Quick Facts

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Location:

Transfer Type:
Transfer Duration:

Island Size:

Total no. Villas:

Highlights:

★★★★★

Dhaalu Atoll

Seaplane
50 minutes

Extra large

134

• Underwater restaurant
• Excellent for surfing

• Naturally beautiful island
• Very family friendly

Reviewed by Florian

About Niyama Private Islands Maldives

Niyama is one of the most versatile and family-friendly resorts in the Maldives. It has a personality that blends fun and relaxation perfectly, thanks to its unique twin-island concept. “Play” island is dedicated to activities, sports, and families, while “Chill” island is quieter, more secluded, and designed for couples who want to relax.

Niyama is also famous for two things:

• Its surf spot, located just off Play island, considered one of the best waves accessible from a resort in the Maldives. We’ll get back to this later in our review of Niyama Private Islands Maldives.

• Its underwater restaurant, Subsix, one of the most iconic in the country.

The combination of stunning natural beauty, wide-ranging villa categories, and incredible dining makes Niyama one of the most recommended resorts in the Maldives for families, surfers, and food lovers alike.

Transfers & arrival

Let’s start this review of Niyama with the transfers and arrival.

Reaching Niyama is already part of the experience. The resort is located far from Malé, requiring a 50-minute seaplane transfer with Manta Air. The journey is breathtaking, flying over endless lagoons and atolls. We were particularly lucky as we boarded a seaplane with fewer seats, which made the ride far more comfortable and spacious than the standard seaplanes.

For guests arriving very late at night or with early morning departures, Niyama also offers an alternative transfer option: a short domestic flight followed by a speedboat ride. This ensures flexibility and avoids the need for an overnight stay in Malé.

On arrival at the resort, our butler, Ammi, was waiting at the jetty. After a short introduction and tour of the resort’s facilities, we were escorted directly to our villa, with everything already prepared for us.

Our Deluxe Beach Pool Villa (n°4)

We stayed in a Deluxe Beach Pool Villa, and it set the tone for the kind of thoughtful luxury that defines Niyama.

Size & layout: The villa is extremely spacious, with indoor and outdoor areas designed for comfort.

Bathroom: The outdoor bathroom was one of the most beautiful we have seen in the Maldives, with a large open-air shower, lush greenery, and a deep soaking tub.

Pool & beach: The pool was large enough for daily use, and the villa opened directly onto the beach. While the beach stretch in front of villa 4 is not the very best on the island, it was still lovely, and other areas of the resort have truly spectacular beaches.

Small touches: The villa had a fridge and freezer stocked with complimentary homemade ice cream, plus a popcorn machine, some nice details that make a big difference in creating memorable experiences.

The only negative was the air conditioning, which wasn’t performing properly during our stay. Aside from that, the villa was flawless.

Other villas to consider at Niyama Private Islands

Niyama has one of the widest villa portfolios in the Maldives. During our stay, we visited several options to better advise future guests:

Two Bedroom Beach Pavilion with Pool (n°27): Perfect for larger families. It has a massive pool, direct beach access to one of the most beautiful stretches of sand on the island, and is currently being fully renovated inside. Once complete, it will be even more impressive.

Deluxe Overwater Pool Villa (n°76): A spacious overwater option with a big pool and jacuzzi. Not the largest and best overwater villa in the Maldives, but well-designed and very comfortable.

Three Bedroom Beach Pool Pavilion (n°150): An enormous villa featuring two pools and even a private spa room for in-villa treatments. Ideal for large families or groups.

Family Beach Pool Villa (n°155): A practical option for families of four or five. It includes a large living room that can easily be converted with extra beds.

The breadth of choices means Niyama has a villa for every type of guest, whether you are a couple, a family, or a group of friends.

The island: a pure beauty!

This is likely the key moment of this review of Niyama Private Islands Maldives.

Niyama’s natural beauty is breathtaking. The shades of blue around the resort are extraordinary, especially in the waters between the Crescent and the jetty going to Edge, and near the Two Bedroom Beach Pavilion (N°27). These are some of the most beautiful lagoon views we have ever seen in the Maldives.

The vegetation on Play island deserves a special mention. It feels like wandering through a tropical botanical garden, with lush plants, palms, and flowers. Together with the pristine beaches and crystal-clear lagoons, Niyama is undeniably one of the most beautiful islands in the Maldives.

Dining at Niyama Maldives

Dining is one of the strongest aspects of this review of Niyama Maldives. With multiple restaurants and unique concepts, foodies will be in heaven, and so were we!

Main restaurants (Epicure & BLU): Both serve breakfast and dinner, alternating depending on occupancy. This ensures that dining never feels crowded. During high season, both restaurants are open for breakfast and dinner, making sure people are not all going to one option.

Breakfast was excellent, with highlights like fresh crepes or the option to do your own bellini drink. Dinners were buffet-style with changing themes, always delicious and varied.

À la carte restaurants: Half Board guests receive a $70 credit per person to dine elsewhere. We tried:

Tribal: A magical, African-inspired dining experience with a super cool vibe, very unique and definitely worth a try. The food was super tasty, particularly the meet (can’t remember exactly which one we had, but it was GREAT!).

