Jawakara Islands Maldives 5*

A brand-new hotel, opened in August 2023, spread across two islands: Mabin (the largest and main island with all the facilities) and Dheru (smaller, with one main restaurant and a pool).

We stayed on Mabin Island in a beach villa with a pool under the UAL plan — which was definitely the best choice, as the overwater villas are smaller and more remote. I wanted some outdoor space, so the beach villa was ideal.

The villa itself is new—tidy and spotless—with a spacious, semi-open-air bathroom (including a garden) and a large oceanfront area. The minibar was restocked twice a day during cleaning.

Location: Ours was close to the main restaurant — huge plus! We’d reserved bicycles in advance, and they were already waiting by our villa when we arrived.

UAL Package: It covers more than just an expanded food-and-drinks deal; it also includes:

Golf (equipment, course access, and a first lesson with an instructor)

Sunset dolphin tour

Trial diving lesson

Snorkeling gear

Kitesurfing lesson

Kayaks

30-minute photo session

30-minute spa session (we purchased additional sessions on top)

Extra Activities (for a fee):

Water-skiing (again, an awesome instructor)

Jetskiing around the islands (we chased small mantas and turtles right near our islands!)

Paddle lessons with an instructor

Fishing trips

A full reef tour for snorkeling with mantas, turtles, and other fish — an incredible feeling, swimming way out in the ocean.

Property & Grounds:

It’s huge — one of my main reasons for choosing this resort. Green, well-maintained, full of flowers, flying foxes (completely harmless), birds, crabs, fish, and baby sharks near the shore.

Service & Staff:

Absolutely attentive — they learn your name, your food/beverage/activity preferences, and are eager to help with any request. It’s the same across the board: in the restaurants, at reception, the golf club, the beach. They genuinely care. Each villa has a dedicated concierge on call 24/7 for any questions.

The resort has a phone app where you can book activities, restaurants, spa sessions, yoga at sunrise (a must!), see the day’s schedule, and more.

Dining:

Extremely high quality. A huge variety of meat, fish, sides, fresh vegetables, exotic fruits, pastries, snacks, a separate room for cheeses and dairy, a wine fridge, and most importantly — it’s all really tasty and well-prepared. The main restaurant even has a dedicated seafood counter with oysters. They’ll bake a fresh manakish just for you, grill meat to your desired doneness right there, and there’s a fresh juice station. If you want something that’s not available, just ask; they’ll either find it on the spot or have it the next day. This restaurant has a “barefoot” concept.

Of the à la carte options, we especially enjoyed the one by the golf club.

Transfers:

We reserved a seaplane from the hotel for both arrival and departure, about 40–45 minutes from Malé. Our international flight home was at 9 a.m., so at 6 a.m. they opened and fully set up the restaurant so departing guests could have whatever they wanted for breakfast — no need for a packed meal. The resort either uses its own seaplane or arranges a shared flight with a maximum of 2-3 stops, which is still very quick. They also provide a complimentary business lounge at Malé Airport while you wait, and a staff member accompanies you upon arrival and departure at the airport.

This is genuinely one of my strongest recommendations!