Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Review – Family Paradise in the Maldives!

Are you trying to decide where to stay with your family in the Maldives?

There are hundreds of options for places to stay in the Maldives – from casual guesthouses to mega-luxury resorts and everything in between.

Look no further! I’ve just returned from a magical 10 day trip to Iru Fushi with my family of 5 (me, my husband, and our three boys – ages 3, 6, and 9). The small island resort is gorgeous, luxurious (yet down-to-earth), pristine, staffed by amazing people, and quite simply – paradise for families.

This isn’t sponsored, and we paid for our entire trip. I’m just so thrilled with our time at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, that I want to spread the word and help other families discover this spectacular island in the Maldives.

So, let’s go!

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase from the links, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Please see our Disclaimer for more information.

Sun Siyam Iru Fushi – Quick Facts

Size: The island is 52 acres (about 800 meters x 200 meters) and you can walk all the way around it in about 30 minutes.
Atoll: Noonu
Distance from Malé International Airport: 45 minutes by seaplane (or take a 35 minute domestic flight and 15 minute speedboat)
Restaurants and Bars: 10+
House Reef: Yes
Pools: Adults-only pool and children’s pool
Activities: snorkeling, beaches, spa, excursions, water sports, kids club, tennis and badminton, yoga, fitness center, and more

Why We Loved Visiting Sun Siyam Iru Fushi as a Family

Before I get into the details of our stay, I wanted to give a quick overview of why I think Iru Fushi is an excellent choice for a family trip:

• It’s a wonderful experience for each family member. There really is something for everyone on Iru Fushi. My 9-year-old was thrilled to play soccer with his new friends and hang out at the rec center, my 5-year-old loved sketching and playing in the sand, and my 3-year-old enjoyed his kids club visits, swimming in the shallow water, and being treated like a king. There are also plenty of moments for adults to relax and have some time too. I was able to go for walks around the island, read on my Kindle, visit the spa, and enjoy my meals at restaurants – and none of these are common occurrences on our typical family vacations.
• The staff at Iru Fushi is so friendly to children. My boys felt so loved the entire 10 days and they geniunely miss seeing some of the people we interacted with during our trip.
• I felt comfortable letting my older kids be independent. My husband and I felt fine letting our older two boys go off on their own to get ice cream, hang out at the rec center, or go play soccer with their friends. They loved the freedom and we felt like it was a safe situation. I can’t imagine feeling so relaxed about them going off on their own in other places we’ve traveled to.
• There’s a medical clinic on the island. I felt reassured knowing there’s a medical clinic on the island.
• It’s luxurious, but down to earth. Everything was taken care of – mamma didn’t have to lift a finger.
• The island is a perfect size for kids. It’s large enough that there’s plenty to do, but small enough that we could walk anywhere in just a few minutes. We didn’t have a stroller, and my 3-year-old walked most places (with the occasional ride on papà’s shoulders).
• There’s a variety of food options available. We loved trying the many restaurants, and especially appreciated the buffet full of a variety of foods and high-quality ingredients. Our kids could get a snack, tropical juice or smoothie, or ice cream cone when they wanted to.

Traveling to and Arriving at Iru Fushi

We had a long trip to Iru Fushi: 3 hour drive to Rome, almost 7 hour flight from Rome to Doha, quick layover, 4 hour flight from Doha to Malé, quick layover, and then a 45-minute seaplane to Iru Fushi. Our seaplane touched down at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi just before lunch and we made our way off the plane to meet our butler, Fayaz.

Every guest/group at Iru Fushi is assigned a personal butler – an amazing person that helps you make the most of your trip. Fayaz (and later, his colleague Naveen) took us on a quick ride around the island in a golf cart (10 minutes) and then brought us directly to our family beach villa.

Helpful Tip: Keep in mind that seaplane flights only operate during daylight hours. So, if you arrive at night, you’ll need to spend the night in Malé before the seaplane flight OR take a domestic flight and speedboat. However, I highly recommend the seaplane flight (kids and adults loved it!) so try to arrive during daylight hours.

Check-in Process at Iru Fushi

We landed and Fayaz brought us to our villa without having to stop at reception to check-in. This was so nice after a long day of travel. While I completed the quick check-in process with Fayaz (a couple of signatures and review of the all-inclusive plan), my husband and boys changed and immediately walked the few steps to the beach for some time in the white sand and turquoise Indian Ocean.

