Ayada Maldives

The Middle East & Asia package, three board bases

Ayada has put its India-market rate on the table for stays to 20 December 2026, and unusually it is priced on all three board bases — half board, full board and its Crystal all-inclusive. Return transfers for two, a 30-minute massage for two and a combined sunset cruise are inside every version. Three nights in a Beach Villa with Pool on half board starts at ₹3,26,300 for two people, all in from Malé.

Pick your villa, then pick your package — board basis and travel dates are combined in the second dropdown, because on this rate they move together.

What this actually costs

Every figure is the total for two adults for the whole stay. It includes the villa, the meal plan, return domestic flight and speedboat transfers for two, the 10% service charge, 17% T-GST and the USD 12 per person per night green tax. Flights to Malé are not included.

Beach Villa with Pool and Ocean Villa with Pool are three-night packages. The split stay is four nights — two in a Beach Villa with Pool, then two in an Ocean Villa with Pool. That is why it costs more; you are buying an extra night, not just a second villa.

Half board

Full board

All inclusive — the Crystal package

Two things worth reading off those tables. September is the cheapest month on every line — roughly ₹20,000 below August and ₹40,000 below late October on the entry villa. And the step from half board to all inclusive is about ₹47,000 per couple on a three-night stay. If you expect to drink more than a couple of glasses a day, or you would rather not sign a chit at every meal, it usually pays for itself. If you are quiet drinkers, half board plus what you actually order will come to less.

What every package includes

• Return transfers for two — domestic flight from Malé to Kaadedhdhoo and a speedboat to the island, both ways.
• A 30-minute massage for two at AySpa.
• A combined sunset cruise for two, once during the stay.
• Bed decoration once during the stay, and bicycles throughout.
• Shisha for two with non-alcoholic drinks and a mezze platter, once per stay.
• 25% off at AySpa, the water sports centre and the Ottoman Lounge.
• Kayaks and snorkelling equipment, domestic lounge access and meet-and-greet at the airport, the weekly entertainment programme, yoga and the Pilates studio, and the recreation centre — pool tables, table tennis, PlayStation, tennis and football.

Honeymooners: take the four-night split

Ayada's honeymoon benefits need a minimum four-night stay. The Beach Villa and Ocean Villa packages here are three nights, so they do not qualify. The split stay is four nights and does.

What you get on four nights: sparkling wine on arrival, a one-time in-villa breakfast, and a honeymoon dinner for two at Kai or Ocean Breeze on a set menu, valid on every meal plan. The floating breakfast is an upgrade at USD 95. If you are travelling for a honeymoon, tell us and we will make sure the benefits are attached to the booking rather than discovered at check-in.

The split also happens to be the better trip. Two nights on the sand, then two over the water, is how we would book Ayada anyway.

Children and extra guests

The package covers two adults per villa. Extra adults and children each carry a supplement that changes with the board basis and the length of stay, and children are charged green tax and the return transfer. We will not publish the grid because it goes stale; send us your party and we will put the real number in your costing.

One thing to know: transfers here run on third-party domestic flights, and the resort schedules seats around the airline's timetable rather than the other way round. It is worth booking early if you are travelling with children.

Getting there — the long way south

Ayada is in Gaafu Dhaalu, the far south, close to the equator. You fly Malé to Kaadedhdhoo on a domestic flight, then take a speedboat to the island. Both legs are in the package price.

This is a longer journey than a Baa Atoll seaplane hop, and it is the single most common reason people rule Ayada out. It is also why the island is as quiet and the reef as intact as they are. Domestic flights run later into the evening than seaplanes, so a late arrival into Malé is less punishing here than at a seaplane resort — but send us your flight numbers and we will check the connection before you commit.

The house reef

This is the reason experienced snorkellers come this far south. The reef is reachable straight from the island — no boat ride to get to the drop-off — and guests consistently describe the coral as being in genuinely good condition rather than recovering. The dive centre is PADI five-star and runs guided snorkel tours that are worth the money.

Gaafu Dhaalu sees far fewer boats than the central atolls, which is most of the explanation.

Eating

Magu is the main buffet. Mizu does Japanese teppanyaki, Kai covers far-eastern and Asian, Ocean Breeze is the over-water European room, and Sea Salt is the beach barbecue. Zero Degree handles poolside, Ile de Joie is an over-water wine and cheese island, and the Ottoman Lounge is a Turkish café — Ayada is Turkish-owned, and it shows in the coffee and the hammam.

Who this isn't for

Anyone who wants to be on the island within an hour of landing. The southern atolls cost you a domestic flight and a boat, and if that sounds like a bad start to a short holiday, stay in North or South Malé and we will show you three good options.

It is also the wrong resort if you want a three-night trip and honeymoon extras — the benefits need four nights, so book the split. And if you are counting every rupee, note that the entry villa here already has a private pool; there is no cheaper garden category inside this offer.

Booking terms worth knowing

• Payment. Stays between 1 May and 27 September are payable in full 7 days before arrival. Stays from 28 September onwards are payable in full 14 days before arrival.
• Cancellation. 100% charge within 5 days of arrival, on both seasons.
• The offer does not apply to existing reservations, name changes or re-bookings, and the resort can amend or stop it on 3 days' written notice. Pre-paid bookings stay confirmed.

Location

Maguhdhuvaa Island, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives

Tell us your dates, your villa and how you like to eat, and we will come back with a transfer-inclusive costing and an honest view on whether the all-inclusive is worth it for you. Message our Maldives specialists on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours.