Are you considering booking a stay at Jawakara Maldives Resort? Choosing which resort to stay at in the Maldives is a big, difficult decision. A trip to the Maldives is a major financial commitment. It’s not something to take lightly.
On this page you’ll find a detailed, fair, and honest review of Jawakara Maldives, one of the newer, larger 5-star resorts in the Maldives. I will tell you everything you need to know about staying at Jawakara and after you’ve read through you’ll have a better idea if it’s the resort you want to book.
So let’s go over things you should know before booking a stay at Jawakara Maldives Resort!
- Jawakara Maldives Resort – The Basics
- Detailed Review of Jawakara Maldives Resort
- Excursions and Activities
- Jawakara Maldives Review – Final Word
Note: this article contains affiliate links, which means that should you purchase something or get a quote through them I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps keep the site running with up to date information. I do not represent Booking.com or worldnomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy the product mentioned in this article.
Jawakara Maldives Resort – The Basics
Quick Maldives geography lesson
When picking a resort in the Maldives, it’s important to understand a little about the geography of this unique country. Without getting into a full geography lesson, the country is a series of 26 atolls with 1,192 islands. The atolls look sort of like rings on a satellite view. Shallow lagoons surround the islands, giving the Maldivian water that famous turquoise blue color.
The Maldives is known for being the flattest country in the world, with a peak elevation of 2.4 meters. Yes, even flatter than The Netherlands. The islands are all very small, even the one that holds the capital city of Male. You can walk across the city in less than an hour! Check out the satellite view of the Maldives below, which shows the southernmost and northernmost point.
Where is Jawakara Maldives Resort?
Like most of the 5-star resorts in the Maldives, Jawakara has its own island. Well, technically they have 2 islands. The islands are named Maabinhuraa (Mabin) and Dherufinolhu (Dheru) and they lie on the Lhaviyani Atoll, the atoll that sits due north of Male Atoll.
The resort is about 80 miles due north of the Male airport as the crow flies. It’s on the eastern side of the atoll, meaning that when you look east you’re looking towards Sri Lanka.
How to get to Jawakara Maldives Resort
The only way to get to Jawakara is to take a seaplane, a common activity in the Maldives. While many Maldivian resorts have speed boat options, Jawakara is too far from Male for a boat. Taking a seaplane in the Maldives is an experience in its own, and we won’t go into the whole process in detail here. But I’ll give a quick, very simplified rundown.
Jawakara will arrange the seaplane for you, even payment. All you need to do is tell them when your international flight or local boat arrives into Male and pay for the flight ahead of time. The flight price will vary, but expect to pay at least $340 per person round trip.
There is no set flight time. You will be grouped with other people staying at the resort so it’s hard to have set departure times.
Seaplanes in the Maldives are one hell of an operation. A seaplane takes off every few minutes. I mean think about it. There are hundreds of resorts with hundreds of guests each and they are constantly coming and going. It’s really quite impressive.
From the international airport it’s about a 10 minute walk to the seaplane and boat ferry terminal. Jawakwara will give you an exact spot to meet and there will be someone waiting for you, who will organize the rest of the flight for you. They’ll check your bags and take you to the seaplane departure terminal, where you’ll wait for your plane.
The flight itself is scenic, to say the least. It takes about 35 minutes and you get to see all sorts of other resorts from the air. Then the plane then lands magically on the water and parks at a dock at the resort. You have made it!
Jawakara Maldives Resort Price Ranges
If you’ve come to this page, you are probably already aware that the resorts in the Maldives are not cheap. So I won’t beat around the bush. The prices vary from the lowest room category to the highest room category and then vary further on which meal package you choose, but vary mostly based on the season you travel.
We will cover meal packages and all-inclusive in the next section, so the price ranges I will give here are for the base rate, which includes breakfast only and no drinks. Keep in mind that the rates also change throughout the year due to the monsoon season. The rates can literally be 2-3x as much in peak dry season.
There are three main categories of rooms:
- Beach Villa
- Beach Pool Villa
- Water Pool Villa
The Water Pool Villa is the quintessential Maldives overwater bungalow. The beach villas are essentially the same room, they are just directly on the beach instead of over the lagoon. The price difference between the categories is really not that much different.
