Maldives Dream Honeymoon Guide: Hurawalhi & Kanuhura Resorts Split Stay Blog + Vlogs

If you are searching for the best vacation spot in the entire world, the Maldives is undoubtedly a top contender with its unparalleled natural beauty. I have been blessed to see my fair share of tropical paradises (Seth even more so), but nothing has ever topped my experience in the Maldives. It’s hands down my number one favorite vacation destination thus far.

It may be helpful to first read my previous blog “Maldives Vacation – Where To Start Planning” for basic information about the Maldives, strategies on selecting atolls, multi-country ideas, and shared tips from our research and experience.

Traveling from the U.S., a trip to the Maldives is the epitome of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This destination requires a pretty generous budget and VERY long travel day, so I suggest seeing as much of it as possible. Let’s talk about transferring between resorts to elevate your stay!

Split stay accommodations can be tricky, but are absolutely possible to achieve with a little extra work. We did attempt to use a travel agent to reduce some stress during our wedding planning chaos, but ended up taking over since we knew exactly what we wanted. We ultimately saved money by taking on the extra tasks and booking our way. Hopefully our experience can help someone else in their planning!

In this blog, I will explain how we arranged transfer directly between islands without first returning to Malé (main airport on Hulhulé Island). I will also give my review of each 5-star resort we stayed at for our honeymoon. Although they were close in proximity, each resort offered a very different experience. This is why I recommend staying at multiple island resorts when visiting the Maldives, since each one has its own unique personality and natural attractions.

Arranging Transfer Between Resorts

When arranging transfers between Maldivian resorts, you will need to:

1. Contact each resort to confirm they’ll accept this arrangement request.
2. Collaboratively plan a transfer directly between resorts.
3. Collaboratively plan modified transportation to and from Malé.

As I discussed in my Maldives Planning blog, if you book a stay at any resort in the Maldives, your seaplane or speedboat roundtrip transfer from Malé will most likely be automatically included in your booking. Transfers are arranged by the resort, not travelers, unless a private charter is being booked. You will need to have your resorts arrange two separate one-way transfers instead for a split stay – one from Malé to your first resort, and one from your last resort back to Malé.

If the resorts you plan to visit are within the same atoll, direct transfer by speedboat is possible. Compare quotes of these additional transfers offered by the resorts, because they will likely be different prices.

We chose to stay at Kanuhura and Hurawalhi, both located in the Lhaviyani Atoll, and only a 10 minute speedboat ride apart. Both of these resorts were amazing at accommodating our arrangements. Due to the significant time difference from the U.S., this process did take a few days to complete since there are multiple parties all trying to coordinate via email correspondence.

The Specifics of Our Transfers

This is what our travel day and transfers looked like for our split stay in the Maldives. We traveled from Charlotte, NC – the East Coast of the United States.

Flight from Charlotte N.C. to Malé: Our total flight time was… wait for it… 28 hours and 10 minutes!!

• This included 2 layovers, one being a 7 hour and 25 minute layover in Doha (which is common).
• If you can fly Qatar Airways – DO IT!! The experience with their airlines really made the long flights enjoyable. We received unmatched service and food!
• We also had access to a Doha Airport lounge thanks to our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card travel benefits!! This lounge was the best ever – showers, TV’s, great food and drinks, computer access, lounge chairs, and a quiet area.

Transport to seaplane terminal: Upon arrival to Malé Airport, a Hurawalhi Resort representative was waiting to pick us up and transfer us to the nearby seaplane terminal.

• Our resort had a comfortable lounge for us to wait in at the seaplane terminal (as several do), and they even got us on an earlier flight!
• Seaplanes travel on demand, not per timetable. You could be waiting an hour or two to fly, so bring a book or have shows downloaded on your device.
• Remember, you must plan to arrive in Malé early enough for a same day seaplane transfer or you will need to book a hotel nearby. See my previous blog for more details.

Seaplane & Boat to Hurawalhi: Total flight was 40 minutes – an absolutely stunning 40 minutes!! The myriad shades of blue were truly breathtaking.

• The seaplane did not land directly at Hurawalhi Resort, so we then had to take a 5-10 minute boat ride to their jetty (pier/dock).
• There is a luggage weight limit of 25 kg (55 lbs.) per person for seaplanes. All of it was handled for us with every leg of this journey.

