About this hotel
General information
Gili Lankanfushi is a private island in North Malé Atoll shaped around a grown-up Robinson Crusoe idea: barefoot, unhurried and quietly luxurious rather than showy. All 45 villas and residences sit over the lagoon, built from teak, palm wood, bamboo and palm fronds under tall thatched roofs, with open-air living rooms and bathrooms. Every guest is looked after by a personal host, known as Mr. or Ms. Friday after Crusoe’s loyal companion, on call around the clock.
The resort is known for its work on the reef. Its marine research station, Gili Veshi, is staffed by resident marine biologists who run the Coral Lines project, growing coral fragments on ropes before transplanting them to damaged patches of the house reef. The island is EarthCheck-certified, makes its own drinking water in a desalination plant and supplies the kitchens from an organic garden. Stays are on a breakfast or half-board basis.
Location
The resort occupies the island of Lankanfushi in North Malé Atoll, about 20 km from Velana International Airport in Malé. Transfers are by speedboat and take around 30 minutes; the resort team meets guests at the airport and escorts them to the boat. Some residences stand on their own in the lagoon, a short boat ride from the main island.
Spa
Meera Spa sits on a secluded bay, its light-filled treatment rooms set over the water. Therapists pair long-standing healing traditions from around the world with modern techniques, using blends made from the garden’s own plants and herbs, and every session opens with a mineral sea-salt foot bath. Signatures include Deep Muscle Fusion, a firm massage with herbal oils and compresses, an organic seaweed leaf wrap and a Tibetan singing bowl massage. Ayurveda has its own pavilion, offering shirodhara with an abhyanga massage and elakizhi, a massage with bundles of medicinal leaves and warm oil. Visiting practitioners — reiki specialists, Watsu therapists, acupuncturists and sound healers — come to the island through the year.
Sports & leisure
A house reef surrounds the island, and most villas have steps straight into the lagoon. The dive centre is PADI-certified, while the resident marine biologists lead snorkelling trips, give talks on mantas, whale sharks and climate change, and invite guests to join reef clean-ups and data collection for the Manta Trust.
- Surfing with Tropicsurf: a traditional dhoni runs surfers to the breaks, three of them five minutes away and many more within 20 minutes
- Lagoon water sports: windsurfing, kayaking and canoeing, catamaran sailing and stand-up paddleboarding
- Excursions: sunset dolphin cruises, fishing trips, local island visits, yacht cruises and castaway picnics
- A palm-shaded tennis court with a coach, and a glass-walled gym looking out to the ocean
- Complimentary sunrise yoga daily in a seaside pavilion, with private sessions on request
- Cooking classes in the organic garden, open-air film nights and a bamboo bicycle for every guest
Restaurants & bars
The cooking leans on pole-caught local seafood and the harvest of the organic garden, with vegan and allergy-friendly dishes prepared on request.
- Kashiveli — the main restaurant, with sand underfoot (its name means “coral sands” in Dhivehi): breakfasts of tropical fruit and Maldivian and international dishes; in the evening a night-market format with flavours of Bangkok, Marrakech and Delhi, a rotating nine-city culinary journey menu and a plant-based menu
- By the Sea — Japanese fusion set in tropical greenery with ocean views: sushi, sashimi and hand rolls, plus teppanyaki cooked in front of guests, and a long sake list
- Overwater Bar — on stilts above the lagoon for light lunches and sunset cocktails, turning into the Lava Grill at night with prime cuts, seafood bisques and reef-fish ceviche
- Fini Foni — a poolside spot (“cold sweet” in Dhivehi) for handmade ice cream and popsicles, snacks and cocktails
- Underground Wine Cellar — tastings of wine with chocolate or cheese, a weekly sommeliers’ table and paired wine dinners
- Organic Garden — meals among the crops by a fire pit, a plant-based tasting menu with organic wines, and vegan cooking classes
Each sunset the bartenders compete in a cocktail face-off judged by guests; there are also mixology classes, sommelier-led wine tastings, and drinks on a castaway platform in the lagoon or aboard a dhoni. Private dining ranges from beach barbecues with a personal chef (surf and turf, Maldivian lobster or vegan) and the blindfolded four-course Dining for the Senses to dinner on a villa’s own rooftop and Champagne breakfasts.
