Villa Suite
Sleeps 2
- Overwater
- Rooftop daybed
- Garden bathroom
- Direct lagoon steps
Maldives · North Malé Atoll
Gili Lankanfushi
Timber, thatch and rope, twenty minutes by boat from the airport. Every villa is over the water, and shoes go into a bag on arrival.
Rustic-luxe, all overwater
IslandLankanfushi
TransferSpeedboat
Ideal stay5–7 nights
Opened2001
SuitsHoneymoons · Short-notice trips
RateOn request
The property
Rustic-luxe, all overwater
Gili Lankanfushi is the most convincing argument that overwater does not have to mean glossy. The villas are built almost entirely from sustainable timber and thatch, reached by a long jetty, and finished with an outdoor bathroom and a rooftop daybed for sleeping outside. The Private Reserve — reached by boat, and one of the largest overwater villas in the world — is the address the industry benchmarks against. The house reef is unusually good for a resort this close to Malé.
Where you sleep
3 villa categories
Overwater villas and residences, all with direct lagoon access. Which one is right depends on the month and who is travelling — that is the first thing we will ask.
Residence
Sleeps 2–4
- Larger deck
- Private tender on request
The Private Reserve
Sleeps 8+
- Reached by boat
- Water slide
- Private spa, gym and chef
- Among the largest overwater villas in the world
What makes it itself
Why people choose it
- 01
No News, No Shoes
Shoes are bagged on arrival and returned on departure.
- 02
Rooftop sleeping
Every villa has a rooftop daybed made up for sleeping outside.
- 03
Marine biology
Resident biologist runs reef walks, coral planting and turtle monitoring.
- 04
Sunset dolphin cruise
Spinner dolphins are resident in the channel year-round.
The table
4 places to eat
By the Sea
Japanese and teppanyaki
Overwater
Kashiveli
All-day Mediterranean
Beachfront
The Wine Cellar
Tasting menus
Underground cellar with an adjoining cheese room
Overwater Bar
Drinks and small plates
Sunset side
Wellness
Meera Spa
- Overwater treatment rooms with glass floors
- Ayurveda
- Yoga pavilion at sunrise
Families
Kids Club · 4–12
Present but low-key; the resort skews couples.
In the water
Reef and diving
House reefExcellent — swimmable from the jetty, unusual this close to Malé
Dive centreOn-site PADI centre
Sites within reach
- Lankan Manta Point
- HP Reef
- Nassimo Thila
Worth knowing before you book
- Speedboat transfer, so late-night arrivals work
- Shoes genuinely are removed for the whole stay
- Every villa is overwater — there are no beach villas
What they actually do
- Built almost entirely from sustainable timber and thatch
- On-site water bottling
- Reef restoration with guest participation
Two islands, one quote
Split stays with Gili Lankanfushi
Many of our travellers pair two properties in one trip. We book the inter-resort transfer and quote the whole routing as one figure.
4 + 4 nightsGili Lankanfushi +
Soneva JaniRustic overwater then theatrical overwater: rope-lashed timber and rooftop sleeping at Gili, then Jani's sliding roofs and slides. The clearest study in how differently one idea can be done.
Ask about this pairing →Also in Maldives
Compare it against
Baa AtollNoonu Atoll
North Malé Atoll
Noonu AtollCheval Blanc Randheli
French maison in the Indian Ocean
- IslandRandheli
- TransferPrivate seaplane
- BestDesign-led travellers
Gili Lankanfushi · rate on request
Gili Lankanfushi.
Tell us the month.
We come back with availability, the villa categories worth taking, and what the whole thing costs including how you get there.
Or call +91 93157 23375 · 9am – 9pm IST, seven days