Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Maldives Review: Water Villas - Treehouses & Teppanyaki

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Maldives Review: Premium All Inclusive Paradise

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo is just 15 minutes by speedboat from Malé, a genuine boon when you have been flying long haul from the UK. I took a direct flight, so it was merely 11 hours in the air followed by a brisk, salt-sprayed dash across the lagoon, a mere hop for me nowadays. One barely has time to remove one’s socks before the first coconut arrives.

A Little Island With a Big Place in History

The Maldives is a scattering of coral islands across 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, some 700 kilometres southwest of Sri Lanka, where the land is so low and the water so luminous that the country seems to have been drawn in watercolour. People have lived here for more than 2,500 years. The islands were Buddhist until 1153, when the last Buddhist king, Dhovemi, converted to Islam and founded a sultanate that would last, with one brief interruption, for over eight centuries. The Portuguese came and were swiftly seen off, the Dutch passed through, and in 1887 the islands became a British protectorate, gaining full independence on 26 July 1965 and becoming a republic in 1968.

First Water Villa in the Maldives

Tourism arrived in 1972, and with it the famous Maldivian formula of one island, one resort. Vadoo sits at the northern edge of South Malé Atoll, about 8 kilometres from the capital, which explains that delightfully short transfer. It was here, in 1986, when the island was a modest dive lodge called Vadoo Diving Paradise, that someone had the bright idea of building a villa on stilts over the lagoon. It was the first overwater villa in the Maldives, and it set in motion the wave of stilted villas that now defines every Maldivian postcard. The resort was reborn as Adaaran Prestige Vadoo in 2009, part of the Adaaran group owned by the Sri Lankan conglomerate Aitken Spence, and it is strictly adults only. That historic first villa still stands, though it has found a more soothing vocation, of which more later.

The French, naturellement, got there first: the very first overwater bungalows were built on Raiatea in French Polynesia in 1967 by three Californians known as the ‘Bali Hai Boys’. But it was Vadoo that brought the idea to the Indian Ocean, and the Maldives has never looked back.

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Water Villas

The sunset water villa is quite beautiful: a long, wide, light-filled room with a super size bed, and behind it an equally generous bathroom with a glass floor panel framing the sea below, so that you may brush your teeth while a parrotfish inspects your toes. There is a rain shower, twin marble sinks, an outdoor jacuzzi and a broad wooden terrace overlooking the reef, with a wooden step ladder down into the warm, impossibly clear water. Pieds dans l’eau, as we say, and rarely more literally.

Set within the tranquil expanse of the lagoon, this adults-only sanctuary comprises fifty overwater villas crafted from teak and thatch, linked to the island by winding wooden walkways. Days unfold at a languid lagoon pace, with private butler service and personal plunge pools or jacuzzis in every retreat. Guests can choose from a single villa with an Indian Ocean panoramic view, 19 east-facing sunrise villas, 26 west-facing sunset villas and 4 exclusive honeymoon hideaways, all offering 95 square metres of space and a plush king bed. My advice: go west. The sunrise villas look back towards the distant twinkle of Malé, while the sunset villas gaze out over nothing but open ocean as the sky turns from apricot to flamingo to ink.

Restaurants and Dining

Dining is spread across three restaurants and two bars: the Farivalhu Fine Dining Restaurant, Kithajima Japanese Restaurant and Kakuni Barefoot Beach Restaurant, complemented by the dhoni-shaped Dhoni-Bar beside the pool and the Kandholi Overwater Sky Bar, whose three-sided deck is made for stargazing over a floodlit ocean with something cold in hand.

Lunch at Farivalhu was mahi mahi with a vivid beetroot soup: delicious, healthy and perfectly portioned, which is more than can be said for most hotel lunches. Su Kyi, our concierge, is incredibly sweet and lovely, looking after us as though we were her own family. She noticed immediately that I was dehydrated (long haul will do that to a chap) and recommended a series of wonderful fresh juice blends to perk me up. Within the hour I was restored to something approaching joie de vivre.

Snorkelling With Sharks and Triggerfish

Swim and snorkel around the island and you will not be disappointed. I met a beautiful nurse shark, roughly the same size as me, gliding along the sand with the unhurried air of a retired admiral. There were giant triggerfish everywhere, pair after pair, every five metres or so. They are territorial creatures, and the moment you leave one pair’s patch you enter another’s. These were very peaceful, though some can get decidedly shirty when nesting. The trick, should one take an interest in your fins, is to swim away horizontally rather than upwards, since their territory rises from the seabed like an invisible cone.

