Deluxe Beach Villa with Pool
400 m² · Private pool · On the beach · Two adults, two children and an infant
JA Resorts & Hotels · Haa Alifu Atoll
JA Manafaru
- 70 to 90 min by seaplane
- Land by 15:00
- 4.9 on TripAdvisor · 3,260 reviews
- Travellers' Choice 2026
- All taxes in the price
The villas
On the beach
Beach Pool Villa
200 m² · Private pool · On the beach · Two adults, a child and an infant
Over the water
Sunset Pool Water Villa
135 m² over water · Private pool · Sunset side
Sunrise Pool Water Villa
135 m² over water · Private pool · Sunrise side
House reef
Our rating
3/5
Fine
The house reef is reachable from the jetties, and the fish life is real: turtles, sharks, rays, and night snorkelling that guests remember. The coral is not. Recent guests report it as thin, and the lagoon is wide enough that the drop-off is a long way from the beach and rough on the infinity pool side. Budget for excursions if snorkelling is why you are going. Come for the space, the beaches and the food.
How we score house reefs, and every island ranked →Getting there
Route
Seaplane
- Journey
- 70 to 90 min, airport to island
- Last arrival that works
- 15:00
Land at Velana after 15:00 and the last seaplane of the day will have gone, which means a night in Malé before you reach the island.
Seaplane, daylight only. A late arrival by seaplane means a night in Malé first, so send us your flights and we will check the connection before you book.
Transfer details last checked 22 September 2026. We re-check yours against your actual ticket before we quote. See what your flight can reach →
What guests say
4.9out of 5 on TripAdvisor · 3,260 reviews
What a good find!
We moved to JA Manafaru after spending two weeks at Hideaway. As regular visitors to the Maldives—this being our 37th island—we had heard so much about it and are not sure why...
Dreamy island stay!
We enjoyed our week on the island very much. There are many activities and we especially enjoyed the snorkelling and diving. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating; we would like to...
Travellers' Choice 2026. Rating checked 21 September 2026. Read all the reviews on TripAdvisor →
About the resort
JA Manafaru is a private island in Haa Alifu, about as far north as Maldivian resorts go, 70 to 90 minutes from Velana by seaplane. Every villa has its own pool, and the beach villas are bigger than the water villas here, which is the reverse of most resorts.
It is a long way to come for three nights. The seaplane is the same whether you stay three or five, so the longer stay makes more sense of the journey.
What you pay
Pick your dates, a villa and a meal plan and the price is the whole stay for two: the villa, half board or full board, the return seaplane with lounge access at Velana, and every tax, green tax included.
The cheapest dates on this page are 1 May to 30 September 2027. Three nights half board in a Beach Pool Villa comes in about an eighth below the same stay from 16 October to 23 December 2026.
4 January to 30 April 2027 costs the most on this page, and against those dates the May to September price is about a sixth lower.
Full board adds lunch. It is worth it if you eat a proper lunch every day, and not if you graze. All inclusive, with house wines, spirits and beer, is available on request.
What's included, and what isn't
In the price: your villa for two with its private pool, breakfast and dinner (plus lunch on full board) with water, tea and coffee at meals, the return seaplane, lounge access at Velana, bicycles, snorkel gear, kayaks and paddleboards, the gym and tennis courts, and every Maldivian tax including green tax.
Not in the price: your international flights, travel insurance, drinks beyond water, tea and coffee, premium dishes, the spa and excursions, the compulsory Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners, Indian TCS, and anything not named above.
Who this isn't for
Snorkellers who want coral off the beach. The fish life is real, with turtles, sharks and rays, but the coral is thin and the drop-off is a long way out. Budget for boat trips.
Anyone landing at Velana after 15:00. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, so a late arrival by seaplane means a night in Malé first. Going home, it only connects with flights leaving from 09:00.
Anyone who wants a lively island. Eighty-four villas, jungle and banyans. It is quiet by design.
