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36 Stunning Hotels and Resorts in the Maldives

By Lee Cobaj and Lauren Burvill

To create a definitive guide to the best hotels in the Maldives in no easy feat. The archipelagic country sets the standard when it comes to superior island living. It’s where overwater stays come as standard, privacy is a given, and natural beauty is all around. The caliber is sky high. Boutique stays and lo-fi boltholes are a rarity; instead, world-class hotels are spread out on their own private islands, nestling state-of-the-art spas and multiple restaurants amongst lush jungles, pristine beaches, and house reefs.

The new generation of Maldives hotels are taking this formula one step further. It’s not enough for just villas to be overwater anymore. Spas dangle above lagoons now too, with glass floors allowing guests to spy turtles as they enjoy a massage. The classic pool bar has been outdone by a beachside treehouse bar, and restaurants have relocated underwater. Steps towards sustainability are also commonplace too: Most hotels have their own conservation projects and coral programs. One is even completely solar powered.

How we choose the best hotels in the Maldives

Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location, and warm service—as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.

Which Maldives hotel is best for couples?

As the stuff of honeymoon legends, the Maldives has plenty to offer couples. For the truly standout spots, we love Cheval Blanc Randheli (as do the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), and the Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru . See our pick of the best Maldives honeymoons for more recommendations.

Which Maldives hotel is best for families?

The Maldives might be best known for honeymoons, but its private island resorts will fulfill family holiday dreams too. Spacious villas mean there’s plenty of room for everyone, while kids clubs, restaurants, and pools are all at your fingertips. Some of our favorite hotels for families include JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa and Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi .

Which Maldives hotels are leading the way in terms of sustainability?

When it comes to nurturing this precious ecosystem, the Four Seasons resorts have been setting the bar for more than two decades with their full-time resident marine biologists and reef restoration programs. From the Marine Discovery Centres at  Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru  and  Four Seasons Kuda Huraa , their work with Reefscapers, along with the Maldivian Ministries, they’ve been coral-frame planting, rehabilitating marine life, and carrying out vital research.  Six Senses Laamu  is a member of the respected conservation collective, The Long Run, and the only luxury resort in the southern Maldives’ Laamu Atoll, and their endeavors include next-level protection of seagrass meadows—one of the most effective carbon-storage marine vegetation systems. Soneva has always been sensitive to hospitality’s delicate relationship with nature, on land and in water, since 1995. Their NGO, Soneva Namoona, was set up recently to roll out their holistic sustainability strategy as modeled at their Eco Centers at  Soneva Jani  and  Soneva Fushi , and it’s changing the way waste is understood by local communities and handled in the Maldives. A tour of the back-of-house might not be your typical holiday activity, but it’s actually very inspiring. Soneva’s Waste-To-Wealth initiative sees the hotels recycle 90 percent of the solid waste and alchemize trash into bricks, food matter becomes compost, cans are compacted, and glass bottles are reused. As with all paradise-island destinations, fossil-fuel-run generators powering these dreamy escapes will always be one of the biggest sustainability hurdles. Recognizing the fragility of their ocean home, too,  Kudadoo  deserves praise for their solar energy innovations since a remarkably extensive surface area of photovoltaic panels is required to generate even a little electricity in this context. Few blue, watery landscapes rival the drama of this romantic-as-can-be location—which means all the more reason to celebrate the hotels that show a genuine passion for protecting this unrivaled setting. — Juliet Kinsman, sustainability editor

More stand-out properties:

• For an all-inclusive stay: Kudadoo
• For an underwater restaurant: Hurawalhi Island Resort
• For a focus on wellness: COMO Cocoa Island
• For rooms with retractable roofs: Soneva Jani
• For an independently Maldivian owned stay : The Nautilus
• For your own private island: Coco Prive Kuda Hithi

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Six Senses Kanuhura Arrow

As you swoop into the Lhaviyani Atoll by seaplane, it's easy to see why Six Senses were so keen to bring this trifecta of natural coral islands ringed by turquoise seas and aquamarine lagoons into the fold. The second Six Senses property in the Maldives (the other being Six Senses Laamu) is a beauty, with great sweeps of broad white beach, a flourishing house reef, and a jungly heart overflowing with soaring coconut palms, twisty screw pines, and fragrant sea almonds, which you can explore on complimentary bicycles. Dotted around the island are 91 beachfront and overwater villas, including 12 sprawling retreats, all decked out in a pulse-slowing palette of warm woods, peach, and teal, with big beds hung with billowing nets. Seven superb bars and restaurants include Drift, a little clapboard and thatch cafe on sister island Jehunuhura, and The Point, a circular building set on the sunset side of the island housing a Spanish restaurant and a round rooftop infinity pool. Alongside stacks of complimentary daily activities—core training, yoga, meditation, sound healing—and a tip-top spa, a stay here can be as lively or as sleepy as you like. — Lee Cobaj

InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort Arrow

Despite opening in September 2019, this blissful resort flew under the radar due to the pandemic. But the delayed opening celebrations ended up being a blessing in disguise—the resort had ample time to smooth out any newbie crinkles and ensure that everything was functioning as perfectly as possible. And while the hotel is now getting its fair share of industry buzz, the private lagoon, white-sand beaches, and nature offerings still feel like a well-kept secret. Guests can choose between three different room categories, from beach villas that fringe the shoreline and lagoon villas bordering the shallow waters to overwater bungalows hovering over lapping waves.

The resort is home to six restaurants and bars—The Lighthouse is our favorite, with 360-degree views of the Indian Ocean and spectacular Mediterranean-inspired dishes. The spa is also noteworthy, with a rotating schedule of visiting practitioners and floating treatment rooms over the water. But the most impressive aspect of the resort is the partnership with the Manta Trust and Ocean Conservation Program. The hotel hosts marine biologists from the trust to conduct research and take guests on safe and responsible excursions to see them in their natural habitat. As both reef and Oceanic mantas are listed as vulnerable and endangered on the IUCN Red List, the work of this organization is critical, and it was a magical experience to swim with these graceful giants alongside scientists who have dedicated their career to helping protect them. Seeing a luxury resort taking ocean conservation and sustainability is seriously is a joy. — Olivia Morelli

Renowned Istanbul -based design studio Autoban (behind London’s Duck + Rice, the extraordinary airport in Baku, and numerous hotels in their hometown such as the House Hotels and the Witt Suites) were commissioned to come up with something fresh and different at Joali. The design details in the overwater and beach villas are beautifully curated. Locally hand-carved wood panels and bamboo-slatted headboards are counterbalanced with rose gold bathroom taps resembling giant pebbles. In the dressing rooms you’ll find heron-and-palm-leaf printed robes by Ardmore and slippers like chubby clouds.

Joali is a hybrid of the best that the Maldives has to offer. Turn up barefoot at Mura Bar for a sunset martini, a buttermilk-chicken slider, and a shisha pipe. Or get dolled up for dinner at Japanese restaurant Saoke. It’s this deep-rooted, solid luxury, without the slightest hint of dictating who guests should be, what they should wear, and how they should relax, that immediately aligns Joali with the frontrunners. For Maldivophiles, here is a worthy winter-sun detour that is every bit as high-achieving as some of the beloved old-timers and big-name brands. — Alice B.B.

