The Resort at a Glance
Kuda Rah Thila Nearby Breakwater-Sheltered Lagoon Private Pool in All 51 Villas

A 51-villa island in South Ari Atoll, a short boat ride from the protected Kuda Rah Thila.

NH Maldives Kuda Rah sits on its own island in South Ari Atoll, about 25 minutes by seaplane from Malé followed by a short speedboat ride. Known until 2024 as Amaya Kuda Rah, it reopened that September as the first NH resort in the Maldives. All 51 villas and suites have a private pool, some on the beach and some over the lagoon. A rock breakwater keeps the lagoon calm, and gaps in it lead snorkelers out to a reef where whitetip reef sharks, stingrays and turtles are regular sightings. The dive centre runs trips to more than 40 sites, including Kuda Rah Thila, a protected pinnacle, and snorkeling trips to the whale sharks South Ari is known for. Dining spans Sea Spray for buffets, Ocean by Kuda Rah for seafood, Malaa for Maldivian dishes and Glow Bar beside the infinity pool.

Best For

Couples and honeymooners who want a private pool and a reef worth snorkeling from the beach, divers heading for South Ari's thilas, and families who want a supervised play area and villas that sleep up to six.

Exploring other options? Browse our Overwater Villas with Pool collection.

Why Clients Book With Us
★★★★★
"They took care of everything. A complete end to end package. Top class service."
Rohit Menon
Google Review
★★★★★
"I was almost 100% doubtful… I now recommend them with zero doubt."
Neelam Sharma
Google Review
★★★★★
"The best part was he was always available over call and chat to answer all our queries."
Debaditya Ghosh
Google Review
Package Pricing

Prices subject to availability and change — final quote confirmed on WhatsApp.

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What's Included in Your Stay
Three daily meals to fuel your day
Floating breakfast in your villa pool
Sunset cruise on a traditional dhoni
Bicycles to explore at your own pace
Seaplane transfers from Malé Airport
Honeymoon Benefits
Fruit basket on arrival
A bottle of sparkling wine on arrival
One-time special turndown service during the stay
Why You'll Love This Resort
Diver above the coral pinnacle of Kuda Rah Thila in South Ari Atoll
Kuda Rah Thila
Private plunge pool of a beach villa at NH Maldives Kuda Rah
Private Pools
Snorkeler with a reef shark beyond the breakwater at NH Maldives Kuda Rah
House Reef
Guests learning to cook Maldivian curries at Malaa, NH Maldives Kuda Rah
Cooking Class
Kuda Rah Thila is an underwater pinnacle declared a protected marine area, with no fishing allowed, and it has been a famous South Ari dive since the atoll first opened to divers. The island's dive centre takes Advanced-certified divers out to it, and to more than 40 other sites mapped around the island.
Every villa and suite on the island, beach or overwater, has its own plunge pool on the terrace — 1.2 m deep in the Beach and Over Water Villas and 1.5 m in the suites and duplexes — along with a jacuzzi bathtub inside.
A rock breakwater shelters the lagoon around the island, so the water by the beach stays calm. Swim out through the gaps and the outer reef starts, where guests regularly report whitetip reef sharks, stingrays, eagle rays and turtles.
Malaa, the island's Maldivian café, has an open-air show kitchen where the chef runs cooking classes. You learn four traditional dishes, then sit down to eat them for lunch.
Beyond the restaurants, the resort sets up private dinners on the beach and feasts on a nearby sandbank, and in-villa dining runs from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Villa Types
Beach Villa with Private Pool exterior and terrace at NH Maldives Kuda Rah

Beach Villa with Private Pool

A 90 m² villa just off the sand with an ocean view, a king bed and room for up to 3 adults and 1 child. The 1.2 m-deep plunge pool sits beside a terrace with sun loungers, and the bathroom has a jacuzzi bathtub, a rain shower and an outdoor rain shower.

Aerial view of an Over Water Villa with Private Pool at NH Maldives Kuda Rah

Over Water Villa with Private Pool

At 118 m², this villa stands over the lagoon with a king bed and space for up to 3 adults and 1 child. The deck holds a 1.2 m-deep plunge pool and sun loungers with direct access to the lagoon, and the bathroom has a jacuzzi bathtub and rain shower.

