All-inclusive resorts have never really appealed to me, I did it once and it was just masses of guests fighting over who’s next in line for the buffet. That was until I discovered the Heritance Aarah, Maldives, a Padi 5-star dive resort, where you can enjoy the best of both worlds - luxury and all-inclusive in one!

We spent 3 incredible days on this island, eating, sleeping and diving as part of a 2-week tour around the Maldives. In this review, I'll give you a glimpse of the resort, let you know if luxury all-inclusive is worth it and what there is to do in this beautiful slice of the Maldives.

Resort Overview

From the moment we arrived at the Heritance Aarah's luxurious private seaplane lounge in Male, we knew we were in for a treat! From the golden decor to the unlimited food and drinks as well as a complimentary shoulder massage!

The resort is tucked away on a secluded island located just 40mins north of Male in the Raa Atoll, surrounded by dazzling turquoise water that draws you to dive straight in!

Expect the softest pure white sand, villas nestled among palm trees and a beach infinity pool with hammocks to relax in! And don't forget to keep an eye out for the baby sharks on the house reef.

As soon as we arrived, we were taken on a personal tour of the island by our very OWN BUTLER! Yep, you read that right! Every guest staying at the resort is allocated their own personal butler for the entire trip. I go into more detail about what this actually means below.

Beach Villa

The beach villas are spacious, clean and airy with plenty of chill-out areas and direct access to the beach. Maldivian heritage has charmingly inspired the room's décor & indoor-outdoor living vibe.

Villa Highlights:

• Huge bathroom & outdoor shower

• Premium Elemis toiletries

• Secluded sun lounging areas

• Super generous premium all-inclusive mini bar – One of the best I’ve ever seen (check out my highlights on Instagram)

Whilst we stayed in a beach villa, there are also a variety of other rooms including those with pools and even overwater villas.

Is the Premium All-Inclusive Package Worth It?

Absolutely! It's definitely worth it if you plan on eating every meal and having a few drinks – it will save you a lot of money. The Heritance Aarah was my first experience with a luxury all-inclusive resort and one of the best. It’s a very generous package and there is so much included.

Highlights:

• All meals & drinks from buffet to à la carte

• Introduction to scuba diving

• Complimentary guided snorkelling & dolphin watching trips

• Sunset & Sunrise cruises 3 times a week

• Free ice cream & cocktail carts around the island

• A choice of dining at several different restaurants

Generous All-Inclusive Mini Bar

I could not believe the size of the minibar and it was all FREE!! 2 bottles of wine, and 2 bottles of premium spirits, such as Smirnoff vodka, gin etc, beer, soft drinks, Nespresso and Lindt chocolate bars. All are replenished every day.

Food & Drink

There are a variety of bars and restaurants to choose from, all serving up some of the most delicious food I’ve had in the Maldives.

My favourite for lunch & dinner is over water restaurant, Ralu for delicious Mediterranean food and epic sunset views. Along with Ginifati – a seafood beach grill with private dining tiki huts, giving ultimate castaway vibes.

Personal Butler Service

The resort really knows how to make their guests feel special with their personal butler service that comes as standard for every guest in the hotel. They'll take care of all your needs - from booking restaurants to informing you about daily activities and even picking you up after you dive.

Prikchit was amazing and just a text away 24/7! The resort butlers are essentially a roaming front office, so you can spend more time relaxing and less time at the reception.

What To Do In Heritance Aarah | Maldives

Whilst you could just lay back and relax on your own private slice of paradise, there are so many activities to keep you occupied:

• Scuba Diving with resident PADI dive centre | Kaito Maldives

• Guided house reef snorkelling

• Glass bottom kayaking & SUP

• Spa pampering

• Coral planting

• Sri Lankan Dance performances

• Rum Tasting

• Variety of off-island excursions
  

Scuba Diving With Kaito Maldives | Resident Dive Centre

The onsite 5-star PADI dive centre is located in a luxurious thatched bungalow, surrounded by turquoise water! They offer nitrox and have a wide selection of high-quality dive gear in all different sizes – which was a relief since I often have difficulty finding a rental BCD that fits! If you’re new to scuba diving they offer a complimentary 15min intro dive right there in the shallow lagoon.

We decided to do morning dives so we could be back in time for lunch and get to enjoy the resort, but you can also opt for afternoon and night dives. Diving is done with a giant stride from a traditional Maldivian Dhoni boat.

Within minutes of our first dive, we were surrounded by hundreds of blue-striped snappers! They are fairly common in the Indian Ocean BUT I’ve never seen an abundance like here in the Raa Atoll

The One Thing You Must Do On This Maldives Island

If you do one activity during your stay, ensure it’s the Maldivian Village Showcase! It allows you to experience local island life, culture and heritage without ever leaving the resort.

You’ll experience culture like never before at the museum tucked away among the palm trees. We had the chance to learn how to read the tide of the sea from a traditional water well and uncover the importance of brain coral in bathing.

We also got to watch traditional coconut husking and dress up in traditional Maldivian clothing. Plus, the food tasting was absolutely delicious, especially the coconut spicy tuna curry and the stickiest coconut rice! Aside from scuba diving, this was the best activity we experienced on the island!

Sustainability

It’s clear the dive team, staff, and general manager of the Heritance Aarah are passionate about sustainability and preserving the island’s biodiversity.

They have numerous initiatives in place, such as the village showcase to keep Maldivian culture alive, coral restoration and reef cleaning to sourcing local fruit and veg, providing local employment and even making key cards from wood. And by 2025, they aim to make the island completely plastic free.

Our stay was complimentary but all thoughts and opinions are my own.