Jawakara Islands Maldives — Hotel in Faadhippolhu

This will be a very long and detailed review in which I want to share our impressions from our seven-day stay at the Jawakara resort during our honeymoon.

The bottom line: everything was super! Now for the details.

Let me start with the transfer (both ways). Everything was comfortable and well-organized. Upon arrival, we were met, assisted with our luggage, and taken to the separate seaplane airport (the seaplane flight itself is like a separate attraction). The departure was equally smooth: we were taken to the airport, handed our luggage (in all cases, your suitcases become the staff's responsibility), and escorted to the security check area, with all the details clearly explained.

About the resort, I'll start with the staff and service. Upon arrival, you are greeted by your personal island host – your go-to person for any questions about the island, activities, and services. He's like the Tom Hardy character from the series "MobLand," but for Maldivian affairs. Don't know what to do? Island host. Have a problem? Island host. Want to chat or practice your English? You get the idea... A special thank you goes to our island host, Nappe! Firstly, for organizing all our activities. Secondly, for the informative talks about the resort, the Maldives, and the local way of life (which were answers to my many questions – if you're not interested, no one will force conversation on you). And of course, for his positivity, which energized us as much as the Maldivian azure water and bright sun.

The service staff are very polite and attentive, all striving to make your holiday perfect. The guy who cleaned our villa twice a day maintained impeccable cleanliness and seemed to telepathically guess our needs regarding various small things. Unfortunately, I didn't catch his name, but a huge thank you to him too. The waiters and chefs work like busy bees, always smiling, with the sole aim of making guests feel comfortable so they can enjoy their holiday and the island's beauty.

Regarding food and drinks, we were very satisfied. The selection is vast; we liked some things more than others, but with such abundance, everyone is sure to find something to their taste. The island also has separate à la carte restaurants: Italian and Asian. Depending on the length of your stay and your booking package, complimentary lunches or dinners at these restaurants are included.

About the villas and the island. The villas are clean, new, and of excellent quality. They are equipped with everything you need, from an iron and hair dryer to raincoats and life jackets. Speaking of rain, we were there during the off-season (September 15th-23rd), but the rains occurred at night or early in the morning, so we never got wet. As for the downsides of the off-season, I should mention the wind on the western side and a large amount of seaweed, which might make staying in the west-facing villas less comfortable. However, on the eastern side (the "sunrise side," as it's called on the island), the water is crystal clear, the sand is pristine white, and there's hardly any wind. It's worth noting that during the peak season, the beaches are clean everywhere, and the wind is calm all around the island.

For leisure activities, the island offers a wide choice, from water sports to golf and tennis. You can get around the resort on bicycles or by electric buggies, which shuttle like buses between the two islands. If you need to get to the gym or the diving center quickly (both are available on the island, along with a medical center and even a separate kids' club), your island host will arrange it.

All in all, the time spent at the Jawakara resort is worth every cent. The emotions and memories we are taking with us are truly priceless! A huge thank you to all the staff and the resort for giving us these 7 unforgettable days in...

We stayed here for 4 nights. Writing this review on our last night here. Let me start with the good stuff first.

The island is great with a lot of vegetation. Both Mabin and Dheru offers plenty to walk or bike around There are lot of activities offered. There are many things that you can do to keep you busy like water sports, indoor, outdoor, excursions. Most of the staff are friendly and helpful except a few. The island offers kids club which is pretty nice. Our infant daughter thoroughly enjoyed spending time there. If you’re travelling with small kids, this is something that can keep them busy. Room is good with nice views. We opted for an all inclusive package. It comes with a variety of inclusions like dine in options, sunset cruise, kids club, laundry, free snorkel gear etc. Even the mini bar comes with a lot of options which is amazing. We tried all the restaurants and Umi (Japanese) was our favourite. It has great views and amazing food. Molo (supposed to be Mediterranean as they claim) is actually Italian. It didn’t offer anything interesting other than regular pizzas and pastas. We took the dolphin cruise which is nice and were able to spot many dolphins. The ride itself is good and offers a plenty of great views during the 60min trip. Some of the restaurant staff (Hussain and Lalit) tried to make sure that we had a pleasant experience with the buffet lunches and dinners. Appreciate their efforts to do so. There’s lot of variety with the drinks. We tried many of them and some of them are really good. Arrival at the airport is handled very well with the people guiding us all along, including the access to the business class lounge at TMA terminal.

