Sirru Fen Fushi Review: A Huge Lagoon, a 200-Metre Pool and a Living Reef in the Far North

Visited by 360 Degree World · Updated October 2026

Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort sits in Shaviyani Atoll in the far north, a 50-minute seaplane flight from Malé, and unusually for the north its house reef has not bleached the way many have: live coral, turtles and eagle rays. Every one of the 120 villas has a private pool. The compromise is distance, and the best of the reef lies on the windward side.

What stood out on the visit

The 360 Degree World team found that Sirru Fen Fushi has one of the longest pools in the Maldives, stretching 200 metres through the island, which is quite a sight. The team loved the sandbank and the underwater coral garden, with a real focus on art and nature around the resort.

The villas were spacious and private, and the whole place felt wonderfully secluded, especially being in the remote Shaviyani Atoll.

What the island is like

An atoll is a ring of coral reef with islands scattered around it. Shaviyani is one of the northern atolls, a long way from the busy resort belt around Malé, which is why the journey takes a seaplane.

The island covers about 16 hectares and sits inside a private lagoon of around 600 hectares, the shallow water enclosed by the reef. The 200-metre infinity pool runs through the middle of the island, and there is a separate adults-only pool at the spa.

The resort opened in 2018 as Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi and has run independently, under its own name, since 2024. It is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Arriving

The only route is a seaplane from Velana International Airport in Malé, about 50 minutes in the air; the resort does not offer a domestic flight alternative. Some flights make a stop on the way, so allow longer door to island.

Seaplanes in the Maldives fly in daylight only, so the last same-day connection is in the mid-afternoon. Anyone landing at Velana after that spends the first night in Malé or Hulhumalé, at their own arrangement, and flies out the next morning. Guests wait in a shared seaplane lounge at Velana; the resort has no lounge of its own. Check your landing time against the current cut-off on the Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort page before you book flights. The return works the same way, so an early international departure can mean leaving the island the afternoon before.

The villas

All 120 villas have a private pool, and each comes with a villa host who handles bookings and requests.

On the beach, the Sunrise and Sunset Beach Villas with Pool are 360 square metres, and the Deluxe Beach Villas with Pool, on either side of the island, are larger at 495 square metres. Over the water, the Sunrise Water Villa with Pool is 164 square metres and the Sunset Grand Water Villa with Pool 235 square metres. Sunrise villas face east for the morning light; sunset villas face west for the evening.

The unusual choice is the Safari Tented Villa with Pool, on the beach or in the island's jungle, a safari-style tented villa of 525 square metres. For families and groups there are two-bedroom and three-bedroom villas on the beach and over the water, and the Sirru Residence, three beach villas that combine into a seven-bedroom estate.

Eating and drinking

Raha Market is the all-day restaurant, with pizza, local tuna, Asian and Indian dishes, and themed buffet nights through the week. Kata cooks Japanese fusion food, with sushi, sashimi and yakitori, over the water with a rooftop terrace. Azure is the fine-dining restaurant, built around the catch of the day.

Kata and Azure open on alternate nights, so neither runs every evening, and it is worth planning those dinners on the first day.

Onu Onu is the bamboo beach bar, open from midday to midnight, and Spice Box serves Asian street food in the open air on the same beach in the afternoon. The Raha Bar & Café by the pool covers coffee, cocktails and snacks. Picnics can be set up on a sandbank, a small bare island of sand, and dinners on a boat.

The spa, the children and sport

Arufen Spa covers 2,000 square metres, with eight treatment rooms, an Ayurveda suite, a large jacuzzi and the 50-metre adults-only serenity pool.

The kids' club takes children from four to twelve, and there is a separate children's pool for younger guests. Snorkel gear, kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles and yoga classes are all available to guests.

For sport there is a 24-hour gym, a tennis court and a yoga studio. Motorised water sports, such as e-foiling, jetsurfing and parasailing, are booked separately through the water sports centre.

The water

A house reef is the coral reef you can swim to from the resort itself. At Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort the island sits on the edge of a long reef, and unusually for the north it has not bleached the way many have: live coral, turtles and eagle rays, with nurse sharks seen on the resort's catamaran snorkel trips. The catch is which side. The best stretch runs between the water villas and the spa, and that is the windward side, often choppy enough to trouble a hesitant swimmer. Ask about conditions on the day.

Out in the lagoon stands the Coralarium, a work by the sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor: a six-metre-tall steel cube that stands partly above the water, installed in 2018. Its original human figures were removed by the authorities soon after it opened, and it now serves as a structure for coral to grow on, with abstract sculptures added in 2019. Guests snorkel around it, and there is nothing else like it in the country.

The dive centre, Sub Oceanic, takes divers to the thilas and outer reefs of Shaviyani. A thila is an underwater reef pinnacle that rises close to the surface. Manta rays are most often seen in the drier months, roughly December to April, though no sighting is ever guaranteed.

The resident marine biologist monitors turtle nests on the island and records the turtles guests meet on the reef, and the resort counts more than 40 green and hawksbill turtles as residents.

Where the compromises are

The journey is the first. A 50-minute seaplane each way makes this a poor choice for a three-night trip, and five nights or more is where it makes sense.

The second is the reef. The best snorkelling is on the windward side, and on a choppy day it is not for nervous swimmers.

The third is the evening choice. Kata and Azure alternate nights, so on any one evening there are fewer places to eat than the list suggests.

Who will love it, and who won't

Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort suits couples and families on a longer stay who want space, a private pool, a living reef and real seclusion. Families get a kids' club; couples get a quiet island far from the crowds. It suits anyone on a short trip, or anyone who wants a wide choice of restaurants every night, considerably less well.

Common questions

How do you get to Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort?

By seaplane from Velana International Airport, about 50 minutes in the air, with a wait in a shared seaplane lounge at the airport. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, so a late landing means a night in Malé first. Check the current cut-off before booking flights.

Is the snorkelling good at Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort?

Yes. Unusually for the north, the house reef has not bleached the way many have, with live coral, turtles and eagle rays. The best stretch runs between the water villas and the spa, on the windward side, so it can be choppy. Check conditions before swimming out.

What is the Coralarium?

A semi-submerged six-metre steel cube in the lagoon by the sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, installed in 2018. Its original human figures were removed soon after, and it now works as a structure for coral to grow on, with abstract sculptures added in 2019. Guests snorkel around it.

Is Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort good for families?

Yes. The kids' club takes children from four to twelve, there is a separate children's pool for younger guests, and two and three-bedroom villas suit larger groups. Every villa has a private pool. The long seaplane flight makes it better for longer family stays.

Is Sirru Fen Fushi still a Fairmont?

No. The resort opened as Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi in 2018 and has run independently since 2024 as Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort. It is now a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.