activity programme runs two sessions on a two-week rotation, and babysitting can be arranged. The Residence and Gili Lagoon Residence suit families of four, and one jetty sits over shallow water that is safer with children.

What restaurants does Gili Lankanfushi have?

Kashiveli, the main restaurant, with tasting menus and theme nights; By The Sea, the Japanese restaurant; the Overwater Bar for sunset drinks and Sunday's Indian tandoor night; Fini Foni by the pool; the Underground Wine Cellar; and gardenside tasting menus in the Organic Garden.