Also Available
Beach Duplex Suite with Private Pool — a 231 m² two-storey suite on the beach for up to 3 adults and 1 child, with a separate living area, a king bed, an upstairs private balcony and a 1.5 m-deep plunge pool.
Two Bedroom Duplex Villa with Private Pool — a 231 m² two-storey villa on the beach that sleeps up to 6 adults in a king room and a queen room, with a dining area, a private balcony and a 1.5 m-deep plunge pool.
Over Water Suite with Private Pool — at 210 m², the largest overwater stay, for up to 3 adults and 1 child, with a king bed and a queen bed, a jacuzzi bathtub, an outdoor rain shower and a 1.5 m-deep plunge pool on the deck.
Dining Options
Sea Spray main restaurant pavilion by the lagoon, NH Maldives Kuda Rah
Sea Spray
Lagoon-side tables at Ocean by Kuda Rah seafood restaurant
Ocean by Kuda Rah
Maldivian dishes and coconut drinks at Malaa café, NH Maldives Kuda Rah
Malaa
Glow Bar beside the infinity pool at NH Maldives Kuda Rah
Glow Bar
The island's main restaurant, an open-sided pavilion with ocean views, serving international and local dishes for breakfast (7:30–10:00 AM), lunch from 12:30 PM and dinner (7:00–9:30 PM). Breakfast has an egg station, live cooking stations and a fruit station, and dinners run to a themed menu.
Mediterranean and Maldivian seafood, open 11:00 AM to 10:30 PM at tables beside the water. Pick your catch of the day, from lobster to prawns, and choose how it's cooked. It's à la carte, and is included for lunch and dinner on the resort's All-Inclusive plan.
A small café for traditional Maldivian food, open 12:00 to 4:00 PM, with aromatic curries and local dishes from an open-air show kitchen. It's also where the resort runs its Maldivian cooking class.
The pool bar and lounge beside the infinity pool, open 10:00 AM to midnight, with cocktails, drinks and light bites through the day. Afternoon tea with cakes and savoury bites is served here, and it faces the sunset in the evening.
Activities & Wellness
The dive centre offers courses and guided dives on more than 40 mapped sites, from shore dives and night dives on the house reef to Kuda Rah Thila for Advanced divers and the Kudhimaa wreck near Machchafushi. Snorkelers can swim the house reef straight from the beach.
South Ari Atoll's protected area is known for whale sharks all year. The resort runs guided snorkeling trips to find whale sharks, hawksbill and green turtles and manta rays, at their best from September to May, all at extra cost.
Island hopping on a traditional dhoni, sunset cruises, coral replanting, and fishing trips on a private boat for up to four guests. Jet skis and flyboarding run from the water sports centre at extra cost.
Three treatment rooms, each with its own jacuzzi, and Balinese-style massages, scrubs, manicures and pedicures. The two signature treatments are the Traditional Healing Ritual, with Balinese massage and a coconut body scrub, and the Spa Fusion Massage, which blends aromatherapy with lomi-lomi, Shiatsu and Swedish techniques.
A gym open 24 hours, yoga and water aerobics sessions, the infinity pool, and complimentary bicycles for getting around the island.
The Maxies Family is an indoor play area with supervised games and activities, and babysitting can be arranged on request.
Getting There
Seaplane + Speedboat
About 25 minutes by seaplane from Malé, then a short speedboat ride

As you walk out of the arrivals hall at Velana International Airport, look for the NH Maldives Kuda Rah signboard. The seaplane covers about 100 km to South Ari Atoll in around 25 minutes, with the atolls and lagoons below, and a speedboat of about five minutes takes you from the landing point to the island's jetty.

FAQs
Yes, children of all ages are welcome. The Maxies Family is a supervised indoor play area with games and activities, and babysitting is available on request. Most villas take up to 3 adults and 1 child; the Two Bedroom Duplex Villa sleeps up to 6 adults.
There's no separate Indian restaurant. Sea Spray, the main restaurant, serves international and local dishes from buffets and live cooking stations. Tell us your dietary needs at booking and we'll pass them to the resort.
Good, and easy to reach from the beach. A rock breakwater keeps the lagoon calm, and you snorkel out through gaps in it to the outer reef, where guests regularly see whitetip reef sharks, stingrays, eagle rays and turtles.
Yes, on boat trips. South Ari Atoll is known for whale sharks all year, and the resort runs guided snorkeling trips to find whale sharks, turtles and manta rays, at extra cost. Conditions for these trips are at their best from September to May.
Yes, with the resort's dive centre. Kuda Rah Thila is a protected marine area a short boat ride away, and its currents make it a dive for Advanced-certified divers. Newer divers can start on the house reef, which also hosts night dives.
A fruit basket and a bottle of sparkling wine on arrival, and a one-time special turndown service during your stay. Let us know at the time of booking so we can arrange it with the resort.
No. Glow Bar, the pool bar and lounge, is open from 10:00 AM to midnight.
Check-in is at 2:00 PM and check-out is at 12:00 noon.
Yes — Wi-Fi is free, including in every villa.

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