HERITANCE AARAH
A Raa Atoll all-inclusive done properly: twelve places to eat and drink, a kids' club with a real programme, and an adults-only overwater wing for the couples.
- Atoll
- Raa Atoll
- Villa categories
- 6 published
- Private pools
- Selected villas
- Getting there
- Seaplane, about 40 minutes from Velana International Airport, Malé (or domestic flight + speedboat)
- Kids' club
- Kokaa Kids Club
- Babysitting
- Available
Heritance Aarah is the island we suggest when a family wants the ease of all-inclusive without the compromise that usually comes with it. The dining is genuinely broad — Sri Lankan at Ambula, seafood in the Ginifati pods, Japanese street food at Hathaa — and the Kokaa Kids Club publishes a seven-day programme rather than a promise. The clever part is the Ocean Wing: twenty-five overwater suites and one residence with their own restaurant and bars, adults only, so honeymooners get a quieter island inside the lively one. It is big, sociable and busy by design, with compact entry villas; what you buy is choice and predictability, not seclusion.
Who it suits
Families who want an all-inclusive with real dining variety and a working kids' club; couples who book the Ocean Wing for an adults-only overwater stay; divers interested in Raa's manta and shark sites. Not for couples seeking a tiny, quiet island.
Heritance Aarah from the air
6 villa categories, beach and overwater
Heritance Aarah has 150 keys in six categories: 124 beach and overwater villas on the main island, and a 26-key Ocean Wing of overwater suites and one residence reserved for adults, with its own restaurant and bars. Only the Pool Beach Villas, Family Pool Beach Villas, Ocean Suites and the Ocean Residence have private pools. Maximum occupancy is recorded as the resort publishes it; what is offered for your party comes from our partner's live system.
- — Direct beach access with a large private sun deck and two sunbeds
- — King bed and oversized daybed
- — Outdoor tropical shower
- — Snorkelling fins and masks in the villa
- — Butler service
- Published occupancy: 3 adults, or 2 adults + 2 children under 12
Couples or a small family who want the beach at the entry category; no private pool.
12 ways to eat, from lagoon to beach
Ginifati
Seafood · Barefoot, oceanside, in private dining pods
Private pod dining by the water. Catch of the day cooked to order. Signature rum punch.
Reservations recommended; the pods are limited.
Ambula
Sri Lankan · Maldivian · Overwater, with Sky Bar above
Sri Lankan spice and Maldivian flavours; the resort calls it one of its most popular evenings. The group's signature 'Heritance' Sri Lankan dining.
Reservations compulsory.
Baani
Contemporary fusion · Overwater restaurant and bar in the adults-only Ocean Wing
The Ocean Wing's own all-day restaurant. À la carte breakfast and lunch; six-course dinner. Exclusive to Ocean Suite and Ocean Residence guests.
Reservations recommended.
- Ranba · International · Asian
- The main restaurant. Main buffet restaurant.
- Ralu · Mediterranean · French
- The overwater all-day restaurant. Overwater, all-day à la carte.
- Hathaa · Japanese street food · Asian street food
- The fun, interactive Asian evening. Overwater, interactive.
- Pizza Shack · Pizza · Snacks
- Daytime pizzas and snacks. Casual, by the beach.
- Bandhi Bar · Cocktails · Snacks
- The main pool bar. Main pool bar.
- Sky Bar · Cocktails · Spirits
- The rooftop sunset bar. Overwater, above Ambula.
- Ralu Lounge Bar · Rum · Tiki cocktails
- Rum and tiki cocktails over the water. Overwater lounge.
- Udaras Infinity Pool Bar · Cocktails
- The Ocean Wing's pool bar. Overwater infinity pool in the Ocean Wing.
- Falhu Bar · Whisky · Cognac · Wine
- The Ocean Wing's whisky bar. Overwater, Middle Eastern aesthetic, in the Ocean Wing.
Days that fill themselves
Adults-only Ocean Wing
Twenty-five overwater suites and one residence with their own restaurant (Baani), infinity-pool bar and whisky bar.
The Living Maldivian Village
Thatched homes, traditional livelihoods from fishing to coconut weaving, a school set-up and a gallery of Maldivian history.
Ginifati dining pods
Private oceanside pods for a seafood dinner.
IASO Medi Spa
An overwater spa with medical-style consultations and a face-scan analysis.
