Vegan Guide to The Maldives
Updated January 2024
Our vegan guide to the Maldives remains #1 on Google when searching ‘vegan Maldives’ and has been a very helpful resource for many vegan luxury travel lovers since it was first published in 2014. We spent June and July 2022 back in the Maldives, and have now added the updates and new additions from this trip. We’re heading back in August 2024 so watch this space for some exciting new vegan friendly luxury resorts in the Maldives. The Maldives is possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth with crystal clear waters, wildlife, white sand beaches and sunsets to die for. A trip to the Maldives is often a trip of a lifetime, perhaps for your honeymoon or to celebrate something special, or maybe just for an indulgent trip to paradise. But no amount of luxury or paradise beaches will do if your resort doesn’t cater well for vegans.
Our Vegan Guide to the Maldives highlights a selection of resorts that we’ve tried & tested and can confirm are suitable for those of us that enjoy being vegan (served with a generous slice of luxury in paradise). Over the years we’ve been visiting, the Maldives has certainly embraced the growth in vegan travel with veggie restaurants, vegan menus and even vegan restaurants now being available if you choose wisely. With so many options now available, our Vegan Guide to the Maldives also features other resorts that we consider to be new & noteworthy and have connected with. We have been impressed by their efforts to embrace plant based food in the Maldives and cater for their vegan guests so decided to feature them here. If you decide to book a vegan luxury escape to the Maldives (or anywhere else for that matter) it’s best to contact the resort in advance to tell them you are vegan. We’ve found that it’s useful to give people as much time as possible to prepare and make any special adjustments needed before you arrive in your tropical paradise.
Vegan Friendly Luxury Resorts in the Maldives (tried & tested)
Amilla Maldives
Amilla Maldives is situated in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll and oozes style with its ultra modern villas. Their ‘Wellness your Way’ menus feature extensive vegan options at each and every restaurant, this place has really got it going on when it comes to vegan food in the Maldives, trust us you will not be disappointed. Expect over water villas with endless sea views and sunsets to write home about. Whilst at Amilla, make sure to join Dive Butler for an excellent excursion to swim with mantas at Hanifaru Bay, a memorable experience that’s sure to impress.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of Amilla Maldives from July 2022.
Cora Cora Maldives
Cora Cora Maldives is one of the newest luxury resorts in the Maldives having opened in 2021. Their innovative MOKSHA Spa concept features MOKSHA cuisine which is vegan / plant based and available on all menus throughout the resort. Guests all stay on a ‘Premium All Inclusive’ package meaning that you never miss out and can eat at any of the restaurants during your stay, we loved the simplicity of this approach to dining. They are continuing to develop their menus so watch this space for even more vegan food but in the meantime, rest assured you will be feasting on vegan pizza, vegan cakes, vegan sushi, vegan curries and even vegan Beyond Burgers during your stay at Cora Cora.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of Cora Cora Maldives from July 2022.
Kurumba Maldives
Land at Malé airport, hop aboard a private boat and 10 minutes later you’ll have checked in to your villa at the first private island resort in the Maldives. Kurumba Maldives have been welcoming luxury travel loving guests for 50 years since 1972, and they certainly know how to cater for their vegan guest too. There are 8 dining restaurants, each with menus which which feature vegan options and vegetarian options that can be easily adapted, they’ve even got a Beyond Burger available! Expect well polished service and vegan food from around the globe during your stay at Kurumba Maldives.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of Kurumba Maldives from July 2022.
LUX* South Ari Atoll
We loved everything about our stay at LUX* South Ari Atoll. Beautiful beaches, stylish villas, attentive staff team and activities that offer ‘something for everyone’ mean that your stay will be one full of experiences and memories to cherish. Add to this a ‘Keen on Green’ concept that sees vegan, veggie and plant based food first and foremost on every single menu and you’ve got just the type of vegan friendly luxury resort that we like. This is one seriously cool resort that oozes style and made us smile. Alot.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of LUX* South Ari Atoll from July 2022.