Here are some prices for the base fare you might be able to find in the low season. These do not include the seaplane transfer or the 17% GST. They also don’t include the mandatory service charge and tourist “green” tax.
- Beach Villa – $300 USD
- Beach Pool Villa – $330 USD
- Water Pool Villa – $360 USD
Now, if you’re looking at December through March you can expect the base rate to be up to twice this. It really all depends on your exact dates and what consumption package you want to do. Either way, you will be spending a lot of money on this resort. That’s important to stress.
All-Inclusive and meal packages
Part of being on an isolated, tropical island in the Maldives is that you will be confined to the resort. There are ways to visit the Maldives and stay in local villages, but Jawakara is not that. All dining options will be through the resort.
Jawakara offers four different consumption packages:
- Base package – breakfast only
- Half board – breakfast and dinner
- Full board – breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- All inclusive – breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and unlimited alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
All packages include unlimited drinking water, which is important out there in the hot sun.
Meal packages, including all inclusive, include food at the buffet restaurants, of which there are two, one on each island. Jawakara also has a la carte restaurants, but these are not included in the consumption packages with one exception: if you’re doing all inclusive you get one 3-course meal at one of the a la carte restaurants for every 5 nights you stay.
We went with the all inclusive package, as it just made the most sense for us. If you don’t drink alcohol it might not be worth it. But if you’re going to pay for meals and drinks do be aware that prices are ridiculously high. A small can of diet coke is $8 USD.
Here are some other prices (as of 2026) to get you an idea of if all inclusive is worth it for you or not.
- Coffee: $8
- Standard beer at the bar: $12
- Cocktail at the bar: $16 up to over $20
- Glass of wine at the bar: $12 and up
- Soft drink can – $8
- Main course at a la carte restaurant – $30 and up
So you get the idea. If you’re from New York City the prices are totally normal. If you’re from southern Europe though, it might come as a shock.
When you look at prices online you’ll see all the consumption package options. For us, it was about $140 more each night for the all-inclusive. We are not huge drinkers, but knew that being at a resort without our daughter would make us thirsty, so we went for it. $70 per person is only a few drinks at the bar.
Best time of year to visit the Maldives
Let’s get more into the high and low seasons in the Maldives here. Most of the country is pretty close to the equator, so they don’t have proper seasons, just the monsoon season, the dry season, and the shoulder seasons.
The “official” monsoon season is May – November. Yes, seriously it’s half the year. It’s not like it’s constantly raining or anything. More likely it will be scattered downpours with periods of brilliant sun. Temperatures will be a bit lower, like around 80 (27 C), but humidity will be significant. Either way, the resort nightly rates are less during this period.
The truly dry season is pretty short, January – April. These months see limited rain and mostly sun. Temperatures usually peak at about 86-87 degrees (30 C) and humidity is manageable. This is peak travel season and prices will be significantly higher.
The shoulder season is brief. Some would say it’s just December. This is a month where there will definitely be rain, but it won’t ruin your day. We visited in December and while we got stuck in a few downpours, it was mostly pleasant and we had some beautifully sunny days. The humidity was also not too bad and we could walk around at night without breaking a sweat.
So really, the best time to visit is the dry season Jan – Apr. it’s more expensive but you’re already paying a boat load to visit the Maldives. What’s a few hundred more?
Size and layout of Jawakara Maldives Resort
Jawakara Maldives is a huge resort, even by Maldivian standards. It’s one of the largest resorts in the Maldives, occupying about 109 acres between the two islands. Most resorts in the Maldives are MUCH smaller than this. So when you stay at Jawakara you’re getting a lot of space to roam around, which most resorts do not have.
I took a run one morning from my villa at the southern tip of Dheru Island to the northern tip of Mabin Island and it was a little more than a 5k run. I was also exhausted from being hungover from the drinks from the night before!
The resort provides a nice, detailed map so you can check that out here as you read through the info below.
Mabin Island
Mabin is the larger of the two islands. It has 202 villas, including 40 water pool villas. The beach villas make up most of the coastline, with the water villas on a boardwalk sticking out of the southeastern corner of the island.
