Amilla Maldives
Baa Atoll · 67 villas and residences · UNESCO biosphere reserve
A reef that rings the whole island, with a ladder off the Reef villa decks straight onto it, and complimentary guided snorkels five days a week. Snorkelling the house reef has a minimum age of twelve, and the beach in front of the Beach Pool Villas has rock on the seabed. Everything operational, in one page.
- Getting there
- 35 minSeaplane. Or a flight and a boat.
- Latest you can land
- 15:00Seaplanes fly in daylight only
- House reef
- 4 of 5Off the Reef villa decks. Age 12 and up.
- Villas
- 6744 over water, 23 on land
- Meal plans
- ThreeBed and breakfast, half board, full board
- Doctor
- Resident, 24 hoursNearest hospital 20 minutes by speedboat
Location and transfers
Luggage is tighter than your airline’s. The seaplane allows 20 kg checked and 5 kg hand luggage per person, with excess charged at the airport. Bags are collected from your villa an hour before you leave.
Infants under two fly free but are not given a seat of their own.
The island is about 1.5 km long and 800 metres wide, and sits 15 minutes from Hanifaru Bay.
The villas
| Villa | Size | Pool | Sleeps | How many |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Pool Villa220 m² in total with the deck. The entry villa. | 100 m² | 7.2 × 2 m | 3 adults, or 2 adults and up to 2 children | 10 |
| Lagoon Water Pool Villa220 m² in total. More inside, a squarer pool. | 130 m² | 4.7 × 4.2 m | 3 adults, or 2 adults and up to 2 children | 9 |
| Reef Water Pool Villa220 m² in total. A ladder from the deck onto the reef, and the largest category here. | 130 m² | 4.7 × 4.2 m | 3 adults, or 2 adults and up to 2 children | 23 |
| Family Water Pool VillaOne king and a twin room. Only two on the island. | 180 m² | Private | Ask us | 2 |
| Beach Pool Villa470 m² in total and by far the biggest pool. Six on the island. | 220 m² | 9.5 × 3.8 m | 3 adults, or 2 adults and up to 2 children | 6 |
| Two-Bedroom Treetop Pool VillaRaised into the canopy rather than on the sand. | 170 m² | Private | Ask us | 5 |
| Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Villa | 235 m² | Private | Ask us | 4 |
| Four-Bedroom Beach Residence | 630 m² | Private | Ask us | 6 |
| The Great Beach ResidenceEight bedrooms. One on the island. | 1090 m² | Private | Ask us | 1 |
| The Amilla EstateSix bedrooms. One on the island. | 900 m² | Private | Ask us | 1 |
The ten categories sum to 67, which matches the resort’s own total. Amilla’s accommodation page says 59, which is the villas alone before the eight residences are added. Forty-four are over the water and twenty-three are on land, so the resort’s own line about the vast majority being overwater is not quite right.
Sizes above are interior area as the resort publishes them. The four one-bedroom categories we sell most often have a much larger total footprint once the deck is counted, and those totals are in the notes.
Every villa has its own pool. The four categories we price have published pool dimensions; the rest are stated only as private.
A one-bedroom villa takes three adults, or two adults with one or two children. Beyond that you are into the two-bedroom villas and the residences.
Butler service is shared, not personal. Worth knowing, because the wording on a lot of Maldives pages implies otherwise.
Meal plans
| Plan | What it covers | Still charged |
|---|---|---|
| Bed & breakfast | Breakfast at Fresh, semi-buffet and a la carte, for every villa and residence. | Every other meal, all drinks, the minibar. |
| Half board | Breakfast, plus a three-course dinner at any open restaurant. | Lunch, all drinks. Feeling Koi is outside the plan, at half its menu price. |
| Full board | Breakfast, a two-course lunch and a three-course dinner at any open restaurant. | All drinks. Feeling Koi is outside the plan, at half its menu price. |
Feeling Koi, the overwater Japanese restaurant, sits outside half board and full board, but the resort applies 50 per cent off its menu on both. It is the one venue people are surprised by, so plan for it rather than discover it.
A supplement can apply to premium items on half board and full board, at any restaurant.
Your plan starts at 14:00 on arrival day and finishes at noon on departure day. The last lunch is charged. Guests have disputed this at check-out, so it is worth reading twice.
Drinks are a separate package, bought on top, covering the restaurants and bars during opening hours. The in-villa minibar is discounted rather than included.
Dietary menus are available at every restaurant at no extra charge, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and keto.
