Over Christmas, Max and I traveled to the beautiful Residence Falhumaafushi. The Residence Falhumaafushi is situated in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll in the south of the Maldives. A 45-minute domestic flight from Male and a boat ride will get you to the expansive island, connected via the longest bridge in the Maldives to its sister property, The Residence Dhigurah. We’d never traveled this far south in the Maldives and were excited to check out this beautiful hotel. We’re going to break down each category, focused mainly on the Falhumaafushi property, but stay tuned to learn more about Dhigurah and how to pick the best property for your needs.

Many 5-star hotels offer private lounges while guests wait for their transfers, which can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4+ hours. The Residence does not have a private lounge, and rather, they utilize a large lounge along with a number of other properties. The lounge is nothing to write home about, but does offer food, coffee, water and soft drinks as well as a private restroom. We spent several hours in the lounge before our departure due to some flight delays, but finally a staff member from the resort picked us up from the lounge and took us to the departures area to await our flight.

Once we arrived to the island, it was smooth sailing! Our beautiful overwater pool villa was the perfect room type for us, allowing us to swim in both the pool and the calm, shallow waters. The villas at The Residence Falhumaafushi are stunning and larger than most accommodations in the Maldives. At Just over 1,650 square feet with the pool and balcony, the Water Pool Villas provide so much space or guests to enjoy. We were blown away by the spacious living room, large bedroom and beautiful bathroom, complete with a bathtub overlooking the atoll. There is a large balcony with a private pool that extends across the entire suite, providing a spectacular view from every room. Our favorite feature of the suite was the architecture. There are so many stunning corners, wood accents and symmetrical angles.

A 45-minute domestic flight from Male and a boat ride will get you to the expansive island, connected via the longest bridge in the Maldives to its sister property, The Residence Dhigurah. We’d never traveled this far south in the Maldives and were excited to check out this beautiful hotel. We’re going to break down each category, focused mainly on the Falhumaafushi property, but stay tuned to learn more about Dhigurah and how to pick the best property for your needs.

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