AYADA MALDIVES
A big, generous family-and-couples island in the far south, with eleven villa types, eight places to eat and a reef the resort is proud of.
- Atoll
- Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll
- Villa categories
- 11
- Private pools
- Selected villas
- Getting there
- Domestic flight + speedboat from Velana International Airport, Malé
- Kids' club
- Zuzuu Kids Club
- Babysitting
- Available
Ayada is the island we suggest when a family or a mixed group wants everything on one island and does not mind the journey to get there. The far-south location buys a quieter atoll and a strong house reef; the trade is a domestic flight plus a speedboat each way. Nearly every villa has a pool, the family suites are genuinely family-shaped, and the evenings have range — teppanyaki over the water, a wine and cheese room, Turkish coffee in the Ottoman Lounge. Couples will be happy on the sunset side; parents will be happier still that the kids' club has its own pool.
Who it suits
Families with children from four up, multi-generational groups, and couples who like a lively island with plenty to do. Less suited to anyone wanting a short transfer or a very small, hushed island.
11 villa categories, beach and overwater
Eleven categories, from 101 m² Garden Villas to a 318 m² two-bedroom Royal Ocean Suite over the lagoon. All but the Garden Villa have a private pool.
- — Set in the island's gardens, a short walk from the beach
- — Private garden with outdoor bathroom
- — No private pool
Couples who want Ayada's dining and reef without paying for a pool.
9 ways to eat, from lagoon to beach
Mizu
Japanese · Teppanyaki · Overwater teppanyaki room
Teppanyaki theatre over the water. Live teppanyaki counter. Advance booking required.
Booking is required; reserve early in the stay.
Ile de Joie
Wine and cheese · Wine and cheese bar
An evening wine and cheese room. Curated wines and cheese boards.
- Magu · International buffet
- The all-day buffet restaurant with rotating themes. The main restaurant.
- Ocean Breeze · Mediterranean · Seafood
- Relaxed à la carte dining by the beach. Beachside.
- Zero Degree · Light bites
- The pool and sunset bar. Pool bar.
- Sea Salt · Beach barbecue
- Beach barbecue nights. On the beach.
- Kai · Asian
- Asian dinner over the lagoon. Overwater.
- Ottoman Lounge · Turkish coffee and sweets
- The island's nod to its Turkish ownership heritage. Ottoman-styled lounge.
- Private dining and in-villa dining
- Private set-ups and round-the-clock room service. Beach, villa or other private settings on request.
Days that fill themselves
The house reef
A reef the resort rates among the best in the Maldives, reachable from the island.
The Secret Garden
A garden with resident animals for children to meet.
Ottoman Lounge and hammam
Turkish coffee, shisha and a hammam in the spa — the island's distinctive cultural thread.
- In the water
- House reef the resort describes as one of the best in the country · Dive Kingdom — PADI 5-star dive centre · Snorkelling excursions and marine life trips
- Watersports
- Jet ski, parasailing and e-foil · Non-motorised kayaks, paddleboards and sailing
- At sea
- Sunset and dolphin cruises · Fishing trips
- Wellbeing & sport
- AySpa with treatment rooms and Turkish hammam · Gym open 08:00–23:00; Pilates studio · Floodlit tennis court
Zuzuu Kids Club
- Hours
- 09:00–18:00
- Babysitting
- Available
Zuzuu Kids Club with its own pool The Secret Garden with resident animals
Zuzuu Kids Club admits children from age four; babysitting is offered for younger children at a charge.
Family villas: Beach Family Suite; Sunset Family Lagoon Suite; Sunset Family Ocean Suite; Royal Ocean Suite.
- Transfer is a 55-minute domestic flight plus 25–50 minutes by speedboat.
- Every villa except the Garden Villa has a private pool.
- Zuzuu Kids Club runs 09:00–18:00 for children aged four and over.
- Mizu teppanyaki must be booked ahead.
- Mizu teppanyaki requires advance booking.
- Two-leg transfer: domestic flight then speedboat; allow a half-day each way.
- Only the Garden Villa lacks a private pool.
- A resort clinic operates in the daytime; the nearest hospital is about an hour by boat.
- The far south rewards with a quieter atoll and a strong reef, at the cost of a longer, two-leg transfer.
- A large, full-programme island: lively rather than secluded.
Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives
Domestic flight + speedboat from Velana International Airport, Malé
A 55-minute domestic flight to the south, then 25–50 minutes by speedboat. The resort publishes the legs, not a combined total.
The far-south location means a two-leg transfer; connection times depend on domestic flight schedules.
How long is the transfer?
A 55-minute domestic flight south, then 25–50 minutes by speedboat. Plan on roughly two hours including the connection.
Is Ayada good for children?
Yes. Zuzuu Kids Club takes children from four, has its own pool, and babysitting is offered for younger ones at a charge. Three family suites and the Royal Ocean Suite have room for a family.
Which villas have a pool?
All of them except the Garden Villa.
Can we snorkel from the island?
Yes. The resort describes its house reef as one of the best in the country, and Dive Kingdom is a PADI 5-star centre.
Stories from Ayada Maldives
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