OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi honest review: Affordable Maldives resort!

Quick note: All the prices in this blog post are excluding service charge (10%) and taxes (12%), so keep these in mind when you’re planning your budget. All prices are valid at the time of writing (June 2024) but can obviously change without notice.

Disclosure: We were hosted at OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi as part of a collaboration, but as always, this review is based on my personal experience and the resort has no editorial control of my content.

All about OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi

What is OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi?

OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi is a 4* all-inclusive resort in the Maldives with fantastic reviews (4.5/5 on Google and 8.9/10 on booking.com), it opened in 2022 so it’s fairly new but has already made its mark as one of the most affordable Maldives resorts.

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Where is OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi?

The resort is located in the North Male Atoll and it’s only a 15 minute speedboat from the airport, so much easier than a seaplane transfer! The boat is spacious and comfortable, you’ll get a bottle of water for the journey, and before you know it you’ll be arriving at your island paradise.

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What is the OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi Fushi Plan?

The Fushi Plan is OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi’s all-inclusive package and your ticket to endless drinks, buffet meals and fun times all day and night.

The Fushi Plan includes:

• Return transfers from Male Airport to the resort via speedboat
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner at Element X, a buffet restaurant serving up a huge range of food, including Western, Asian, South Asian, a live cooking station (changes each meal), breads, salads and desserts, plus a self-serve drinks area with soft drinks, juice, wine, beer, coffee and tea
• Unlimited spirits, beers, house wines and classic cocktails at the X360 pool bar
• Entertainment at X360 throughout the day and night from DJs and live bands
• Access to the overwater gym
• Complimentary kayak and paddle board use for 30 minutes each day
• In-room minibar with beer, soft drinks and water

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Are there overwater villas at OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi?

There sure are, we stayed in one!

The overwater villas at OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi don’t have private swimming pools but there’s a ladder right into the water for you to step right into the ocean outside your front door.

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Does OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi allow children?

Absolutely, ‘Ailafushi’ actually translates to ‘family island’ and the resort is great for families with a bunch of kid-friendly amenities, including:

• A huge kids’ club with a swimming pool, PlayStation/Xbox room for older kids and a well-equipped area for little ones
• A kids’ corner at the Element X buffet restaurant
• 2-bedroom family rooms with a separate bunk room for kids

I don’t have kids though, so I can’t comment specifically on the quality of these family-focused benefits, but there were quite a few families with young kids that seemed to be having a great time!

A detailed review of OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi

First impressions of the resort

On arrival at Male Airport we were greeted by our OBLU representative, who guided us to our speedboat for the quick trip to the island. On the boat we got a refreshing towel (much needed) and a cold bottle of water, and there’s WiFi on the boat if you can’t handle 15 minutes off the grid.

When we reached our new home we were welcomed by singing staff members and given a welcome drink (non-alcoholic) while going through the check in process.

Check-in is at 2pm, if you arrive early and your room isn’t ready yet you can leave your bags and bide your time at the pool, bar, games room, spa or restaurant. I’d choose the pool 🙃

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The OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi overwater villas

We stayed in an overwater villa which was dreeeeamy, complete with a huge bed, a sofa that can be turned into a second bed, a covered outdoor bathroom, a wardrobe area for suitcase storage, and an overwater deck with a two-person lounger and a ladder into the ocean.

The overwater villas can fit three adults (if one doesn’t mind sleeping on the fold out bed) or two adults and one kid.

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Other room types

There are three other room categories to choose from: the ocean view room, the ocean view family room (2 bedroom), and the beach villas.

The ocean view room is the cheapest option, it’s compact but still comfortable and you get ocean views from your balcony. The ocean view family room has a bunk room if you’re travelling with hangers-on, and you’ll just be a short walk from the kids’ club.

The beach villa is the same size and a similar layout to the overwater villa, and offers direct beach access right in front of your room.

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All-inclusive food & drink on the Fushi Plan

Element X buffet dining

The Fushi Plan includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at Element X, a self-service buffet restaurant that cooks up a range of Western, Asian and local food for each meal, plus offers self-pour wine and juice with a fridge of soft drinks and beer, plus tea, coffee and water.

