Beach Villa
99 sqm beside the beach · Private deck facing the sea · Semi-open-air and garden showers
OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels · South Ari Atoll
OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort
- 25 min by seaplane
- Land by 15:00
- 4.9 on TripAdvisor · 1,213 reviews
- Travellers' Choice Best of the Best 2026
- All taxes in the price
- Visited Feb 2017
The villas
On the beach
Beach Villa with Private Pool
120 sqm on the beach · Private pool and garden · Indoor and outdoor showers
Beach Family Villa
Two Bedroom Beach Villa with Private Pool
Over the water
Over Water Villa
95 sqm over the lagoon · King bed plus daybed · Ladder straight into the water
Sunset Over Water Villa with Hot Tub
95 sqm, west-facing · Heated hot tub on the deck · Glass-enclosed bedroom
Over Water Villa with Private Pool
151 sqm over the lagoon · Private pool on the deck · Steps down into the ocean
Sunset Over Water Villa with Private Pool
151 sqm, west-facing · Private pool on the deck · Steps down into the ocean
House reef
Our rating
4/5
Strong
Best entry is the ladder at the end of the pier off the Over Water Villas with Private Pool. It puts you on the drop-off with almost no swim, and there are two other entries plus three marked routes. A gentle drift circles the island, so get in up-current and come out at the next cut rather than swimming back. Sharks and rays are the strong part and they are reliable: blacktips, whitetips and nurse sharks in close, eagle and sting rays further out. Coral is good rather than exceptional. Do not try to swim to Lonubo, the water between is deep and the current runs hard.
How we score house reefs, and every island ranked →Getting there
Route
Seaplane
- Journey
- 25 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.
Shared seaplane, daylight only. The last flight out leaves at 16:00 and anyone landing after 15:00 overnights in Malé, so send us your flight numbers before you book. Coming home, the seaplane only connects with flights departing 09:00 onwards and the last transfer off the island is mid-afternoon.
Transfer details last checked 1 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 · 1,213 reviews
Simply stunning with staff to match
5 days on this stunning island was not enough. From the moment we arrived we were treated like royalty.
Outrigger Maafushivaru - Out of this World!
My wife and I recently spent 10nts at the Outrigger Maafushivaru and we felt compelled to write a review.
Perfect for us
We spent a week here with 3 teenagers over Xmas break and loved every second on this beautiful, immaculate island. It is a very small island indeed.
Travellers' Choice Best of the Best 2026. Rating checked 21 September 2026. Read all the reviews on TripAdvisor →
About the resort
OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru is a small island in South Ari Atoll, 25 minutes by seaplane from Velana. The price on this page is the whole stay for two: half board, the return seaplane and every tax are already in it.
Book at least 30 days before you arrive and the resort takes 25% off the villa and half board. Three nights in an Over Water Villa in November shows as ₹ 4,33,000 here and works out at about ₹ 3,54,600 once that discount goes on. We apply it on every booking made far enough ahead.
What you pay
Pick your dates and a villa and the price covers two people: the villa, breakfast and dinner, the return seaplane with meet and greet, and every Maldivian tax. Nothing further is payable at the resort for those.
The early booking discount turns on the day you book, not the day you travel, so it is not built into the page price. It covers every villa and every season, and it stacks with the meal upgrade, honeymoon and repeat guest offers.
The green season is the best value. Over Water Villa, three nights: ₹ 3,54,200 from mid April, ₹ 4,33,000 in November, ₹ 4,96,200 from January.
A longer stay spreads the seaplane. It is paid once, so nights four to seven add far less than the first three.
Room for a family
Two villas here take more than one child. The Beach Family Villa sleeps two adults and three children, from ₹ 4,93,100 for three nights. The Two Bedroom Beach Villa with Private Pool takes four adults and a child, from ₹ 5,47,200.
Both prices are for two people. A child aged 2 to 12 is free of charge in the villa and pays only green tax and a US$375 seaplane seat. A third or fourth adult adds US$200 a night plus a US$545 seaplane seat.
What's included, and what isn't
In the price: your villa for two, breakfast and dinner at the Cuisine Gallery, the return seaplane with airport meet and greet and the lounge, snorkel gear, paddleboards and kayaks, and every Maldivian tax.
Not in the price: your international flights, travel insurance, drinks, lunch, 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
Anyone landing at Velana after 15:00. Seaplanes fly 06:00 to 16:00, so a late arrival means a night in Malé first. Going home, the seaplane only meets flights leaving from 09:00, and the last one off the island is mid-afternoon.
