Lush green jungle & crystal clear blue waters: enjoy paradise at Villa Park in the Maldives

Villa Park - recently re-opened and formerly known as Sun Island Resort & Spa - is part of Villa Hotels & Resorts. It is situated in the South Ari Atoll, a 20-minute domestic flight from Malé International airport. The five-star resort is one of the biggest in the Maldives and on the island you can enjoy lush greenery, white sandy beaches and a turquoise lagoon, perfect for snorkeling.

Accommodation

Sun Island Resort & Spa has 462 villas, most of which are located around the island right at the beach except their 32 Sun Villas and 68 overwater villas. Some room categories are, among others, Two-Bedroom Overwater Villa, Tw-Bedroom Beach Pool Villas and Sunset Water Villa. With the resort´s rebranding, all rooms are being renovated over time. We stayed in a recently renovated Beach Pool Villa (121m2) with a bright, colorful and modern design that has a tropical vibe to it. The Villa consists of a spacious bedroom, a bathroom, an outdoor shower and a terrace with private pool and direct access to the beach. The villa can accommodate up to 2 adults and 2 children. The villa was perfect for me and the kids, as we had a lot of privacy, we enjoyed our private pool and we could go snorkeling right in our “backyard”. I loved the design of the bathroom especially, with colorful elements and it also having a simple and elegant design.

The Resort

The resort features 5 restaurants, multiple bars, and a coffee shop, all offering beautiful views of the white beach and the blue water. Furthermore, there are indoor and outdoor sportsgrounds, a gym, and a watersports center and a Green Fingers garden that everyone can visit and where you can learn more about plants and plant life. Two of the restaurants, Maaniya and South Star, are the resort´s buffet restaurants. The four á la carte restaurants are Al Pontile (Italian with amazing views over the lagoon), Sun Star (Thai), Teppanyaki Grill and Zero (natural food in a jungle-like setting).

Villa Park has one main pool, situated near the lobby and entrance jetty, with two waterfalls and a little island in the middle. The kids club was stlll under construction when we visited and is due to open in summer 2023.

Activities

If you like to be active during your stay, there are plenty of options at Villa Park. The resort offers a great variety of activities and excursions, such as snorkeling trips, fishing trips and dolphin safaris. We did the big game snorkeling trip where you go to three different spots to see whale sharks, turtles and mantas. We were lucky and saw all three! It was such an amazing experience. Our guide Adam was the best and he showed my eldest how to go deeper when swimming underwater. My son is so proud that he can now dive deeper thanks to him!

If you´d like to see the underwater world, but you don´t like or you cannot snorkel, then the semi-submarine is perfect. In this boat you can see everything through the windows without getting wet. At the water sports center you can rent various motorized and non-motorized equipment, like kayaks and stand up paddle boards as well as sea bobs and jet skis. The resort also has an on-site diving center.

Araamu Spa

For those who are looking for a more relaxing experience, the Araamu Spa is the place to be. The spa looks and feels like you are in Balu, with beautiful plants and flowers, fountains and ponds. It offers various treatments and massages, a sauna and a steam bath.

Sustainability

Villa Hotels, the group to which Villa Park belongs, is very passionate about sustainability and has demonstrated a great commitment towards implementing sustainable practices, such as

• Energy efficiency and paperless initiatives. Implementation of integrated energy-saving strategies, efficient waste management and eco-friendly technologies to reduce energy consumption across all resorts. To educate and inform, we regularly hold awareness programs for both employees and guests on the importance of reducing water consumption and of the energy saving methods used at the resorts. The group believes in the power of change and raising awareness to actively take care of our planet for future generations. In addition to energy and water-saving initiatives, the DiveOceanus dive centers are 100% paperless, with all training material, administration forms and material provided to guests digitally. 

• Self-sufficient water production. All of the islands harvest and process rainwater with on-site treatment centers. Reusable glass bottles are offered. Producing their own drinkable water avoids usage of plastic bottles, which are a constant danger to the Maldives' wildlife and marine life. 