The interior has a number of things, including a golf course, a full-size football pitch, a tennis court, 4 pickleball courts, a gym, and numerous restaurants. You’ll also find the staff residences take up a fair chunk of the island interior (yes, the workers live on the island). The rest of the interior is covered in natural forest and the resort’s own farms. They grow as much of their own food as they can.
On Mabin Island you’ll also find the dive and watersports center, the resort’s general store, the medical clinic, and a children’s center, where you can leave your kids and enjoy some truly free time. They also offer a babysitting service for kids under 4. For more information about the children’s program refer to their website.
There are four restaurants on Mabin Island, two buffets and two a-la-cart restaurants. The buffets are Aila and Saima and they are included in the all inclusive package. The buffet restaurants serve various cuisines and have a rotating menu, so it’s not the same thing every night. The buffet restaurants also have large bar areas and the bars are open all day until 1 AM.
The a-la-cart restaurants are Molo, a Mediterranean restaurant with only a few tables, and The Hideout, which is located at the golf club and is only open during the day. For eating at either of these, you’ll need a reservation.
Dheru Island
Dheru Island is much smaller but still has 88 villas, including 30 water pool villas. Dheru lies about 600 meters south of Mabin, connected by a continuous boardwalk. It has one buffet restaurant and bar, Vela, and its own gym. Other than that, everything else is on Mabin. The beach villas surround the island and the interior is, once again, forests and staff residences.
Between the islands
The two islands are connected by a 600m long wooden boardwalk/bridge. Along this boardwalk you will find two more things built atop the water: Umi Restaurant and Sulha Spa. Umi is an a-la-cart restaurant serving east and southeast Asian cuisine. Reservations are required.
The spa is across the boardwalk from Umi and also requires bookings. You can book through the resort app (more on that later). The spa offers everything you would expect from a nice resort at the prices you’d expect as well. You can find the full spa menu here, so check it out for yourself.
Detailed Review of Jawakara Maldives Resort
Alright, now that I’ve given you the rundown of how Jawakara Maldives is set up and how to get there and what to expect price-wise, let’s get into my detailed review of the resort. We stayed 4 nights in December and did the all inclusive package. We booked about 4 months in advance. The resort was fully booked when we were there.
Seaplane transfer – 5/5
As I explained before, Jawakara handles the seaplane booking for you. You give them when you’ll be at Male airport – either when your international flight lands or when you come from another island – and they take care of the rest. They will give you an approximate flight time in advance, but your actual flight time will not be decided until the last minute.
The airport has numerous counters that are labeled and we were directed to meet a specific counter. At the counter we met a representative and he took it from there, checking out bags for us and walking us through obtaining boarding passes. At this point we also found out the exact time of our flight.
From here we were loaded onto a small bus and sent to the seaplane terminal, which is about a 5 minute drive from the main airport. Here we were shown to a Trans Maldavian Airlines lounge to await our flight. When the plane was ready the staff gathered us and walked us to the boarding area. We then walked along the dock till we reached our plane, one of about 50 parked at the dock.
The process was a breeze, since someone is essentially holding your hand the entire way through it. From the dock we boarded the aircraft and a few minutes later we were gliding along the sea and taking off into the sky. It was my first seaplane experience and although it’s extremely expensive, I’d say it was worth it.
After about 35 minutes we landed on the water near Jawakara and cruised to the seaplane dock, where we exited the plane and were greeted by Jawakara staff who were waiting for us. Since they organized the flight, they knew exactly who was arriving.
All in all the seaplane transfer is super easy and a fun experience as well!
Check in – 4/5
The check-in process is unique, to say the least. There is a main reception for the resort, but you never have to go there. Upon deboarding the plane, you’ll be met by your island host. This staff member will be your personal host and guide to the resort for the duration of your stay. He or she will be waiting for you with a golf cart and after introductions you’ll be off, cruising the island until you get to your villa.
So when do you actually check in? Well, the check in is completely online in the resort’s app. Once you get to your villa your host will get you on the wifi and show you how to download the smartphone app. On the app you’ll check in and you’ll be ready to go. Your host will leave you the keys and you will exchange phone numbers. Your host will contact you on and off throughout your stay, so if you don’t have Whatsapp on your phone it’s a good idea to get that before your trip.
