Step off a 45-minute seaplane into 175 sqm villas, a sunset-side house reef where turtles arrive at dusk, and the only IHG One Rewards points-earning luxury resort in the Maldives.
5-Star Resort Seaplane 45 min 50 Oversized Villas Sunset House Reef
Noonu Atoll's quiet five-star, rebranded into IHG's Vignette Collection in December 2024 — making it the only IHG One Rewards points-earning luxury resort in the Maldives. Fifty villas on a 700-metre island where the smallest unit starts at 175 sqm, the sunset house reef brings turtles to your deck, and Vignette's Island Echoes bonfire wraps each evening.
Among the largest villas in the Maldives — the smallest unit starts at 175 sqm, well above the 129 sqm Maldives average. Beach villas favour gardens and direct sand access; water villas favour sunset views and direct lagoon steps. Sunset-side categories command the premium and sit closest to the house reef for villa-to-reef snorkelling.
Beach2 of 3
Beach Villas
From
$1,037
175–220 sqm ·54% larger than avg
Beach Villa175 sqmNo pool$1,037
Beach Pool Villa220 sqmPool$1,•••
Beach Sunset Pool Villa220 sqmPool$1,•••
Overwater2 of 3
Water Villas
From
$1,•••
186–190 sqm ·42% larger than avg
Water Villa186 sqmNo pool$1,•••
Water Pool Villa190 sqmPool$1,•••
Water Sunset Pool Villa190 sqmPool$1,•••
FamilyAll pool
Beach Two-Bedroom Pool Retreat
From
$2,•••
400 sqm ·3× larger than avg
Beach Two-Bedroom Pool Retreat400 sqmPool$2,•••
Not sure which villa is right? We'll match you based on your group size, budget and priorities.
Prices shown are indicative low-season per night. See the season guide in the sidebar for how rates vary by time of year. We'll confirm exact pricing for your dates.
Dining
2 Restaurants & 2 Bars
Two restaurants — beachfront Palms for international fare and poolside Thari for Pan-Asian — each with its own bar. Pork is not served on-island per house policy. Hydroponic garden supplies produce to both kitchens, with sandbank picnics and floating breakfasts available through the butler.
Palms Restaurant
International
Beachfront main restaurant with Mediterranean-leaning à la carte at dinner. Breakfast buffet plus made-to-order eggs; fire-grilled seafood and prime cuts at dinner with hydroponic-garden produce on the plate.
SettingBeachfront · Open-air
Our tipAsk for the day's catch grilled simply — that's where the kitchen shines
Thari Restaurant
Pan-Asian
Pan-Asian poolside fine dining — Maldivian, Indian, Sri Lankan, Thai, Japanese and Singaporean dishes rotate through. Candlelit at dinner with the infinity pool and lagoon as the backdrop.
SettingPoolside · Infinity pool view
Our tipOrder the Mas Huni starter and one regional curry — the menu rewards mixing
Palms Bar
Cocktails
Black-and-white open-air cocktail bar attached to Palms. Coffee and light bites by day; cocktail programme draws on Eastern and Western influences through the evening.
SettingBeachfront · Open-air
Our tipSunset martini here, then walk straight to dinner at Palms
Thari Bar
Pool Bar
Poolside bar at Thari with Asian-leaning cocktails, mocktails and light bites between meal services. Best spot on the island for an unhurried afternoon by the water.
SettingPoolside · Infinity pool
Our tipThe Asian-bites menu is the under-the-radar lunch option
Meal Plans
Dining Inclusions
Four standard plans from Bed & Breakfast through All-Inclusive. AI covers both restaurants and bars 11 AM–11 PM with house wines, beers, spirits and cocktails by the glass. One 40-min spa massage per stay is included on the AI plan.
Plan
Restaurants
Alcohol
Minibar
~pp/day
Bed & Breakfast
Palms (B)
—
—
Included
Half Board
Palms (B+D)
—
—
+$95
Full Board
Both restaurants
—
—
+$180
All-Inclusive
Both restaurants & bars
House
Daily
+$260
Bed & BreakfastIncluded
Palms (B)
Alcohol —Minibar —
Half Board+$95 pp/day
Palms (B+D)
Alcohol —Minibar —
Full Board+$180 pp/day
Both restaurants
Alcohol —Minibar —
All-Inclusive+$260 pp/day
Both restaurants & bars
Alcohol HouseMinibar Daily
Experiences & Activities
Your Days on the Island
PADI 5-Star Sub Oceanic dive centre with 30+ named Noonu sites, Vignette Collection's signature Island Echoes bonfire and Celestial Turtle stargazing rituals, plus the on-island coral restoration programme and endangered white-tailed tropicbird nesting habitat.