Breakfast (7-10am) included what you’d expect at a buffet breakfast, like an egg station, hot foods like grilled tomatoes, fried potatoes and baked beans, a waffle station, breads, pastries, yoghurt, fresh fruit, granola, cereals, traditional Maldivian breakfasts like mashuni, traditional Indian and other Asian breakfast dishes. The offerings were slightly different each day so there’s a bit of variety.

Lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (7-10pm) had the same set up, with a hot station serving up a different dish each time (like pitas and kebabs, grilled tuna or roast chicken), plus a decent range of Western (pasta, sliders, fresh seafood), Asian (noodles, spring rolls, stir fries) and South Asian (curries, Maldivian dishes) plus a salad bar, breads and dessert.

There’s no table service or drinks menu at Element X but there are fridges with soft drinks and beer, plus dispensers with wine and juice, as well as the usual water, coffee and tea.

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X360

The island’s main bar is X360, a buzzing hub of drinks and entertainment right next to the resort’s giant pool, open from 10am until late with indoor seating, outdoor seating and pool or beach loungers.

The Fushi Plan includes unlimited spirits, beer, wines, classic cocktails, slushies, soft drinks and juices, as well as a signature cocktail each day from the cocktail fountain. There’s also a couple of self-service popcorn machines.

I will say that in our experience the drinks were certainly not that strong, we made a decent dent in the cocktail list and didn’t feel much of an effect, but that’s probably for the best given that I was having my first pina colada at about 10.30am 🍹

X360 has tunes on all day long, from singalongs to dance bangers from the in-house DJ to a live band.

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Chargeable food & drink (not included in the Fushi Plan)

Only BLU underwater restaurant

One of the main reasons to come to OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi is Only BLU, a stunning underwater restaurant that lets you dine 6.8m under the sea, with glass windows for the ultimate lunch or dinner view.

It’s not included in the Fushi Plan but it’s pretty good value for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with a welcome drink, three course meal (choose from meat, seafood or vegetarian) and wine pairing from only $125USD.

There are eight underwater restaurants in the Maldives, and this one is by far the cheapest, with the others setting you back anywhere from $200-$400USD per person, on top of being located at much more expensive resorts! So if dining with the fish is on your bucket list but you need it to be somewhat affordable, Only BLU is the place to do it.

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The Copper Pot Food Truck

Another chargeable dining option ($55USD) is the Copper Pot Food Truck, where you can chow down on surf and turf grills from an a la carte menu under the palm trees.

Options include lobster, prawns, catch of the day fish, calamari, various steak cuts, pork belly or roast chicken, with sauces and sides to round out your meal.

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La Promenade

One of the downsides of OBLU is that there’s no all day dining in the Fushi Plan, so if you sleep in past breakfast or if you miss lunch because you’re having too much fun in the water, you’re out of luck for free food.

But you won’t need to go hungry, because La Promenade, a wine bar and cafe, is open from 11am-1.30am with pastries, cakes, ice cream, coffee, snacks and premium wine and liquor available at additional cost.

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Watersports

There’s a watersports centre at the resort that can set you up with a variety of different ocean adventures.

First of all there’s 30 minutes a day of kayak and paddle board rental included in the Fushi Plan (15 mins each activity), so you can get out onto the water without spending anything extra. If you want to try something a bit more thrilling, you can rent jet skis from $95USD for 15 minutes, SEABOBs from $80USD for 15 minutes, or try out a Flyboard for $130USD for 15 minutes.

Right on the main beach there’s a huge waterslide into the ocean as well as a floating trampoline, although the trampoline ladder was broken when we were there so we didn’t get to give it a go.

You can swim straight from the beach or your overwater villa (snorkel gear rental is $8 per day), but there’s no house reef at OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi, so you’ll want to book a snorkelling or diving trip if you want to experience the best of the Maldives underwater world and have a better chance of seeing turtles, reef sharks and rays.

Snorkel tours start from $70USD for a two hour trip, or $200USD for nurse shark snorkelling or $250USD for manta snorkeling. Scuba dives are between $85-95 each (depending on how many you do) plus boat fees or gear rental. One dive for me was $135 with everything included.

