Nika Island Resort
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Overview
- Charming private island resort with a casual approach to luxury
- Explore the onsite museum full of traditional artworks and artefacts
- Explore dive sites including Bodu Thila, Maaya Thila, and Rasdhoo
- Choice of villas, suites and studios - some with their own private beach
One of Ari Atoll’s original resorts, Nika Island is an iconic escape from modern life, offering a glimpse into the Maldives that used to be. Forget unnecessary opulence, Nika blends Maldivian tradition and natural beauty with the casual comfort of Italian style and culture to create an atmosphere of sumptuous simplicity. Luxury at this resort means walking barefoot all over the island and not having to worry about a dress-code, just like at home, and the freedom to let time flow slowly, without a care in the world. It is the silence of your private beach, free from light pollution, as turtles lay their eggs beneath the Milky Way, and relaxed scuba diving in some of the Maldives most striking dive sites.
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Resort amenities
Resort amenities
Dive facilities
About Nika Island Resort
About Nika Island Resort
Nika Island Resort and Spa is located on Kudafolhudhoo in North Ari Atoll, just a 25-minute seaplane flight from Male. First opening its doors in 1983, Nika Island is a true piece of Maldivian history as one of the first islands in Ari Atoll to become a tropical tourist destination. And, while the resort keeps pace with contemporary luxuries, the island itself remains suspended in time, immune to the troubles of mass tourism, creating a space for discerning travellers to experience the Maldives of times past.
Once used by nearby islanders for growing fruit trees and for repairing boats, the island now provides a unique insight into the history of this fascinating country. An old metal forge on the island has been converted into Nika’s very own museum, with its maze of tunnels and vaults now used to showcase a collection of Maldivian artefacts and art. And, with just 46 villas spread across the resort, each designed using traditional architecture and materials including washed up coral fragments, Nika Island Resort and Spa truly feels like “the Maldives that used to be”.
Explore the resort
Nika’s restaurant is a large open-air structure serving predominantly Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. The menu alternates between buffet and a la carte services, with a weekly Maldivian barbecue, and guests can choose between full-board, half-board, and all-inclusive packages. To complement your meal, the island’s wine cellar is stocked with over 100 types of wine. Bepi Bar and the Coffee Shop are two other welcoming meeting spots where guests can enjoy spectacular sunsets and sip aperitif cocktails. A small library with a collection of books and publications in different languages can also be found in the Coffee Shop.
The Lotus Spa offers both Thai and Ayurvedic massages, as well as a range of beauty treatments, in eight cottages rising from a lagoon of water lilies - creating the most relaxing setting imaginable. Nika also regularly schedules activities to explore and learn about the wonders of the Indian Ocean, allowing curious travellers to snorkel in search of turtles and manta rays, sail around the atoll in search of dolphins, and swim with the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. You can also organise secluded sandbank visits and trips to local islands to experience the traditional way of life.
Diving from Nika Island Resort
Nika’s PADI 5-Star dive centre promises a unique, personal, and tailor-made approach to underwater exploration and always makes guest safety a top priority. During both fun dives and courses, divers are organised into small groups led by qualified multi-lingual PADI instructors and guides ensuring the highest level of professionalism.
The resort’s own house reef provides a fantastic sheltered spot for snorkellers and beginners, or for more experienced underwater explorers looking for a no-fuss fun-dive or two. Thanks to its strategic location in the North Ari Atoll, Nika offers access to over 20 nearby dive sites suitable for both beginners and advanced divers. Some sites give you the chance to see large creatures such as sharks, eagle rays, and manta rays, while others offer macro creatures like nudibranchs and other interesting marine life such as stonefish and colourful soft corals. Special trips can even be organised to Rasdhoo Atoll in search of hammerheads upon request.
About
About Nika Island Resort
Nika Island Resort and Spa is located on Kudafolhudhoo in North Ari Atoll, just a 25-minute seaplane flight from Male. First opening its doors in 1983, Nika Island is a true piece of Maldivian history as one of the first islands in Ari Atoll to become a tropical tourist destination. And, while the resort keeps pace with contemporary luxuries, the island itself remains suspended in time, immune to the troubles of mass tourism, creating a space for discerning travellers to experience the Maldives of times past.
Once used by nearby islanders for growing fruit trees and for repairing boats, the island now provides a unique insight into the history of this fascinating country. An old metal forge on the island has been converted into Nika’s very own museum, with its maze of tunnels and vaults now used to showcase a collection of Maldivian artefacts and art. And, with just 46 villas spread across the resort, each designed using traditional architecture and materials including washed up coral fragments, Nika Island Resort and Spa truly feels like “the Maldives that used to be”.
Explore the resort
Nika’s restaurant is a large open-air structure serving predominantly Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. The menu alternates between buffet and a la carte services, with a weekly Maldivian barbecue, and guests can choose between full-board, half-board, and all-inclusive packages. To complement your meal, the island’s wine cellar is stocked with over 100 types of wine. Bepi Bar and the Coffee Shop are two other welcoming meeting spots where guests can enjoy spectacular sunsets and sip aperitif cocktails. A small library with a collection of books and publications in different languages can also be found in the Coffee Shop.
The Lotus Spa offers both Thai and Ayurvedic massages, as well as a range of beauty treatments, in eight cottages rising from a lagoon of water lilies - creating the most relaxing setting imaginable. Nika also regularly schedules activities to explore and learn about the wonders of the Indian Ocean, allowing curious travellers to snorkel in search of turtles and manta rays, sail around the atoll in search of dolphins, and swim with the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. You can also organise secluded sandbank visits and trips to local islands to experience the traditional way of life.
Diving from Nika Island Resort
Nika’s PADI 5-Star dive centre promises a unique, personal, and tailor-made approach to underwater exploration and always makes guest safety a top priority. During both fun dives and courses, divers are organised into small groups led by qualified multi-lingual PADI instructors and guides ensuring the highest level of professionalism.
The resort’s own house reef provides a fantastic sheltered spot for snorkellers and beginners, or for more experienced underwater explorers looking for a no-fuss fun-dive or two. Thanks to its strategic location in the North Ari Atoll, Nika offers access to over 20 nearby dive sites suitable for both beginners and advanced divers. Some sites give you the chance to see large creatures such as sharks, eagle rays, and manta rays, while others offer macro creatures like nudibranchs and other interesting marine life such as stonefish and colourful soft corals. Special trips can even be organised to Rasdhoo Atoll in search of hammerheads upon request.
Diving
Diving in North Ari Atoll
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SharksYear round -
TurtlesYear round -
Schooling reef fishYear round -
Manta RaysYear round -
Eagle rayYear round -
WrecksYear round
