Cycle a 1.6-kilometre garden island, dine in the treetops at ZERO, and swim South Ari's year-round whale-shark reef — with Villa's own airline landing you five minutes away at Maamigili.
Sun Island ran for 25 years as the Maldives' biggest resort; Villa Resorts renovated it in 2022 and relaunched it as Villa Park in April 2023. Nalaguraidhoo is still the largest resort island in the country — 1.6 km of gardens, five restaurants and 462 villas — sitting inside the South Ari marine protected area, with the group's own airport one island over. Scale, not seclusion, is the deal.
462 villas across sixteen categories — the deepest room inventory in the Maldives, from 35 sqm Beach Villas to a 456 sqm two-bedroom pool residence. The spread below groups the ones guests actually choose between: garden-and-beach rooms, the pool categories added in the 2022 renovation, the 72 overwater villas, and the family stock.
Deluxe Beach Pool VillaSleeps 2 · adults only170 sqmPool$9••
OverwaterNo pool
Water Villas
From
$5••
73–201 sqm ·Average size
Water VillaSleeps 373 sqmNo pool$5••
Sunset Water VillaSleeps 373 sqmNo pool$6••
Two Bedroom Overwater SuiteSleeps 6201 sqmNo pool$1,•••
Family2 of 3
Family Villas & Residences
From
$9••
96–456 sqm ·2× larger than avg
Two Bedroom Family Beach VillaSleeps 696 sqmNo pool$9••
Two Bedroom Beach Pool VillaSleeps 6242 sqmPool$2,•••
Two Bedroom Beach Pool HouseSleeps 6456 sqmPool$2,•••
Not sure which villa is right? We'll match you based on your group size, budget and priorities.
Villa prices are rack rates per night — the lowest on the resort's current contract, before any offer. Today's offers are applied in the packages below and in your quote. We'll confirm exact pricing for your dates. Rates as of 2 Oct 2026.
Packages FromGet your secret price
$1,717 / couple
5 nights · Sun Villa · Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily · Green tax included · Transfers extra
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5 nights in the Sun Villa with Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily — $1,717 for two including Maldives Green Tax, travelling 1 Nov – 23 Dec 2026. 15% off the villa rate. Transfers extra. Upgrade to All-Inclusive for $950 for two.
Share your dates & preferences — we'll build your perfect package.
Dining
5 Restaurants & 5 Bars
The 2023 relaunch rebuilt the dining line-up around the island's scale: the Maaniya buffet anchors the meal plans — with a second buffet room, Southern Star, marked on the current island map for the southern wings — then à la carte spreads across Thai at Sun Star, Italian at Al Pontile, Japanese at the beachside Teppanyaki, and ZERO in the jungle canopy. The bar count runs from a speciality coffee shop to the Mekunu pool bar, with a beach bar on the map besides.
Maaniya
International
The open-air main buffet, turning through international stations at every service for the island's beach-villa guests.
SettingMain restaurant · Open-air · All meals
Our tipMenus change daily — the Maldivian curries and local catch are the constants
ZERO
Contemporary
The signature: an à la carte dining room built into the treetops of Nalaguraidhoo's jungle interior, plating menus around produce grown in the island's own gardens.
SettingTreetop · Jungle canopy · Lunch & dinner
Our tipGarden-grown produce drives the menu — ask what was picked that morning
Sun Star
Thai
Oriental à la carte over the lagoon shallows, running one of the longest kitchens on the island — Thai classics from mid-morning through the evening.
SettingLagoon-side · All day
Our tipAsk for the candlelit wraparound deck over the lagoon
Al Pontile
Italian
Fresh pasta, tortellini and hand-stretched pizzas with a sunset aspect, plus flame-grilled steak, calamari and lobster — and the only villa pizza-delivery service in this corner of South Ari.
SettingSunset-facing · Dinner & delivery
Our tipPizza delivers to your villa — the family lunch cheat code
Teppanyaki
Japanese
Live-fire Japanese counters on the beach — knife work and grill theatre at lunch and dinner sittings.
SettingBeachside · Live counters
Our tipBeyond the grill theatre: prawn, octopus and tuna sashimi, with Japanese beers
Vaani Bar
Coffee Shop
Ethically sourced speciality coffee — the island's late-night room.
SettingIndoor · Late-night
Our tipJet-lag headquarters
Mekunu Bar
Pool Bar
The main pool bar and the island's social engine, with live music and entertainment into the night.
SettingPoolside · Live music
Our tipWhere the island ends its evenings
Garden Bar
Cocktails
Cocktails, wine and light plates inside the gardens that gave the island its reputation — quieter than the pool scene.