Fish everywhere, from the shallowest part of the reef right out to the drop-off, where the coral wall falls away into blue. I always love the drop-off. Like Jacques Mayol in Luc Besson’s 1988 film The Big Blue (Le Grand Bleu), the legendary French freediver played by Jean-Marc Barr, I always want to dive down and keep going until I hit the seabed far below. Sagely, I resisted. L’appel du vide is all very well in movies.

Dream Desert Island Treehouse

Yes, there is a treehouse restaurant. Any child would go nuts for it, and hell, I did too. Picture a treehouse on a desert island, winding over multiple levels around numerous banyan trees, with walkways, rope ladders and individual dining huts tucked high in the branches. It is the sort of thing you dreamt about as a child reading the books of great explorers, only built for grown-ups and serving lobster.

The treehouse lies just past the garden maze, with secret passageways formed by low hung boughs and branches. It is a beautiful garden, particularly at night when lanterns glow among the leaves. Indeed the interior garden is exceptionally beautiful, extending over the whole heart of the island, ornate yet wild. Il faut cultiver notre jardin, said Voltaire, and somebody here has taken him at his word. You can walk round the island in five minutes and swim round it in thirty.

Then came the wine pairing dinner in the treehouse. We began with Don Luciano Charmat Brut, a lovely, crisp Spanish sparkling wine from La Mancha (not Champagne, mes amis, but very cheerful company all the same), followed by a palate cleanser. They also keep a lovely Glenfiddich 12 Year Old for those so inclined. Then a seafood platter crowned with a whole, delicious, juicy lobster. The wines were great and, bien sûr, all inclusive: Pearly Bay Rosé from South Africa’s KWV, Montmeyrac Grande Sélection, Oratoire Saint-Pierre and a Garland Crest Shiraz. Plus they have a marvellous selection of fresh mocktails made with local ingredients, for those who prefer their evenings lucid.

Cooking Class by the Pool

Cooking class with Su Kyi and the Farivalhu Restaurant chef, Shami, assisted by Praveen. We made tuna curry, mas riha as the Maldivians call it, with roshi, the local flatbread. Into the pot went garlic, Maldivian chilli (somewhat hotter than the usual sort, as my eyebrows can confirm), pandan leaves, Maldivian curry powder, coconut, red onion and turmeric. The secret, Chef Shami explained, is to blend each ingredient one by one and slowly, so that every flavour keeps its own voice rather than collapsing into a muddle.

Then a mas huni, the classic Maldivian tuna and coconut salad, made here with fresh yellowfin tuna and kopee leaves, served with rihaakuru, a rich, dark, savoury paste made by simmering tuna broth for hours until it thickens. It is consumed almost daily in Maldivian homes and tastes of the sea in concentrate. Bon appétit, and keep a glass of water nearby.

Cocktail Class in the Sunset Lounge

Our local mixologist showed us how to make various cocktails, including the multicoloured beads that add both a splash of rainbow and a touch of sweetness to your drinks. It is a little like alchemy, only with better results and considerably more ice. I left with a newfound respect for bartenders and a slightly unsteady grasp of the recipes.

Mandara Luxury Spa at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo

A 2.30 appointment at the spa, which occupies the very first water villa in the Maldives, that 1986 original, now converted into a temple of relaxation. Dwi was marvellous, applying just the right pressure, and yes, I fell asleep and snored. Always a good sign of a great massage, and nobody seemed to mind.

Set over the water, the Mandara Luxury Spa provides a tranquil setting with a dedicated reception and retail area, two double treatment rooms with showers, one double room with a bath and an ocean-view relaxation deck where time quietly dissolves. Staffed by experienced Balinese therapists, the spa offers an extensive treatment menu that includes traditional aromatherapy massages alongside results-driven face and body therapies from ELEMIS, the British skincare house.

Dolphin Cruise and Ferrari Jet Ski

Then a dolphin cruise in a traditional dhoni, the graceful wooden boat of the Maldives, around the islands and even as far as Malé. It is very exciting as you scan the horizon for the white tips on the waves that signal a pod of dolphins playing at the surface, popping up to breathe. We watched them frolic around the boat, racing along the bow, mothers and babies swimming side by side while others showed off, flipping into the air, twisting and plunging back into the water with a splash worthy of applause.

One of the oddest things I spotted was a jet ski shaped like a Ferrari, speeding away towards Malé: a two-seater, side by side, with wheels and everything. Très chic, très bizarre. The dolphins, I am pleased to report, preferred our dhoni.

Kithajima Japanese Restaurant: Exceptional Asian Cuisine and Wagyu

Then to Kithajima, the Japanese restaurant upstairs above Farivalhu, where breakfast and lunch are served. We sat at the counter so the sushi chef could show off his skills, and we ordered the special teppanyaki menu at 790 USD. The cocktails are amazing: a Japanese hanami cocktail, named after the cherry blossom viewing season, with a matcha tea ice crown floating on top, followed by a warm sake.

