JOALI BEING sits on the private island of Bodufushi in Raa Atoll, and it’s the wellness-focused sister property of JOALI Maldives. With 68 villas, the largest gym in the Maldives, an extraordinary spa, and programming built around the Four Pillars of Mind, Skin, Microbiome, and Energy, this is a resort designed to reset you. Read on for everything you need to know before you book!

Location: 5/5

Raa Atoll is, in our opinion, home to some of the best sand in the Maldives, and JOALI BEING makes a strong case for that. The island of Bodufushi is beautifully lush, with dense palms and that powdery white sand throughout. You can walk around roughly three-quarters of the island, and the natural setting feels completely unspoiled. The only caveat worth noting: there are breakers along the beach to protect the bays, which can make walking the water’s edge a little trickier in spots. It’s a minor thing, but worth knowing ahead of time.

Getting here is easy. It’s about 40 minutes from Malé by seaplane, and just a 10-minute speedboat ride from JOALI, making a split stay between the two properties easy to arrange.

Lobby & Check in experience: 5/5

If you’re arriving on an international flight, JOALI BEING has the arrival experience dialed in. Staff meet you at the customs exit with a sign and escort you to the private JOALI lounge at the seaplane terminal. You can read more about that in our full JOALI review. We were transferring directly from JOALI by speedboat, which takes about 10 minutes. It’s a standard speedboat (the kind you’ll see at plenty of four and five star properties), but cold towels and water were waiting on board, and the daily 12:30 p.m. inter-island transfer makes the logistics of a split stay effortless.

Arrival at the jetty is beautiful, with a towering structure that echoes the design language of the sister property. Your butler, or “Jadugar” as they’re called here, greets you with a cold towel and fresh juice. Our room wasn’t quite ready, so our butler took us on a full property tour and dropped us at the spa to explore while we waited. About an hour later, he picked us up, whisked us away to our water villa, and gave a thorough, unhurried tour of every amenity. He was, without question, one of the highlights of the entire stay.

Rooms: 5/5

We were checked into a Grand Ocean Villa, an upgraded villa with a separate living room. The space is stunning. Towering ceilings, calm and considered color choices, and a vibe that is equal parts retro and deeply serene. The design is super open: walls are part of the aesthetic here, so the bathroom flows into the bedroom space, with translucent glass providing privacy at the wash closet and shower. It feels airy rather than exposed.

The patio is where I could have spent the entire trip. A hanging chair, a covered couch, a generously sized private pool, a hammock strung over the water, and direct lagoon access, all reachable from the bedroom, bathroom, or living room. The privacy between villas is solid thanks to the aesthetic privacy walls. The bed faces out to the view with nothing but blue lagoon ahead. The freestanding tub faces out to the view as well and is a beautiful place to relax after a day in the sun. The ceiling features a mosaic that you’ll find yourself staring at far longer than expected. There’s a dual vanity with kimonos, robes, spa outfits, flip-flops and slippers tucked underneath. The minibar is stocked with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options and proper snacks.

Two very specific details that stuck with me: there is a xylophone in the room (yes, really), and the desk chair is an ergonomic seating cube. JOALI BEING does not do ordinary. Beach villas are also available with direct beach access and private pools. We weren’t able to check those on this visit as the property was at full occupancy, but they’re worth exploring for guests who prefer sand over water.

Service: 4.5/5

The butler service here is in a league of its own. Ours was the most professional, attentive, and proactive butler we’ve encountered in the Maldives in a long time, anticipatory without being intrusive, and thoroughly knowledgeable about the property. The spa team was equally impressive, and housekeeping was consistently excellent throughout.

The one area of opportunity in service was with dining staff. On multiple occasions, we asked staff for menu recommendations and were told they’d never tried the dishes and couldn’t help. It happened enough to be a pattern, not a one-off. Many staff at meal times also seemed irritated when you asked for something or hurried, which was a challenging experience at such a serene property meant to feel intentionally unhurried. The hotel also promotes a happy hour, but actually getting served during it was an uphill battle. There’s no dedicated bar to sit down at so you can technically sit anywhere along the pool area, so flagging someone down became a bit of a project. The property’s history as an alcohol-free wellness resort seems to linger in the culture a bit, even now that alcohol is available. It’s a gap that would be easy to fix and we have no doubt they can address that.