What we didn't like,

Food is definitely not great. Many times, it's just ok and sometimes it's actually bad. It lacks variety. There are very few vegetarian options. The chefs at the live counters are the worst. They can't even make the pasta right. Our infant prefers pasta. So we tried three times hoping it will be better each time. We were disappointed all the time. Sometimes, besides the taste, it's not even cooked properly. We were surprised when the chef at the counter informed us that it's their style to undercook the pasta little. Unfortunately, even the steamed veggies in the buffet were not at all cooked. I mean, who can go wrong with steaming vegetables. That's sad. We had high expectations for food given it's a star hotel. But it's totally sub par. If you're travelling with small kids or infants, you will be struggling with limited options. Some of the restaurant staff aren't trained properly. At times, they mix up your order and sometimes, they don't even understand very well about what you're asking. Lack of information in the island is a challenge. They have an island host who is a dedicated staff member to help you with any queries. Our host (mutte) doesn't happen to be very helpful. We have to follow up and ask him many times for information. For example, there will be a free spa offered to us as part of the package. We weren't aware of it and when we got to know, apparently our island host is supposed to provide us with vouchers at the time of checkin which didn't happen. Our checkout and departure procedure was also messed up. When I enquired, I was told that we will be receiving these details by the evening of the day before checkout. That didn't happen and I had to call in the night before checkout day, to get these details from the reception. I expect the island host to communicate these details pro-actively to make the guests comfortable and plan accordingly.

Overall, though we enjoyed our stay, we felt there are many things that...

We had a family holiday at the hotel Jawakara Islands Maldives for the New Year 2025 and were very pleased! The hotel is new, located on two islands. We lived on the more private island (Dheru Island), which was a little away from all the main entertainment, but it was easy to get it by buggy or on foot.

Everything is very clean, tidy and matches the nature and atmosphere around. On our island, each bungalow had its own passage to the beach, sun loungers with umbrellas. The passages are fenced with greenery and a hedge and there is a feeling that you are all alone on the island. For all 10 days of our stay, there was a feeling of privacy and tranquility, which cannot but delight, because we really wanted to be in silence and peace with nature. Each bungalow had a small pool at the entrance. A table with chairs to sit and relax. Very high-quality room service, which constantly monitored that everything remained clean and tidy, twice a day they cleaned at the entrance, every day they cleaned the pool. The bungalows themselves were spacious and made of natural materials. A comfortable large bed with quality mattresses and pillows. Excellent cosmetics and bath accessories. In general, everything was as cozy and comfortable as possible. On New Year's Eve, there was a beautiful greeting on the bed. And on Orthodox Christmas, a wonderful inscription in Russian. It was incredibly nice that they did not ignore an important holiday for us. On New Year's Eve, a wonderful festive dinner was served: shrimp, lobsters, crabs, oysters, vongole, sushi and rolls. All possible appetizers, meats, salads and desserts. The hotel arranged the same chic dinner on Orthodox Christmas, for which special thanks to it. In general, the food in the hotel was balanced, so everyone could find what they wanted and what they loved. The variety of vegetables and fruits, appetizers, hot and cold dishes will not leave anyone indifferent or hungry. Each dinner was dedicated to a country and culture. Maldivian, Italian, Russian and so on.

A large number of entertainment on the island will always be able to occupy your time and captivate you. Snorkeling with fish, turtles and so on. Kayaks and boats. Yachts, nearby islands and attractions. Trips to restaurants and to local residents. Diving, football, golf. Children's entertainment. Spa salon, incredible massage and a gorgeous ocean. Clean, warm and transparent water and soft white sand. By the way, the hotel itself on the island had two wonderful restaurants. Japanese and Italian cuisine. So, if you suddenly get tired of the main restaurant, you can always book a table in one of the other two. But it is better to do this in advance. You can also book all the entertainment and establishments through a special application that you can download to your smartphone, where information about the evening and daytime program for the next day and the following days will be updated every day.

And of course, each family will be assigned their own butler. For us, it was Iru. A wonderful, friendly, polite and courteous man, who helped make our vacation pleasant and unforgettable. He always came to the assist as if needed and could always advise, book or organize what we asked him to. Thank you very much Iru for making our vacation even more colorful and pleasant! Cozy and atmospheric. Thank you for your care and attention!

We have been to different places and hotels in the Maldives and we can confidently say that we want to return to this hotel again and we will...