Restaurants and bars
| Venue | What it is | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh | Breakfast, semi-buffet and a la carte | 07:00 – 11:00 daily |
| Tessera | Arabian-inspired sharing dishes | 12:00 – 15:30, 18:30 – 22:00 |
| Joe’s Pizza | Made to order | 12:00 – 21:00 daily |
| The Emperor Beach Club | Beachside and Maldivian, lunch | 12:30 – 15:30 daily |
| Barolo | Italian, dinner | 18:30 – 22:00 |
| East | Indian, Chinese and Thai, dinner | 18:30 – 22:00 |
| Feeling KoiOutside half board and full board. | Japanese, overwater | 18:30 – 22:00 |
| Baa Bar | Cocktails, wine and house-infused spirits | 16:00 – 00:00 daily |
| Sunset Bar | Champagne and gin | 17:30 – 22:00 daily |
| The Cellar Door | Wine tasting room | By appointment |
East is the one to know about if you want Indian food. It is a standing restaurant rather than a themed night, which is not true of most islands in this atoll.
In-villa dining runs a breakfast, all-day and night menu. Dress is resort casual everywhere.
The water
Why we rate it 4 out of 5
The reef rings the whole island and the Reef Water Pool Villas drop a ladder straight onto it. Turtles, eagle rays and four species of shark are routine, and there is a natural Blue Hole a short boat ride out.
Guests on their fourth or fifth trip to the Maldives choose Amilla for this specifically. The best water is off the overwater reef villas.
The beach entry is not uniform. It is easy and sandy along much of the island, but guests in the Beach Pool Villas report rock on the seabed in front of them. If swimming off your own step matters, ask us to request a villa number.
The guided snorkels are free, and they book out
The guided house reef snorkel is complimentary, Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 to 11:00. The Blue Hole snorkel is also complimentary, Tuesday at 14:00, Thursday at 09:00 and Saturday at 10:00. A paid snorkel with a marine biologist runs alongside them.
Blue Hole places are capped at eight to ten a session. Guests say it fills fast, so book it on arrival rather than mid-week.
House reef snorkelling, the coral garden and night snorkelling are twelve and over, and the resort wants competent swimmers. Younger children can join the other snorkelling trips with a parent taking responsibility.
Diving is Dive Butler Amilla, a PADI 5 Star centre. The resort warns that current close to the reef villas can be strong and changeable, and advises a lifejacket for anyone who is not a strong swimmer.
Who it suits
✓Yes
- Snorkellers aged twelve and up.A reef around the whole island, a ladder off the Reef villa decks, and free guided snorkels five days a week.
- Anyone who wants Indian food that is not a themed night.East is a standing restaurant, cooking Indian, Chinese and Thai.
- Divers and anyone nervous about being far from help.A PADI 5 Star centre, a resident doctor on call round the clock, and a hospital twenty minutes away.
✕No
- Families whose children want to snorkel the house reef.Twelve and over. Younger children are limited to the other trips.
- Anyone who wants a long beach walk.The island is 1.5 km by 800 m and guests say the walkable sand is very limited.
- Larger families in one villa.A one-bedroom takes three adults, or two adults and up to two children. Beyond that it is a two-bedroom or a residence.
Children and safety
- The Kids Club takes four to twelve. Children of three and under are welcome with a parent present. The resort publishes an activity schedule running from nine in the morning to a disco at seven, but not a formal opening time, so we confirm it for your dates.
- Snorkelling the house reef is twelve and over. Confirmed with the resort. That covers the house reef, the coral garden and night snorkelling, and the resort asks that they be competent swimmers. Other snorkelling trips accept younger children at a parent’s responsibility.
- Babysitting is available, charged by the hour. Arrange it before you travel rather than on arrival.
- No minimum age is published for an overwater villa. Amilla sells a two-bedroom family villa over the water, so children are clearly accepted, but no policy and no waiver is stated. Tell us the ages of anyone travelling and we will have it confirmed before you book.
- Bathrooms are semi-open. There are no doors to close them off. Families sharing a villa notice this, and it is easier to hear about now than on arrival.
On the island
- Doctor
- ResidentLives on the island, on call 24 hours
- Nearest hospital
- 20 minutesBy speedboat
- Dive centre
- Dive ButlerPADI 5 Star
- Spa
- Javvu09:00 to 20:00, jungle pods on land
- Island time
- GMT+5The same as Male, no resort clock
- The island
- 1.5 km long800 m wide, 23.5 hectares
Things we would rather you heard from us
- The beach in front of the Beach Pool Villas has rock on the seabed. Guests say the water there is not as clear and it is not the best stretch for swimming. On the largest and most expensive one-bedroom category, that is worth knowing before you choose it for the beach.
- Feeling Koi is outside half board and full board. You get half off the menu, not a free dinner. It is the most common surprise on the bill here.
- Your meal plan ends at noon on departure day. The last lunch is charged. Guests have argued about this at check-out, so we would rather you heard it from us.
- Blue Hole snorkelling has eight to ten places a session. It is free and it is the best thing in the water here, and it books out. Reserve it the day you arrive.
- Mosquitoes, and a small amount of walkable beach. Both come up repeatedly in guest reports on an otherwise very highly rated island. Pack repellent, and do not come for long shoreline walks.
Shall we price it for you?
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and which airport you fly from. We will check your flight against the seaplane window, request a villa number where the beach matters, and tell you honestly whether half board is worth it for the way you eat. We reply within 24 hours.