Ride a BMX track cut through tropical forest, eat a dinner picked that morning from the island's own farm, and get there on a seaplane that four nights on the plan have already paid for.
5-Star Resort Seaplane 45 min All-Inclusive Family Friendly
For families and couples who want a Maldives island with more to do than the water. Ninety-nine per cent of the forest was left standing and the resort built its playground inside it — skate circuit, padel, futsal, mini-golf, a dhoni-building studio. The reef needs a shuttle rather than a shore swim, but the spa treatments and both excursions are already in the rate.
167 villas in eight categories on one long island. Beach villas line the south and west sand behind the tree line, two arcs of water villas run off the north-west point, and the two-bedroom family villas sit closest to Village Square and the kids club. Three categories come without a pool — Beach Villa, Water Villa and the smaller family villa — and everything else has a 7 sqm plunge pool or better.
Beach1 of 2
Beach Villas
From
$780
61–91 sqm ·42% smaller than avg
Beach VillaSleeps 3 · max 2 adults61 sqmNo pool$780
Beach Villa with PoolSleeps 3 · max 2 adults91 sqmPool$9••
Overwater2 of 3
Water Villas
From
$9••
73–92 sqm ·38% smaller than avg
Water VillaSleeps 273 sqmNo pool$9••
Water Villa with PoolSleeps 280 sqmPool$1,•••
Deluxe Water Villa with PoolSleeps 3 · max 2 adults92 sqmPool$1,•••
Family1 of 2
Family Beach Villas
From
$1,•••
142–232 sqm ·43% larger than avg
2 Bedroom Family Beach VillaSleeps 6 · max 4 adults, 2 children142 sqmNo pool$1,•••
2 Bedroom Family Beach Villa with PoolSleeps 6 · max 4 adults, 2 children232 sqmPool$1,•••
SignatureAll pool
RAAYA Residence
From
$3,•••
849 sqm ·6.5× larger than avg
RAAYA ResidenceSleeps 6 · max 4 adults, 2 children849 sqmPool$3,•••
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.
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Dining
5 Restaurants & 4 Bars
One all-day restaurant and four specialty rooms, plus four bars spread across the island. RAAYA Life runs every buffet meal and the Friday Grand Maldivian Night. The Village does Italian off Village Square, AMPERS&ND does Pan-Asian under a rooftop bar, MIZĀJ turns a poolside pavilion into Middle Eastern fine dining after dark, and Seb's Farm plates what the island grew that morning.
RAAYA Life
International
The island's only all-day restaurant and the only one serving breakfast. The buffet rotates across Asian, European, Indian and Maldivian dishes with live cooking stations, a dim sum counter and a salad bar. Fridays it takes the whole island for the Grand Maldivian Night with Boduberu drumming, because the three specialty rooms all close that day.
SettingAll-day dining · Ocean views · Buffet & live stations
Our tipFriday is Grand Maldivian Night — book specialty meals around it.
The Village
Italian
Italian coastal cooking on the island's Village Square — hand-made pastas, gnocchi and risotto, paired from the wine list. It is one of the three restaurants the RAAYA Plan's specialty allowance rotates through, so a four-night stay buys you one meal here and each extra night adds another at one of the three.
SettingVillage Square · À la carte · Pre-booking required
Our tipClosed Fridays — the specialty rooms all go dark for the gala.
AMPERS&ND
Pan-Asian
Pan-Asian cooking with locally landed seafood, premium cuts and a proper vegetarian list, served three ways — beachfront cabanas on the sand, indoors with live music, or upstairs on the rooftop. It sits at the island's northern tip, which is where the sunsets are, and it is the only specialty room that also runs as a bar.
SettingBeachfront cabanas · Live music · Rooftop above
Our tipAsk for a cabana at dinner — they face the sunset directly.
MIZĀJ
Middle Eastern
Arabic for 'mood', and the venue earns it — a poolside pavilion by day that converts into an à la carte Middle Eastern fine-dining room after dark, with the mezze and grills served under the palms. Dinner only, pre-booked, and the third of the three restaurants the plan's specialty allowance rotates through.
SettingPoolside pavilion · À la carte · Dinner only
Our tipDinner only, and it needs booking a day ahead in high season.
Seb's Farm
Farm-to-Table
The island grows vegetables, fruit, herbs and poultry at its centre, with a hydroponic garden alongside, and this is where it gets eaten — rustic tables among the beds, the catch of the day, and drinks made with produce picked that morning. Pick your ingredients on the morning farm tour and they come back as a private dinner that evening.
Our tipThe farm tour is free on the plan — the meals here are not.
SOAQ
Pool Bar
The main pool bar, under screwpine shade with the sand and the lagoon running away from it. Cocktails and premium pours run on the plan through the afternoon and evening, the kitchen sends out bar snacks, arancini and pizza across the middle of the day, and Maldivian hedhikaa short-eats land in the late afternoon.