Within 30 minutes of our seaplane landing at Iru Fushi, our family was all at the beach and enjoying our time on the island.

Iru Fushi Accommodation Types

There are so many types of accommodation available at Iru Fushi, from overwater villas to beach villas – with and without private pools.

We booked the Family Deluxe Beach Villa with Pool, which consists of:

• bedroom with king-size bed, sitting area, television, minibar, desk area
• separate living area that has another twin bed and two roll-away beds, desk area, and television
• outdoor bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, a jacuzzi tub, two sink areas, a toilet and bidet, and a large lounge swing
• vanity area with makeup station (including makeup light/mirror and hairdryer) and closets
• area between our villa and the beach that has a swimming pool, terrace with lounge seating and a table and chairs, and a beach cabana with pillows and epic ocean views

This was the best option for our family of five with small kids, but if you have older kids or teens, you could also look at the overwater villas. And, if you have little kids and don’t want the stress of the pool, there are also beach villas that don’t have a pool (but keep in mind you’re just steps away from the ocean).

We were very happy with our villa – it had plenty of room indoors for our belongings and us and we all slept well. We loved all of the outdoor space and took advantage of it. My husband laughed when he found out our villa had a pool (“Look at that ocean – we don’t need a pool!”), but having a pool came in handy because it was sometimes shaded (nice after spending all morning in the sun at the beach) and our boys liked the variety.

Good To Know: Our beach villa had chain locks we could lock at night so we didn’t have to stress about our 3-year-old opening the door and accessing the pool or ocean by himself. Our 6-year-old and 9-year-old could unlatch them (in case of an emergency).

Iru Fushi Activities for Kids

First of all, the beach at Iru Fushi is so beautiful and kid-friendly (shallow, no waves, clear and warm water), we spent most of our day in the water!

There are so many ways to spend time together as a family at Iru Fushi:

• Playing in the water and swimming. You can swim in front of your villa or explore other beaches around the island.
• Go on an excursion. I went snorkeling with my 9-year-old and our entire family did the sunset dolphin excursion. There are many other options, like the turtle safari, the local island excursion, and plenty of private options.
• Get a spa treatment. Yes, Iru Fushi’s award-winning spa also has kids treatments!
• Snorkeling at the Nemo house reef. My little guy stayed at the kids club while the rest of us swam out to the house reef with a guide.

Other Things My Kids Loved to Do at Iru Fushi

A major highlight for all of us, but especially my kids – being so close to the wildlife of the Maldives! My boys absolutely loved:

• the hermit crabs (on the beach and in the vegetation at our beach villa)
• the baby sharks that would swim right next to us in the shallow water
• the Indian flying foxes (large bats) that swooped from tree to tree
• the manta rays that swam in front of our beach villa and underneath the jetties
• the birds that hung out on the rocks and sang to us in the morning
• the quick little lizards all around the property

My 6-year-old also spent quite a lot of time inspecting the incredible shells on Iru Fushi’s beach. There are so many gorgeous specimens – and they’re everywhere!

They also enjoyed:

• playing at the beach and in the clear, shallow water
• watching little black-tipped sharks swim right next to us in front of our villa
• looking at big sharks from the jetties
• getting ice cream at La Cremeria (included in the all-inclusive dining plan)
• playing soccer at the beach
• spending time at the kids club (mostly my 3 year old) – it’s huge and there are a ton of toys, arts and crafts, and a swimming pool. My son loved getting henna tattoos and dancing with Diva.
• hanging out at the recreation center (pool, games, video games)
• playing board games at the Water’s Edge bar
• hanging out in the hammocks (great reading spot for older kids)
• going down the water slide and jumping off the platform into the ocean
• swimming at the Fluid pool and using the air mattresses
• snorkeling at the Nemo reef and right in front of our villa
• kayaking in the lagoon
• seeing dolphins (!) on the sunset dolphin cruise
• swimming in the pool at our villa
• interacting with the Iru Fushi staff and learning about the Maldives and the places they were from (if not from the Maldives)
• singing karaoke – my 3-year-old rocked “Baby Shark”
• watching the evening fire show on the beach
• riding the fun tube in the lagoon

Things for Adults at Iru Fushi

As I’ve already mentioned, Sun Siyam Iru Fushi has plenty to keep adults on a family trip happy too! For example, my husband and I really enjoyed:

• Spending time as a couple or alone – going for walks, relaxing in the beach chairs in front of our villa
• Going on early morning walks around the island. This was my morning ritual, before everyone woke up.
• Taking a bath! The tub is huge and it’s in such a relaxing outdoor setting.
• Having aperitivo (with and without kids) at the Water’s Edge bar and at the weekly aperitivo at the Diving Center
• Going to the spa. I had a wonderful facial (thanks Lasanthi!) and enjoyed the relaxation area after the treatment. Don’t miss this place – it’s huge and so tranquil.
• Rocking out at karaoke. Apparently, I embarrassed by kids with my rendition of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feelin’.”
• Exercising at the gym and at the beach
• Kayaking in the lagoon (there are more water sports options like stand-up paddleboards and kitesurfing, also)

You can also send your kids to the kids club or hire a babysitter if you want to have a special meal together. We knew this was an option, but we were having so much fun as a family that we didn’t end up doing it.

And, there are plenty of other activities like wine tastings, cocktail nights, fitness classes, tennis and badminton, and cooking classes.

Iru Fushi Dining and Restaurants

We chose the all-inclusive dining plan, and I’m so glad we did. Otherwise, I know I would’ve been calculating costs all trip long. Instead, I didn’t look at prices and didn’t blink an eye if my 3-year-old accidentally dropped his worth-its-weight-in-gold ice cream cone in the sand.

Good To Know: The all-inclusive plan includes other perks like the use of SUPs or kayaks daily and excursions like the local island visit and the golden sunset cruise.

If you don’t want to do the all-inclusive option, you can also purchase other options like half-board.

There are multiple dining options at Iru Fushi, and we tried almost all of them:

• Iru Buffet – Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This ended up being our favorite spot because there’s something for everyone, and it’s just a really easy option with kids.
• Trio – Italian restaurant open for dinner. It’s on one of the overwater villa jetties and even though we live in Italy, my boys were happy to have some pizza and pasta in the middle of the Indian Ocean!
• Islander’s Grill – Set in the sand, open for dinner. We enjoyed the grilled seafood options.
• Taste of India – Next to Water’s Edge Bar, open for dinner. This was my favorite meal of the a la carte restaurants. Excellent Indian food and plenty of choices.
• Flavours – French cuisine on one of the jetties. We met a French woman and she and her family approved of the food – a great sign.
• Teppanyaki – Open for lunch and dinner. We didn’t dine here (next time!) as kids can’t eat in the restaurant. But, you can ask for a table at Bamboo next door.
• Bamboo – Next to Water’s Edge Bar, open for dinner. Mix of southeast Asian cuisines.
• Fluid Bar – Open lunch through early evening. Excellent place for lunch or a quick snack with kids – it’s literally on the edge of the kids pool.
• Reflections – Open lunch through late afternoon. Adults only, so we didn’t visit this time. Snacks and food like burgers and fries. There’s also a bar at the pool (also called Reflections) and one on the beach in front of the pool (No Mistake Bar).
• Water’s Edge Bar – Open all day and night. We spent quite a bit of time here as a family. There are board games, it’s right at the beach, there’s plenty of comfy seating, and it’s next to the kids playground and ice cream shop.

There are all-inclusive menus for the a la carte restaurants and there’s also an all-inclusive beverage list for each restaurant. There are kids menus, but my 9-year-old prefered the adult menu. The staff was also great about taking care of each kid. For example, one night at Flavours, the chef noticed my little one wasn’t eating much, so he asked if we wanted french fries – which my guy happily ate.

One of my favorite things about the dining options at Iru Fushi is that there’s something to keep kids entertained after the meal. For example, at Trio my boys looked in the water (it’s lit up at night) and saw sharks, fish and rays. Or, at Islander’s Grill, they played in the sand after dinner while my husband and I finished our meal (the tables are literally in the sand at the beach).

Good To Know: Even with the all-inclusive package, there are a few things that are chargeable, so always check out the app for details. For example, there are a couple of items on each menu that are chargeable (like lobster at the Islander’s Grill) and lunch at Islander’s Grill is chargeable (with a 40% discount). We never had any problems and chose to stick to the AI package offerings.