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Other things to do

If you want to stay on dry land, there’s loads to do on the island to keep you occupied, like

• A well-equipped overwater gym with a cardio room and a weights room, with panoramic ocean views
• The ELE|NA Spa and Wellness centre which offers massages and a range of beauty treatments
• A football pitch and beach volleyball court
• An indoor games room with pool tables, boardgames and TVs to watch live sports, plus a giant chessboard outside to challenge your travel buddies
• Loads of daily activities which are included in your stay, like aqua fitness or yoga sessions, pool volleyball, massage workshops, bartending classes, karaoke and more

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When is the best time to visit?

The best time to visit the Maldives and OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi will really depend on your priorities.

The dry season is from December to April, with Christmas and January being the most popular (and highest-priced) time to visit. If money isn’t a concern and if you want the best chance of non-stop sunshine, these months are your best bet.

If you want to take advantage of the incredible off season deals, you can get an all-inclusive package for two people from just $360USD per night in an ocean view room, or from just $525USD per night in an overwater villa, if you travel between May and November. Those prices are honestly almost unheard of for the Maldives, especially at a top-rated resort!

Buttttt the downside of those months is that the southwest monsoon can bring rain and wind. Typically the monsoon season still has plenty of blue sky, heavy downpours should be expected in the afternoon but generally pass quite quickly, but we were unlucky enough to get some of the worst weather the resort has seen in years.

We were able to still fill our time with cocktails, underwater dining, spa sessions and more, but it was a bummer that our planned tropical paradise holiday didn’t quite materialise.

In saying that though, obviously weather can be unpredictable and you could pay 2-3 times the low season price to visit in the middle of January, and still be hit with bad weather. It’s a bit of a toss up!

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Who is OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi good for?

• Anyone wanting a Maldives getaway at an attainable pricepoint
• Groups of friends wanting a resort experience without being the only ones not on their honeymoon
• Families who want a buzzing, youthful, casual vibe as well as all the bells and whistles for kids
• Active relaxers who prefer their poolside chill time with good music and who want to get involved in the resort activities
• Anyone who wants an easy access resort from Male airport without a long boat trip or seaplane flight
• Travellers who just need a break from reality and don’t want to make decisions or think for a few days. Turn up, unpack your bags, then the pool, the buffet and the drinks menu are waiting for you!

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Who is OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi not good for?

• Adults wanting a kid-free holiday. Head to their sister resort on the next island instead, OBLU SELECT Lobigili, which is adults only (and was named as TripAdvisor’s best luxury hotel in the world in 2023!)
• Those wanting a quiet and peaceful resort experience, OBLU XPERIENCE is all about the vibes and tunes
• Luxury travellers looking for a world-class 5* experience. I do think it’s fantastic value, but with prices as affordable as this you can’t expect the quality service you’d find at higher priced resorts, like door-to-door buggies on request, private butlers, fine dining included and top shelf drinks.
• Anyone needing decent internet to get work done while on the island. Hopefully no one reading this needs to work on their holiday, but holidays don’t exist for me 🙃 the 2mbps WiFi speeds in the villa were paaaainfully slow and resulted in me getting behind on my work.
• Solo travellers. There’s no option to pay less at OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi if you’re visiting the Maldives solo, you’ll need to cover the whole cost of an all-inclusive plan for two people.
• Travellers looking for a resort with a house reef, there isn’t one at OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi so you’ll need to book a snorkelling trip to see a proper coral reef

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How to book OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi

You can book OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi direct on their website, they have a price guarantee and it shows you the rates on the other booking websites so you can cross-check.

It also says that you can get 20% off if you log in but I tried that and it didn’t show me a discount, if you’re having the same issue then contact them via email to find the best rate. Keep in mind that the initial price you see doesn’t include taxes, which end up being about 30%.

You can also compare OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi with other nearby resorts using booking.com (which shows you the taxes upfront) >>

PLANNING A TRIP TO THE MALDIVES? READ THESE OTHER POSTS:

• All you need to know about the Maldives local island of Dhiffushi
• The ultimate guide to solo travel in the Maldives

MY GO-TO TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES

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