Snorkellers who want coral above all. The sharks and rays are reliable and the reef is a short swim from the pool villa pier, but the coral is good rather than exceptional and is still being regrown.
Before you book
Drinks are extra on half board. Half Board Plus adds drinks all day for US$130 per adult per night, and Dine Around All Inclusive adds lunch and dinner anywhere for US$170. Children under 12 eat free on both.
The festive fortnight is not priced on this page. Christmas Eve dinner is US$225 per adult and New Year's Eve US$500, both compulsory, with a five-night minimum over New Year. We quote those dates by hand.
Send us your dates and flight numbers, and we will price two or three villas with the early booking discount applied and tell you whether your arrival reaches the island that day. Message our Maldives specialists on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours.
Our last visit
We were last here
February 2017
Maafushivaru has a lovely little-island feel, but its real USP is what is happening in the water. I remember stepping off the villa deck into warm, clear water and finding reef sharks, rays and plenty of fish almost immediately. Being in South Ari also puts whale shark trips within easy reach. The island is quite built up for its size, and some of the seawalls are noticeable. Booking takeaway: choose...
Read the visit note →Frequently asked questions
Where is OUTRIGGER Maafushivaru and how do I get there?
The resort sits on its own island in South Ari Atoll, a 25-minute seaplane flight from Velana International Airport in Male. Seaplanes operate in daylight only and the last one leaves at 16:00, so your inbound flight needs to be on the ground by 15:00. There is no speedboat alternative.
What happens if my flight from India lands late?
You overnight in Male at your own expense and fly out to the island the next morning, which means losing a night of your stay. Book a morning arrival from Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru. Tell us your flight numbers and we will check the connection before you pay for anything.
Which villa should I book?
The Over Water Villa is the cheapest villa on the island, below the Beach Villa in every season. If you want a pool, the Over Water Villa with Private Pool at 151 sqm is the one most couples choose. Sunset-facing categories are priced higher and sell out earlier.
What does half board include here?
Breakfast and dinner at Cuisine Gallery, the buffet restaurant. Drinks are charged as you take them. Half Board Plus adds beer, wine, spirits and cocktails from noon daily plus the minibar, at US$130 per adult per night. Dine Around All Inclusive adds lunch at Edgewater and dinner at the a la carte restaurants, at US$170 per adult per night. Both need three nights, children under twelve are free on either, and everyone in the villa has to be on the same plan.
Is there an early booking discount?
Yes. Book at least 30 days before you arrive and the resort takes 25% off the villa and half board, on every villa and in every season. It depends on the day you book, so the prices on this page are before it. We apply it for you. Honeymoon and anniversary extras can be added on top.
Are taxes and service charge included in the price?
Yes. The 10 percent service charge, 17 percent T-GST and the green tax are all inside the price shown. Nothing further is added at check-out. Excursions, spa treatments, drinks outside your meal plan and any villa upgrade are extra.
How good is the house reef?
Strong for sharks and rays, honest about coral. Blacktip, whitetip and nurse sharks come in close, with grey reef sharks on the outer edge, plus eagle and sting rays, barracuda and moray. Turtles turn up but are not a given. Coral is being regrown under a resort propagation programme, so widely travelled snorkellers call it good rather than exceptional. Enter at the ladder on the pool-villa pier for the shortest swim to the drop-off.
Does the resort work for families?
There is a Treehouse Kids Retreat, a 9-hole mini golf track, a games area and a doctor's clinic on the island. The six villas on this page take a maximum of three adults, or two adults and one child, and children under twelve stay free. If you need two separate bedrooms, ask us about the Beach Family Villa at 129 sqm or the Two Bedroom Beach Villa with Private Pool at 184 sqm. We price both on request.
How many restaurants are there?
Cuisine Gallery is the buffet where half board is served. Moodhu Grill spreads across five over-water dining platforms. Art-i-san sits at the highest point on the island. Koto does Japanese fusion and a teppanyaki table over the sunset lagoon. Koffee 'n Chill and Edgewater Bar cover the rest of the day. Book the a la carte venues before you arrive.
What time should my flight home leave Male?
Not before 09:00, because the seaplane from the island only connects with international departures from that time. The last transfer off the island is mid-afternoon, so if you are on an evening or midnight flight you leave the island in the afternoon and wait at the airport. Send us your return flight and we will tell you which morning you actually lose.
The resort
Tap any photo to see it full size.
More photos on Instagram: @outriggermaafushivaru (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.