• Conserving coral reefs. The coral reefs surrounding the resorts are part of the eighth largest reef system in the world. They're also home to a variety of endangered marine species. In recent years, climate change and coral reef bleaching have damaged large portions of the Maldives' ecosystems, so working to maintain what's left is vital. Reef cleaning is done regularly and resort guests ae welcome to join in this collaborative effort.

• Cleaning up the coastline. Villa resorts have some of the most idyllic white sandy beaches and uninterrupted shorelines in the Maldives. The group´s aim is to leave nothing but our footprints behind, so all of the resorts pledge to protect the natural environment with several key initiatives, including regular clean-ups on the islands and nearby sandbanks, and planting coconut saplings for a greener and brighter future. 

• Growing organic food gardens. Villa Park produces more than 20 000 coconuts per month, and a wide variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs are picked daily for resort restaurants. To protect the biodiversity of the islands, the gardeners only use organic pesticides.

• Championing sustainable fishing. Fishing in the Maldives has a long history and is an integral part of the country's culture. The Maldives maintains a sustainable fishing industry with most fish, including tuna, caught by the traditional pole-and-line method. Protecting the oceans is the main priority and preserving marine biodiversity is critical to people's health and our planet. We believe that careful management of our essential resources and marine protected areas is a key feature of a sustainable future. In addition to pole-and-line fishing, sustainable obster fishing in accordance with size criteria is implemented.

• Plastic recycling. Plastic is donated for recycling in a partnership with Parley for the Oceans – an organization that addresses major threats to our oceans and fights for environmental protection through recycling initiatives and global projects. 

Villa Park has implemented the following initiatives:

• It features 2,464 marine-grade photovoltaic solar panels, producing 3,574-4,076 kWh of solar energy daily. Plans for expansion include lagoon floating solar panels and increased coverage, aiming to switch off generators and further adopt renewable energy.

• The dense vegetation that covers Villa Park is home to various migratory birds. While they can be seen across the island, they're easiest to spot at their sanctuary, close to the botanical gardens. This area is left to grow naturally, creating a rich, nurturing environment for them.

• Villa Park produces more than 20,000 coconuts per month, and a wide variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs are picked daily for resort restaurants. To protect the biodiversity of the islands, the gardeners only use organic pesticides.

• Taps and shower heads are set for the Green Key standard to reduce water waste. Furthermore, the following procedures are in place:

  - The total water consumption is registered daily.

  - Newly purchased toilets have a 3/6 liters dual flush.

  - There is a system in place to regularly check for dripping taps and leaky toilets as well as leaky swimming pools.

  - Water flow in more than 75% of the showers must not exceed 9 liters per minute.

  - Water flow in more than 75% of the taps must not exceed 8 liters per minute.

  - Newly purchased cover or tunnel dishwashers do not consume more water than 3.5 liters per basket.

  - All wastewater is treated.

  - Newly purchased dishwashers and laundry machines are not conventional domestic appliances.

• The resort is involved with CSR activities, such as assisting local schools in their students professional development and capacity building.

• Non-toxic products are used for pest control. 

• Furniture at the resort comes from local suppliers and they are made from natural materials.

• Waste is separated and treated as follows:

Thanks to those efforts, Villa Hotels has been recognized with the Maldives Leading Green Resort at World Travel Awards 2022, the International Environmental Green Key Award for implementing sustainable policies and actionable plans as well as Luxury Eco Resort in the 2021 World Hotel Awards. Villa Park was also recently awarded Leading Sustainable Honeymoon Resort in the Marie Claire UK Sustainability awards.

One thing I´d like to mention is the shark and stingray feeding that the resort offers. Although I can imagine it is a great way to show guests the beauty of these creatures, this practice is only entertainment for the guests, rather than maintaining a stable and thriving marine environment. There are many reasons why feeding marine life is something that should be avoided, which you can read about here.

Our stay at Villa Park was truly exceptional and we loved spending every minute here. The beautiful villa, the amazing snorkeling, all the activities, the food and the friendly staff all made it an unforgettable experience. We can´t wait to come back here one day!