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

Design in the Maldives has been slowly dismantling its thatched- roof image, and The Ritz-Carlton continues the trend thanks to the studio of the late architect Kerry Hill. Its 100 contemporary circular villas are scattered above the water and up and down a stretch of beach. Each is polished, pared back, and pulse-slowing, with glass doors that open onto half-moon decks, teardrop-shaped plunge pools, and the high-definition blue of the ocean. The rest of the resort, by contrast, feels a little conservative, if still beautiful. Most of the action is confined to the island’s southern tip, where there’s a gym and photography studio, plus a water sports center (with the usual kayaks , SUPs, and windsurfing) and a large kids’ club with dancing fountains hidden in a Teletubbies -style mound of grass. This is also where you’ll find Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program, the only one in the Maldives, staffed by marine biologists who are monitoring sea life with underwater robots and airborne drones, in addition to guiding guests.

Head out snorkeling with them at night for spooky encounters with nurse sharks, unfurling feather stars and bioluminescent squid. At the showpiece restaurant Iwau, knife-juggling chefs prepare pretty nigiri rolls and just-caught lobster, but there are six more restaurants to choose from, including one in a Bedouin tent and a food truck in the Fari marina. One of the island’s luxuries is its space (which is why Ritz-Carlton ended up opting for this man-made spot), giving guests with less tolerance for lazing about plenty of opportunity to cycle around on bicycles. Another is the timber-clad spa in the middle of the lagoon—look out for stingrays hovering below on your walk to a treatment—offering therapies by British brand Bamford. Ritz-Carlton is known for its classic, old-school luxury, but here is an exciting forward-looking update. — Lee Cobaj

Matt Ortile

Ryan M. Moser

Olivia Morelli

Hannah Towey

Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Baa Atoll Arrow

Wide-brimmed straw hats off to the Four Seasons. With this five-acre, seven-bedroom, profoundly private island it has raised the proverbial bar. How much or how little you make of Voavah is likely to be your main—and only—concern. There's no shortage of possibilities. You've got the splendors of the Baa Atoll lapping at your shores and your own yacht on which to explore it. You've got your own dive center and every beach toy known to man. Not to mention your own spa, the immaculate Ocean of Consciousness (surely missing an ‘un’), and 28 staff dedicated to making your life as agreeable as possible. There may be no better circumstances in which to simply retreat to a shady spot with a book and give everyone the day off.

The place looks great and feels great too. The juxtaposition of smooth and rough textures, and traditional and contemporary materials, is brilliantly managed. Voavah is where woven seagrass met diamond-polished concrete and fell hopelessly in love. The muted palette of the interiors may at first appear unduly subdued—until you realize that what seems like conservatism is really a form of reverence. It serves to draw your eye outwards, back into the sublime, saturated color and endless space of sea and sky beyond. — Sophie Knight

Alila Kothaifaru Maldives Arrow

Situated on a lush, natural private island with pool villas and wonderfully friendly and professional staff, this is easily one of the most charming hotels in the Maldives. About 45 minutes north of Malé International Airport by seaplane, in the Raa Atoll on a natural island known as Kothaifaru, the setting here is blessed with long white beaches and endless palm trees. Throughout the 27.6 acres, there is also thick jungle vegetation that gives the new space an already settled-in feel. The 80 villas—all with pools—are split between overwater villas (with bathrooms that open up to the sea) and beach villas (with sunrise and sunset options). There are two restaurants and two bars to choose from, as well as a spa tucked away deep within the jungle vegetation. But the service here is what makes this resort stand out in the crowd of smart hotels in the Maldives. After a few days, it will start to feel like home with staff remembering your preference for still or sparkling water, the names of your children, and where your favorite table is—so much so that there is an urge to book a repeat trip before you have finished the first one. — Mary Lussiana

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Arrow

This is an island that attracts a fashionable globetrotting crowd, and loyal St Regis fans—arguably one in the same. During the day it’s less barefoot luxury and more Chanel heels on the beach. At sunset its Amina Muaddi slingbacks, when honeymooners head to the bar to make the most of the martini shots while a could-be-a-model DJ plays cool and breezy beats in a midriff-bearing top. It’s a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in Manhattan , and yet this bar couldn’t be further from New York, sitting over the Indian Ocean and shaped to resemble a whale shark.

The American hotel brand landed a prime spot of tropical paradise when it opened in 2016 on the previously uninhabited natural island of Vommuli. This lush environment has played a key role in the hotel's nature-inspired design—overwater villas are shaped like manta rays and made from predominantly cross laminated wood, while the impressively large library swirls into the sky like a cone shell. Morning yoga classes are held at the overwater Iridium Spa, with mats placed over the open-air lounge’s glass floor portholes, so you can watch trumpetfish paddle past in-between poses. Follow it up with a glass of crystal-infused water and a dip in the Blue Hole Pool, one of the largest hydrotherapy pools in the country. The seven restaurants scattered across the island are all undeniably decadent, with Maldivian lobster plucked straight from the sea and served at every turn—even in the omelettes at breakfast. At the Pan Asian restaurant, the lobster comes to the beachside tables looking like plump scoops of ice cream. Don’t sleep on the intriguing looking Maldivian section at the morning breakfast spread either—its a delicious adventure you won't forget.

The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives Arrow

Born from star-studded Hollywood roots and having conquered cities like New York, Miami, and London , The Standard brings a rare sense of irreverent cool to the Maldives. Instead of the typical cream-covered and thatched roof signatures of the region, villas here are brightly colored, with disco balls in the bathroom and neon pink pool floats on the walls. Such playful touches attract an international mix of not just couples and families but also groups of friends.

Mornings start with freshly prepared eggs and proper coffee topped with fish foam art in the breezy beachside all-day restaurant, Kula. Or you can order in to your villa, or more specifically to your villa’s plunge pool, with a full breakfast spread served on a floating tray . During the day, the house reef is just steps away from the overwater villas, while dolphin cruises and swimming with manta rays can also be arranged. Supper is served either on the beach at BBQ Shack, or at overwater restaurant Gudagudaguda—cheekily named after the sound that shisha makes. It's here that you can enjoy a traditional Maldivian experience with cushion floor seating, tuna sambal, and authentic curries with just the right spice level. Keep the party going at the overwater nightclub Beru Bar, where the largest disco ball in the Maldives shines bright above a see-through dance floor.