SettingMain pool · Screwpine shade · Beachfront
Our tipHedhikaa short-eats land late afternoon — the best free snack here.
AMPERS&ND Rooftop Bar
Cocktails
The open-air counter above the Pan-Asian restaurant, level with the treetops at the island's northern point and pointed straight at the sunset. Sheesha and cocktails from late afternoon until the small hours, and a resident DJ plays the sundowner slot every Tuesday.
SettingRooftop · Sunset views · Sheesha
Our tipTuesday is the sundowner DJ slot — the busiest bar hour on the island.
Seb's Shack
Beach Bar
A rustic timber shack on the sand doing iced teas, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, cold beers and light plates, open for a short late-afternoon window only. It is the natural stop coming off a snorkelling boat, and its short hours make it the closest thing the island has to a locals' bar.
SettingBeach shack · Late afternoon only · Light eats
Our tipA late-afternoon window only — time it to the snorkelling shuttle.
RAAYA Hub
Sports Bar
The sports bar sits inland in the greenery beside the padel court, the futsal pitch, the mini-golf course and the skate circuit, which is exactly the point — it is where a game ends. Cold beers, cocktails and mocktails on the plan from midday until late, and full access to the sports facilities comes with the room.
SettingSports Zone · Inland greenery · Latest bar on the island
Our tipThe last bar still pouring once the rooftop has closed.
Meal Plans
Dining Inclusions
One plan, no tiers. The RAAYA Plan™ is the only way the resort sells: it covers every meal at RAAYA Life, premium spirits, wines and beers across eight venues, a daily minibar, snorkel gear, non-motorised watersports and the whole sports zone. Specialty dining, spa treatments, the two excursions and the return seaplane unlock at four nights.
The specialty rotation starts at four nights — one meal at AMPERS&ND, The Village or MIZĀJ, then one more per extra night. Seb's Farm is chargeable and sits outside it.
Plan
Restaurants
Alcohol
Minibar
~pp/day
RAAYA Plan (All-Inclusive)
All venues · Specialty rotation by stay length
Premium
Daily
Included
RAAYA Plan (All-Inclusive)Included
All venues · Specialty rotation by stay length
AlcoholPremiumMinibarDaily
Meal plan prices are a guide only — generally an average across the year. Resorts can change them at any time, they often vary by season, and a plan sold in one season may not be offered in another. We'll confirm what's available and the exact price for your dates.
Experiences & Activities
Your Days on the Island
This is the rare Maldives island with a land programme worth planning around: a skate circuit, a BMX track, padel, futsal and mini-golf sit inland in the Sports Zone, and a working farm, an artist's studio and a mangrove walkway fill the rest. The water side runs a PADI dive centre, a daily snorkelling shuttle and the full motorised fleet.
Water Sports & Diving
PADI dive centre · daily snorkelling shuttle · full motorised fleet
Daily snorkelling shuttle to nearby sitesOne shuttle per day included · pre-register
Snorkel gear for the whole stayIncluded on the plan
Guided reef dives$125 per dive, falling to $100 from the tenth
PADI Open Water course$800 · 5 confined sessions and 4 open-water dives
Discover Scuba and Bubblemaker$175 and $145 · Bubblemaker takes ages 8–10
Night diving$150 per dive
Turtle Quest, Coral Garden & Desert Island, night snorkelling$95, $110 and $70 · minimum four, six for the night trip
Windsurfing, kayaks and paddleboardsIncluded · windsurfers need a competence check
Jet ski, flyboard, wakeboard and towablesJet ski from $95 for 15 minutes · all chargeable
Jet car across the lagoon$145 for two on a 15-minute ride · a marine supercar, rare here
The shuttle, not the shore. The good coral here is a short boat ride away rather than a swim off the sand, so the resort runs a snorkelling shuttle every day and includes it. Guests consistently rate the water between the two water-villa arcs, in front of the watersports centre, as the best in-lagoon spot.
