JOALI Maldives: Art-Immersive Villas, Dining and Guide

Raa Atoll · Muravandhoo island · Art-immersive

JOALI Maldives

The first art-immersive resort in the Maldives: 73 pool villas on a green island in Raa Atoll, a Manta Ray Treehouse in the trees, a resident artist, Japanese dining over the water and a kids club with its own water slides. Choose it for design, food and families; skip it if you want a quick boat ride from Malé.

73pool villas

5restaurants and bars

45 minby seaplane

35 sq mluxury villa pools

Atoll: Raa, Muravandhoo
Opened: 2018
Transfer: Seaplane, about 45 min
Villas: 1 to 4 bedrooms, all with pools
Children: Muramas kids club
Spa: JOALI BEING Cure
Signature: Art Studio, Manta Ray Treehouse
Service: Butler for every villa

Request custom quote Compare with JOALI BEING Build a package

01Villas

Twelve ways to stay, every one with a pool

Sunset or sunrise, beach or water, one bedroom or four: we match the villa to how you like to spend your days.

Each of the 73 villas was designed around its own story, so no two feel quite the same. Water villas sit along a curving jetty beside a white sandbank; beach villas hide in the palms with gardens that run to the sand. The luxury versions add a separate living room and a 35 sq m infinity pool.

Families have a lot of choice here, which is unusual for an art-led resort: a two-bedroom beach villa with two pools, two-bedroom villas on land and over the water, and three and four-bedroom residences that sleep up to nine adults.

Overwater residence with a long infinity pool and thatched roof stretching toward the ocean at JOALI Maldives — The Three-Bedroom Ocean Residence with Two Pools. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

From the JOALI Maldives press kit. Published villa sizes differ between sources, so we confirm exact sizes with each quote.
Villa	Setting	Bedrooms	Sleeps	Pool
Water Villa with Pool	Overwater	1	Up to 3	Infinity pool
Sunset Water Villa with Pool	Overwater, west	1	Up to 3	Infinity pool
Luxury Water Villa with Pool	Overwater	1	Up to 3	35 sq m infinity pool
Luxury Sunset Water Villa with Pool	Overwater, west	1	Up to 3	35 sq m infinity pool
Beach Villa with Pool	Beach	1	Up to 3	Infinity pool
Luxury Beach Villa with Pool	Beach	1	Up to 4	35 sq m infinity pool
Two-Bedroom Family Beach Villa with Two Pools	Beach	2	Up to 5	Two pools
Two-Bedroom Beach Villa with Pool	Beach	2	Up to 5	Private pool
Two-Bedroom Water Villa with Pool	Overwater	2	Up to 3 adults or 2 + 2	Private pool
Three-Bedroom Beach Residence with Pool	Beach	3	Up to 7	Extra-large infinity pool
Three-Bedroom Ocean Residence with Two Pools	Overwater	3	Up to 7	Two infinity pools
Four-Bedroom Beach Residence with Pool	Beach, duplex	4	Up to 9	Infinity pool

Living room with pale sofas, artworks and doors open to the ocean in a luxury sunset water villa at JOALI Maldives — The living room of a Luxury Sunset Water Villa with Pool. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

Bedroom with a canopy bed, high timber ceiling and glass doors to a garden in a luxury beach villa at JOALI Maldives — The bedroom of a Luxury Beach Villa with Pool. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

Overwater villa bedroom with a draped canopy bed, carved timber and ocean views at JOALI Maldives, Raa Atoll — The bedroom of a Luxury Water Villa with Pool. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

Every villa type has its own listing with photos below. See also overwater villas with a pool and multi-bedroom residences.

02Art-immersive

An island you walk through like a gallery

Art is not the background at JOALI. It is the reason to walk the island slowly.
HolidayVibe Maldives

Pieces to find

Manta Ray Treehouse by Porky Hefer, woven on site and hung in the trees.
Heron chairs by Porky Hefer, swinging over the beach.
Evolution Chair by Nacho Carbonell, remade with sand and tree sap.
Wishing Palm by Gabriela Noelle González, outside La Joie.