If anyone understands what discerning visitors to the Maldives want, it’s Lars Petre, the Swedish entrepreneur who not only developed the country’s first sea plane company but co-manages nine other island resorts. On Kudadoo, he has created the country’s first solar-powered hotel and its first all-inclusive luxury hotel—all off a tiny coconut-forested sandbank. Arranged around a circular wooden walkway out at sea, its 15 rooms conjure spacious Japanese ryokans—designed by New York–based architect Yuji Yamazaki from soothing wood, stone, and reed-thatch, and fronted by a wide deck, plunge pool, and ladder into the swirling blue sea. When Petre says ‘all-inclusive’, he means it: whether that’s two-hour Healing Earth treatments in the airy spa, a butler 24/7, Jet-Skiing and deep-sea fishing, or feasts involving fine wines (80 from Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list) and impeccably presented dishes, from light Japanese teppanyaki to Maldivian seafood curry, concocted by French chef Antoine Lievaux, who has worked for Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse. Unusually, thanks to the 989 solar panels that roof the airy living area, there is not a single generator to be heard; just a gentle lap of waves on the beach, and the occasional thud of a coconut.  — Lisa Grainger

Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa

Looking for a Robinson Crusoe-style getaway? Powder-puff sands and jungly green on the inside, with a turquoise lagoon teeming with rainbow-colored parrotfish, blacktip reef sharks, and cow tail stingrays, this hotel is a dazzling addition to the Maldives. It’s small (around 17 acres) with 80 villas split between overwater and beach. There’s no bad room here—they all overlook that twinkling, breath-stealing Indian Ocean, where water and sky merge seamlessly. You’ll be assigned a personal butler, who’ll organize spa treatments, book you in for a game of tennis, or dig a heart-shaped seat for two in the sand. Food is a winner with five restaurants to choose from. Don’t sleep on teriyaki chicken and locally-caught miso reef fish at Teppanyaki Grill. Then there’s the spellbindingly romantic overwater restaurant Mediterraneo, where you can feast on homemade tortellini and decadent tiramisu with stars overhead and lapping waves below, all washed down with as much house Champagne as you wish (this might be the smartest all-inclusive resort in the Maldives). Book a Balinese massage in the spa, nestled among the trees with chattering terns for company. Snorkel, learn to dive, book a wine tasting on a private sandbank, or simply sit on your villa’s deck and watch pods of dolphins diving in the distance. — A.S.

Gili Lankanfushi Maldives

When this spot in the North Malé atoll came into existence just over 20 years ago (originally under sustainability hero Soneva’s wing), Malé’s international airport was barely more than a tin shed, postcards were the main mode of communication, and most islands were without regular electricity. The pancakes of sand surrounding the capital were about as isolated a destination as travelers could get to. Now, Gili Lankanfushi is considered within easy reach (just a 20-minute speedboat transfer), yachts and seaplanes criss-cross the ocean and sky from morning until night, and the neighboring islands have street lights and a Coca-Cola factory. But relax, some things never change.

This hotel is still set in one of the most eye-catchingly beautiful lagoons in the country, a vision of broad white beaches, shape-shifting sandbanks, and waters that dance from peacock green to sapphire blue. All the villas here are stilted over the water, keeping the island wild and the beaches on full dazzling display. When fire ravaged the resort in 2019, it was an opportunity for renewal. Interiors were redesigned, with handmade wooden furniture and woven lampshades sourced from sustainable suppliers in Bali; bathrooms are stocked with organic potions and reef-safe sunscreen. For the ultimate Do Not Disturb energy, maroon yourself in one of the clapboard Robinson Crusoe villas, cast out on the edges of the lagoon reached by a little pontoon, where you can lie on your rooftop deck tracing the spine of Scorpio across the night sky.

Putter back to the island and there’s sunrise yoga; beach and jungle restaurants where ingredients come fresh off the boat or pulled from organic gardens; and expert therapists from Thailand, Bali, and India at the Meera Spa. Baby coral being grown on ropes in the house reef will eventually be replanted in the sea in a bid to create reefs that are more resistant to climate-change bleaching (they also work as an underwater hammock for a big green turtle that stops by most days). Gili Lankanfushi has been working on its coral program for seven years—it was championing sustainability long before it became a literal hot topic. And it’s for that reason, as much as the dreamy location and impeccable service, that it still stands head and shoulders above the crowd. — L.C.

Emerald Resort & Spa

A thrilling 45-minute seaplane ride from Malé, over uninhabited jungly islands and twinkling turquoise lagoons, Emerald Resort and Spa feels like you’re landing into your own Bounty advert. Set on Fasmendhoo Island in Raa Atoll, with miles of endless cotton-white beaches, perfect for snorkeling and diving, gin-clear waters with reef fish bursting all around like confetti—manta rays, black-tip tiger sharks and dolphins—it’s  Finding Nemo  on acid. There are 120 jaw-dropping villas here, split between overwater and beach, designed by American architect Edward David Poole and built using bamboo, natural stone and langhi langhi leaves so they blend seamlessly with the tropical setting. The look is minimalist and modern—contemporary furniture and lots of sea-breezy colors. Overwater pool villas have sprawling marble bathrooms with sunken bathtubs made for gazing out at the ocean and the beach stretching in both directions. The good life comes easily here with your own butler to take care of your every whim—from ferrying you around in a buggy like a personal chauffeur to booking tables and organizing a private movie under the stars with homemade popcorn and cocktails to boot, they’re on it. The retreat operates a deluxe all-inclusive package. There’s Asiatique, where you’ll feast on extraordinary Asian grub (sticky wings, seafood gyoza) and Amazonica for mouth-tingling South American food (red snapper ceviche in tiger’s milk and Peruvian quinoa salads). Sprogs can go feral without anyone lifting an eyebrow thanks to the largest kids’ club in the Maldives—perfect while you nest down at the Balinese-style spa. After dark, lie back on your deck and make a wish on a shooting star—there’s not a glimmer of light pollution. —A.S.

Raffles Maldives Meradhoo

So far south its skimming the equator—the delicious remoteness is well worth the longer transfer time—this tiny island resort takes all the charm of its older Singapore sibling and fuses it with clotted-cream sands, raspberry sunsets, and a coconut version of its famous Sling. Complimentary neck massages are doled out while you wait for breakfast (French boulangerie, Sri Lankan egg hoppers, detox juices) with your feet in the sand. Lunch could be catch of the day—smoked tuna, say, grilled with lemon oil. At the overwater spa, Balinese therapists perform signature massages that start with the hum of a Tibetan singing bowl and end with warm coconut oil being poured onto your third eye. And the marine life is so profuse you can spot an aqua-menagerie without even getting your feet wet (20 hawksbill turtles have been recorded as living around the island).

Jumeirah Maldives

A lively speedboat ride from the airport, on the edges of the tranquil North Malé Atoll, is where Jumeirah have chosen to make their return to the Maldives (having pulled out of the country in late 2020). The island of Olhuhali was formerly inhabited by Lux* North Malé and the Dubai-based hospitality group has stuck with the original's sleek South Beach Miami design while adding their own distinctly glitzy touch, from monogrammed bathrobes to new restaurants and live bands you really want to listen to. The 67 villas are some of the largest entry-level villas in the Maldives and come in overwater and beach flavor. The former have knee-trembling sunset views; the latter are more private; all have masses of outdoor space, big private pools, and splendid rooftop decks for stargazing and outdoor movie nights. Bathrooms are decidedly modern and concrete, and have tubs that sink down deep in that way only hotel bathtubs ever do.

