Maldives resort owners Crown and Champa have announced their latest addition, Jawakara Islands. Located in the Lhaviyani Atoll, this brand-new luxury five-star resort opens on 1 August 2023 and uniquely combines two neighbouring islands via a connecting bridge. Altogether there are 290 villas on offer, with a choice of four different room categories.
The largest island (1,400 metres x 300 metres) called Mabin has 202 villas, including 152 beach villas with and without pools, 10 two-bed villas with pools and 40 overwater villas with pools. This is a good choice for families and offers a wide selection of meal plans from breakfast only up to premium all-inclusive. The classy resort boasts several bars and restaurants as well as two freshwater infinity swimming pools and a spa/wellness centre with a full range of treatments. The islands are ideal for walking or riding a bicycle. There is also a regular buggy service.
Across the connecting bridge is Dheru (450 metres x 150 metres), an all-inclusive only resort offering 88 villas, which include 48 beach and pool villas, 30 ‘adults only’ water villas with pools and several two-bed villas. The popular Blue Zone restaurant is located on the connecting bridge and has uninterrupted views of the lagoon.
Top dive operator Prodivers are running the new diving centre located on Mabin. They are offering the full range of PADI diver training courses as well as a variety of specialties. For qualified divers there are around 30 ‘local’ dive sites to explore and day trips to the more distant sites including visits to the neighbouring Atoll. There is also a range of Apollo underwater scooters for hire, which are absolutely perfect for channel crossing dives.
Prodivers Regional Manager Ray Van Eeden said: “The whole area is still relatively unexplored but we have already found some exciting new sites, including a manta cleaning station nearby.” One of the best local dive sites is called Turtle Rock, where encounters with hawkbill turtles are virtually guaranteed. Other regularly sighted species include mobula rays, leopard sharks, reef sharks, nurse sharks and shoals of snapper, jacks and sweetlips. A ‘house reef’ dive is also available, although not directly accessible via the shoreline. Ray said: “A regular shuttle boat service will ferry divers to and from the site.”
