Maafushi, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives
Driftwood. A quiet stay on Maafushi.
Twelve rooms, one reef, and nowhere you need to be.
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The front door opens onto a sandy street. The reef is at the end of it.
The house reef
Coral starts where the sand runs out.
Walk to the end of our street, turn left at the water, and you are standing on it. No boat, no transfer, no booking a slot. The shallow section is calm enough to float over for an hour without noticing the time.
Mornings
Before breakfast, or after. Nobody minds.
The water is flattest before nine, which is also when the coffee is best. Guests work this out on their first day and then argue about it politely for the rest of the week.
The rest of it
A boat leaves most afternoons.
Snorkeling with a guide, a sandbank with a packed lunch, or an hour out looking for dolphins as the light drops. You can add any of it to your booking, or decide over breakfast.
Four room types
Twelve rooms, and no two mornings the same in any of them.
Reef View Room
from $180 / nightQueen bed, small private balcony facing the reef. Sleeps 2.
Garden Suite
from $220 / nightKing bed, outdoor rain shower, its own courtyard. Sleeps 2 to 3.
Rooftop Suite
from $260 / nightKing bed, private terrace with a daybed, the best sunset on the property. Sleeps 2.
Beachfront Room
from $240 / nightQueen bed, veranda, sand under your feet at the step. Sleeps 2 to 3.
Days out
Four things we run ourselves.
About
We built Driftwood slowly, with reclaimed wood and a two-minute walk to the reef.
Nothing here was imported to look expensive. The stone came off this atoll, the timber had a life before this one, and the linen gets softer every time it is washed.
January fills up early. May is wide open.