LEED Gold certification
The resort states it is the first LEED Gold-certified resort in the Maldives.
- In the water
- Snorkelling excursions; fins and masks provided in every villa · Manta points within 45 minutes by boat on both sides of the atoll; mantas possible year-round (resort statement) · Grey reef shark dive sites 15–20 minutes away; Labyrinth canyon dive · Turtle quests and Hanifaru Bay tours mentioned on the snorkelling page
- Watersports
- Canoeing and stand-up paddling · Windsurfing, catamaran sailing, kite surfing · Water skiing, flyboarding, parasailing, jet-ski tours
- At sea
- Sunrise cruise, sunset photo cruise, dolphin cruise, sunset fishing · Private fishing, big-game fishing, 'Lovers dhoni ride' and 'Stranded with a loved one' sandbank experiences
- Wellbeing & sport
- IASO Medi Spa — six overwater treatment rooms on the eastern coast, steam room, medical-style consultations (the resort calls it the first medi-spa in the archipelago) · Veeru gym, yoga and water aerobics · Tennis, padel, pickleball, badminton, table tennis, volleyball and football
Kokaa Kids Club
- Ages
- Not published
- Hours
- 09:00–19:00 (babysitting leaflet; one line in the same leaflet says 09:00–20:00)
- Babysitting
- Available
- Teenagers
- Not published
Kokaa Kids Club with a published seven-day programme: crafts, science time, treasure hunts, pool games, campfire and marshmallows, kids' disco and movie nights Banana boat and fun tube sessions at Kaito Water Sports Ufa Ghadhiya ice-cream bus
The Ocean Wing (Ocean Suites, Ocean Residence, Baani, Udaras and Falhu bars) is reserved for adults.
Babysitting is offered for children aged two to four, at the kids' club in opening hours and in-villa after 19:00 with 24 hours' notice and a waiver form.
Family villas: Beach Villa; Ocean Villa; Two Bedroom Family Pool Beach Villa.
- The Ocean Suites, Ocean Residence and their restaurant and bars are adults-only; the rest of the island welcomes children.
- Beach Villas and Ocean Villas have no private pool; the Pool Beach, Family and Ocean Wing categories do.
- Ambula and Hathaa must be reserved; Hathaa carries a supplement.
- The seaplane is about 40 minutes and flies in daylight; a domestic flight plus speedboat is the alternative.
- Ambula and Hathaa require reservations; Ralu, Ginifati, Baani and Falhu recommend them.
- Baani is open only to Ocean Suite and Ocean Residence guests.
- Decide early between the family side (beach and ocean villas, kids' club) and the adults-only Ocean Wing; they dine in different places.
- Only four of six categories have a private pool; the two largest categories by count (Beach Villa, Ocean Villa) do not.
- Hathaa carries a supplement even on the all-inclusive plan.
- 150 keys, a buffet main restaurant and nightly entertainment make this a lively resort rather than a hushed one.
- Entry villas are compact (91–92 m²) by current Maldives standards.
- A 40-minute seaplane or a two-leg domestic route; neither is quick.
Raa Atoll, Maldives
Seaplane from Velana International Airport, Malé
About 40 minutes · daylight only
Shared seaplane; the resort has its own seaplane lounge at the airport with snacks and spa treatments.
Domestic flight + speedboat from Velana International Airport, Malé
Duration not published
Shared domestic flight to the nearest local airport, then speedboat to the island; the resort's representative escorts guests to the domestic check-in. Durations for this route are not published.
The resort is 154 km from the airport; seaplanes fly in daylight, so late international arrivals usually mean a night near Malé or the domestic-flight route.
Transfer prices are published per season on the resort's Transfers page and are not recorded here.
Is there an adults-only area?
Yes — the Ocean Wing: 25 overwater Ocean Suites with infinity pools and one two-bedroom Ocean Residence, served by Baani restaurant, the Udaras pool bar and Falhu whisky bar.
What is there for children?
Kokaa Kids Club with a daily programme, babysitting for ages two to four, family villas with interconnecting rooms next to the club, an ice-cream bus and kids' sessions at the watersports centre.
Can children stay over the water?
Yes, in the Ocean Villas, which publish occupancy for two adults and two children under 12. The Ocean Suites and Residence are adults-only.
How do we get there?
A 40-minute shared seaplane in daylight from Malé, or a domestic flight to the nearest airport followed by a speedboat.
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