Excursions & Cruises
Two included on four-night stays · seasonal manta and whale shark trips
Traditional sunset fishingOne per guest included on stays of four nights or more
Sunset cruiseOne per guest included on stays of four nights or more
Dolphin quest cruise$100 · 90 minutes · minimum six people
Manta snorkelling$150 · seasonal · two hours
Whale shark snorkellingSeasonal · absent from the current Koamas price list — ask first
Local island visit$75 · 90 minutes · minimum four people
Turtle snorkelling and sandbank visit$120 · two hours · minimum four people
Big-game and sport fishing charters$1,200 for two hours, $1,500 for four, $1,900 for eight
Spa & Wellness
ELE|NA Ayur · treatments released by length of stay · UNO salon
45-minute treatment from the plan spa menuOne at 4 nights, two at 8, three at 12 · adults 18+
Kan'duge warm sand-pouch therapyA Maldivian remedy for muscular pain and stiff joints
Stress-buster massageTherapist works the problem areas rather than a fixed routine
Coffee or coconut body scrubSeasonal — the island's own coconut when it's in
Couples treatmentsUp to four 45-minute sessions for two
Fitness centre and open-air yoga pavilionBoth included · weekly yoga and strength sessions
UNO unisex salonHair, nails, facials and waxing · chargeable, outside the plan
Sports & Recreation
Skate circuit, BMX track, padel, futsal and mini-golf, all inland
Skate park with ramps and obstaclesRare in the Maldives · included
BMX track$15 for 30 minutes, $35 guided · $65 family package
Padel tennis courtIncluded · racquets from the Sports Zone
Futsal courtIncluded · pick-up games most evenings
Mini-golf courseIncluded
Dhoni-building workshop at the Artist ZoneOne per stay included — you take the boat home
Mangrove nature walkGuided and included · the island kept its mangrove forest
Farm tour at Seb's FarmComplimentary each morning · the harvest-to-plate dinner is not
Watch towers for stargazingThree of them, spread along the island
A skate park and a BMX track on a Maldives island. The Sports Zone is the thing that makes this island different: a skate circuit, a purpose-built BMX track, a padel court, a futsal pitch and a mini-golf course, all inland in the forest, all included except the BMX. The sports bar is deliberately built next to them.
Kids & Family
Discovery Den · Seb's treasure hunt · zipline, trampoline and a shipwreck
Discovery Den kids clubDaily organised activities included on the plan
Natural playground with zipline and trampolineBuilt into the forest rather than fenced off
Seb's shipwreck to climbA recreated wreck — the island's founding story made physical
Island Explorer ProgramWeekly hunt for Seb’s coin installations, rubbings collected in a Seb Book
Guided arts and craftsDaily at the club
Family dhoni building at the Artist ZoneGuided by local artisans
Family-friendly farm-to-table lunch$100 adult, $50 child under 12
Resort Facilities
What's on the Island
Checked against the resort's own information. If something you need isn't listed, ask us before you book.
Dive centre
Spa
Gym
Yoga
Padel court
Kids club
Lounge at Malé airport
Family & Kids
Family-Friendly Features
This is one of the most genuinely kid-proofed islands in the Maldives, and the reason is that the adventure is built into the forest rather than fenced into a club room. Discovery Den runs daily crafts and a weekly Island Explorer hunt for the coin installations left by Seb, the island's fictional castaway artist, with the rubbings collected into a Seb Book. Outside it there is a natural playground with a zipline, a trampoline and a recreated shipwreck, a skate circuit, a BMX track, mini-golf, futsal and padel. Thirty-four two-bedroom family beach villas give children their own room, and the lagoon is shallow enough to wade a very long way out.
Discovery Den
Ages —
Shallow Lagoon
Calm, shallow water safe for young children
–
Highlights for Kids
Skate park with rampsPurpose-built BMX trackClimbable shipwreckZipline and trampoline in the forestWorking farm you can harvest fromDhoni-building workshop
Family Villa Options
2 Bedroom Family Beach Villa2 Bedroom Family Beach Villa with Pool
Snorkeling & Marine Life
House Reef & Underwater
7.4
Very Good House Reef
Lux Atolls Reef Score · top 40% of Maldives house reefs
Best snorkelling between the water-villa arcs · daily shuttle to the outer reefs
Turtles & blacktips in the lagoon · very shallow, very wide lagoon · seasonal manta and whale shark trips
Kudakurathu's own water is a very large, very shallow lagoon — genuinely excellent for children and first-time snorkellers, and shallow enough to wade a long way out, but the reef structure worth swimming is a short boat ride rather than a shore entry. The resort answers that with a snorkelling shuttle every day, included, and the in-lagoon spot most guests settle on is the water between the two water-villa arcs off the watersports centre. Turtles, blacktips, stingrays and eagle rays all get logged there; the mantas and whale sharks are seasonal boat trips, not residents.
Marine life observations sourced from dive logs and guest reports.
Regularly spotted here (+7)
Reef Sharks
Blacktips through the shallows — small ones close to the beach
Sea Turtles
Regular enough that the dive centre sells a dedicated Turtle Quest trip
Stingrays
Work the sand flats, most often around dusk
Tropical Reef Fish
Fusiliers, parrotfish, anemonefish and bannerfish across the lagoon
Octopus
On the reef flat rather than the sand — look under the overhangs
Dolphins
Spinner pods on the dedicated 90-minute cruise
Eagle Rays
Reported over the drop-off beyond the water villas
Not typical at this reef (−2)
Manta Rays
Seasonal boat excursion only — not a house-reef fixture
Whale Sharks
A seasonal charter, not resident here — South Ari is the year-round zone
Getting There
Transfer from Malé
Kudakurathu sits on the eastern side of Raa Atoll, about 164 km north of Velana International Airport — a 45-minute Manta Air seaplane flight, and the only way in. On stays of four nights or more the return flight is inside the RAAYA Plan, along with the seaplane lounge, its kids' playroom and a glass of champagne on arrival.