SettingGarden · Light meals
Our tipThe calm alternative when Mekunu has a band on
La Tropicana
Wine Bar
A daytime wine-and-beverage room — aperitif hour before the dinner sittings begin.
SettingDaytime · Wine & beverages
Our tipTake the aperitif here, then walk to dinner
Pool Bar
Pool Bar
Daytime service on the main pool — swim-up refreshment while Mekunu handles the evenings.
SettingPoolside · Daytime
Our tipDaytime twin of Mekunu — same pool, before the evening crowd
Meal Plans
Dining Inclusions
Four board bases anchored on the Maaniya buffet. Supplements are priced with the villa and season — and Villa runs free Full-Board-to-All-Inclusive upgrade promotions across many 2026–27 dates, so ask before paying for AI.
Plan
Restaurants
Alcohol
Minibar
~pp/day
Bed & Breakfast
Maaniya (B)
—
—
Included
Half Board
Maaniya (B+D)
—
—
Included
Full Board
Maaniya (B+L+D)
—
—
Included
All-Inclusive
Maaniya · house pours at 2 bars
House
Daily
+$95
Bed & BreakfastIncluded
Maaniya (B)
Alcohol—Minibar—
Half BoardIncluded
Maaniya (B+D)
Alcohol—Minibar—
Full BoardIncluded
Maaniya (B+L+D)
Alcohol—Minibar—
All-Inclusive+$95 pp/day
Maaniya · house pours at 2 bars
AlcoholHouseMinibarDaily
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
South Ari's marine protected area does the heavy lifting: the world's most reliable whale-shark aggregation patrols the atoll's outer reef year-round, with diveOceanus running the trips. On land the island itself is the activity — 1.6 km of gardens to cycle, the Maldives' largest kids club, Araamu Spa under the palms, and floodlit tennis after dark.
Water Sports & Diving
Year-round whale sharks in SAMPA · diveOceanus PADI centre
Whale shark snorkelling tripsYear-round in SAMPA — the world's most reliable site
diveOceanus PADI dive centreCourses from try-dive to pro · South Ari thila trips
House reef snorkellingBest off the water-villa end of the island
Stand-up paddleboarding
Kayaking the lagoon
Manta trips in seasonSouth Ari cleaning stations · peak Jun–Nov
Snorkelling excursions across South AriGuided boat runs to the atoll's outer reefs
Whale Sharks, All Year. Nalaguraidhoo sits inside the South Ari Marine Protected Area, the only place on earth where whale sharks feed year-round rather than seasonally. Sightings concentrate along the atoll's outer reef minutes from the resort, and diveOceanus runs snorkel and dive trips to the aggregation most days.
Excursions & Cruises
Whale-shark safaris · fishing trips · Maamigili island hops
Whale shark safariThe signature excursion — snorkellers and divers both catered
Sunset fishingTraditional hand-line trips
Local island visitMaamigili — Villa's home island, one speedboat hop away
Dolphin cruisesSpinner pods in the South Ari channels
Sandbank escapes
Private dining setupsBeach and garden venues bookable through guest services
Spa & Wellness
Araamu Spa · Studio Park fitness · jungle rituals
Araamu SpaVilla Resorts' spa brand — treatment rooms under the coconut palms
Jungle ritualsTreatments staged in the island's interior greenery
Studio ParkThe fitness studio — classes and equipment sessions
Couples' treatments
Sauna & steam facilities
Sports & Recreation
1.6 km island to cycle · floodlit tennis · beach games
Island cyclingThe 1.6 km garden island is the Maldives' biggest to explore
Floodlit tennisEvening play after the heat drops
Beach games programmeVolleyball and organised beach sessions
Live music at Mekunu BarEntertainment runs to 1am
Garden walksNalaguraidhoo's plantings made Sun Island famous
Mini golf
Football field & basketball-volleyball court
Nature park & hydroponics gardenThe Green Fingers growing plots supply ZERO’s kitchen
Kids & Family
Park Players — billed as the Maldives' largest kids club
Park Players Kids ClubVilla Resorts bills it as the largest kids club in the Maldives
Creative workshopsCraft and imagination sessions run by the club team
Outdoor adventure sessionsIsland-scale games across the gardens and beach
Babysitting on requestFee applies — guests report the club takes children from about 4 unaccompanied
Family snorkelling tripsCalm-lagoon sessions before the outer-reef graduation
Two-bedroom family stockFrom 96 sqm family villas to the 456 sqm pool residence
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
Tennis court
Kids club
Family & Kids
Family-Friendly Features
The island is the playground: 1.6 kilometres of gardens and beach that children cross by bike, Park Players — billed as the Maldives' largest kids club — running creative workshops and outdoor adventures, and a lagoon calm enough for first snorkels before the family graduates to the whale-shark boats. Al Pontile delivers pizza to the villa until 11pm, which solves more family dinners than any kids' menu.
