NH Havodda Maldives: A True Paradise With The Best House Reef
- Suzana Lelic
- Feb 13
- 5 min read
The Maldives—a place I’d always heard about but had never actually seen for myself. For G, though, it was different. He had been talking about this place for years, calling it heaven on earth, one of the best diving spots in the world, and a destination you’d want to return to every single year—not just a once-in-a-lifetime trip for honeymooners.
Naturally, I was curious (and maybe a little skeptical) as I heard different stories about it. Was this really the ultimate paradise, or was it just another picture-perfect destination that looked great on Instagram but felt overrated in real life? There was only one way to find out.
Getting to NH Havodda Maldives
It was a long journey but totally worth it !
We decided to ring in the New Year in style, flying out on December 31st with two other couples. Our journey started in Milan, where we took an Emirates flight to Dubai—and let me just say, what a difference from the EgyptAir experience we had a few months before.
btw I am still waiting for EgyptAir to compensate for my broken luggage and all the PTSD. I am not going to stop writing about it until they refund me or send me a new luggage.
Emirates, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Welcoming stuff, comfortable seats,
After a quick stopover in Dubai, we boarded our next flight to Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Most resorts in the Maldives are reached by seaplane, which, I have to admit, would have been pretty cool. But since NH Havodda is located far south in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, we had to take a domestic flight instead. Three-hour layover in Malé, a short 1 hr flight to a nearby island, and finally, a speedboat arranged by the hotel to reach the resort.
It does sound a bit complicated especially as I am writing this, but eventually everything went smoothly. No delays, no stress—just a bit of anticipation building up as we got closer and closer to paradise.
First Impressions: Maldives Magic
By the time we finally stepped onto the island, all the travel time was completely forgotten.
The moment you arrive, you just get it. The water is insanely blue, the sand feels like powdered sugar, and the entire place has this unreal, postcard-perfect vibe—except it’s actually real.
The welcome? Warm, friendly, and effortless. The NH Havodda team greeted us with music, cool towels, refreshments, and big smiles —exactly what you need after a long journey.
We were then escorted to our villa, and this is where I had my wow moment.
The rooms: Overwater villas
Let's talk about rooms. This part was really beautiful. The rooms are super spacious with an unbelievable view, of course when you are staying in the overwater villa it is a completely different experience. I am a fan of beach villas as I really like to put my feet in the sand first thing in the morning, but let me tell you the only thing better than that is probably putting your feet in the water.
The bed was super comfortable and the bathroom just heavenly with the shower overlooking the picturesque scenery.
The House Reef
One of the biggest surprises? The house reef at NH Havodda in Maldives was probably the best we have seen so far.
I’ve been to plenty of places where resorts advertise a great house reef, only to find a couple of corals and a handful of fish but not here, here it was alive.
We have never experienced anything like it.
And the best part? You can literally reach it straight from your villa.
The visibility is great and there is so much marine life that you really don't even have to go far or do scuba diving as you can see most of life just there at your house reef. How amazing is that? There was everything to see, turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, turtles cruising like they have been there for ages. Snorkeling here really felt like you are inside of a giant acquarium.
I will say that this house reef alone makes NH Havodda worth visiting.
Food
I’ll be honest—before arriving, I had low expectations for food in the Maldives. It’s an island in the middle of the ocean, so I assumed we’d get decent but forgettable buffet meals. Also I read so many reviews in top hotels and none of them were completely happy with the diversity and the offer. And honestly I assumed that it will be easy for me to loose a few kilos during my stay.
I was completely wrong.
The food was outstanding throughout our stay, with fresh ingredients, great variety, and flavors that actually exceeded expectations. But the real highlight?
The pizza restaurant. 🍕 wow, G is Italian and even he could not resist having a pizza almost every single day. Also our other Italians friends were super impressed and Italians approve, you know it's legit.
If I had to nitpick, a few more dining options would have been nice, and the beach ''fine dining'' grill could do with a bit more variety, just to mix things up for longer stays. But honestly, everything we ate was delicious and I don't remember being so happy to come to the same buffet every single day for 8 days.
The Staff
The staff was beyond incredible. A special shoutout to Anvy who was always friendly, professional, and always one step ahead, making sure we had everything we needed before we even had to ask. He even went snorkeling with us the last day and made some incredible content with our goPro.
Everyone from the restaurant staff to the boat crew made us feel welcome, and that level of hospitality really stood out. We have nothing to complain about here!
The Spa & Gym
I don’t always book spa treatments when traveling, especially as it can be overpriced and not as good as my local massueuses . Let's just say that I’m so glad I did here. The spa at NH Havodda was exceptional, with professional masseuses who really knew what they were doing.
Highly recommend to book your massage or a treatment here.
I skipped the gym during my stay as I had other activities, however the little that I saw from the door, this might be an area where the hotel could use some improvement. It was a bit small.
Diving: Good, But Not the Best We’ve Seen
Now, let’s talk about diving. More about diving in this atoll you can read here.
But shortly, was it amazing ? Or course it was, every diving is. Was it the best we've ever experienced ? Not quite but is was pretty great.
The conditions were still fantastic, and we had some great dives, but overall, we’d rate the diving a 7/10.
That said, the dive instructors and managers, Chad and Joel, were fantastic. Super knowledgeable, friendly, and made every dive fun.
One thing to note: The diving center’s pricing was a bit unclear. Additional fees like boat charges weren’t included in the base price, which we only realized when we got the final bill. Equipment rental was also on the expensive side, so if you plan to dive a lot, double-check all pricing upfront.
The Island: A Dream for Some, But Not for Everyone 🌴🌞
NH Havodda is a true remote paradise—quiet, unspoiled, and incredibly peaceful.
For us, it was absolute perfection. But for travelers who aren’t into snorkeling, diving, or just straight-up relaxing, there’s not much else to do.
If you’re someone who needs constant activities, nightlife, or excursions, this might not be the best fit for a long stay. For 3-4 days? Amazing. For a full two weeks? Only if you love the slow island life. Like us. And we can't wait to be back :)
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