The sapphire-blue pool has pops of red and an ice cream cart straight out of South Beach, while the Barium private dining room has aquariums for walls. And then, well, there is Inti restaurant where the fresh ceviche blows the typical menu of grilled fish out of these turquoise waters. The surrounding corals aren't in great shape due to climate change (something that's becoming more and more of a problem across the Maldives) but you can hire a Jet Ski in the morning and hang out with 100-strong pods of bottlenose dolphins catching breakfast just outside of the lagoon. This is a place where the children of families who used to come to the Maldives every year are now choosing to return to themselves as grown-ups.

Conrad Maldives

Having staked its claim on the beautiful all-natural twin islands of Rangali and Rangali Finolhu over a quarter of a century ago, the Conrad's location remains one of the best of any resort in the Maldives—with long, broad stretches of sand wrapped around both jungly islands and manta rays pirouetting in the channel between. But there have been changes afoot: the installation of The Muraka (the world's first underwater hotel suite ) in 2018 was followed by a revamp of the cathedral-like beach villas in 2019, while the water villas got their turn this year. New chef Christian Pedersen has breathed new life into all 12 restaurants. From the sand-between-your-toes breakfast to the healthy seared scallop and asparagus salads to the tasting menus at underwater restaurant Ithaa, his food never fails to impress. Resistance is futile, but you can work off any excesses by paddleboarding around the lagoon staring at shimmering parrotfish and sashaying reef sharks through a mesmeric turquoise lens.

JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa

There isn’t a hibiscus out of place or a palm that hasn’t been preened at this Indian Ocean version of the white-picket perfection of the Hamptons. It’s set in the far-northern Shaviyani atoll—where the neighboring islands are mostly undeveloped—so the seaplane transfer, at around an hour, takes a little longer than most, but the payoff comes in the form of never-ending horizons, uninterrupted expanses of sea, and crystal-clear night skies. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from one end of the island to the other, which makes it medium-sized by Maldivian standards.

Offshore there’s a large house reef—although the corals aren’t in the best shape (a jarring reminder of global warming)—but you can still see large white-tip reef sharks, moray eels and clouds of shoaling fish. For bigger marine thrills, the dolphin cruise yields sightings of thousands rather than the usual handful in less remote waters, or join a fishing expedition in search of sailfish the size of schoolchildren. The Shaviyani atoll is mega-fauna central. Back on dry land, there are two main swimming pools, a glass-encased spa, a gigantic kids’ club, and 60 pool villas, shaped like upturned galleons. Skip the tightly packed overwater variety and plump for one on the sand instead, where each sits on its own spacious bougainvillea-veiled plot, just feet from the ocean, and the duplexes, with their upstairs dens, are excellent for families.

Inside, the decor strays from the traditional Maldivian teak-chic, favoring muted shades of blue textiles and amethyst-topped tables. Among the five superb restaurants, lunchtime-only treetop Kaashi is a standout for authentic Thai, and there are three bars: one by the Missoni-striped swimming pool and another serving 98 types of rum inside a treehouse overlooking the beach. While there aren’t many surprises, this is an ultra-slick take on the tropical paradise blueprint. — L.C.

Hurawalhi Island Resort

It has the biggest underwater restaurant in the Maldives—and there are wonders on both sides of the glass. Hurawalhi is surrounded by no fewer than 50 outstanding dive sites, including one of the most reliable manta ray hotspots in the archipelago, where you can marvel at the spectacle of these creatures lining up to be fussed over by lesser marine life. The 90 villas are compact and uncomplicated, differentiated only by their position and the presence or absence of a private pool. The two main restaurants and bar are airy spaces with soaring ceilings. Discreet touches—tabletops in a mosaic of petrified wood, transparent panels in the floor to allow fish-spotting—perk up the unpretentious design. Both the views and the menu (tuna carpaccio with pickled daikon, yuzu gel, and shiso) at underwater restaurant 5.8 are deeply impressive. Another temptation is the small but splendidly stocked wine cellar, curated by managing partner Lars Petre, a pioneering hotelier and entrepreneur in the Maldives whose love of the islands is written all over his craggy Swedish face. But at Hurawalhi, it's what's below the surface that really counts. There's an inspiring young dive team—all of whom appear to speak half a dozen languages and hold higher degrees in easy-going charm—to help you into your mask and fins. — S.K.

Patina Maldives

This is an island for aesthetes. One of the coolest, cleverest resorts to open in 2021—even more of an achievement during a pandemic—and the first of a progressive new brand of hotels from Capella, which counts the Sir Norman Foster –designed Capella Singapore and Bill Bensley’s Capella Ubud among its show-stopping properties. (Patina Ubud is in the works.) Here, Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan has been handed the reins, designing his first hotel, and has come up with something that feels truly special, transplanting his take on tropical modernism to the Indian Ocean. In keeping with the movement, the architecture encourages interaction with nature. Long, linear wooden structures are open to the elements, and cooled by swirling fans and perforated screens, all chiaroscuro light and shadow. Custom-made furniture from Dedon and Paola Lenti sits beneath triangular sun shades strung between towering palms. Then there’s the art collection, like a treasure hunt for grown-ups, with James Turrell’s Skyspace light gallery the star attraction.

Yoga gurus from Rishikesh hold classes inside the installation in the soft morning glow. In the evening, when it’s illuminated violet, the skylight frames the moon. The 90 pool villas aren’t the largest in the Maldives but they impress in other ways, with glass walls that fully retract on three sides. In the bathrooms, there are exfoliating seaweed soaps from Haeckels and 3D-printed vitamins appear on pillows instead of chocolates at bedtime. The Flow Spa is original too, with treatment rooms that look like sugar cubes tossed into the long grass. High-tech therapies—flotation pods, LED-light therapy, Iris sound immersions—are offered alongside deep-reaching rituals that might include an out-of-body experience in the watsu pool with Balinese healer Purnomo Diretno.

But the best part might be the eight bars and restaurants, each one exceptional. Patina, as well as the new Ritz-Carlton, are the first hotels built in the manmade Fari Islands in the North Malé atoll. With space at a premium, artificial isles aren’t new in the Maldives—the Waldorf Astoria, Hard Rock Hotel, and local Hulhumalé island are all also fresh arrivals. But at both resorts currently open in the Faris, serious sustainability efforts and conservation projects try to go a long way to mitigate any environmental impact of the construction. This is next generation Maldives, smart and thoughtful. —L.C.

COMO Cocoa Island

Over its 20-year history, bigger, flashier resorts have tried to upstage little Cocoa. All-singing hotels with submerged spas, snow rooms, and ice-skating rinks. But this living coral island, still in a plum, not-too-hectic spot in the often-busy South Malé atoll, 40 minutes from the airport by speedboat, has remained in the limelight precisely because of its gimmick-free simplicity. The newly refreshed overwater villas (34 in total, some shaped like Maldivian dhoni boats) are the epitome of less is more, with dark teak, crisp white walls and deep bathtubs. Compared to its Bali sibling, the sandy-floored COMO Shambhala spa here is less comprehensive, which feels like a bit of a missed opportunity, but the therapists are still top of their game and soothe, stroke, and crush out every molecule of tension in the signature massage.