Then came sashimi, lobster, wagyu steak and sushi. The sashimi and sushi were prepared before our eyes, super sharp knives flicking through the air with surgical precision, before the lobster and wagyu were cooked in huge, roaring flames. At one point the chef disappeared entirely behind a wall of fire and I briefly wondered whether we should call someone. He emerged, unsinged, with perfect wagyu. Chapeau.

Ice Creams and Weddings

One last go at the self-service ice cream parlour, where I constructed a cornetto with absolutely everything on it, dignity notwithstanding. We watched a wedding performed on the beach, with a flower-strewn walkway and pergola framing the sea. There can be no more stunning location in the world to get married or to renew your vows.

Why Adaaran Prestige Vadoo

Having visited two Adaaran Maldivian islands, I can tell you that the secret sauce is the people. They are kind and attentive, and they look after you as family, or as long lost friends in need of some loving care and attention. The service is exceptional, and from the moment you arrive you feel special and relaxed. Nothing can go wrong; you are going to have the time of your life. The island is stunning, a beautiful desert island with extremely luxurious water villas, surrounded by gorgeous reefs and millions of multi-hued aquatic creatures of every shape and size. You could spend a month snorkelling and never see the same thing twice.

Guests can enjoy an array of activities and excursions, including boat trips into dolphin-filled waters, thrilling water sports and scuba diving sessions around the resort reef and nearby Vadoo dive sites, among them the Vaadhoo Caves, a chain of coral caves and swim-throughs. The historic Vadoo house reef offers exceptional marine exploration, complemented by traditional sunset dhoni cruises and morning fishing excursions in the tropical waters. Visitors can also take island strolls beneath swaying palms, alongside unique experiences such as the Whale Submarine tour from Malé. The scuba dive centre is run by DivePoint, founded in 1988 by Marcus Hauck, an incredible dive company run by terrific people who make every dive memorable and friendly. Their motto is “Dive with Friends”, and they mean it.

Highly recommended as a place to work out, destress and improve your fitness and wellness. Indeed, a week here will make you live longer, if only so that you can come back again. The resort tells me it enjoys a 40 per cent repeat guest rate. I am not remotely surprised. À bientôt, Vadoo.

Find out more here: Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Maldives Water Villas

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Adaaran Prestige Vadoo?
On Vadoo island at the northern edge of South Malé Atoll in the Maldives, about 8 kilometres from the capital, Malé.

How do you get to Adaaran Prestige Vadoo?
Fly into Velana International Airport, Malé, then take the resort’s speedboat transfer, which takes around 15 minutes. There is no seaplane needed, so late arrivals are not a problem.

How long is the flight from the UK to the Maldives?
A direct flight from London takes roughly 10 to 11 hours.

Is Adaaran Prestige Vadoo adults only?
Yes. The resort is adults only and does not accept children under 18.

What type of accommodation does Adaaran Prestige Vadoo have?
Fifty overwater villas of around 95 square metres: sunrise villas, sunset villas, honeymoon villas and one Indian Ocean panoramic villa, each with a king bed, butler service, glass floor panel, jacuzzi or plunge pool and direct steps into the lagoon.

What does the premium all inclusive package cover?
Meals at the resort’s restaurants and drinks from the premium all inclusive drinks menu, including wines and spirits, plus non-motorised water sports. Some experiences, such as the special teppanyaki menu, diving, spa treatments and excursions, cost extra, so check current terms when booking.

What restaurants and bars are there?
Farivalhu Fine Dining Restaurant, Kithajima Japanese Restaurant and Kakuni Barefoot Beach Restaurant, plus the Kandholi Overwater Sky Bar and the poolside Dhoni-Bar. There is also a treehouse dining experience among the banyan trees.

Is the snorkelling good at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo?
Excellent. The house reef runs along a coral wall close to the villas, with nurse sharks, titan triggerfish, turtles and dense shoals of reef fish within easy reach of your terrace ladder.

Can you scuba dive at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo?
Yes. The on-site dive centre is run by DivePoint and visits the house reef and nearby sites such as the Vaadhoo Caves.

What is special about the spa?
The Mandara Spa occupies the first overwater villa ever built in the Maldives, constructed on Vadoo in 1986, and offers Balinese massages and ELEMIS treatments.

Can you get married at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo?
Yes. The resort hosts beach weddings and vow renewals with flower-decked walkways and pergolas on the sand.

When is the best time to visit the Maldives?
The dry season, roughly November to April, brings the calmest seas and most sunshine. May to October is wetter but quieter and often better value.

Find out more here: Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Maldives Water Villas