Ayada Maldives Gaafu atoll

Located in the Southerly Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Ayada is reached by domestic flight and speedboat from Male, and the opening of nearby Maavaralu airport in the South East corner of the Atoll, less than 20 mins away, has reduced overall transfer times to the island.

In its early years of operation, the Turkish owned resort marketed heavily into Asian markets, and the island became dominated by a single-nationality clientele. A great deal of work has been done to row back from this position, and Ayada now enjoys a much more balanced mix of nationalities.


Villas, all with private pools, are spacious with Turkish-inspired interiors. We particularly like the capacious Sunset Ocean Suites with a large living area with glass floor panel. Resort facilities are extensive, including an impressive spa, kids club, boutiques, recreation centre, multi-purpose sports court and a wedding chapel. Dive Kingdom is a well-staffed, comprehensive water sports centre.

There is a range of dining options: Magu main restaurant offers buffet breakfast & dinner with indoor and outdoor seating, Kai features an array of Asian cuisines, Zero Degree main has a bar food menu and Mizu is the teppanyaki grill. The pick is definitely Ocean Breeze in a gorgeous over water setting – it’s worth selecting a meal plan that offers both lunch and dinner here. Ile de Joie is the little over water cheese & wine bar with nice sunset views.

The island itself is lush and tropical, and cycling through the well-tended gardens is a treat. While the beaches do not encircle the entire island, there are lovely stretches on both sides and shallow lagoons for swimming. The real natural beauty though, is to be found under water, and this is worth the trip South on its own. There is an extensive, easily accessible house reef to explore, with plenty of marine life and healthy coral gardens showing some of the best recovery from the last major global bleaching (2015-17) that we have seen. Please check out our video from the last visit for a flavour.


For the adventurous-minded, there are 5 high quality surf breaks nearby (Tiger Stripes, Love Charms, Two Ways, Five Islands and Antiques), and the resort will provide transfers, guides, board rentals and even a photographer.