There’s a new Pilates studio, where head-to-toe alignment programs straighten out even the most WFH-weary postures and new COMO wellness retreats are promised by the end of the year. For now, extra reinvigoration comes during an hour being pummeled by a dozen jets in the free hydrotherapy pool. But, of course, it’s the Indian Ocean that’s the main watery attraction and unlike a lot of the reefs that surround Malé, Cocoa Island’s are colorful, varied, and recovering well from the 2016 worldwide bleaching event. You’ll also spot octopus, lobster, lionfish, reef sharks, and amber-eyed hawksbill turtles—take a trip with Aminath Angeela (a rarely spotted Maldivian female marine conservationist) to learn more about rising sea temperatures and coral regeneration. In keeping with the low-key vibe, there’s only one restaurant, but the food is always enticing. There are coconut smoothie bowls for breakfast; proper pizzas and lobster rolls for lunch; and an Indonesian feast or a surf ’n’ turf barbecue come evening. Plus, the same thoughtful, delicious wellness menus you find at every COMO hotel. Peaceful, pampering, smart but unpretentious: this is the essence of what a Maldives hotel should be. — L.C.

Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives

Not all Maldivian islands are made equal; some only have natural beaches along one shore, the other eroded away by the sea. Not here. From above, Finolhu looks like a comet shooting across the heavens, its tail formed by a 1.2-mile platinum sandbank. If resorts here were ranked solely on their beaches, Finolhu would be on the medal table (along with Kanuhura and The Residence at Dhigurah) purely because there’s so much sand. And the marine life is just as magnificent. There are dozens of exceptional dive sites within the hotel’s orbit, including caves haunted by barracuda, kaleidoscopic gardens of hard-tree coral, and Hanifaru cleaning station, where hundreds of manta rays come to be preened by little blue wrasse (visit between May and November for the best chance to swim with them).

Almost as exuberant is the hotel itself, which emerged in November 2020 under new management and with a fresh look. Out went the ’70s design in favor of a mood board of color, with 125 villas kitted out in electric blue, sherbet yellow, or lime green. What remains, however, is the Ibiza-in-the-Indian-Ocean vibe; for the full effect book a Rock Star Villa with its giant disco ball and cocktail bar (and a golf buggy decked out like a mini Rolls-Royce). Food at the five restaurants is good, if less dazzling than the rest of the place; the premium all-inclusive option is especially good value, covering everything from wagyu steak in Japanese restaurant Kanusan to post-workout protein drinks at the Milk Lab cafe and Taittinger Champagne from the bar. And the weekly list of activities runs from the standard yoga and beach volleyball to acrobatic shows and mermaids in the swimming pool. Many hotels have tried to bring the party to the Maldives—Finolhu hits the sweet spot between indulgent fun and carefree affordability. — L.C.

Lux South Ari Atoll

Fresh from a total overhaul, this revamped island has 193 villas, both on the beach and on two jetties (one of which is adults-only), with vaulted white ceilings, gray wood–effect ceramic floors, and tree-trunk furniture. Many of the overwater villas are brand new, the spa is bigger, and the interiors have been smartened up. There's a mellow beach club vibe throughout, with bicycles to nip between the two bars at opposite ends of the two-mile-long island: one more chilled beside the pool, and the other, livelier, with colorful reclaimed wooden tables, a reggae soundtrack, surfboards propped against the wall, and inflatable swans standing by to drift about on the sea. There's coffee—roasted on-site—in reception, an ice-cream parlor with 32 homemade flavors such as bubblegum and pistachio, and live DJs at Beach Rouge, one of the six restaurants, including Allegria for Italian dishes and Senses for Indian.

The expanded spa offers yoga in a grove of palms, or on stand-up paddleboards, as well as a tennis coach for private lessons and a marine biologist to take guests swimming with whale sharks in a protected area. Frequent pop-ups include a mixologist making Aperol cocktails at East Point, an open-air movie theater on the beach, and the sudden appearance of a rack of Panama hats guests can borrow. It's impossible to miss home, but just in case, there's a red telephone box by reception for free old-school phone calls. This hideaway, above all, is incredibly fun. — Emma Love

Soneva Jani

The pioneering Soneva team, the first to introduce overwater villas to the Maldives as well as a strong environmental code and a determination to disconnect from the noisy outside world, brings us its third property. What sets Soneva Jani apart is that it is actually made up of five little islets in the Noonu Atoll. Snaking off the biggest is a 1.1-mile jetty with 24 overwater villas, each one bigger than some hotels (the largest can fit a family of 10). And later this year there will be an equal number of beach villas hidden in the forests of screw pine, banyan trees, and sea trumpet. A second island is home to the cute-as-pie tented restaurant hub, serving everything from grilled seafood to freshly baked pizzas. But the other three will remain undeveloped, so there will always be somewhere to play castaway.

The scale of the villas is extraordinary: built using wood from sustainable plantations and crafted in great sweeping curves, they are a charming jumble of pitched roofs and rondavels with fairytale turrets, ladders leading into the Indian Ocean, and portholes in floors to reveal marine life below. Retractable ceilings above beds unveil a starry night sky. There's a bar and wine-tasting space, spa, gym, yoga studio, and a phenomenal kids' club, which takes an inclusive approach, helping families holiday together. You'll also find an observatory with a telescope and live monitors that share the view through the eyepiece. Cycle across the island to the open-air, floating movie theater, where guests wear Bluetooth headphones to avoid disturbing the turtles. Of all the openings in the Maldives, this is the drop-dead gorgeous one, with the best villas, best service, best green credentials, and best vision. — Michelle Jana Chan

Drift Thelu Veliga Retreat

On one side of this island retreat—a circular two-and-a-half-acres bisected by a sandy path lined with banana trees and bougainvillea—is an open-air thatched bar, restaurant, and water sports; on the other are the villas and a tiny but brilliant spa. The 10 beach and 20 overwater villas are simple and rustic, with apple green wood-paneled exteriors, coconut-leaf-thatched roofs, and wicker sun loungers on the terraces (but no televisions, as the point here is to unplug). An early riser can practice hatha yoga with Rasmika Sahan before a snorkeling trip nearby (the house reef is a treat too, with angelfish and baby blacktip sharks). Serious foodies might find the nightly buffet a tad repetitive, but it is, nevertheless, delightfully laidback, carefree, and barefoot. There are also beach barbecues and Sri Lankan feasts under the eye of chef Chaminda Udabage, who cooks up his homeland favorites of fish curries and dhal. This is a small, unhurried, good-value island aimed at those who spend their days drifting between sun beds and the ocean. —E.L.

The Nautilus

If city living is all about the lean-in, the Maldives is for the recline. Named after Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus private-island retreat of 26 overwater and beach houses has maxed out on relaxed luxe. Sitting above the indigo Baa Atoll and its eddying UNESCO biosphere reserve of pale sandbars and just visible coral gardens, it’s a place where schedules are decidedly lacking and guests duck in via seaplane or yacht to zone out. The USP here is that everything is fluid: unscripted dining means scallop carpaccio or oyster ice cream at 5 a.m. if you wish. Waterborne adventures are impromptu, too, with watches and iPhones swapped out for snorkels and paddleboards at any time. This is very much a barefoot-and-board-shorts hideaway, crisscrossed with polished hardwood walkways and lofty palms beside walls of fragrant clerodendrum. Only the arrival of whale sharks and manta rays on their May to December migration provides a discernible sign of time passing. Unusually for hotels in the region, the Nautilus is independently Maldivian owned, and is designed for the next generation of smart travelers who are seeking out the latest go-with-the-flow modern boho experience.