Dining: 4.5/5

All the food at JOALI BEING is excellent. That part is straightforward. The kitchen is operating at a high level across the board and every meal we had was excellent.

FLOW is the main restaurant for breakfast and dinner, and the space alone is worth a visit. Extraordinarily long curtains cascade from impossibly high ceilings in a way that looks almost too beautiful to be real. It won the Restaurant and Bar Design Award in 2022, and you can see why. Breakfast is a semi-buffet with a wellness-forward spread. The fresh juices and fruit are exceptional, and the avocado toast is a daily must-order. FLOW’s three kitchens cover distinct concepts: Plantae for vegetarian and vegan dishes, Su for ocean-to-table pescatarian cuisine, and B’Well for the JOALI BEING signature menu. Champagne breakfast is available, but you have to request it specifically, and then be prepared to request refills just as specifically, since the dining staff doesn’t always come back to check on you. Dinner at FLOW was delicious; the service remained inconsistent.

Mojo is the Mediterranean restaurant and sundeck by the pool, and it’s where I’d send anyone looking for a more casual, relaxed meal. The fish dishes and fresh preparations are outstanding. Standouts: the tasting of dips, the grilled octopus, the spiced beef cigars, and a short rib that was exceptional. Service here was notably better than at FLOW. Mojo is also home to the SAI tea lounge, staffed by a resident Tea Sommelier who hosts ceremonies and learning sessions, a lovely wellness touch that fits the property perfectly.

The bar situation is technically housed within Mojo, which creates a slightly awkward dynamic for guests who simply want a drink without committing to a full dining experience unless you sit out by the pool or the main lobby of the pool area. It reflects the hotel’s ongoing identity balance between wellness resort and full-service vacation destination that we’re certain they will figure out over the next year.

Facilities: 5/5

This is where JOALI BEING separates itself from the field. The facilities are exceptional, and there is simply a lot here.

The gym is the largest in the Maldives, and it earns the title. It’s fully equipped with everything you could need, plus a dedicated Pilates room and a cryotherapy area available for purchase. The yoga pavilion is one of the most beautiful spaces on the property: open, ethereal, almost sacred in the way it sits within the landscape. The spa, the Areka Wellbeing Zone, is the crown jewel. We did the wellness assessment as well as a treatment, and both were exceptional. Spa facilities are available to all guests complimentarily, with or without a booked treatment, and the variety on offer, including a full water therapy section, is remarkable.

Beyond wellness, the art studio is worth carving out time for: fully air-conditioned, it hosts painting, ceramics, and various arts classes for guests. There are tennis courts, paddle courts, and a boutique stocked with designer brands. Bicycles with personalized name tags are available at your villa for exploring the island. Art installations are woven throughout the property as well, a subtle nod to the sister resort’s more immersive art identity. There is so much to explore here that a short stay will leave you wanting more time.

Style: 5/5

JOALI as a brand knows how to design a space, and JOALI BEING carries that through completely. The villas feel like a retreat from the moment you step inside, with calm color palettes, considered materials, and those extraordinary ceilings. FLOW’s restaurant design is dramatic in the best possible way. The yoga pavilion is architectural. The property doesn’t shout its style; it settles into it.

The DJ playing chill, soulful sets around the pool area was a wonderful touch, the kind of detail that lifts the ambient energy of a whole afternoon without feeling forced.

Overall: 4.9/5

JOALI Maldives is, without question, one of the best properties in the Maldives – and the right property for a specific kind of traveler: someone who wants ultra-luxury with a creative soul, who cares about design and food as much as they care about the beach, and who wants a Maldivian resort experience that doesn’t feel like every other Maldivian resort. It is equally exceptional for families and couples. The Beach Pool Villa is our surprise recommendation, for the first time, we can say that an entry-level beach villa at a Maldivian property is mind-blowing. A bit more proactivity in the service experience and this becomes a flawless stay.

If you’re looking to book JOALI or any other resort, be sure to reach out to me at team@voyagerguru.com for special rates and perks :).