Where do I begin? This was one of the most magical vacations I've ever taken. Usually my husband and I go to places that require a lot of driving and sight seeing, but because my work requires I travel a lot, I really wanted to just go somewhere that was paradise on earth.... where we could just lay on the beach and do nothing for a week or so. Ja Manafaru was exactly this. It's the ultimate resort for rest, relaxation, and reflection. The moment we landed in Male, we felt like we were really being taken care of. Staff greeted us at the airport and accompanied us to our seaplane, which took us straight to Ja Manafaru in 1hr20min. When we arrived, our host, Firdavs, was there waiting with the other members of the hotel, and he was exceptional. He was so kind, so attentive, and you could tell he really wanted to make this vacation special for us. We also loved Mark, whom I believe was one of the managers, and he introduced us to local Maldivian dishes that we had to try (like the sticky rice and spicy fish, which we are obsessed with) and was super down to earth, kind, and just fun to talk to. The food, by the way, was on another level. So many friends of ours had warned us about general food in the Maldives, being generic or overall not very good. We were so happy when we had dinner the first night and it was outstanding. The fish quality was top level, the attention to detail, the way they plated the food, the ambience, the attentiveness from staff, and just the overall taste is something we're going to miss the most about Ja Manafaru. We really really really enjoyed their fresh fish BBQ buffet they had that one night at Kakuni, my husband is still telling me he misses it. They basically caught all the fish at 2pm that day and you could select amongst a wide variety and watch as they grilled it right in front of you..... and ugh the SAUCES that accompanied the fish... incredible (my mouth is watering). Of course though, how can I not mention the resort itself.... the location was extremely relaxing, private and surrounded by nature. We really appreciated the landscape of the island, that it was all natural, and how there wasn't concrete. It was very sandy, woody, and felt very serene to be honest... something we really wanted in our experience. Our thought is if we're in the middle of the Indian Ocean on a private island, we want to really feel in tune with our surroundings. We booked the private beach villa (room 107) and for us, it was the best decision. Every morning at 6:30am we would run into the ocean and watch the sunrise while taking a morning dip, then we'd get breakfast, take a swim in the pool, and lounge on our private portion of the beach all day, feeling really comfortable, relaxed, and in our own little world. I highly recommend Ja Manafaru to anyone looking for the ultimate vacation: where you are independent to do what you want, in tune with nature, given privacy to connect with your thoughts, or your loved ones thoughts, and spo
Çevir