Milaidhoo Island Maldives

A wonderful reminder of the joys of getting back to basics. Milaidhoo gives classic Maldivian island style a refreshing contemporary twist. Understated, refined, and properly spoiling. The 50 villas are enlivened with deft decorative flourishes—the vivid blue-on-blue accents and curvaceous lines of the Beach Pool villas, in particular, display great charm and panache. The island is small enough to get around without a buggy, so you can put a little of the barefoot work back into the enjoyment of barefoot luxury. Milaidhoo's location in Baa Atoll—a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with the world's highest concentration of manta rays—is a huge plus. Nearby Hanifaru Bay is to ray fanciers what La Scala is to opera buffs. A snorkeling, diving, or sailing expedition, especially in the company of the resident marine biologist, is likely to be as instructive as it is beautiful—the sort of experience that could alter a person's entire attitude towards the oceans. The signature restaurant, Ba'theli, serving Maldivian and trade-route-inspired dishes in three cleverly interlinked dhonis, is a show-stopper. No less intriguing is the Deep Sleep Mood Menu. Four courses contrived for maximum soporific effect (passion-fruit-and-green-tea soup—who knew?) are served on your candlelit terrace. Ideally, it will be preceded by a spa treatment and followed by a meditation session and herb-infused bath. A bedtime story and glass of warm milk, though surely unnecessary by this point, could no doubt also be arranged. — S.K.

At 12 acres, Ayada, on the southern rim of the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and just 19 miles north of the equator, is big enough to get lost on, and the more walking or cycling about you do, the more surprises keep popping up. Take a stroll after dinner (there are six restaurants) and... hello, what's this? A wine-and-cheese station for a glass of rouge and a sliver of brie while sitting on a bench fashioned from a fishing boat. As you head off to Zuzuu (the kids' club), you might stumble across The White Room, a part-colonial, part-tropical folly (pillars and a thatched roof) of such kitschness, you half expect the ghost of Elvis to emerge in a white tuxedo. Or you could stop in at the Ottoman Lounge (a nod to Ayada's Turkish ownership) and settle in for a coffee with a squidge of Turkish delight and a shisha pipe. The Middle Eastern mood shimmies through the villas: a filigree lampshade here, a joss-stick there, a flounce of Turkish fabric over the bed. And there's a full-on Turkish bath in the spa. This far from Malé, there's not a hint of light pollution in the inky night skies; by day there are dive sites, snorkeling with whale sharks and (unusually for the Maldives) surf breaks.

Six Senses Laamu

The Maldives is more famous for romantic sunsets than right-handers, but Six Senses—the only resort in the southern Laamu Atoll—sets itself apart from the fly-and-flop brigade with its Yin Yang surf break. There's also paddleboarding and catamaran sailing, alongside the usual dive boats and house-reef snorkeling. Its eco-agenda means that Six Senses does the at-times-clichéd Robinson Crusoe rustic look with feeling: to discourage the use of air conditioning, the beds are draped in gauzy white canopies and there are wooden slats in the walls to open at night and catch the breeze; the thatched roofs are also low-slung to keep things shady and cool. Even the twig pencils on the desk are responsibly sourced. Of course, there's no shortage of comforts—a 100-plus cocktail menu at the bar, a cheese-and-wine tower, a sensational sushi restaurant—but the vibe is very laidback compared to some of the Maldives' more flashy resorts. And nowhere more so than in the spa, where it's all too easy to hole up in one of the thatched, nest-like pods for hours on end.

Cheval Blanc Randheli

Beautiful Randheli in the Maldives was designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, who also created One&Only Reethi Rah. Here he's used the same large-scale, cathedral-roofed template for the beach villas, and the detailing is superb. Those insouciant little armless sofas; that Vincent Beaurin lemon-yellow sand-disc artwork, which slowly turns as the weight of perpetually falling grains of sand rotate it; the square, slate-lined pool; the de Havilland seaplane bobbing in the water; the white bicycles for getting around; the taupe espadrilles in the villas' dressing rooms. It's all so chic. In the Guerlain spa, reached by dhoni, even a glance upwards from the massage bed prompts a smile in appreciation of the exquisitely woven rattan ceiling. Some bits grate: having to press a switch to open the villa front door from the inside, for instance. But from breakfast on the terrace—molten-centered brownies, celestial with a cappuccino—to the doll-sized mouthfuls on the tasting menu at Le 1947 restaurant, named after Cheval Blanc's most famous vintage, every element confirms this as the most sensational new resort in the Maldives.

Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

Something to keep in mind when planning a holiday in the Maldives is that the remoteness once guaranteed by these faraway atolls can no longer be taken for granted. Resorts too close to the capital, Malé, may have views across to its high-rise skyline; others may have a neighboring hotel within earshot or clear sight. But the gloriously isolated Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, a former coconut plantation, has no such problems. The villas are also big and well spaced for privacy, the food couldn't be healthier (catch of the day at Fuego Grill; Lebanese mezze at Al Barakat and the spa is truly outstanding. Our 2020 Spa Guide winner for most meaningful experience, as well as overwater treatment rooms, it has a shady Ayurvedic area in a clearing, where prayerful therapists from a Tantric Ayurvedic centre in Indonesia administer rituals lasting hours. The island's Marine Discovery Center, run by a team of biologists whose main focus is manta ray research, could get anyone hooked on the wondrous world revealed as one sinks below the ocean surface with a snorkel or tank. — Anna Pasternak

One&Only Reethi Rah

When you spot a woman in Prada getting off one of the seaplanes arriving at Malé airport, there's a good chance she'll have been staying at Reethi Rah. The hotel is deeply glamorous: guests dress up for dinner in its dimly lit, gently gleaming environs, and sometimes for breakfast, lunch, and dive school, too. Super-smart, with its stone baths designed for two, often with a royal in residence (never seen but identifiable by uniformed bodyguards sitting outside the villa), this is an immense and hugely successful hotel, with 12 private beaches. There's a very zen spa where you can fully detox, and an amazing teen zone with ping-pong tables and all kinds of water sports. Since it opened, a cooking school has been added and its overwater villas now have pools, but the beach pool villas are still the best: thrillingly big and impressive, they have wardrobes and shoe space to match.