Water Sports & Diving
PADI 5-Star Sub Oceanic dive centre, 30+ Noonu dive sites, free snorkel gear for stay.
Sub Oceanic — PADI 5-Star Centre30+ named dive sites in Noonu Atoll
House reef snorkellingSunset side · turtles, blacktips, eagle rays daily
Free snorkel gear for stay duration
Boat dives to Shark Point, Orimas ThilaChristmas Tree Rock, Bodurah Gaa Giri
Manta and whale-shark seasonal tripsNoonu sees both — pelagic encounters common
PADI courses Open Water through Divemaster
Discover Scuba and refresher courses
Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking (complimentary)
Jet ski, wakeboarding, banana boatChargeable
Catamaran sailing and windsurfing
Endangered tropicbird nesting habitat. Noku is one of only a handful of Maldives resorts that hosts confirmed nesting of the endangered white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) — alongside Amilla and Six Senses Laamu. A Maldivian heritage species; the resort's coral restoration programme runs in tandem.
Excursions & Cruises
Sunset dolphin cruises, sandbank picnics, photo flights from the seaplane.
Sunset dolphin cruiseSpinner pods · common in Noonu lagoon system
Castaway sandbank picnicBoat drop on uninhabited sandbank with chef hamper
Local island visitManadhoo — Noonu administrative capital
Bodu beru cultural nightTraditional Maldivian drumming
Hydroponic garden tour with the chef
Coral planting and reef-restoration sessions
Tennis and beach volleyball
Bicycles for every guest
Outdoor cinema nights
Family & Kids
Family-Friendly Features
Noku is a quieter, romantic-leaning five-star that welcomes families but doesn't programme for them at scale. The Beach Two-Bedroom Pool Retreat (400 sqm) is the only purpose-built family villa. Beach villas are recommended over water villas for under-10s since water villas have open lagoon access from the deck. Best fit for families with older children (10+) and teens who can self-direct snorkelling and diving on the active house reef.
No dedicated club
Ages All ages welcome · Free
Under 12 with adults Stay Free
Children's menu at both restaurants eat free
Babysitting
On request/hr
Shallow Lagoon
Calm, shallow water safe for young children
Highlights for Kids
Sunset reef turtlesBonfire storytelling nightsStargazing with astronavigatorPADI dive boats to 30 sites
Family Villa Options
Beach Two-Bedroom Pool Retreat
Snorkeling & Marine Life
House Reef & Underwater
7.4
Very Good House Reef
Lux Atolls Reef Score · top 30% for Noonu
Sunset side · Walk-in from water villas · Short kayak from beach
Real, accessible house reef — the sunset (west) side is the best, with water villas on that flank walk-in or swim-out distance to coral. Daily turtle, reef shark and ray encounters. Sections of the reef show bleaching from recent thermal events but the resort runs an active coral restoration programme. Noonu Atoll itself is less-trafficked than Baa or South Ari, so pelagic encounters on boat dives are common.
Regularly spotted here (+8)
Sea Turtles
Green and hawksbill — daily sightings
Reef Sharks
Blacktip — juveniles inshore, adults at drop-off
Stingrays
Eagle rays seasonal · stingrays year-round
Tropical Reef Fish
Clownfish, butterflyfish, fusiliers, octopus and moray eels at dusk
Manta Rays
Seasonal · Noonu has cleaning stations
Dolphins
Spinner pods · sunset cruises
Whale Sharks
Seasonal — Noonu sees them, but South Ari is the reliable spot
Octopus
Dusk and night snorkels on the sunset reef
PADI dive center on-site. Night snorkeling available. Marine life observations sourced from dive logs and guest reports.
Getting There
Transfer from Malé
Noku Maldives is a 45-minute seaplane from Velana International — short by Noonu standards. A faster domestic-flight option to Maafaru is available for late arrivals when seaplanes can't fly.