The Nest: Perched in the treetops, offering a one-of-a-kind atmosphere and creative menu. The food there is more Asian, with delicious maki rolls, pad Thai and more!

Edge: A fine-dining overwater restaurant, perfect for seafood lovers. The food there was also super nice, particularly the scallops.

Subsix: The famous underwater restaurant, where the food was truly the best we’ve ever had in the Maldives. While the interior is less striking than 5.8 at Hurawalhi or SEA at Anantara Kihavah, the cuisine is outstanding. You can check the best underwater restaurants in the Maldives here.

Overall, dining at Niyama is a major highlight, combining unique atmospheres with top-quality food. If you want to choose a resort based on how good you are going to eat there, Niyama Private Islands is without a doubt a great option.

The service: a bit hit and miss

Let’s continue this review of Niyama with its service which was somewhat inconsistent.

The positives: Some waiters were excellent, friendly, and attentive. Housekeeping was outstanding, always discreet and perfectly timed. Our butler, Ammi, was very responsive via WhatsApp and handled all requests efficiently.

The negatives: Many staff members we passed on the island didn’t greet us, which feels unusual in the Maldives. At restaurants, service was occasionally slow or forgetful. Most disappointing, our butler did not show up at the jetty for our departure. No goodbye, no explanation, which left us with a poor final impression.

For a resort of this standard, the service should be consistently excellent, and unfortunately, it fell short at times.

Snorkeling at Niyama: don’t count on it

One clear weakness of Niyama is the lack of a proper house reef. While the resort has coral regeneration projects, it does not compare to the vibrant reefs available at other Maldivian resorts.

If snorkeling directly from the beach or your villa is important, Niyama will not be the right choice. Resorts like Ayada, Anantara Kihavah or Park Hyatt Hadahaa are far stronger in this category.

A resort for surfers

On the other hand, Niyama is a dream resort for surfers. The wave breaking just off Play island is one of the best in the Maldives, consistent and accessible directly from the resort.

After a surf session, guests often relax at the Surf Shack, a bar with a laid-back vibe and beautiful ocean views. This unique offering sets Niyama apart and makes it one of the best surf resorts in the Maldives.

The Main Pools

Niyama has two main pools, one on each island. Both are elegant, well-maintained, and rarely crowded.

The pool on Play island tends to be quieter during the day, while the Chill pool is livelier, especially with families.

The Spa

The spa at Niyama is gorgeous, with its reception nestled on the island and treatment rooms extending over the lagoon. We had an outstanding 60-minute massage delivered by skilled therapists, easily one of the highlights of our stay.

The Gym

The gym, however, was disappointing. While spacious and adequately equipped, the machines were older Precor models which we like we less than Technogym or Life Fitness. More problematic was the weak air conditioning, which made workouts uncomfortable. For such a high-end resort, this facility feels dated and would definitely deserve a little renovation.

A super family-friendly resort

Niyama is one of the most family-friendly resorts in the Maldives, with facilities and programs that rival any competitor.

The kids club is among the best in the country, with a huge space, varied activities, and programs for children aged 4–12.

Babysitting is available at $29 per hour, with packages available for full days.

A large games room features table tennis, pool, PlayStation, and Xbox, enough to keep young (and not so young) ones busy during moody days.

Sports facilities include tennis and volleyball courts, adding to the list of family activities.

This makes Niyama a clear favorite for families traveling to the Maldives.

Value for money at Niyama Private Islands Maldives

As always in our reviews, let’s look into the value for money at this resort.

Niyama Private Islands has very competitive prices for the villas and the activities, spa treatments and F&B are priced reasonnably for Maldives standards.

We were particularly impressed by the cost of the underwater lunch, “only” 250 USD per person, including the taxes. Of course, it’s not cheap, but definitely one of the least expensive underwater experiences that you can find in the Maldives.

Therefore, our rating is excellent when it comes to value for money for Niyama.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Stunning natural beauty with exceptional beaches and lagoon colors

• Excellent variety of restaurants, all with outstanding food quality

• Underwater restaurant (Subsix) absolutely worth it

• Great value for money

• One of the best surf spots in the Maldives

• Wide villa portfolio, from couples to large families

• Very family-friendly with top-notch kids club and babysitting

Cons

• No house reef for snorkeling

• Air conditioning issues in villas and gym

• Service inconsistent: sometimes excellent, sometimes disappointing

Conclusion: a great resort with room for improvement

Our review of Niyama Private Island Maldives confirms that this is a resort full of personality and unique strengths. With its incredible dining, outstanding surf, and fantastic family facilities, it offers something for everyone.

It is not perfect, thought. Snorkeling is poor, the gym needs upgrading, and service can sometimes be underwhelming. But if you are looking for a large, versatile resort with world-class dining and exceptional natural beauty, Niyama is one of our most highly rated and recommended resorts in the Maldives.

Contact us for more information or to book your trip to the Maldives with the most competitive rates.

Niyama Resort Tour