Park Players
Ages All ages
Babysitting
Available on request
Shallow Lagoon
Calm, shallow water safe for young children
Highlights for Kids
Park Players kids club1.6 km island to explore by bikeWhale-shark snorkel tripsVilla pizza delivery
Family Villa Options
Two-bedroom Family Beach VillaTwo-bedroom Beach Pool VillaTwo-bedroom Beach Pool Residence
Snorkeling & Marine Life
House Reef & Underwater
7
Very Good House Reef
Lux Atolls Reef Score · the atoll is the star
Lagoon entry · easy swimming · best snorkelling off the water-villa end
Nalaguraidhoo is a big lagoon island: swimming is easy everywhere, and the better house-reef snorkelling concentrates off the water-villa end where the lagoon meets deeper water. The reason divers and snorkellers book South Ari, though, swims past offshore — the atoll's outer reef holds the world's only year-round whale-shark aggregation, minutes away by dhoni, with Madivaru's manta cleaning stations peaking June to November. diveOceanus runs both, plus the atoll's thilas, from the island.
PADI dive center on-site. Night snorkeling available. Marine life observations sourced from dive logs and guest reports.
Regularly spotted here (+7)
Whale Sharks
Year-round in South Ari — the world's most reliable aggregation, minutes offshore
Manta Rays
South Ari cleaning stations — peak season Jun–Nov
Sea Turtles
Hawksbill and green on excursion reefs and the lagoon edge
Reef Sharks
Blacktips at the marked Shark Point and along the outer reef
Tropical Reef Fish
Parrotfish, butterflyfish and fusilier schools on the outer reefs
Dolphins
Spinner pods on the dusk cruise routes
Stingrays
Resident rays at the marked Sting Ray Point on the house reef
Not typical at this reef (−1)
Hammerhead Sharks
Not a South Ari species — Rasdhoo and the deep south are the spots
Getting There
Transfer from Malé
A 20-minute domestic flight from Velana International Airport to Maamigili Airport — owned and served by Villa's own airline — followed by a five-minute speedboat to the resort jetty. Return cost is USD 385 per adult including both legs; children aged 2–11 pay USD 193 and infants travel free. Flights run through the day, so late international arrivals connect the same evening.
Only option
Domestic Flight + Speedboat
Velana → Maamigili (20 min) + speedboat (5 min)
~$385 pp roundtrip
Villa's own airline serves Maamigili through the day; children 2–11 pay USD 193. One-way domestic transfer is free on 7+ night stays April–September.
Resort island map — Villa Park Sun Island
Our Take
Who This Resort is For
Reviewed by Tym Lewtak, founder of LuxAtolls·Updated Sep 27, 2026
Villa Park is the Maldives at its most democratic: the country's biggest resort island, renovated in 2022 and relaunched under Villa Resorts' new flag, selling 5-star facilities at 4-star money inside the world's only year-round whale-shark habitat. The dining rebuild — treetop ZERO, Thai to 11pm, villa pizza delivery — fixed the old Sun Island's weakest flank, and the group's own airline makes the transfer cheap and late-arrival-proof. It trades intimacy for scale, and on those terms it is South Ari's standout family value.
Ideal for
Families — Park Players is billed as the Maldives' largest kids club, the two-bedroom stock runs to a 456 sqm pool residence, and the 1.6 km island gives kids genuine room to roam
Whale-shark hunters on a budget — SAMPA's year-round aggregation is minutes away, at nightly rates the dedicated dive resorts can't match
Value seekers who want a 5-star badge — villas from around $180 and a published $385 transfer undercut almost everything in South Ari
Guests who like big-resort energy — five restaurants, five bars, live music to 1am and a 24-hour coffee shop
Consider elsewhere if
Barefoot-seclusion romantics — 462 villas on the country's largest resort island is the opposite of intimate
House-reef purists — the lagoon is easy-swimming rather than drop-off snorkelling; the marquee reef life is a boat ride away
Guests wanting all-à-la-carte polish — the buffet anchors the meal plans, with the speciality venues on supplements
Anyone who dislikes rebrand blur — signage, reviews and packages still mix 'Sun Island' and 'Villa Park' naming
Included in your stay
What every stay includes
Taken from the resort's current contract — the same terms behind the prices on this page. Celebrating? Extra touches are included for honeymoons, anniversaries and birthdays — tell us when you enquire.