While this check in process sounds seamlessly easy, the only reason I give it 4 and not 5 stars is that the online check in on the app is actually kind of a pain in the ass. You have to scan your passport and type in all sorts of things like your home address. It’s nice to be able to do this in the room, but it does add a level of work that hotel staff do at normal hotels. And all guests have to do it. Not just one.
But once you’re checked in on the app you’re ready to go. The app knows your room number and your consumption package. You can book anything from morning yoga to spa appointments on the app. You can also ask your host to book anything for you.
Rooms 5/5
The villas at Jawakara are devine, as you’d expect from a 5-star resort in the Maldives. The standard villa (there are a few family villas with multiple bedrooms) are designed for 2 people and are plenty spacious. The villa design is basically the same inside for all room categories. Below I will discuss the different types of villas.
Beach Villa
The beach villa is a spacious single room with a king bed and a separate sitting area. Sliding doors open right up to a small deck on the beach, where you are just a few steps away from the nicest water you’ve ever seen.
The cool thing about the beach villa is that you get an outdoor bathroom. It’s covered, but open. Not all resorts feature this so it’s a unique thing about Jawakara. The villa also has a large closet, a safe, a minibar, a workdesk, and plenty of space to store your belongings and spread out.
Beach Pool Villa
The beach pool villa is the same thing as the beach villa, but you get your own private pool on the deck. Other than that it’s exactly the same.
Water Pool Villa
The water pool villa is the room that Maldivian dreams are made of. This is the over-water bungalow that the Maldives is famous for. Nearly all the 5-start resorts have this type of villa.
The room itself is almost identical to the beach villa. The main difference is you don’t have an outdoor bathroom. You have a huge bathroom, but it’s contained inside.
From the sliding doors you walk out to your deck and pool (all water villas at Jawakara have pools unlike most resorts) and gaze directly into the gorgeous lagoon. You also get a staircase directly into the water so you can go swimming in the sea right from your room. This is a huge perk of staying in the water pool villa. Plus not having to deal with the sand!
Three Bedroom Villa
The three bedroom villa is on the beach and features a large pool and a large deck for lounging around. It’s not really set up like a house. It’s basically just three interconnected villas, also with outdoor bathrooms. It’s ideal for families or couples that want to stay together but still want privacy.
My thoughts on the villas
The villas are spectacular. But to be honest that was to be expected in the Maldives. The thing that really set our water villa apart was that it had its own pool.
The one downside of staying at the Dheru water pool villas, like we did, is that there is a significant amount of seagrass in the lagoon where they built the villas. Seagrass is sort of like seaweed but doesn’t float around. It grows out of the sea floor.
The issue with the seagrass is that it takes away that perfect turquoise color of the water. The water color is created by the shallow lagoon and white sand. But when there is seagrass on the sand, the color changes to a dark blue. You can see in the photo below.
The seagrass is dynamic, so it changes throughout the year. But it’s hard to count on that when booking a water villa. To give you the best view I’d recommend staying in the Mabin water villas over the Dheru water villas. There is less seagrass there, as well as less coral. If you do get the Dheru villas be sure to request ahead of time a villa that does not have seagrass in front of it. The staff will know what you mean.
Staff and service 5/5
The staff at Jawakara Maldives is as you would expect at a 5-star resort in the Maldives. They are incredibly friendly, attentive, knowledgeable about the resort, and bend over backwards to ensure you have a wonderful stay. You can ask them anything. If they don’t know they will assist you in finding someone who knows the answer.
Your island host is your go-to contact and you will always start with him or her. If you need help making a booking at the spa they can take care of that. If your bike is broken and you need a replacement they can take care of that. They can pretty much take care of anything you need during your stay.
Maldivian resorts are a major source of income for the country and they really go the extra mile to make sure visitors have an amazing time. You pay a lot for these resorts, and they know that. You won’t be disappointed by the staff or service at Jawakara, I can assure you of that.
Breakfast buffet 5/5
I will separate the review of the breakfast here, as it’s included for all guests regardless of your consumption package.
A large breakfast spread is provided at each of the buffet restaurants from 7:30 – 10:30. It has pretty much everything you could ever want, from a full English breakfast to Asian curries and everything in between. The pastries are extensive and delicious.
It’s hard to find anything negative to say about the breakfast buffet. It was perfect.