Speedboat to Kanuhura: Total boat ride was 10 minutes, easy peasy! The staff offered us cool rags while we waited for our luggage to be loaded.

Seaplane ride Kanuhura to Malé: Total time was 40 minutes, and we left directly from a jetty in Kanuhura.

Flights from Malé to Charlotte N.C.: Total flight time was 26 hours and 43 minutes with 2 layovers, this time a shorter layover in Doha.

If you are traveling by seaplane, I think it is smart to research nearby Malé Airport hotels before your trip in the event of bad weather or a delayed flight. Your resort could possibly take care of this for you, but I like to be prepared for unlikely scenarios when I will be arriving dog-tired to a foreign country with unknown cell reception.

Booking Specifics & Pricing

During the time of our booking, it was cheapest to book our flights and first stay at Hurawalhi on Orbitz as a package deal.

• Remember, this will include a roundtrip seaplane transfer to/from Hurawalhi. The resort later modified the flight and price to reflect a one-way seaplane transfer when we contacted them for our split stay.
• Click here for Hurawalhi Resort information on Orbitz.

We found the best deal for our Kanuhura stay on their website, which offered a honeymoon package at that time (complimentary upgrade to next villa category, lunch at Drift on Jehunuhura private island, 60 minutes couples massage, and honeymoon gift in the villa including 1 bottle of Sparkling wine).

• We had to email them a copy of our marriage license for honeymoon deal.
• We formally booked via email correspondence and not their website since we had to work out spit stay accommodations, but they honored the website price.
• Click here for Kanuhura Resort website, now under new ownership as “Six Senses Kanuhura”.

We booked one-way seaplane transfers with both Hurawalhi and Kanuhura (to and from Malé) which cost $660/each way for both of us.

Speedboat transfer between resorts was booked with Kanuhura for $210.

The total cost for this trip (excluding airfare) ended up being over $1,000/day, with the all-inclusive dining at both resorts. In addition, we did also pay for extra excursions, professional photography, souvenirs, and a special dinner at Hurawalhi’s underwater restaurant. It was a splurge, but what better excuse for this type of trip than your honeymoon?! 😉

Everything in the Maldives is very expensive, everything! If you don’t book a true all-inclusive dining package, a strict budget could be wrecked early in your travels because options are limited on a secluded island. Keep in mind that my pricing information is from 2021 and we did get the villa upgraded honeymoon deal at Kanuhura. That saved quite a bit on our total cost! The prices at Kanuhura likely fluctuated with the change in ownership as well.

Hurawalhi Resort Review

Hurawalhi Resort is an adult’s only 5-star resort nestled on a private island in the Lhaviyani Atoll, located north of Malé. This resort is a beautiful blend of modern luxury and eco-conscious standards.

When we finally arrived by boat, members of the staff eagerly welcomed us from the jetty to the beat of drums. This was a special moment that accurately predicted how we would be treated during our stay – with heartfelt care. Every staff member we encountered knew our names and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about making sure we had the best time at their resort.

Our friendly, professional island host quickly got us settled into our villa after a tour of the entire island by golf cart. We received personalized and informative messages on our villa TV, and had the option to communicate with our host via cell phone app. We really appreciated these modern perks of this resort.

We stayed in an overwater villa, which had been my dream for a very long time! There are very few places in the world offering this kind of accommodation, so that made the extensive traveling even more worth it. The villa was prepared with everything we needed, from a complimentary wine & snack bar to snorkel gear. Our king size bed was decorated with floral adornments that read “Happy Honeymoon”, and a bottle of true champagne was waiting on ice to be popped! The private deck was the most special part of the villa with steps leading directly into the Indian Ocean. The best part of staying in an overwater villa is the direct access to swimming and snorkeling from your room. Watching the sunrises together from our private deck with our morning coffee was pretty awesome too! Check out my video below to get a tour of our villa and the magical ocean view from our bed and shower!

My very first impression of this island was that it looked too perfect for my eyes to process – from the stark bright white sand to the sparkling blue ocean lagoon. That impression never wavered throughout the week because every aspect of Hurawalhi felt untouched. The paths throughout this superb private island were thoughtfully lined with lush vegetation, making our stay feel even more secluded. All facilities appeared to be brand new and flawlessly designed. The award-winning spa and fitness center had rooms overlooking the ocean. There were also watersports, a sports ground, an outdoor infinity pool, excursions, and a game room available for entertainment.