Velaa Private Island

One of the most expensive resorts in the Maldives is owned by 42-year-old Czech billionaire Jiri Smejc, who asked his villa butler at Huvafen Fushi, Maldives, to find him an island. He then hired a hot-shot general manager, Hans Cauchi from the Corinthia in London, installed his former butler front-of-house, and brought in 500 Czech builders for six months. The result? State-of-the-art toys (not even glossy rivals Cheval Blanc or One&Only Reethi Rah have a Seabob or semi-submarine); a spa with expert therapists, an ocean-view sauna, snow room and snooze pod; a nine-hole golf course; tennis and squash courts; an extraordinary three-story wine tower with a 6,000-bottle, $1.2 million inventory (including a 1978 Romanée-Conti for $46,000); and Aragu, an overwater, open-kitchen restaurant and Champagne lounge with a Sri Lankan chef. Some design elements are a little retro: suede-effect giant-weave cushions; patchwork carpets; the hanging chair and three massive vases you have to dodge to get to the bath. But the outdoor bathrooms are quite wonderful, and four-bedroom villas plus top-notch security are great for those who need it.

This understated, elegant resort has a loyal following. Among its most notable attractions are the cuisine (seafood at Cayenne Grill, Mediterranean at white-tented Lighthouse, informal meals at Lime) and the diving. Baros is home to one of the archipelago's original dive centers, as well as the first EcoDive Centre in the Maldives to be certified by International Reef Check.

Coco Prive Kuda Hithi

The ludicrously pretty and impossibly slick Coco Prive Kuda Hithi is only available for private hire. Previously a boutique hotel, the island's main building has an enormous primary suite, and there are five other villas to fill. The architecture is stunning, with massive expanses of glass to draw the outside in, and natural materials and organic shapes to echo the surroundings. Every light, heat source, and sound setting can be zapped from your personal iPad, and the attention to detail is phenomenal (the place is repainted between every stay). The kitchen is yours to use, but the chef is brilliant and will prepare anything you want (stories include a specific variety of apple being flown in at a guest's request), such as baked red snapper in aromatic herbs, and banana fritters with sweet crêpes in caramel. Sun-bleached decking around the island leads to mini jungle paths where pretty wicker baubles dangle, red flowers burst, and the resident fruit bat swings from palm to palm. As a bonus, the reef is monitored by a team of experts who know each turn and turtle intimately.

Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas

When this hotel landed in the Baa atoll in 2011, it was a sleeker, clubbier Anantara outpost than family-friendly Dhigu, honeymooners ’ Veli, and quiet Naladhu that the brand already had in these waters. And there were plenty of head-turning attractions: the glass-bottomed baths in the overwater villas, the underwater restaurant, reportedly the country’s longest swimming pool. Plenty more splashier arrivals have since played their cards, but Anantara’s latest update puts it back on the board, with knockout new multi-bedroom beach and pool residences, each with their own kitchen, gym, spa treatment room, and pool deck.

The rest of the island is lush (no trees were felled during construction) and its central sandy path provides peekaboo pops of turquoise water while leading to diversions including an art studio, kids’ club, and outdoor movie theater beneath a celestial sky. At the overwater spa, there are new vitamin-drip therapies, part of the region’s only Cocoon Medical Spa, and an updated relaxation platform with saunas and plunge pools. That underwater restaurant is part of Sea Fire Spice Sky, a quartet of dining spaces varying from teppanyaki to grills from an authentic tandoori oven. The overwater observatory, the only one in the Maldives, has the country’s most powerful telescope (a research-grade 16" Meade LX200). Here, astronomer Ali Shameem, who grew up fascinated by the stars on the island of Maalhos, guides guests through the cosmos—the bonus of being almost on the equator means you can see constellations in both hemispheres. For all the slick hotel tricks, it’s always the hypnotic sea and sky that are the real knockouts. — Ramsey Qubein

Arrival by seaplane from Malé sets the tone; and from white-tented spa to swim-up pool bar, this resort encapsulates jet-set glamour. The 77 villas offer all the mod cons you could possibly want plus plunge pool, sun deck, wine fridge, and barbecue station. The overwater accommodation features glass floors and beach villas are equipped with muslin-draped daybeds that—cleverly—can be cantilevered over the pool. The resort is also big on action, with diving, kitesurfing, and SeaBobs (which zoom underwater like dolphins), and scheduled DJs spinning tracks in the evening.

This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK . It has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

These are the best all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives, from overwater bungalows to family-friendly getaways

A trip to the Maldives — that dreamy equatorial archipelago of white-sand beaches, swaying palms and vibrant reefs — might seem like Champagne wishes and caviar dreams. And its luxury resorts certainly offer plenty of both delicacies. However, there are also affordable all-inclusive options where you won't pay extra for a satisfying meal or a cocktail at the bar, which can be a relief after the time and money spent to reach this far-flung destination.

Over the last 50 years, luxury resorts have transformed this tiny Indian Ocean country into one of the most beloved beach destinations out there, equally accessible to families on school holidays and couples on romantic getaways.

Some travelers come for its world-class diving, snorkeling and reef surfing. Others come simply to unplug and unwind. Meanwhile, the resorts' kids clubs with plenty of water activities are a hit with the young ones.

Changing climate patterns mean it's never a bad time to go to the Maldives, but the peak season runs from November to April. Whichever time of year you decide to visit, these 11 Maldives all-inclusive resorts — and hotels offering all-inclusive packages — will give you a warm island welcome, and you won't have to worry about spending too much out of pocket after you arrive.

A 40-minute seaplane ride from Male whisks guests to this lush Raa Atoll escape. The resort's 120 villas and suites are spread across 49 hectares of private island and over a massive turquoise lagoon.

Emerald's luxury all-inclusive package offers four places to eat and drink, including an ever-changing international buffet at Aqua Restaurant and zesty Latin-American dishes at Amazonico Restaurant. Guests on the "Deluxe All-Inclusive" package can partake in any of the four restaurants day or night. Plus, the villa's minibar, premium spirits and nonmotorized sports are also included.

This member of The Leading Hotels of the World caters to couples and families with its diving and water sports centers, large Balinese-style spa and 16,000-square-foot kids club with a sprawling outdoor play area with plenty of activities and a kids-only restaurant.

All-inclusive packages at Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa start at $590 per adult and $360 per child per night.

This 122-villa Accor property in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll is one of the best all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives for budget-conscious travelers. A one-hour flight from Male, the resort sits on an island of over 44 acres with a unique freshwater lake in the middle.

Pullman's all-inclusive package extends guests the choice of meals at three different restaurants, including a dedicated vegetarian menu at Phat Chameleon and Italian specialties at Souq Oven, washed down with a wine list including 80 international vintages at its three beachside bars.

Travelers to the island will see it's basically one giant sandbox for adults, with beach boot camp classes, a tennis court, snorkeling and stand-up paddleboarding all included. It's also a kid-friendly island with small clubs for little ones and teens. They'll especially love the Aqua Villa, a two-bedroom accommodation with an underwater bedroom.

All-inclusive rates at Pullman Maldives All-Inclusive Resort start at $1,127 per night, based on double occupancy.

When it comes to Maldives all-inclusive resorts, this one is hard to beat. At Kudadoo, barefoot luxury combines with bespoke butler service for its "Anything, Anytime, Anywhere" ethos. Guests have unscripted dining, so they can order omelets to the room at 4 p.m. or shrimp cocktail at midnight. Yes, a stay at Kudadoo will definitely leave you spoiled.