OBLU SELECT at Sangeli
Following on from the success of Just Veg at Atmosphere Kanifushi, Atmosphere Hotels and Resorts included Simply Veg as one of the dining options at OBLU SELECT at Sangeli. Simply Veg is a pure vegetarian restaurant with a stunning location and plenty of vegan options available. It’s not just the vegan food you’ll love here, the convenient location (just a short speedboat ride from Male), the selection of beach or over water villas and the ‘Premium All Inclusive’ concept make this a great choice in the Maldives.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of OBLU SELECT at Sangeli from September 2019.
Soneva Fushi
Recognised by many as one of the finest resorts in the world, Soneva Fushi is outstanding on so many levels, truly showing us all that luxury travel can be environmentally friendly and good for your health all at the same time. 2019 saw Soneva Fushi take their plant based offerings to a whole new level with the opening of Shades of Green, the first and only 100% vegan restaurant in the Maldives. Check in here for that authentic desert island hideaway experience with a twist of laid back vegan luxury.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of Soneva Fushi from September 2019.
Atmosphere Kanifushi
Atmosphere Kanifushi is a premium all-inclusive resort and home to the first vegetarian restaurant in the Maldives called Just Veg. Expect towering tall palm trees, fine white sand, crystal clear turquoise ocean and superbly appointed villas with their own beach access. It’s hard not to love this place with the carefree vibes, flowing vegan food and drinks and a typical Maldivian picture postcard landscape.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of Atmosphere Kanifushi from December 2014.
Ayada Maldives
Having won awards including ‘World’s Leading Water Villa Resort’ you know you’re in for a treat when you check in here. The over water villas are truly exquisite; we had a see through section of flooring in our living room that allowed us to watch the fish swimming below. We had wall to ceiling glass doors which opened out on to the most perfect view (and a pool and steps down to the ocean). Combine all this with a chef team that really know how to cater for vegans, offering food from around the globe and you get a perfect recipe for a very special trip indeed.
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of Ayada Maldives from December 2014.
Six Senses Laamu
As you would expect from this luxury brand sustainability is high on their agenda and this means plenty of plant based food. You can expect your accommodation to be of the highest standard, the service to be exemplary and the vegan food to be creative, nutritious and delicious. Ok, maybe the complimentary ice cream and chocolate isn’t the healthiest of options but you’re on holiday right?
Click here to read our detailed vegan friendly resort review of Six Senses Laamu from September 2016.
Vegan Friendly Luxury Resorts in the Maldives (new & noteworthy)
As vegan travel becomes even more popular worldwide, there are always new vegan friendly hotels and resorts that catch our eye. We’ve decided to feature some of our favourite vegan friendly hotels and resorts in the Maldives that are worth checking out. We will continue to add more as they come to our attention and if we have the chance to experience them we will update our vegan guide to the Maldives accordingly. We have also recently published an article via A Luxury Travel Blog called the future of vegan travel in the Maldives that talks about how vegan Maldives is really becoming a thing and we love it!
JA Manafaru
Their website boasts ‘experience an idyllic escape in the secluded sanctuary of JA Manafaru’ which sounds kind of perfect, but it’s the culinary concept that caught our eye at JA Manafaru. Called ‘Wellness Your Way’ it means that guests with alternative dietary requirements (and that includes us vegans) will be very well catered for during their stay. There are clearly labeled vegan options on all of the menus and ‘Wellness Your Way’ doesn’t end with your food, it also includes other wellness initiatives that combine to create a holistic approach to wellbeing.
Mirihi Island Resort
Not only does the ‘pristine nature, fringed-palm beaches and powdery sand’ at Mihiri Island Resort sound like absolute paradise, but the fact that this island is tiny really appeals to us, after all, good things come in small packages right? With vegetarian and vegan options on all of their menus, including some delicious sounding dishes at Muraka (yes, vegan creme brûlée, we’re talking about you), we are confident that vegan guests staying at Mihiri Island Resort certainly won’t starve on this tropical island gem!