Meet and Greet service on arrival at the airport.
Welcome refreshments on arrival to the Resort.
The Resort will provide a drinking water bottle (1 liter) per person per day in the room.
Drinking water at mealtimes served by glass.
Tea and Coffee included during buffet meals at the main restaurant.
Tea and Coffee making facilities in the room (replenished once daily).
WiFi in all rooms and public areas.
Gymnasium (excluding personal trainer).
Land sports (excluding coach and instructors); Badminton, Snooker/Billiards, Table Tennis, Darts, Beach Volleyball, Squash,
Daylight Tennis & Basketball.
Honeymoon inclusions
A Bottle of Sparkling Wine and a Fruit Basket
Anniversary inclusions
A Bottle of Sparkling Wine and a Cake
.
Birthday inclusions
A Birthday Cake and a bottle of wine
Pricing by travel date 8 travel windows · $1,717–$3,639 +
Travel window
Sun Villa
Beach Pool Villa
Water Villa
Two Bedroom Family Beach Villa
16 Oct – 31 Oct 2026
$1,998+$376/night
$5,058+$988/night
$3,492+$674/night
$5,760+$1,128/night
1 Nov – 23 Dec 2026
$1,717+$319/night
$3,824+$741/night
$3,492+$674/night
$4,914+$959/night
24 Dec 2026 – 10 Jan 2027
$3,639+$704/night
$6,155+$1,207/night
$5,904+$1,157/night
$9,826+$1,941/night
11 Jan – 5 Apr 2027
$2,778+$531/night
$4,310+$838/night
$3,615+$699/night
$7,648+$1,506/night
6 Apr – 10 May 2027
$1,998+$376/night
$5,058+$988/night
$3,492+$674/night
$5,760+$1,128/night
11 May – 31 Jul 2027
$1,812+$338/night
$4,566+$889/night
$3,156+$607/night
$5,232+$1,022/night
1 Aug – 31 Aug 2027
$1,998+$376/night
$5,058+$988/night
$3,492+$674/night
$5,760+$1,128/night
1 Sept – 30 Sept 2027
$1,812+$338/night
$4,566+$889/night
$3,156+$607/night
$5,232+$1,022/night
5 nights per couple. Extra-night rates shown beneath each price. Transfers are quoted separately — ask us and we’ll confirm the exact total for your dates.
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
Villa Park Sun Island — FAQ
Is Villa Park the same as Sun Island Resort?
Yes — Sun Island Resort & Spa was renovated in 2022 and relaunched as Villa Park in April 2023, part of Villa Resorts' group-wide rebrand (its sister Paradise Island became Villa Nautica). Same island — Nalaguraidhoo in South Ari — same 462-villa scale, with rebuilt dining and refreshed villas. Reviews and packages under either name refer to the same property.
How do you get to Villa Park Sun Island?
A 20-minute domestic flight from Velana International Airport to Maamigili — the South Ari airport owned by Villa's own airline — then a five-minute speedboat. The return transfer costs USD 385 per adult, USD 193 for children aged 2–11, and is free for under-2s. Flights run through the day, so late arrivals connect the same evening.
Can you see whale sharks at Villa Park?
This is the resort's headline card: Nalaguraidhoo sits inside the South Ari Marine Protected Area, home to the world's only year-round whale-shark aggregation. Sightings concentrate along the atoll's outer reef minutes from the island, and diveOceanus runs snorkel and dive trips most days. Mantas join seasonally, peaking June to November.
Is Villa Park good for families?
It is built for them — Villa Resorts bills Park Players as the largest kids club in the Maldives, and the island won Leading Family Resort at the 2024 South Asian Travel Awards. Family stock runs from 96 sqm two-bedroom villas to a 456 sqm pool residence, and the 1.6 km island absorbs energetic children like nowhere else.
Which villa should you book at Villa Park Sun Island?
Sun and Beach Villas from about $180–190 are the value play; the 2022-renovation Beach Pool Villas (from about $834) add private pools; and the 73 sqm Water Villas (from about $340) deliver the overwater experience at one of South Ari's lowest entry prices. Families should compare the two-bedroom categories before booking singles — the per-person maths usually wins.
Villa Park Sun IslandFrom $1,717 per couple · 5 nights
From
$1,717
per couple · 5 nights
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Quotes handled by Tym's team of Maldives travel professionals. 24-hour response.
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