Make your own

A resident artist runs the Art Studio year-round.
Classes in ceramics, glazing and painting.
Maison de JOALI sells teas, textiles and works made on the island.
Every villa has a ripple-shaped piece by Seckin Pirim.

Woven manta-ray-shaped treehouse on a timber walkway among palm trees at JOALI Maldives — The Manta Ray Treehouse by Porky Hefer. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

Colourful acrylic sculpture of a palm on white sand, part of the art collection at JOALI Maldives — Wishing Palm by Gabriela Noelle González. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

03Dining

Japanese over the water, Italian on the sand

Saoke

Japanese · overwater

Vandhoo

Asian, Chinese and Indian

The main restaurant, with long breakfasts from Maldivian mashuni to shakshuka, and a strong wine cellar.

Bellinis

Italian

Dinner by the beach, with homemade limoncello and, of course, Bellinis.

TUH'U

Levantine

Mezze and grills at tables on the sand under lit palms.

Mura Bar

Beach bar

Cabanas for sunset cocktails, with a private whisky and cigar lounge.

Destination dining

Anywhere

A sandbank barbecue, lunch in the Chef's Garden or dinner in the Manta Ray Treehouse.

Worth booking

Saoke at sunset, when the pavilions light up over the lagoon.
Her Kitchen, a cooking class with the chefs using local recipes.
Wine and cheese tasting with the sommelier in the cellar.
More in our fine dining resorts guide.

Thatched overwater restaurant pavilions lit warmly at dusk over a still lagoon at Saoke, JOALI Maldives — Saoke, the overwater Japanese restaurant, at dusk. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

04Families

Muramas, the kids club with water slides

For children

Two water slides and a splash area at Muramas.
Storytelling days with local raconteurs and island treasure hunts.
Cookery classes in a children's kitchen and family pottery.
Tennis, padel, football and archery for older kids.

Compare luxury family resorts and resorts with slides.

Two colourful water slides curving into a splash pool at the Muramas kids club, JOALI Maldives — The water slides at the Muramas kids club. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

05Sea and spa

Raa Atoll reefs and JOALI BEING Cure

In the water

Raa Atoll has seasonal manta sites; the resort arranges snorkelling trips.
The house reef is fine for easy shore snorkelling, not a headline reef.
Glass kayaks, wakeboarding, yacht and dhoni trips.
Read more in our Raa Atoll luxury resorts guide.

On land

JOALI BEING Cure spa, built on four pillars: mind, skin, microbiome and energy.
Hammam and overwater treatment rooms.
Visiting practitioners from JOALI BEING through the year.
A fitness centre looking into the trees.

Marble hammam room with a heated stone platform and patterned walls at the spa, JOALI Maldives — The hammam at the JOALI BEING Cure spa. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

Aerial view of a clear glass kayak on bright turquoise water off JOALI Maldives, Raa Atoll — Glass kayaking off JOALI Maldives. Photo: JOALI Maldives.

06Our honest view

Who JOALI suits, and who should skip it

Choose it for

Design lovers who want art in every corner.
Families: Muramas, slides and real family villas.
Food-focused couples: Saoke alone is worth the trip.
Groups booking the three and four-bedroom residences.

Skip it if

You want a famous house reef right off your villa.
You need to arrive after dark: seaplanes fly in daylight only.
You want a quiet, adults-feel island: try JOALI BEING instead.

When and how long

December to April: drier and calmer seas.
June to November: wetter, but often the better months for mantas in Raa Atoll.
5 to 7 nights to justify the seaplane.

07Getting there

Seaplane, or domestic flight and speedboat

Transfers

Seaplane from Velana International Airport, about 45 minutes, in daylight.
Domestic flight to Ifuru, then a short speedboat ride.
Late international arrivals usually need a night near Malé.
More on arrivals: VIP transfers and private jet.

Plan and compare

Compare with JOALI BEING, its sister island.
See the best luxury resorts and luxury packages.
Check what a luxury holiday costs.

08FAQs

JOALI Maldives: your questions answered

Where is JOALI Maldives?