We love snorkeling together, so the house reef at Hurawalhi was a major attraction in our resort selection that ultimately blew our expectations away! The closeness of minimally disturbed reefs to the overwater villas and beach shores made for unbelievably easy access to high quality snorkeling. We could wake up, walk a few steps, and be immersed with an insane variety of fish species, turtles, rays, sharks, coral, etc. Seth was still exploring snorkeling spots around the island on our last day at Hurawalhi while I packed up for our next transfer.

Hurawalhi offers excursions for snorkeling and diving outside of the resort as well. We booked a full day snorkeling tour with sea turtles and nearby sunken coral reefs, and a bioluminescent snorkeling tour for nightfall. Notably, you can book to explore Noonu and Baa Atolls by yacht. Baa Atoll, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, is home to the famous Hanifaru Bay. This is one of the largest feeding grounds for manta rays in the world, and also a place where you could spot whale sharks!

One of my favorite splurges on our honeymoon was the professional beach photoshoot done here at Hurawalhi (the gold gown images coming at you soon). The photographer took us to the best spots on the island from the sand, jetty, giant ocean swings, to splashing in the water in our dressy attire. We had so much fun and received a high quality album of our favorite prints and a USB of all images. Highly recommend!!

The main attraction for me in selecting this resort was the “5.8 Undersea Restaurant”, the largest undersea restaurant in the world! This is hands-down the coolest dining experience of our lives to date. We got dressed up and whisked away via golf cart to enter the most stunning dinner view imaginable. The sunset and change in activity of sea life from light to dark was just phenomenal. We enjoyed a 7-course dinner and wine pairing – to die for!!! I also got a ton of selfies with various sharks, which I will treasure forever. This fine dining experience is excluded from the all-inclusive package, which is common at many resorts. The cost for dinner is $280/person and $99/person for wine pairing. This is a substantial price to pay for dinner, but it truly is an entire experience that I will always cherish.

Hurawalhi has other incredible restaurants included in the meal plans – both a-la carte and buffet style. We loved shark watching from the dining tables at Kashibo, the outstanding Asian restaurant. Alcoholic drinks from all of the island bars and restaurants were delicious, and included in our all-inclusive plan. Hurawalhi also offers an impressive room service menu for those of us who like to enjoy gourmet food in bed while watching TV. 😉 Every dining experience was excellent, and each setting offered a unique view of the ocean. Click here for details and the list of restaurants, bars, and snack bar at Hurawalhi.

It only seems fair to end my review of Hurawalhi Resort with the topic of “service”. The service at any resort can really makes all of the difference in your stay, and Hurawalhi has theirs down to a science. Seth and I both are the type that can easily feel bad if we think we are a bother, so we don’t like to feel smothered by a butler service. The staff really predicted so many of our needs for our stay, were quick to meet any additional requests we had, but also allowed us privacy and rest when needed. We felt like we had a new friend from the moment we met our island host, and left feeling like we had made genuine connections with the staff. If anyone from the resort ever reads my little blog, I hope you know we think about you all often and I pray we are so lucky to visit with you again one day!

Kanuhura Resort Review

Kanuhura is a kid-friendly private island resort located east of Hurawalhi, only a 10 minute speedboat ride away. Although they are close in distance, arriving to Kanuhura was like entering a totally new piece of paradise on the Lhaviyani Atoll.

We received an exuberant greeting with traditional Maldivian drumming upon arrival to the jetty. Our island host offered us fresh juice and cool rags before he took us to tour the island by golf cart.

The island here is relatively big in size and offers one of the largest beaches in the Maldives. There are several different beaches, cozy lounge chairs, hammocks, watersports, volleyball, tennis court, outdoor bars, outdoor infinity pool, exercise classes, bike paths, marine center, dive center, spa, and a few restaurants and gift shop. The ocean surrounding this private island was a fascinating contrast of very dark blue and crystal clear turquoise waters. The entire resort has more of a naturalist luxury feel, very charming!

Not only is the main island packed full of adventure, but Kanuhura also features 2 smaller private islands – Jehunuhura and Masleggihura. We visited Jehunuhura by boat on a group tour with the island’s marine biologist to do sea turtle nest patrol. There is also dining available on Jehunuhura island for a very secluded and romantic dinner.

