Jumeirah Olhahali Island Maldives
A small North Malé island rebuilt from the ground up, with a house reef circling it.
Olhahali is a small island in North Malé Atoll, about forty-five minutes by speedboat from the airport, ringed by a house reef that can be swum from the beach on every side. One resort occupies it. The island was rebuilt entirely for this property rather than adapted from an earlier resort, which is increasingly rare in this atoll.
Around sixty-seven villas, beach and overwater, make up the accommodation under Jumeirah, with several restaurants, a spa and a dive centre. The scale sits between the boutique properties and the large resorts of the atoll, and the island is compact enough to walk in twenty minutes.
A reef on every side. Circular house reefs are less common than they sound; most islands have one good side and one that faces the atoll interior.
Built new, not refitted. The buildings, the services and the landscaping are of one generation, which shows in the plumbing as much as the design.
Who it is not for
Olhahali is wrong for guests seeking a remote atoll, since North Malé is the busiest water in the country. It is wrong for travellers wanting a small, quiet property at sixty-seven villas. And it is wrong for those who want an independent house rather than a brand. And it is wrong for anyone who wants a property with a long operating history, since this one is recent. Those wanting quiet should look at Soneva Secret or Kudadoo.
Sources
- jumeirah.com — around sixty-seven villas, Olhahali Island, North Malé Atoll
- Villa count and transfer time unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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