Six Senses Kanuhura
When Six Senses open a new resort in the Maldives, you just know it’s going to be extra special. With a commitment to plant based dining at each and every one of their hotels and resorts, the vegan food at Six Senses Kanuhura is going to be nutritious, creative and delicious. And the dreamy location looks pretty impressive too, with ‘one of the most iconic beaches in the Maldives’ and a pair of pristine islands to explore you will have plenty of luxury island living to enjoy. That is of course if you can find time in between your vegan food adventures and (multiple) daily visits to ‘Scoops’, the complimentary ice cream parlour (yes, they have vegan options) at Six Senses Kanuhura.
Soneva Jani
Luxury vegan friendly resorts in the Maldives don’t get much more luxurious or vegan friendly than Soneva Jani. Soneva have a never faltering commitment to the environment, and sustainable food choices form a large part of that commitment. In addition to this being one of the exclusive destinations in the Maldives that offers creative vegan and plant based food, they boast a 100% vegan restaurant called ‘So Wild’ by Diana von Cranach. We just know how good this is going to be, as Diana is a friend of ours and we’ve been guests at her wonderful home in Bali. Her unique approach to raw, vegan, local and sustainable food allows her to create some of the best dishes we’ve ever eaten.
Vegan Maldives, starting with an overnight in Malé?
If your international flight means you need to spend a night in Malé or you just want to explore a more local side of life, then staying in Malé offers an interesting new side to your Maldivian beach escape. Get a glimpse of real life in the Maldives, see some historic sights, visit local markets, check out the beach in the heart of town and meet some of the friendliest people on the planet. Sala Boutique Hotel offers guests a chance to stay right in the centre of Malé and is the perfect place to stay; they have a Thai restaurant onsite and are able to adapt dishes for vegan guests too. An even easier option is to stay in Hulhumale, which is a vast growing ‘new’ island that is being developed adjacent to the airport. New coffee shops and restaurants are rapidly opening here, and the public beach is a very pleasant introduction to the Maldives. We stayed in Huvan Beach Hotel which was perfectly adequate with a friendly team, they even had a vegan burger on the menu but we arrived too late to try it.
Maldives Resorts featured on A Luxury Travel Blog
Vegan Food Quest has published luxury location reviews via award winning website, A Luxury Travel Blog since 2014. Below you can read a selection of these luxury location reviews featuring tried & tested vegan friendly luxury resorts in the Maldives, the perfect resource for your next vegan Maldives adventure!
Can not wait for our visit all looks and sounds fantastic
Hi Dennis
When are you going and where are you staying?
We’re currently planning a returna nd are also very excited…
Paul
Hi guys
As a vegan I have no trouble eating well in the Maldives. Whilst there is little I can eat from all inclusive buffet, most of the staff (and chefs) are from South India and are delighted provide great food off menu.
hi Kevin, the South Indian and Sri Lankan options in the Maldives are pentiful which always makes us happy!
Hello, have you heard anything about vegan food in Dhigali?
no, please tell us more?
Hello, I am dying to know which resort was your favorite? They all seem great and I am trying to pick one for my birthday trip to the maldives. Thanks!
such a difficult question to answer Daris as each of the resorts featured offer a unique experience and plenty of vegan options. at the same time, the price point varies very much, which of course has impact on the product/service you will receive. we are heading back to the Maldives in a few weeks to update this guide, and also feature a couple of brand new vegan friendly luxury resorts. feel free to drop us an email, or reach out via social media and we can update you on our findings…
Any info on Sun Siyam Olhuveli?
All of the resorts we feature have been tried and tested by one of our team. None of us have stayed at Sun Siyam Olhuveli but we have reached out to them on your behalf. We will you send an email and connect you with them if they are able to cater for vegan guests.
This is great! So helpful as l was worried there might not be much in the way of vegan options in the Maldives.
we are happy to hear that our vegan guide to Maldives has stopped you worrying! there are so many vegan options in the Maldives, you just need to do your research…
Do you have any knowledge about vegan food on local islands? :)) I cant afford those fancy hotels (sadly) so i am worried.. Looks so good tho on your pictures!!
hello Leo
other than a few overnights in Male where we have not gone hungry, we don’t have any first hand experience outside of the resorts. we have been told that you will find plenty of rice, fruit and veggies but not much else due to the difficult access to ingredients. as more and more local islands open up to tourists i am sure this will slowly change which is great news of course!