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The Maldives might just be the most perfect place on the planet for island lovers. It certainly lands in our top 5 favorite destinations, that’s for sure. And while we typically budget travel (we visited the Maldives originally on less than $130 per day for two people) our focus is really on immersive travel experiences and supporting local businesses. In the Maldives, there is a way to have both without sacrificing a luxurious vacation. Thus began our search for some “ethical” overwater bungalows.
Because we all love a truly relaxing rejuvenating getaway. Even us.
And after spending two weeks hopping around the Maldives from inhabited island to inhabited island — we were ready to slow down and soak in some luxury. We wanted an overwater bungalow and we also wanted to choose a hotel that prioritized environmental sustainability. Basically, we wanted our stay to be good for the Maldives.
Kuramathi Resort is the best private island hotel for those looking to experience all the luxury of the Maldives without the soul-crushing guilt of contributing to the big hotel conglomerates like Hilton & The Four Seasons. This is because the company is entirely locally owned. That’s right— a 4-star luxury resort run by a Maldivian company. This is right up our alley.
And there are lots of benefits to this setup. Let me show you all the Kuramathi highlights so you can start booking your next vacation.
Why is Kuramathi Resort the Best Overwater Bungalow in the Maldives?
It’s Locally Owned!
In addition to being a Maldivian-owned company, it’s almost entirely a Maldivian-staffed company. Over 1,000 staff are housed and fed on the private island during their 3-month long stays.
Kuramathi Prioritizes Environmental Sustainability
They have their own Marine Biologist on site to preserve the local reef and run educational programming for the guests. This goes hand in hand with their environmental initiatives on the island. It’s a plastic-free zone with a water recycling plant and hydroponic garden to produce locally grown fruits and vegetables for the buffet. Huge efforts have been made to make the resort as environmentally friendly as possible. Even the carts that shuttle guests up and down the 2 km island are fully electric. When you employ locals who care about their communities it’s easy to keep clean and protect the natural environment.
There is lots to do on the Island
Kuramathi also has an array of activities to book as well as exceptional snorkeling straight from the shore. This was rare on inhabited islands because much of the reef is so poorly taken care of.
The Food
There are 3 buffet restaurants with a mix of local and international favorites as well as 9 different a la carte restaurants where you can dine on delicious offerings depending on the theme. Some of which include Indian, local seafood, Mediterranean, and steak.
It’s Affordable To Reach
Kuramathi is one of the few private islands easily accessible by speedboat. This means that your arrival to the island will be much cheaper than most others that require a small and expensive seaplane to reach. You can of course, still opt for the seaplane if that’s on your bucketlist (the islands are beautiful from above) but you don’t need to add the sometimes $600 round-trip flight unless you want to.
This is really important to keep in mind when booking any stay in the Maldives. The private islands have no public ferries which mean you’re limited to whatever the hotel can provide as transportation. Usually, at an additional cost.
Read More: How we got around the Maldives on local ferries.
Our Stay at Kuramathi Overwater Bungalows
What to Expect from Kuramathi Island
We arrived by speed boat. A big luxurious speedboat that made even the slightly white-capped sea seem calm. Greeted with cold damp towels smelling faintly of pandan we dabbed the sweat from our faces before heading to our bungalow. Our budget limited is to a three-day stay so we planned to take full advantage of all the amenities offered to us.
The overwater bungalows are number one on this list. Each unit had an outdoor shower, a deck (perfect for sipping Nespresso coffee in the early glow of sunrise), a beautiful bathtub facing the ocean, and easy ocean access for sunset swims. The mini bar was well stocked as well. Although, after all the wine consumed at the various restaurants it turned out we didn’t need it. Each morning turtles, titan triggerfish, rays, and reef sharks could be seen straight from our ocean deck. It was paradise. If the island wasn’t so lovely we would have never left the room.
But Kuramathi island is stunning. It’s lush and green with a botanical walk through cascading Banyan trees and all kinds of Maldivian tropical flora. Flying foxes eat berries from the treetops and it seems they have extinguished almost all the insect species on the island. Seriously, not even one mosquito bite. Despite the 400+ rooms on the island (and 90% capacity during our stay) we saw few people on the island. There was always a plethora of lounge chairs free to use on the immaculate white sand beaches and never a crowd at our favorite restaurants.
Food, Drinks, and Stuff to Do at Kuramathi Overwater Bungalows
But what really won over my heart was the snorkeling. Sure, you could pay for a pricy excursion to see the whale sharks or snorkel further flung areas but the reef around Kuramathi is absolutely brimming with massive tropical fish, turtles, reef sharks, and more. We saw more species during our time in the water here than in all our snorkeling excursions on the inhabited islands put together. There was even a location that allowed for great snorkeling at low tide which can be rare in the Maldives.
I can’t leave without mentioning the food at Kuramathi. Food on the inhabited Maldivian islands left a lot to be desired. We ate a lot of tuna fried rice and Kottu and both suffered food poisoning once on the islands. But not at Kuramathi. We ate breakfast at our assigned buffet (you’re assigned to the one closest to your bungalow), which usually was unnaturally large because I get carried away at buffets. Pastries, cured meats, freshly cooked-to-order omelets. Juice, coffee, and smoothies— the works. Then we ate at Palm the Mediterranean Restaurant famed for its pizza and gelato for lunch. You must try the Screwpine gelato. It’s a unique treat. We tried both the local seafood restaurant (Reef) and the steak house (Island Barbecue) for dinner and drank our weight in chilled white wine. Both get a 10/10 from us.
Keep in Mind! The Maldives doesn’t allow alcohol. But the private islands do. This means you can only enjoy a pina colada in the sand here.
One of our favorite evening activities was to walk the sandbar at the far end of the island for sunset. Or if we felt like a drink— a visit to the infinity pool bar overlooking the ocean. You could stay on Kuramathi for a week and not even come close to enjoying all the pools, bars, restaurants, and activities offered on the island.
How Much Does a Stay at Kuramathi Overwater Bungalows Cost?
The burning question. A stay at Kuramathi is not a budget experience. Rooms start at $600 per night on booking.com. Overwater bungalows, which are without a doubt the preferred type of accommodation in the Maldives are about $1,000+ per night. All-inclusive packages are available and seemed like an excellent deal considering the cost of many a la carte meals and alcohol.
Kuramathi Resort was without a doubt the fanciest place we have ever stayed. We were absolutely pampered. I 100% recommend splurging on a visit to Kuramathi if you can find the wiggle room in your budget. If you are looking for exceptional overwater bungalows and delicious food on a relaxing vacation or honeymoon in the Maldives then this is the place for you.
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