South Ari Atoll
NH Maldives Kuda Rah Resort
NH Maldives Kuda Rah Resort opened in September 2024 as NH Hotels' first property in the Indian Ocean, a Minor Hotels debut on the small island of Kuda Rah in South Ari Atoll, 25 minutes by seaplane from Velana International Airport. All 51 villas and suites have a private pool, ranging from the 90 sqm Beach Villa with Private Pool through 118 sqm overwater Water Villas to a 231 sqm two-level Beach Duplex Suite; Overwater Suites add butler service and a bathtub on the deck. Dining is compact and deliberate: Sea Spray runs all-day buffets built around Maldivian and international cooking, Ocean by Kuda Rah is the a la carte seafood room, Malaa serves traditional teas and short eats over the water, and Glow covers juices and light bites through the day. The setting is the real draw — South Ari is one of the few stretches of ocean with year-round whale shark sightings, with more than 50 dive sites and manta cleaning stations a short boat ride away.
Published packages
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Transfers and meal plans
- Seaplane — 25 min
Meal plans in source: Bed & Breakfast, Half Board, Full Board, All Inclusive.
Villas
- One Bedroom Beach Pool Villa — 90 m² · up to 3 guests
Enjoy ultimate privacy with direct beach access, a private pool, and a modern interior for the perfect island escape. Highlights include a sea view, sundeck, and both indoor and outdoor showers, as well as a Jacuzzi.
- One Bedroom Beach Pool Pavilion Suite — 231 m² · up to 4 guests
One-bedroom beach pavilion suite with private pool, 231 m².
- Over Water Royal Residence with Private Pool — 210 m² · up to 4 guests
Now presented by NH Maldives Kuda Rah as the Over Water Royal Residence with Private Pool, this 210-square-metre overwater retreat accommodates up to three adults and one child. It pairs a king bedroom and living area with an ocean-facing sundeck, private pool, direct lagoon access and a Jacuzzi bathtub.
- One Bedroom Over Water Pool Villa — 118 m² · up to 4 guests
Offers stunning ocean views, complete privacy, and a serene escape for a luxurious overwater retreat. Highlights include an ocean view, overwater deck, sundeck, and dual vanity basins.
- Two Bedroom Beach Pool Pavilion Villa — 231 m² · up to 4 guests
A luxurious two-level retreat with beach access, private pool, and stunning ocean views, offering ultimate privacy and comfort for a secluded getaway. HIGHLIGHTS Sea view Private balcony or terrace Indoor and outdoor showers Jacuzzi
Dining
- Sea Spray — International · Main restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating
Sea Spray is a modern yet relaxed dining venue for fine dining in Maldives, offering a blend of local and international cuisines for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Experience fine dining in Maldives to enjoy diverse flavours with our indulgent buffets and live cooking stations, providing a vibrant and interactive dining experience.
- Ocean by Kuda Rah — Mediterranean · Ocean-facing restaurant
Ocean by Kuda Rah is the resort's seafood restaurant, with outdoor tables, a wide ocean view and a breeze off the water. Guests can choose the catch, including lobster or prawns, and the menu is listed as international and Mediterranean as well as Maldivian.
- Glow — Drinks and light bites · Poolside bar
Glow is the pool bar at NH Maldives Kuda Rah, open from ten in the morning until midnight. It is the stop for a cocktail and a snack after water sports or before dinner, and the resort singles out sunset, when a resident DJ plays.
- Destination Dining — Private dining experiences · Guest-selected private setting
Private dining arranged on request in special resort settings rather than at one permanent restaurant location.
- In-Villa Dining — International in-villa dining · Delivered to the guest’s villa
In-Villa Dining at NH Maldives Kuda Rah brings meals to the villa, including a floating breakfast, a slower lunch and a late snack. The page lists it as international room service, with the kitchen available from ten in the morning until ten at night.
- Malaa — Maldivian · Island dining venue
Malaa is NH Maldives Kuda Rah's Maldivian café session, open from four to half past five in the afternoon. Guests cook aromatic curries and other traditional dishes with the chefs, so the hour is a lesson in local technique rather than a restaurant sitting.
