Fushifaru is a relatively new, locally owned resort in the Lhaviyani atoll, a beautiful seaplane flight of just 35 minutes away from Male International Airport. I was still enjoying overlooking the countless tropical reefs and islands, when the pilots descended and made a smooth landing. We were greeted at the jetty by friendly staff members who welcomed each guest individually with flower necklaces, while tunes from boduberu drums and conch shells accompanied them. Arriving like this made a wonderful first impression and I love how Fushifaru prides itself on these true Maldivian touches, that set it aside from many foreign owned resorts.
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THE RESORT //
The resort opened in late 2017, so everything at the island looked brand new and spotless. Despite the fact that Fushifaru is built on a new, reclaimed island, it is very lush and green. There is no need for bikes or golf carts for transportation, as you can walk around the island in just a few minutes.
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ROOM //
Fushifaru primarily offers beach villas, although there are also five over-water villas on one tip of the island. We stayed at a beach villa on the sunset side of the island, which guaranteed sun throughout the day but also a stunning sunset each evening. All beach villas offer private access to the beach, a private sundeck and your own sunbeds to enjoy the sun as much as possible. We were welcomed with a fresh fruit plate, local snacks like dried coconut and a nice bottle of wine. The interior of our beach villa was modern and very tasteful, but the highlight was definitely the spectacular outdoor bathroom. It is as large, if not larger, as the indoor area and since I love outdoor bathrooms, I spent a lot of time in and around the large bathtub!
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POOL // 
Although many beach villas have their own private pool, Fushifaru has a stunning main infinity pool. At sunset small lights pop up around the pool that make it look magical. Situated next to Fanihandhi bar, this is one of the most romantic pools I have ever seen. You can probably use it to swim laps as well, but I save all my swimming strength for the snorkeling!
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FOOD //
Besides a few very special spots for romantic dinners with that special someone, perfect for honeymooners or couples renewing their vows, Fushifaru has two main restaurants. Korakali buffet restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner whereas Raakani grill is only open for dinner. For guest on a Full Board Package Korakali is free and a $45 credit per person can be used towards dinner at Raakani, which offers Italian cuisine as well as a separate Japanese teppanyaki menu.
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We had dinner at Raakani grill on our first and last nights and it was terrific! Set against a backdrop of a Maldivian sunset on a table on the beach, we enjoyed tagliolini with truffles, homemade agnolotti and a truly spectacular seafood platter. Make sure if you go for the seafood platter to order only a small appetizer, because it is a lot of seafood and you don’t want to leave any of it. We enjoyed breakfast and lunch at Korakali so much every day, because the menu changes constantly, there was a lot of variety and every dish offered was of the highest quality. I loved having the option to have breakfast with my toes in the sand, as Korakali has indoor and outdoor seating.
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To keep things interesting for guests, Korakali has a different theme every night. We went there for Chinese night and every dish was absolutely delicious. The boyfriend for once chose not to wander around the buffet but instead followed the chefs’ suggestions and he is still raving about the live station with many different types of fresh fish, especially the jackfish. The chefs were very friendly and helpful in suggesting different combinations and special dishes.
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SPA //
The Heylhi spa at Fushifaru is located in the middle of the island, with an oval shaped pool as the highlight of this very photogenic setting. One very nice gesture of Heylhi spa is that if offers every guest at Fushifaru a complimentary massage. I thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful foot massage while the boyfriend opted for a relaxing back and neck massage. It is a great way to introduce guests to the spa and the excellent therapists, mostly from the Philippines and Bali, immediately make you want to return for a longer treatment or a full spa day.
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EXPERIENCE //
Notable experiences on Fushifaru are the numerous hammocks, swings, private dining spots and even an underwater playground! The personalized experiences can make your stay unforgettable, from a floating breakfast on a mini dhoni (Maldivian sailboat) to a customized wedding. During our stay we witnessed all the preparations and decorations for a wedding organized by Fushifaru’s personal experience wizard Grace, and it looked absolutely stunning.
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There are many different theme nights, like the DJ night we really enjoyed, but the experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life was the private sandbank picnic. On a sandbank just a few minutes away by speedboat, the team at Fushifaru created a lovely picnic setup. We were extremely fortunate with the weather, as it was the clearest day of the week and the sky was perfectly blue without a cloud in sight. This made the ocean look even brighter blue than I have ever seen and created an amazing view: all we that we could see was a bright white sandbank, turquoise waters and palmtrees on islands in the distance. Magical!
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One important thing to note is that this year a domestic airport will be opened on a nearby island, from which you will be brought by speedboat to Fushifaru within minutes. This means that guests will be able to arrive at Fushifaru after sunset as well and this is a huge development, since many international flights arrive at Male International Airport in the evening. Those passengers can currently only continue to Fushifaru the next day, because seaplanes only fly in the day time.
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*Pressstay at Fushifaru  – Maldives
All photos are taken with the Canon EOS M5

White swimsuit // by  Maliluha – No regrets