At this resort, we wanted to try a different style accommodation. We had a beachfront villa with a private pool and direct beach access. I was surprised to discover the villa had an outdoor bathroom, and now we want one at our own vacation home one day! It was awesome! The villa was shockingly spacious with a huge walk-in closet (villa tour included in video below). The outdoor deck and pool felt completely private since it is surrounded by trees, and the villas are well spaced apart. We had champagne (the real deal again) on ice and thoughtful gifts waiting in our bedroom. One night after dinner, we returned to discover our villa completely decorated for a celebration of our honeymoon. You can see pictures in the video later, but it was so sweet and impressive!

Due to the large size of the island, we had bikes waiting for us at our villa. This was one of the most fun surprises of our time here. I felt like a kid biking around barefoot each day alongside my new husband, with snorkel gear in my basket, searching for new beach spots! I only wore shoes a handful of times during the week!

The food at Kanuhura was nothing short of amazing. We didn’t eat one bad meal during our entire stay, and we often reminisce about this amazing tuna curry the buffet had for breakfast some mornings… it was life changing. The size of the buffet was massive, and you can tell how impressed I was by the sheer amount of dining footage I included in my Kanuhura video!! I have never had such high quality food from a buffet (sorry Ryan’s Steakhouse) and we quickly made friends with the manager who chatted with us every day. We aren’t early risers on vacation, but we never missed a breakfast here because it was just that good. The a-la carte restaurant and room service quality was great as well. I enjoyed ordering food to eat alone by our private pool some days! The tasty alcoholic drinks were also included in our all-inclusive plan.

The most memorable part of Kanuhura to me is definitely the Atoll Marine Center’s conservation on the island. We met their marine biologist who was from the states, and stay connected with her to this day. The work they do to rehabilitate sea turtles and educate the community is remarkable. We were able to “adopt” some of their sea turtles on the island and receive monthly updates and pictures by email of each one. You can take part in coral gardening workshops, marine biologist led snorkeling tours, and beach patrol of the island’s nests. Meaningful experiences like this are what we search for when we go on vacation! Click here to donate and adopt a turtle of your own!

We took advantage of our 60 minute couples massage as part of our honeymoon package, and it was soooo good! The spa was romantic and relaxing. The massage therapists were highly skilled and professional. We also had access to a sauna, hot tub, cold plunge pool, locker room, and lounge chairs where we enjoyed our post massage tea.

Seth went on 2 dives with just him and the divemaster. The outstanding biodiversity of the Maldives makes it a dream destination for divers! His first was a reef dive to about 50 feet where he saw an amazing eagle ray among the showcase of marine life. The second was a drift dive with very impressive drift/current. He is a reasonably experienced certified diver of 29 years, and this was the strongest current he’s dove in. It was nice he could do that with the divemaster close by, instead of a dive partner, since the current is so strong. This activity was a rush for my little thrill seeker!

The service at Kanuhura was top-notch. The staff knew exactly how to make our stay with them be the best it could be, and we really cherish the connections we made before we left. Everyone was so genial and passionate about their job. I do plan to return with Brooklyn in a couple of years, and I can only hope that the same friendly faces who made our honeymoon so memorable will be there to meet her when we return.

Final Thoughts

We would give both Hurawalhi and Kanuhura resorts a 10 out of 10 across the board. The service, vibes, accommodations, natural attractions, activities, and food were all out-of-this-world amazing at each resort! We did not eat one bite of disappointing food or meet one resort representative that was anything short of amazing. If offered to return to only one of the resorts right now, I honestly do not know that I could choose between the two. Seth was worried he would get bored on the islands prior to our trip, but the snorkeling experience alone would have been enough to provide him everlasting entertainment. We reminisce about this trip often (truthfully we are at this very moment) and look forward to traveling here again with my daughter in a couple of years.

If you ever get the opportunity to travel to the Maldives, I hope you will go! It is truly worth every dollar saved to spend your vacation in this unbelievable tropical escape. I dreaded the completion of this blog because I know I am not a skillful enough writer to do the Maldives or above resorts justice. I remember sharing live videos from the beaches during our trip and getting so frustrated at how different my view was from the video footage!! Now I am feeling a similar parallel with my words not matching up to the degree of awesomeness that the Maldives really is… but I tried!

I hope you enjoyed this blog about our perfect honeymoon experience in the Maldives and share any feedback or questions you may have for us below! Per usual, I will end with a short video of our trip and our night dining at the 5.8 Undersea Restaurant. Enjoy!

-Amanda Kendler <3