Check-out Process at Iru Fushi

The day of our departure wasn’t like a typical departure day where you feel like you just get up, pack, and leave. Instead, with an evening flight, Iru Fushi gave us the last seaplane out (14:30), so we had up to lunchtime to enjoy the beach and ocean – which we gladly did. After we showered and quickly packed, we headed to Water’s Edge Bar for a last meal and to soak up our final views of the ocean and property.

The checkout was easy (with Naveen) and I’d been given the bill for extras (things like the snorkeling and dolphin excursions) so it just took a few minutes.

Our bags were taken care of, and we made our way to the lounge on the jetty (A/C, water, toilets, and plenty of seating available). Then, a quick check to see our bags were there, and we were off!

Did I shed a tear or two? Yes – I was sad to leave, and happy to have spent such a memorable and magical 10 days at Iru Fushi with my family.

Sun Siyam Iru Fushi – Close to Perfection

I know what you’re thinking… how can any place be so perfect? Well, there were just a few tiny blemishes.

It’s not island-specific, but three of us got bitten by sand flies. Iru Fushi does spray, but we didn’t apply insect repellent in the evening at the beach (and we dined at the beach, played soccer, looked for crabs, etc in the evening. So, not fault of Iru Fushi’s – but if you’re coming, I’d recommend bringing a couple of different types of repellent and using it in the evening (especially if it rains and the insect treatments wash away).

I would also have loved to have some sort of nature or sustainability program for the kids – even an hour walk or talk. Perhaps this happens during busier times. I see it’s a part of the kids program at the neighboring Siyam World. I still felt like we got a ton of info because we asked a lot of questions and the staff and Fayaz and Naveem taught us so much about the island and the Maldives.

If you’re planning on walking all over the beach and in the ocean barefoot, be aware that there is broken coral that washes up on parts of the beach and it could cut your feet. We didn’t wear water shoes, but I’d probably get them for my boys if we come back. I wore Birkenstock EVAs and was happy to have them.

Sun Siyam Iru Fushi – Final Thoughts

One of the biggest sign that Iru Fushi is doing something right – We met many return visitors (with and without kids). And not just back for a second time – some were returning for their third or even sixth trip to Iru Fushi!

Everyone in our family agreed it was our best trip ever. We truly spent 10 days smiling, laughing, exploring the island, and enjoying each other’s company. At times I looked around and it felt like I was living in an advertisement – but it was real life. I’ve traveled around the world, and this is about as kid-friendly of a place as you can find.

Everyone (yes, every single person) we interacted with at Iru Fushi was kind, helpful, and truly looked like they were happy to be there.

A special thanks to:

• Fayaz and Naveem, our butlers who could make anything happen
• Catherine in reservations
• Abbas, best spiderman pancake maker at the Iru buffet
• Abin in the Iru restaurant who brightened each day for us (especially for my 3-year-old)
• All of the staff in the restaurants and bars who were so kind to our kids and made mealtime a blast
• The enthusiastic crew at the water sports center, the diving center, and the rec center
• Every one else who made this trip unforgettable for us

We hope to see you all again soon!

So, as I sign off, in case you can’t tell – I’m a huge fan of Sun Siyam Iru Fushi. Our 10 days on the island have given us a lifetime of memories and I highly recommend Iru Fushi for a family trip to the Maldives!

Be sure to check out all of our Maldives with Kids posts:
Maldives with Kids – How to Plan the Perfect Trip
7 Reasons to Book a Family Trip to the Maldives
6 Helpful Tips for Your First Visit to the Maldives with Kids
30+ Maldives Family-Friendly Resorts – Compared by a Mom (Includes Table & Notes)
Family Packing List for the Maldives
Maldives with Teens
Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Review – Family Paradise in the Maldives
Overwater Villa or Beach Villa – Choosing One for Your Maldives Family Trip
Family-Specific Questions to Ask Your Maldives Resort – Before You Book

How to Book Your Trip to Sun Siyam Iru Fushi

If you’re interested in staying at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, you can:

• Book directly through the resort’s official webpage – there may be special discounts or offers like free seaplane transfers
• Book using a site like Booking.com – there are often excellent deals on Maldives resorts on the site
• Book a complete package (resort + flight) using a site like Expedia.com or LastMinute.com – Last Minute has some of the best deals I’ve seen, and they’re up to one-year out (not just last-minute)

Sun Siyam Iru Fushi with Kids – FAQ