Buffet lunch and dinner 4/5
The buffet lunch and dinner were also pretty damn good, though nothing that is gonna blow you away. They have rotating menus for the buffets and offer numerous different cuisines each meal. You are bound to find something you like in the extensive buffet.
I don’t necessarily think that any of the food the buffet had was anything to write home about. It was really good, but not “I gotta tell you about this food” good. I also, admittedly, did not try everything as that would be literally impossible for the average person who is not a world champion eater.
One important thing to note about lunch and dinner is that if you’re on the all-inclusive package the wine list at the buffet restaurant is far more extensive than the daily wine list at the bar. There are dozens of amazing wines to choose from, whereas between meals and after dinner there are only a handful.
The most unique thing about the bars and buffet restaurants is that the ground is sand, as you can see in the photo above. Pretty neat, huh?
A-La-carte Restaurants and Bars
There are three a-la-cart restaurants: Molo, Umi, and The Hideout. Molo is a Mediterranean restaurant with only a few tables. Umi is an Asian restaurant with various east and southeast Asian cuisines. The Hideout, which is located at the golf club and is only open during the day, is like more of a burgers and sandwiches place.
Molo and Umi are built overwater and offer a truly beautiful meal setting. While we were, unfortunately, not able to try the food at either restaurant, we were assured by the staff that the food is of higher quality than the buffet. You can expect a fabulous meal at either of these restaurants. I’ve avoided giving a rating here since we didn’t try them.
PRO TIP: If you want to have dinner at any of the a-la-carte restaurants, you must make a reservation in advance.
Pools and public grounds 5/5
Each island has a large pool and deck area outside the bar. The pools are similar, though I’d say we preferred the pool on Dheru island over the one on Mabin. The pools are infinity pools, looking out to the beautiful Maldivian lagoon. They are not huge, but plenty sufficient in size. The water was not too cold either. All in all the pool areas are beautiful and well maintained.
The other public areas of the islands are also all incredibly well maintained. The resort literally has a huge crew that does nothing but landscaping and gardening. It’s truly a beautiful property.
The beaches 4/5
Being small tropical islands, there are a lot of beaches. If you’re staying at a beach villa you basically have your own private beach. There are plenty of other areas of beautiful sand to relax in if you’re in a water villa as well.
The beaches are what you’d expect from the Maldives. One thing to note, however, is that sea grass and seaweed is an issue in the Maldives. It depends on the time of year and the currents, but you will see beaches covered in sea grass or seaweed.
You will also see staff taking it and collecting it for removal. It’s a constant process. So they do their best, but you can expect to see at least some sea grass or seaweed on the beaches. For this reason, I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
When we were there the sea grass was washing up on the west side of the islands. I cannot confirm that it always affects the west coast and not the east coast, but keep that in mind when requesting your beach villa.
Fitness and Spa 4/5
There are two fitness centers, one on each island. They have the basics: treadmills, stationary bikes, dumbbells, some weight machines. They seem rather small for such a large resort but they were not crowded when I checked them out so I guess most people don’t care too much to work out when on holiday.
If you run like I do and you need to try to keep up your pace while you’re traveling, the islands are also large enough to run outdoors. Just be prepared to sweat your ass off.
The spa is built over the water off the boardwalk bridge between the two islands. The massage rooms are private and there are portions of glass floor so when you’re on the massage table you’re literally looking down at fish swimming below.
The spa is very posh. They have sort of like a waiting room where they will give you some juice-like tea concoction and cold face towels while they ask you why your “massage goals” are. After that you’ll be taken to your room for the massage. They also have other spa treatments aside from massages, but we did the massage.
As you’d expect the masseuses are very experienced and give amazing massages. It was super relaxing and if it wasn’t so damn expensive we would have done it more.
Note that if you’re on the all inclusive package you get one 30 minute spa treatment per person included.
Other activities 5/5
I didn’t actually see anyone playing pickleball. I’m sure there is demand for it though. It’s not like I was constantly monitoring the courts. I did see a couple playing tennis and inquired with my island host to see if she could find someone to play tennis with me, as I love tennis. We are unable to work it out though.
The courts seemed adequate. They’re not free to use unless you’re on the all inclusive package though.