Wellness
- The Spa — Island spa
The island spa has three treatment suites together with a sauna, steam room, experience showers and jacuzzi, and offers massage, body, beauty and Ayurvedic therapies.
Diving
- Dive & Sail at NH Maldives Kuda Rah — Dive & Sail
The on-island Dive & Sail centre offers introductory dives, PADI courses, guided dives, boat diving and equipment rental. Forty-one named sites are retained from the SharePoint-linked Amaya dive guide as historical planning context, not as a current operating schedule.
Experiences
- Flyboarding — flyboarding
Flyboard flights are listed in 15- and 30-minute sessions, with a separate 30-minute training lesson.
- Manta Excursion — marine_excursion
A three-to-four-hour manta excursion. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
- Canoeing — canoeing
Canoe lessons and single, double or glass-canoe rentals are listed in one-hour sessions.
- Catamaran or Flying Fish Sailing — sailing
Sailing-boat rental, skill checks, private or refresher lessons, and a two-hour fun course are available; independent rental requires a licence.
- Kuda Rah Adventure Package — watersports_package
A combined jet-ski, fun-tube, captain-led sailing and board-or-ski lesson package, with single- and double-share variants.
- Indoor Play Area — family_recreation
An indoor play area with games and activities for supervised younger guests; babysitting can be requested separately.
- Night Snorkelling — snorkelling · 60 min
A one-hour guided night-snorkelling session with a torch included.
- Yoga and Water Aerobics — wellness
Instructor-led yoga and water-aerobics sessions are part of the resort’s current wellness programme.
- Infinity Swimming Pool — pool
An infinity pool overlooking the white-sand beach and ocean, presented by the resort as an island focal point for relaxed days.
- Sandbank Picnic — sandbank_excursion
An excursion to a sandbank or remote beach for swimming, sunbathing and time on the sand, with cool drinks provided.
- 24-Hour Gym — fitness
The resort’s gym is available around the clock for guest workouts.
- Private Boat Charters — private_charter
Private sunset-speedboat, speedboat, Swan and dhoni charter options are listed for groups of up to eight where the source specifies capacity.
- NH Honeymoon Water-Sports Special — watersports_package
A couples package combining jet ski, fun tube, a sail and sandbank visit, a board-or-ski lesson, stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing.
- Bicycle Rides — cycling
- Sunset Fishing — fishing
Traditional Maldivian handline fishing around sunset, with fishing gear and bait supplied.
- Sunset Cruise — cruise
A sunset boat trip with refreshments and the possibility of encountering dolphins along the route.
- Whale Shark Excursion — marine_excursion
A three-to-four-hour whale-shark excursion. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
- Parasailing — parasailing · 15 min
Fifteen-minute single, double, triple and private parasailing options are listed.
- Water Sports Centre — watersports_center
- Guided Snorkelling — snorkelling · 60 min
A one-hour guided snorkelling session listed in the resort’s April 2026 dive and water-sports price list.
- Jet Skiing — jet_ski
Jet-ski rentals from 15 minutes to one hour, plus one-to-three-hour tours combining dolphins, snorkelling or a sandbank.
- Stand-Up Paddleboarding — paddleboarding
One-hour stand-up paddleboard lessons and rentals are listed in the current water-sports catalogue.
- Turtle Excursion — marine_excursion · 120 min
A two-hour turtle-focused snorkelling excursion. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
- Tow Sports — tow_sports
Water-ski, wakeboard, kneeboard and SUP-ski laps or lessons, plus banana, fun-tube and sofa rides.
- Windsurfing — windsurfing
Windsurf-board and sail rental, private lessons and a two-hour fun course are listed in the April 2026 catalogue.
- Beach Hopping — island_excursion
A boat outing to nearby remote beaches for swimming, sunbathing and shoreline walks, with cool drinks provided.
- Maldivian Cooking Class — cooking_class
A chef-led introduction to four traditional Maldivian dishes, followed by a lunch featuring what participants prepare.
- Nurse Shark Excursion — marine_excursion
A two-to-three-hour nurse-shark excursion. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.