Surfing in the Maldives - Six Senses Laamu vs Niyama Private Islands
“So which resort is best, Six Senses Laamu or Niyama Private Islands?”
This is a question we commonly get asked here at Wave Collective when our clients are scoping out their next Maldivian getaway. So one might ask, why does everyone compare these two resorts so closely? Well, heres the deal. They are both equally as luxurious, come in at a very similar price point, have an almost identical choice of villa options and are both located around 50 minutes from the countries capital of Male. When you think of Luxury Surf Resorts, in my opinion these are two of the best out there.
We have had the pleasure of spending a significant amount of time at both of these incredible properties so lets reach for the magnifying glass and take a deep dive into their differences. Please note, our aim here is to present you with a completely non-biased comparison.
Resort Style:
Niyama and Six Senses have a completely different resort ‘style’ and general feel. Niyama is sleek and modern whereas Six Senses has more of a Robinson Crusoe, eco friendly vibe with the construction being predominantly wooden (which is mind blowing). Neither one is necessarily better or more luxurious, it really goes down to your personal preference.
Six Senses | Two Bedroom Villa
Niyama | Two Bedroom Pavilion
The Islands:
Six Senses Laamu is located on a circular-shaped, well spread out island. Guests can ride their bikes around the entirety of the island in roughly 20 minutes. Niyama on the other hand is split up over two seperate islands with an interconnecting bridge. The two islands at Niyama (Chill and Play) are more stretched out, narrowly shaped. Both islands boast an extremely lushes array of vegetation giving guests the sense of exploration on every outing. The dense vegetation at each resort definitely makes the islands feel larger as you will never have clear sight of the other side of the resort.
Six Senses | Aerial View
Niyama | Aerial View
The Villas:
Six Senses Laamu have a total of 97 villas to choose from, with the majority of villas being over water. Niyama has a total of 134 villas to choose from with the majority of the villa types being Beach Villas. Once again, the general resort style is prominent throughout the design of the villas at each resort. Six Senses Laamu focuses on a sustainable, eco-friendly approach with construction consisting of mostly wooden materials with a rustic feel. Niyama has a more sleek feel and very clean finishes throughout.
Six Senses | Family Beach Pool Villa
Six Senses | Laamu Water Pool Villa
Niyama | Family Beach Pool Villa
Niyama | Deluxe Water Pool Villa
Dining:
Guests are completely spoilt for choice when it comes to dining options at both Six Senses Laamu and Niyama. Each resort has done an incredible job when theming their restaurants, ensuring guests get a full experience of that particular cuisine. If you would like to see a full list of each of the dining options, please visit the resort pages. For now, we’ll break down a few of our favourites and compare the best of the best.
Six Senses | Leaf
Perched above the organic garden, choose to dine privately or at the shared Chili Table.
Six Senses | Sip Sip
Poolside seating, offers homemade pizzas, jungle-wood grills, juicy burgers, locally-inspired desserts
Six Senses | Zen
Japanese fusion cuisine (sushi boats, crab tempura, gyoza) with a modern twist. Dine in a relaxed and casual atmosphere
Niyama | Nest
Asian avant-garde cuisines in a surreal tree top setting. Teppanyaki, Thai, Chinese and Indonesian.
Niyama | Blu
Mediterranean inspired dishes and a poolside ice cream parlour. Perfect for that afternoon sundowner
Niyama | Tribal
African, Central and South American cuisines amidst blazing fires. Special dining pods for extra privacy
The Waves:
Last but not least, and some might argue the most important comparison we might make today… Lets delve into the various options for the surfers out there.
Straight off the bat, I have to address the fact that Niyama has a wave breaking directly on the island (Vodi) which is accessible by simply walking up the point and paddling out. This wave is exclusive to guests of the resort so no crowds, GUARANTEED! Six Senses on the other hand does not have a wave accessible by paddling from the island. In saying that, there is a wave at Six Senses that breaks on the island (Jetty C) but is only accessible by boat as it is too far to get to otherwise. As both resorts are located in the Central Atolls, the crowd factor is generally very low. The occasional safari boat will venture down here but the majority stay around the North and South Male Atolls.
Below are the list of various waves to choose from when staying at each of the resorts.
Six Senses Laamu:
Ying Yangs - A world class, powerful right hander that on its day can deliver some of the sickest barrels and rippable walls.
Jetty C - A sick, long left hander that breaks off the reef at the resort. 5 min boat trip from the dock.
Machines - A mechanical right hander that grinds down the reef. World class on its day!
Petrols - When the swell is big, this little reef lights up. Just across the channel is this epic, fast wedging left hander
Niyama:
Vodi - The world class left-hander that breaks on the island at Niyama. A short walk from your villa… Exclusive to guests of the resort!
Hocus Pocus - When everywhere else is too big this place lights up. Relatively mellow takeoff with a grinding barrel through the inside section
Kasabu - On its day, this is one of my favourite waves in the world. Super long outside section that runs through to an epic barrel through the inside.
Van Dam - Super fun, punchy right-hander around 25 minutes speedboat trip from Niyama. Needs a big swell to start working but when its on it fires!
For more information and for assistance in planning your next trip, be sure to GET IN TOUCH with our team of travel experts!