Swimming
The main pool looks out to the ocean, with Fini Foni alongside. Steps lead from every villa and residence deck straight into the lagoon, where coral gardens grow beneath the decks, and several categories have their own infinity pool. Palm-fringed white-sand beaches around the island are used for barbecues and private dinners.
Rooms
There are 45 villas and residences, all over the water, each with a thatched roof, a rooftop terrace, a semi-open-air bathroom and direct ocean access. No two are quite alike, from villas for couples to stand-alone lagoon residences and the four-bedroom Private Reserve.
Rooms have daybeds and catamaran nets over the water, air-conditioning and fans, a minibar, a Nespresso machine, a wine chiller, satellite TV with on-demand films, a Bose Bluetooth sound system, a chess table, a safe, organic toiletries in refillable earthenware and a bamboo bicycle for every guest.
The Private Reserve
The world’s largest stand-alone overwater villa, spread over several tiers in the lagoon: four en-suite bedrooms, an infinity pool on the upper deck, a water slide into the sea, a couples’ spa with sauna and steam room, a gym, cinema, bar and kitchen. Arrivals are by yacht, with a private motor boat for coming and going.
Two-Bedroom Villa with Pool
An east-facing villa for sunrise views, with an L-shaped pool, nets and loungers on the overwater deck, an en-suite king-bedded master and an en-suite guest room. A living and dining room and a rooftop terrace complete it.
Gili Lagoon Retreat
Set at the end of the west-facing jetty, with an en-suite master and guest room, two air-conditioned living rooms, a private workout room with steam room and a rooftop terrace with a Maldivian swing. Guests have exclusive use of the islet of Three Palm Island and its cabana.
Gili Lagoon Villa
One of five west-facing, two-level villas for sunset views, with a king-bedded bedroom, an open-air living room, a bathroom open to the sea and a rooftop terrace. A private water hammock hangs beside the deck.
Villa Suite with Pool
A long overwater deck holds an infinity pool that seems to run into the ocean, plus loungers, nets and steps into the sea. Inside are a king-bedded bedroom, an open-air living room and a stand-alone tub, with a second-floor terrace above.
Villa Suite
One of 18 two-level, one-bedroom villas designed for couples, with an open-air living room, a spacious bathroom, a rooftop terrace and a netted deck with steps down to the coral garden below.
Residence with Pool
A residence with an oversized infinity pool and a large catamaran net over the water, a king-bedded master bedroom, an air-conditioned living room that converts into a second bedroom for a family of four, a semi-open-air bathroom and a rooftop terrace.
Gili Lagoon Residence
A two-level residence with its own water hammock, a master bedroom, an air-conditioned living room that doubles as a second bedroom, a semi-open-air bathroom, a netted deck and a rooftop terrace.
Sunset Crusoe Residence
One of three stand-alone residences in the lagoon, a short boat ride from the island, facing the sunset: two levels, a master bedroom, an air-conditioned living room that converts into a second bedroom, nets and a hammock over the water. Guests travel to the island by their own motor boat or the resort shuttle.
Island View Crusoe Residence
A stand-alone lagoon residence with glass floor panels for watching marine life and views of a neighbouring local island, with a master bedroom, an air-conditioned living room that converts into a second bedroom and a rooftop terrace. Guests travel to the island by their own motor boat or the resort shuttle.
Residence
One of two residences at the quiet end of Jetty 1, sized for a family of four, with a master bedroom, an air-conditioned living room with two daybeds and a semi-open-air bathroom with ocean access. A bed can be set up on the rooftop terrace for a night under the stars.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.