The Residence Maldives

My wife and I stayed at The Residence Maldives Falhumaafushi for nine nights on our honeymoon, and it was truly the perfect experience from start to finish. The resort felt romantic, relaxing, and luxurious, and even though we got an affordable price, everything far exceeded our expectations. Nothing felt cheap or lacking, and we felt completely taken care of the entire time. We stayed in a water villa, which was absolutely stunning — private, peaceful, and beautifully maintained with direct access to the lagoon and breathtaking views every morning. We chose the half-board plan with breakfast and dinner included, which ended up being ideal for us since the meals were generous and delicious enough that we never needed lunch. The breakfast buffet was always great, and for dinner we especially loved Long Island/Li Bai, which offered both Western and Asian menus and quickly became our favorite dining spot. During our stay, we did two massages at the spa, went snorkeling, and took a dolphin cruise — the dolphin cruise was easily our favorite, with champagne, plenty of dolphin activity, and hilarious, engaging guides who made the whole thing unforgettable. While nothing extra was done for our honeymoon specifically, the kindness and attentiveness of the staff made us feel special every single day. They were incredible — remembering our names and villa number after just a couple of days, always greeting us with a smile, and going above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. The only challenge was the long travel time from the U.S., which involved two major flights, a short domestic hop, and a boat transfer, so I’d recommend anyone traveling from the States try to break it up with a stop in Europe or Dubai if possible. Also, be mindful of luggage weight limits, especially if you’re flying Etihad — they weigh both checked and carry-on bags, though our smaller handheld items weren’t weighed. Overall, this resort was the perfect mix of fun and tranquility, with just enough to do without ever feeling busy or rushed. We’d recommend Falhumaafushi over Dhigurah for its quieter, more intimate atmosphere, though you can still visit Dhigurah anytime since the two islands are connected. If you’re coming here, stay as long as you can to make the travel time worth it, definitely book the dolphin cruise, and be ready to completely relax and disconnect — The Residence Maldives Falhumaafushi made our honeymoon everything we dreamed of and more, and we’d go back in a heartbeat.

Yusuf the office manager was the highlight of our trip. He made sure everything goes smooth for us! Amazing spa and our favorite restaurant was the li bai and the italian

Breathtaking views and friendly, helpful staff always. Was a truly magical stay. The fulhumma had amazing food and great staff that made us feel very welcome

Wonderful sky, sea, beach and hospitality! The staff was incredible, and pity I can't remember all their names. Special mention for Shaifan of the Diving, Snorkeling, Sport Center and Tuhin of the Li Bai Restaurant. But everyone has been perfect and kind over any expectation!

The sea villa I stayed at Falhumaafushi was simply amazing! It looked exactly as on the pictures on the internet but all in 360* view when you enter the rooms :-) The rooms themselves were very lighted and clean, so was it the full time I stayed there after the cleaning service did its job. Coffee came from a Nespresso machine with 3 kind of flavors, soft drinks and some beer (Heineken) from the mini bar that was daily "resetted". AC was placed in the bedroom area so the other 2 rooms (lobby/bathroom) were taking up hear quickly staying warmer most of the times while it was impossible to reduce AC at night having some trouble to sleep. The bed was big and matress was great but pillows were a little to stiff so if you have issues with your neck, better bring your own one, Aditionally they provide you with an LED flashlight, water security vests, sunbed toppers, glasses and mugs. Bathroom had an open space bath tub in front of the large windows, so you could bath right in front of the ocean with a great view. The private pool area was covered with wooden wall sets so privacy was given at all times. Each villa provided the guest a bike to reach the island destinations on his/her own. Else you could easily call the reception for a buggy to pick you up and take you out. The friendliness of almost all employees was overwhelming. You meet someone and received a friendly greeting, no matter if gardener or manager. Only dislikes: small variety of minibar content (not 5* like), management of signing the refilling bills (staff came out calling you to sign the bills while you were busy - bills were 0$ anyways). If you read until now and consider booking this destination, you will certainly not regret this decision.