I don’t play golf so I have no feedback to give you on the golf course. Looks like a nice course though. Golf in paradise!
Transportation 5/5
One of the reasons we booked Jawakara Maldives resort was that all guests are provided with bicycles to get around the islands. As someone who often commutes to work on a bike, I found this pretty cool. As I’ve said before, it’s one of the biggest resorts in the Maldives, so the bikes make it easy to get around.
You can also request a golf cart. Just message your host and they will arrange a ride for you if they can’t come get you yourself. This might be useful if you want to go to the other island but don’t feel like biking in heels, or obviously if you have an injury or disability.
And, of course, you can always walk. Even though bikes are provided, many people still choose to walk. By mid-day the humidity had lowered to a comfortable level and walking around was very pleasant. If you go in the rainy season it will be more humid though, so ignore that advice.
Resort smartphone app 5/5
You are essentially required to install the resort’s smartphone app to check in to your room. If you’re old school and don’t have a smartphone then I’m not sure. They must have some contingency plan.
Once you are checked in you technically don’t need it again, as your island host can do anything for you. However, it is nice to see availability of activities and restaurant menus and all sorts of other things that you can find on the app.
You can also book things through the app. So if you want to do a morning yoga session you can reserve your spot through the app or if you want to book a spa treatment you can do that too. You can also see info about tours and diving and plenty of other things.
The app is quite nice to have that’s for sure. We didn’t use it much as we weren’t trying to do many activities, but I did find it useful for seeing menus and wine lists, stuff like that.
Excursions and Activities
Being on a small tropical island means you’re pretty isolated. But fear not, aside from all the activists the resort offers there are opportunities to get off the islands too. I’ll discuss a couple of the excursions here. These can all be booked on the app or through your island host.
Sunset Dolphin Cruise
The all-inclusive package includes one sunset dolphin cruise. It can also be paid for separately. The cruise is on a boat that fits about 25 people and it takes you out of the lagoon into the open ocean to find dolphins, which are common in the area.
They run up to three boats at the same time, leaving around 5:30 PM. On a nice day you’ll get to see the sunset from the boat and if you’re lucky you’ll also get to see dolphins.
There really isn’t much else to see if you don’t spot any dolphins. It’s still nice to get off the island for a bit and onto the water!
Snorkeling
You can always get snorkeling equipment from the water sports depot, but you can also do a snorkeling trip that will take you out to the local reef for about an hour. The snorkeling is much better here than on the shore.
The snorkeling trip is included with the all-inclusive, so make sure not to miss it. They provide everything for you, so all you need to take is sunscreen. We didn’t see any turtles or sharks, but a hell of a lot of tropical fish! You island host can book the snorkeling trip for you.
Diving Center
The Maldives is also home to some of the best diving in the world. I’ll be honest here, I didn’t dive, as that’s not my thing. But it’s a very popular activity at Jawakara. Make sure to book diving slots in advance on the app, or ask your island host.
Resort Photographer
Jawakara has their own in-house photographers. That’s right, they have photographers that work for the resort only and spend their days taking photos of happy couples and families (or individuals!). The all-inclusive package comes with a 15-minute photography session, so these guys are pretty much constantly booked.
The photographers are efficient to say the least. It’s quite amazing what they do in just 15 minutes. They know all the best spots and poses, so you’ll be in good hands. Your island host will help you book a slot with the photographers. All you have to do is show up.
Now, if you’re wondering if there’s a catch, there definitely is. With the package you get one high res photo. Any other photos are $10 a piece. The photographer will take a bunch of photos of you, then you’ll meet them the next day to look over them. If you like them and you want more than one, you’ll have to pay.
It’s a great money making scheme for the resort. It’s hard to not want more than one photo. We ended up purchasing three additional photos. But hey, $30 is still not bad for a photoshoot in paradise!
Jawakara Maldives Review – Final Word
So, where does that leave us? Jawakara Maldives Resort is a truly amazing place and we highly recommend it! It was everything we wanted in a Maldivian vacation. The only down side was the amount of seagrass in front of our bungalow and washing up on shore. But I’ve provided you with strategies here to make sure you avoid getting a villa with a seagrass view.
I’m sure you will love Jawakara as much as we did!