Option 1 — Recommended
Seaplane Direct
Direct from Malé · ~45 min · Daylight only (9 AM–3 PM)
~$540 pp roundtrip
Option 2 — Late arrivals
Domestic Flight + Speedboat
Malé → Maafaru (40 min) + 15-min speedboat · Day & night
~$650 pp roundtrip
Seaplane daylight only — for arrivals after 3 PM the Maafaru route operates around the clock. Children 2–11 transfer at ~$340 RT seaplane.
Resort island map — Noku Maldives
Our Take
Who This Resort is For
Noku Maldives is the quiet five-star that's just become the most interesting IHG points play in the Maldives. The villas are oversized and the sunset house reef is genuinely good — turtles arrive most evenings. The Vignette Collection rituals (Island Echoes bonfire, Celestial Turtle stargazing) add a thoughtful sense-of-place layer that many corporate-flag rebrands skip. Best for couples and older-children families wanting Bonvoy/IHG-style loyalty value without trading down on space or reef.
Ideal for
IHG One Rewards members — the only IHG-loyalty 5-star resort in the Maldives alongside InterContinental Maamunagau, with full points accrual and elite recognition
Couples wanting space without ultra-luxury pricing — entry-level villas start at 175 sqm, well above the Maldives average, on a quiet 700-metre island
Snorkellers happy to use the sunset side — direct house-reef access from water villas with daily turtle, blacktip and ray encounters
Families with older children (10+) who can self-direct — no formal kids club but the marine biologist and Sub Oceanic centre keep teens engaged
Consider elsewhere if
Families with young children needing structured programming — no dedicated kids club facility; bring a nanny if you need supervised activity time
Travellers expecting a Wi-Fi-heavy stay — bandwidth has been a recurring complaint on recent reviews
Pork-eaters — pork is not served on-island; menus pivot to chicken, beef, lamb and seafood
Season & Pricing Guide
Dec 20 – Jan 10Peak · Highest rates
Jan 11 – Apr 15High · +25–40%
Apr 16 – Jun 30Shoulder · +10–15%
Jul 1 – Dec 19Low · Best value
Peak season fills 4+ months ahead. Shoulder season offers the best balance of weather, price and availability.
Why Book Through Lux Atolls
More Than Just a Booking
What you get with us vs. booking direct or through a generic OTA
Book with Lux Atolls
Best rate guarantee on partner resorts — we match or beat what you find elsewhere
Exclusive package inclusions negotiated through our direct resort relationships
Transparent pricing — transfers, taxes, and meal plans quoted upfront, no hidden fees
Personal trip advisor — villa matching, meal plan guidance, and honest recommendations
Maldives-only expertise — we know every reef, transfer route, and seasonal sweet spot
Direct resort contact — if something needs fixing, we call the GM, not a call centre
No booking fees, no hidden charges — the price we quote is the price you pay
Book Through Others
Published rack rate — no negotiated extras
No package inclusions beyond the standard rate
Transfer costs and taxes added at checkout
Generic customer support with no local knowledge
One-size-fits-all recommendations across dozens of destinations
Issues routed through a ticketing system, not a person
Hidden fees and service charges added late in the process
Frequently Asked Questions
Noku Maldives — FAQ
Is Noku Maldives part of IHG?
Yes — Noku joined IHG's Vignette Collection in December 2024, making it the brand's first Vignette property in the Maldives. Stays earn IHG One Rewards points and elite-status recognition. It's one of only two IHG luxury resorts in the country.
How do I get to Noku Maldives from Malé?
45-minute seaplane direct from Velana International (~$540 pp RT) operated by Trans Maldivian Airways during daylight (9 AM–3 PM). Late arrivals route via a 40-min Maldivian Airlines domestic flight to Maafaru + 15-min speedboat — around the clock.
Is the house reef good for snorkelling?
Yes, particularly the sunset (west) side — water villas there are walk-in or swim-out distance to coral. Daily turtle, blacktip and ray encounters. Some reef sections show bleaching from recent thermal events; the resort runs an active coral restoration programme.
Is Noku Maldives a family resort?
It welcomes children of all ages but doesn't run a dedicated kids club. The Beach Two-Bedroom Pool Retreat (400 sqm) is the only purpose-built family villa. Best for older children (10+) and teens who can self-direct snorkelling and diving.
What was Noku Maldives called before?
The island opened as Zitahli Kuda-Funafaru Resort & Spa around 2010. After Roxy-Pacific Holdings acquired the head lease in 2016, the property was rebuilt and reopened as Noku Maldives on 1 August 2018. The IHG Vignette Collection partnership launched December 2024.
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