Can you tell us about the vision behind Amilla Resort and what makes it stand out in the Maldives?
At Amilla Maldives, we offer a five-star enchanting natural island resort for couples, families, and groups of friends alike to relax and play. Located in the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, fringed by one of the Maldives’ best house reefs in the Maldives, our accommodations feature 67 Pool Villas and Residences, each of which immerse guests in the tranquil beauty of our island.
We also have a range of two-bedroom to eight-bedroom villas providing families and groups of varying sizes with the privacy and space to truly enjoy our Maldivian resort.
We believe that all guests, regardless of their diverse needs, deserve to have a memorable time in the Maldives. That’s why we are dedicated to consistently evolving our offerings to cater to the accessibility needs of our guests by removing barriers, not only for physical access but also hidden disabilities.
As a responsible resort, we are deeply committed to looking after the environment and have created several sustainability iniatives as well as supported the local Community in conservation and cultural preservation, empowering them through projects such as training sessions with the councils, NGOs, and hosting schools.
What types of experiences can guests expect during their stay at the resort?
We encourage guests to enjoy experiences that celebrate the serenity and beauty of our natural tropical island setting. Whether it’s discovering the healing properties of native herbs at Alchemy Bar or creating handmade scrubs and balms from ingredients grown on the resort's land. These experiences draw from both modern herbalism and Dhivehi Beys, the ancient Maldivian art of healing, blending tradition with a hands-on connection to the land.
Honouring our heritage and sustainability ethos, we’ve revitalised our gardens to grow fresh, organic produce. Guests can join our chef for a unique foraging experience, handpicking ingredients before crafting a delicious meal together — deepening their connection to the land and the joy of cooking from nature.
Our resident Marine Biologist invites guests to explore the wonders of the Baa Atoll through snorkelling safaris, nature talks, and engaging workshops on local flora and fauna. They also oversee the condition of our house reef and beaches, leading activities like coral planting and an adopt-a-coral initiative, where guests receive monthly updates on their growing coral frames.
Families are warmly welcomed at Sultan’s Village Kids Club, with a secure open-air playground and a lively daily activities schedule of crafts, mocktail making, sports, and eco-workshops. While the Mini Marine Biologist programme lets little explorers to be introduced to seven ocean topics, with a special ‘graduation’ at the end to celebrate their new conservation knowledge.
At Javvu Spa, we seek to provide a serene sanctuary where body and mind are gently restored. Rooted in both traditional and modern therapies, our treatments draw inspiration from the elements that surround us, from the ocean, the island, to the sky above. Our programme of seasonal visiting wellness practitioners further enhances this with an array of specialised holistic treatments and guidance for deeper balance and renewal.
As the world’s first IncluCare certified resort, we proudly uphold our commitment to total guest inclusion. Alongside being a wheelchair-accessible resort, we’ve implemented adaptations for hearing and visually impaired guests. By working closely with guests, we’re able to understand their individual needs and seek adaptions that offer inclusivity. With our pool hoist, ramp access, and personal guides, we’ve enhanced accessibility to our snorkelling, Dolphin Discovery, and fishing excursions — helping guests embrace the beauty, freedom and adventure of the ocean.
How does Amilla prioritize sustainability, and what initiatives are in place to protect the local environment?
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. As an eco-friendly resort, we are deeply committed to nurturing our local community and protecting the rich biodiversity of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. From our organic gardens to reef conservation and mindful consumption, every detail reflects this ethos.
This year, we are deeply honoured to have earned our fourth consecutive EarthCheck Silver Certification, while also being named among just five Maldivian resorts recognised in Forbes Travel Guide’s VERIFIED™ Responsible Hospitality 2025 programme.
Our commitment to balancing sustainability with natural luxury continued with the introduction of refillable, PCR-packaged, vegan-friendly amenities from 19-69 and Dutch social enterprise Marie-Stella Maris, alongside reusable Rolla Bottles for guests to use during and after their stay.
We’re also proud to partner with Atoll Marine Centre (AMC) on coral restoration and gathering vital data on turtles, mantas, and sharks. For us, it’s important guests to have the opportunity to participate in sustainable initiatives and we proactively invite them to participate in coral planting excursions with the resort’s Marine Biologist.
Our most recent collaboration with the University of Auckland marked a significant step forward in the conservation of white-tailed tropicbirds. We have successfully GPS-tagged 13 birds and ringed 17 others. Weighing just one per cent of the bird’s body weight, the GPS tags allow researchers to monitor feeding patterns; while the rings are designed to identify individual birds, making it possible to track behaviour and migratory patterns.
Sustainability also shapes our culinary experiences through Homegrown@Amilla and Homemade@Amilla initiatives. Fresh produce such as herbs, vegetables, and mushrooms is cultivated in our organic gardens; while Homemade@Amilla products including yoghurts, jams, pickles, sauces, probiotic sodas, tonics, and plant-based milks are also made by hand on-island.
Could you share some of the most memorable guest experiences that have taken place at Amilla?
Honestly, there are so many guest experiences that we cherish, perhaps one of my memorable and heartwarming experiences was hosting a family who had chosen Amilla because of our IncluCare certification and whose youngest child was born with dwarfism, meaning he is unable to ride a bicycle or walk very far.
For us, it's really important that guests can discover the beauty of our island at their own pace. Rather than just offering buggy rides everywhere, our team worked to adapt a bicycle into a trishaw so they could independently cycle around the resort together. Seeing how happy - and included - this made the whole family and the child, was absolutely wonderful.
What challenges do you face as a GM in managing a resort in such a unique and remote location?
Being based in such a remote location can have its own challenges in terms of produce. Supporting our sustainability efforts, we have our own organic garden from which we can elevate our dishes with fresh seasonal ingredients. We also utilise the bounty our native trees provide through our own coconut processing facility, which produces coconut milk/cream, cold pressed oil and coir tope – further reducing imports and packaging waste.
Our waste management centre ensures that waste produced by the resort is carefully sorted for recycling, composting and disposal, minimising our impact on the environment. Our composting machine turns kitchen waste (that is not consumed by our farm animals) into usable compost, while we also crush glass for building projects.
What can guests look forward to in terms of new developments or upcoming offerings at Amilla?
Throughout the year, we’ll continue to welcome a range of visiting holistic practitioners to our Javvu spa, helping guests embracing wellbeing and healing practices from a variety of traditions and culture.
Through our diverse array of events, we’ll continue to celebrate the Maldives and craft engaging activities that craft memories that last a lifetime, from family-focused initiatives and sporting academies to honouring annual festivals.
How does the resort cater to families, couples, and solo travellers with different needs and preferences?
Before arrival, we tailor each experience to that guest and their specific needs. whether this be preferred activities, accessibility requirements or dietary restrictions.
Our dining caters to every lifestyle, with dedicated menus available across all seven restaurants at no extra cost. Whether vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, keto, or paleo, guests can enjoy tailored dishes, alongside wellness cocktails and ice creams, to match the preferences.
An array of activities and facilities have been thoughtfully curated to cater for families, couples and solo travellers. For example, our glamping bubble tent, offers a romantic escape for couples to immerse themselves in nature.
Solo travellers can focus on their wellbeing with our specialised wellness retreats with our visiting practitioners. While our excursions including Blue Hole Snorkelling, Reef Hopping, Ocean or Dolphin Discovery can be enjoyed by solo travellers, couples or families alike.
As an IncluCare-certified resort and member of The Conscious Travel Foundation, we’re committed to making the Maldives accessible to our guests. Thoughtfully integrated accessibility features blend seamlessly with our design, while ongoing staff training ensures we continue to elevate the experience for guests with mobility or sensory challenges