Only option
Seaplane
Velana Airport → Kudakurathu (~45 min) · Daylight only
Included on stays of 4+ nights
The return seaplane is complimentary under the RAAYA Plan on stays of four nights or more; shorter stays pay for it. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, so a late-evening landing at Velana means an airport-area overnight.
Resort island map — RAAYA by Atmosphere
Our Take
Who This Resort is For
Reviewed by Tym Lewtak, founder of LuxAtolls·Updated Oct 04, 2026
RAAYA is the Maldives island for people who get restless on a sun lounger. Ninety-nine per cent of the forest was left standing and a skate circuit, a BMX track, padel, futsal, mini-golf, an artist's studio and a working farm were built into it, with a Discovery Den kids club running the castaway story through all of it. One RAAYA Plan rate covers every meal, premium pours, the spa ladder and the sports zone. Worth knowing: the good reef is a shuttle ride, and the specialty restaurants and the free return seaplane only unlock at four nights.
Ideal for
Families with children who need occupying — a skate park, a BMX track, a zipline, a trampoline, a climbable shipwreck and a kids club that runs a weekly island-wide treasure hunt.
Travellers who hate extras arriving at check-out — on four nights or more the return seaplane, the spa treatment, the sunset cruise and the fishing trip are all inside the one rate rather than billed after.
Couples who want more than a beach — Seb's Farm plates what the island grew that morning, and the rooftop bar over AMPERS&ND runs a sundowner DJ every Tuesday.
Anyone booking four nights or more — the specialty rotation, the spa treatment and both excursions only unlock at the fourth night, and everything on the plan compounds from there.
Consider elsewhere if
House-reef snorkellers — the lagoon is huge and shallow but the coral worth swimming needs the daily shuttle, so this is not an island where you fall out of bed onto a reef.
Short three-night stays — no specialty dining, no spa treatment, no excursions and no complimentary seaplane below four nights, which strips a lot out of a plan you are still paying for.
Guests who want quiet all day — the Sports Zone, the kids club and a resort that markets itself on adventure make for a busy island, not a hushed one.
Anyone landing late at Velana — the seaplane is the only route and it flies in daylight, so a night flight means an airport-area overnight before you get here.
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
RAAYA by Atmosphere — FAQ
Are the seaplane transfers included at RAAYA by Atmosphere?
Yes, on stays of four nights or more — the return 45-minute Manta Air seaplane between Velana International Airport and the island is included in the RAAYA Plan, the only rate the resort sells, along with the Noovilu seaplane lounge and a glass of champagne on arrival. Shorter stays pay for the seaplane; the resort publishes no price, so we quote it with the room. Seaplanes fly in daylight only.
What does the RAAYA Plan include?
Every meal at RAAYA Life; premium spirits, wines, beers and cocktails at eight venues; the daily minibar; snorkel gear, kayaks and a daily snorkelling shuttle; the skate circuit, mini-golf, padel and futsal; a dhoni workshop; the farm tour; the kids club. From four nights: the return seaplane, a 45-minute spa treatment, a sunset fishing trip, a sunset cruise and the specialty dining rotation.
Is RAAYA by Atmosphere the same resort as Amari Raaya Maldives?
Yes — the same island. Kudakurathu opened in August 2023 as Amari Raaya Maldives under ONYX Hospitality Group, and Atmosphere Core took over the management and relaunched it as RAAYA by Atmosphere on 4 July 2024, rebuilding the concept around the castaway story of Seb. The review history on TripAdvisor and Booking.com spans both names, which is why older reviews still say Amari.
How good is the house reef and snorkelling at RAAYA?
The lagoon is very wide and shallow — great for children and beginners — but the coral worth swimming is a short boat ride away, so the resort includes a daily snorkelling shuttle. In the lagoon, guests rate the water between the two water-villa arcs, as the best spot: turtles, blacktip reef sharks, stingrays and eagle rays are seen there. Mantas are a seasonal boat trip.
Should I book a beach villa or a water villa at RAAYA?
Beach villas are the bigger group — 22 without a pool at 61 sqm, 50 with a plunge pool at 91 sqm — behind the tree line, near the kids club, farm and Sports Zone. The 32 water villas at 73 sqm and 26 with a pool at 80 sqm sit on two arcs off the north-west point; the two Deluxe Water Villas at 92 sqm add a living area. Families: take a beach villa — only the deluxe pair adds a child.
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