Before you book
For stays to 23 December 2026 children under twelve stay free, and eat free from the children's menu, sharing your villa. Their seaplane is still charged. From 4 January 2027 that applies to children under six, and children six to eleven pay for their meals.
The festive fortnight is not priced on this page. Five nights is the minimum, the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners are compulsory, and nobody leaves on 31 December. We can still book it.
For stays before Christmas, ask us about the domestic flight. A domestic flight to Hanimaadhoo or Kulhudhuffushi, then about 45 minutes by speedboat (about 10 minutes from Hoarafushi on days it has flights), comes in cheaper than the seaplane.
Send us your dates, who is travelling and the ages of any children, and we will price the villas side by side with the transfer that suits your flights. Message our Maldives specialists on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Where is JA Manafaru?
On its own island in Haa Alifu Atoll, in the Upper North Province, about as far north as Maldivian resorts go. The island is natural rather than landscaped: ancient banyans, jungle, and a lagoon that circles the whole of it.
How do I get there?
The price on this page includes the return seaplane from Velana straight to the resort, 70 to 90 minutes, with lounge access at the seaplane terminal. It flies in daylight only, so your international flight needs to land by 15:00, and going home it connects with flights leaving from 09:00. On some dates there is also a domestic flight to Hanimaadhoo or Kulhudhuffushi, then about 45 minutes by speedboat (about 10 minutes from Hoarafushi on days it has flights), which is cheaper. Ask us and we will price both.
What does the price include?
Your villa for two with its private pool, the meal plan you pick, the return seaplane, lounge access at Velana, service charge, GST and green tax. Bicycles, Wi-Fi, snorkel gear, kayaks and paddleboards, the gym, tennis and football courts, the weekly activities programme and a shared Thakuru butler service are all free. Indian TCS is added separately; see our Taxes and TCS page.
What is the difference between half board and full board?
Half board is breakfast and a three-course dinner, dine-around, at whichever restaurants are operating, or the weekly theme night buffet. Full board adds a three-course lunch. Both include water, tea and coffee at meals, but no other drinks. All inclusive adds house wines, spirits, beers, cocktails and soft drinks and a daily minibar refill, and we price it on request.
What is not included?
Drinks beyond water, tea and coffee on half board and full board, premium dishes, the spa, diving and excursions, and the compulsory Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners. In quieter months some restaurants close and the dine-around narrows, so ask us which venues are operating on your dates.
What villas are there?
Four types are priced on this page: 22 Beach Pool Villas at 200 m², 24 Sunrise and 23 Sunset Pool Water Villas at 135 m², and 12 Deluxe Beach Villas with Pool at 400 m². The beach villas are larger than the water villas here, which is the reverse of most resorts. Two and three-bedroom residences are priced on request.
What is the house reef like?
The fish life is good, with turtles, sharks and rays, and you can get in from the jetties. The coral is thin, though, and the drop-off is a long way out, so budget for boat trips if snorkelling is why you are going. The dive centre on the island runs trips to the sites around Haa Alifu, and manta sightings are seasonal.
Is it suitable for families?
Yes. The kids club takes children from three to twelve, and for stays to 23 December 2026 children under twelve stay free and eat from the children's menu at no charge, sharing your villa. From 4 January 2027 that applies to children under six, and children six to eleven pay for their meals. Their seaplane is still charged. Beach and water villas sleep two adults, a child and an infant; the Deluxe Beach Villa takes two children.
Can we book Christmas or New Year?
Not from the prices on this page: the festive period is not priced here. Five nights is the minimum over Christmas and New Year, the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners are compulsory, and no departures are allowed on 31 December. Ask us and we will price those dates for you.
The resort
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More photos on Instagram: @jamanafaru_maldives (opens in a new tab)
Tell us your dates and who is travelling
We will price two or three villas with the seaplane and every tax included, and we can quote any dates outside the ones above. We reply within 24 hours.