JOALI Maldives is on Muravandhoo island in Raa Atoll, in the north of the Maldives. Most guests arrive by seaplane from Velana International Airport, about 45 minutes in daylight; the other route is a domestic flight to Ifuru followed by a short speedboat ride.

What does art-immersive mean at JOALI?

Art is built into the island rather than hung on walls. You will find a Manta Ray Treehouse by Porky Hefer in the trees, Heron chairs over the beach, Nacho Carbonell's Evolution Chair, a resident artist in the Art Studio and a ripple-shaped wall piece by Seckin Pirim in every villa. You can join ceramics, glazing and painting classes too.

How many villas does JOALI Maldives have?

There are 73 villas and residences, every one with a private pool. They range from one-bedroom water and beach villas to a three-bedroom overwater Ocean Residence and a four-bedroom duplex Beach Residence that sleeps up to nine adults.

Is JOALI Maldives good for families?

Yes. Muramas, the kids club, has colourful water slides, a splash area, a children's kitchen, treasure hunts and storytelling with local raconteurs. Family villas include a two-bedroom beach villa with two pools, and the residences sleep seven to nine.

What is the difference between JOALI Maldives and JOALI BEING?

They are sister resorts in Raa Atoll. JOALI Maldives is the art-immersive island with restaurants, a kids club and plenty to do. JOALI BEING is a separate wellbeing island built around spa programmes and quiet. At JOALI Maldives the spa, JOALI BEING Cure, brings a taste of that approach.

What restaurants are at JOALI Maldives?

Saoke for Japanese over the water, Vandhoo for Asian, Chinese and Indian dishes and long breakfasts, Bellinis for Italian, TUH'U for Levantine food on the sand, and the Mura Bar for sunset drinks with a whisky and cigar lounge. Destination dining can take a menu to a sandbank, the Chef's Garden or the Manta Ray Treehouse.

Can you see manta rays from JOALI Maldives?

Raa Atoll has well-known seasonal manta sites, and the resort can arrange manta snorkelling trips when they are around. The house reef suits easy shore snorkelling for reef fish and turtles, but it is not the main reason to choose JOALI.

Which JOALI villa should I book?

For couples, the Luxury Sunset Water Villa with Pool is our first pick: a separate living room, a 35 sq m infinity pool and sunset from the deck. Families do well in the Two-Bedroom Beach Villa with Pool, and groups should look at the Four-Bedroom Beach Residence.

09Head to head

JOALI vs JOALI BEING: art island or wellbeing island?

Both are JOALI resorts in Raa Atoll, with butler service, a pool in every villa and villas of up to four bedrooms, but the focus differs. JOALI is the art-immersive one, playful and family-friendly with the Muramas kids club. JOALI BEING is built entirely around wellbeing, with the AREKA centre, nutritionist-planned menus and no conventional kids club.

From the JOALI press kit and the JOALI BEING fact sheet, 2026.
	JOALI	JOALI BEING
Focus	Art, design and play	Wellbeing programmes
Villas	73, all with pools	68, all with pools
Largest stay	Four-Bedroom Beach Residence, about 500 sq m	Four-bedroom residences, up to about 1,260 sq m
Wellness	JOALI BEING Cure spa	AREKA centre, 39 treatment rooms and spaces
Children	Muramas kids club with water slides	Welcome, B'Kidult play zone, no kids club
Getting there	Seaplane about 45 min, or flight to Ifuru and boat	Seaplane about 40 min

Choose JOALI if

Children are coming and want the Muramas kids club.
Art, design and the Art Studio appeal.
You want a lively island with lots to do.

Choose JOALI BEING if

A wellbeing programme is the point of the trip.
You want menus planned around nutrition.
You want a calm island with no kids club.

Compare them side by side in our luxury resort comparison, or read our JOALI BEING guide.

Why book JOALI Maldives with HolidayVibe

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HolidayVibe Maldives is a trusted brand in the Maldives travel industry, a Malé-based agency licensed by the Ministry of Tourism (MOT.O1.RS.TA.25.RD9933). You deal with one local team from the first message to your transfer home.

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We are luxury travel experts in the Maldives who know these islands villa by villa. We put the villa, transfers, meal plan and current offers into one written quote, often better value than booking sites.