The resort has just 15 enormous overwater residences, each with a private pool and a Japanese ryokan-style aesthetic that will have you feeling Zen as soon as you step foot inside. And while most guests may never leave their private overwater palace, we recommend you do. The two-story Retreat houses the bulk of guest experiences, including a Japanese restaurant, cocktail bar, game room, gym and spa, where unlimited treatments are included.

Activities galore are also part of the experience, from private picnics on the nearby deserted Dream Island to diving and flyboarding.

All-inclusive rates at Kudadoo Maldives Private Island start at $3,017 per night, based on double occupancy.

A 30-minute speedboat ride from Male's Velana International Airport (MLE) brings you to paradise. Anantara Veli shares a lagoon with its sister properties, Anantara Dhigu and Naladhu Private Island. And while guests also have access to Anantara Dhigu, Veli has everything you need.

Its 67 beach, water and overwater villas have recently been redesigned with black-and-white interiors and natural pops of color decorating the pitched-roof spaces. The resort's "All-Inclusive Indulgence" package gives guests a unique choice of either 12 or 24 hours of "all-inclusive premium beverages." It also confers discounts for stays longer than three nights.

Having access to another resort means double the dining options, so guests can eat a big buffet breakfast at Fushi Cafe or the Indian restaurant, Cumin, before enjoying a lunch of grilled seafood or meat at Sea.Fire.Salt. or Spanish tapas at the Dhoni Bar. When dinner rolls around, guests can choose between the four included restaurants or go to the much-loved Baan Huraa for Thai or Origami for Japanese, where a $60-per-person credit goes toward your meal.

All-inclusive rates at Anantara Veli Maldives Resort start at $840 per night, based on double occupancy, with a three-night minimum.

One of the country's newest points-friendly resorts wows with its simultaneously brutalist yet tropically romantic design, ideal for couples. Sitting on just over 27 hectares of white sands in the northern Raa Atoll, each of its 80 beachfront and overwater villas has a private pool.

Its all-inclusive package requires a three-night minimum stay, but once you touch down here, you won't want to leave. All meals at its main international restaurant, Seasalt, are included, as is alcohol. But the real perk you get from booking this rate is the 60-minute spa treatment in Alila's tranquil treetop spa and a complimentary group dolphin cruise included in the package.

And while leaving your Balinese-meets-Japanese-inspired villa seems like a chore, the island's activities are worth it. Spend your days at the water sports and dive center, the yoga pavilion, the paddle tennis courts, the game room, or by the beach.

All-inclusive rates at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives start at $1,138 per night, based on double occupancy.

Hugging the equator, this luxe Hyatt hotel is in the Huvadhoo Atoll, one of the country's deepest and most southern. Its secluded locale means marine life here is as colorful and plentiful as it gets, and there is a unique 360-degree house reef reputed to be one of the best in the Maldives.

The resort opened in 2009 as an Alila but rebranded to Park Hyatt in 2011. Its 51 villas include 14 classic Maldives overwater bungalows — all with private ocean access and the majority with private plunge pools. The remaining 37 are on land, including the three-bedroom Residence. Guests on the all-inclusive package can enjoy meals at the international Dining Room, the Maldivian-inspired Island Grill and the beachside Bar. But standout restaurants, including the Japanese overwater Koi and the plant-based Chef's Garden Treehouse, are also bookable at a 50% discount. Luckily, water, soft drinks and most alcoholic drinks are also included.

When guests aren't diving into the tropical fruit-filled breakfast, they can treat themselves to an ayurvedic massage at the Vidhun Spa, go fishing past the equator, practice sunset yoga or lounge by one of the two large resort pools.

All-inclusive rates at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa start at $940 per night, based on double occupancy.

Soneva Jani is, without a doubt, one of the best all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives. Although high-flying travelers may break the bank with the Soneva Unlimited package, it's worth every penny.

When Soneva says "all-inclusive," it really means it. There's unlimited dining at its seven restaurants, including the plant-based So Wild by Diana Von Cranach and the cracking-good Crab Shack, as well as alcohol, including vintages from the Soneva Unlimited package-specific wine list. You can spend the entire day in the resort's two Soneva Soul spas getting treatments like cryotherapy and ayurvedic massages arranged by your private butler at no extra charge. As the cherry on top, marine activities, laundry and the minibar are also part of the package.

Besides what may arguably be the world's best all-inclusive offering, every guest has access to the resort's 24/7 ice cream, chocolate and charcuterie rooms. Kids can go wild at The Den, a two-story kids club with multiple waterslides. If you're an adult, don't worry; nearly every palatial overwater villa has its own waterslide and retractable roof for stargazing.

The Soneva Unlimited all-inclusive rate at Soneva Jani starts at $1,220 per adult per night.

Located in the northern Lhaviyani Atoll, the small private island that is home to Hurawalhi is a 40-minute seaplane flight from Male. The adults-only (ages 15 and up) resort's 90 villas are apportioned across five categories, ranging from Beach Pool Villas to Ocean Pool Villas. And while they may be more compact compared to accommodations at other resorts, the style is contemporary and comfortable.

But at Hurawalhi, guests will want to spend most of their time in the water anyway. Go snorkeling along the house reef, visit one of the world's largest populations of manta rays and enjoy a plethora of complimentary water sports. If you'd rather not get wet while admiring the marine life, book a table at the world's largest undersea restaurant, 5.8 Undersea Restaurant.

Although the resort's all-inclusive package doesn't comprise dinner at 5.8 Undersea, the experience is worth splurging for. However, the package does include meals at its three other restaurants and unlimited "all you can drink'' beverages at its two bars. Highlights of the package include a group sunset dolphin cruise, a 30-minute snorkeling session with the resort's marine biologist and a 30-minute group windsurfing lesson.

All-inclusive rates at Hurawalhi Island Resort start at $1,149 per night, based on double occupancy.

Opened in 2019, this IHG property has 81 rooms and suites in 14 categories that range up to three-bedroom residences. The three-bedroom Lagoon Residence feels like a SoCal beach house with rope-slung chairs, beanbag-style seating and a private pool. It doesn't have direct access to the ocean, but across the sandy path, it has access to the island's lagoon for some snorkeling.

IHG Club Benefits here include afternoon tea, pool goodies and an aperitif hour, as does the resort's all-inclusive package, which also proffers three meals a day at a selection of its five restaurants and unlimited drinks from a special menu at its two bars. If you're not getting pampered at the overwater Avi Spa or wading in the resort's massive beachside pool, you're probably eating. Try the oven-baked pizzas at The Collective and the catch of the day at The Fish Market. Be sure to visit the Champagne sommelier at the dhoni-shaped Sunset Bar to add some sparkle to your stay, too.

A big plus of the all-inclusive offering is the use of nonmotorized water equipment and the 50% discount on seaplane transfers in the offseason (through Sept. 30).

All-inclusive rates at InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort start at $1,270 per night, based on double occupancy.

Opened by Accor in 2018, this large private getaway sits on nearly 40 acres of a lush natural island in Shaviyani Atoll. Having the country's longest infinity pool is the resort's claim to fame, but there's a lot more to experience here, especially with the all-inclusive package.

Choose from 120 villas in several different room categories, including a signature thatch-roofed overwater bungalow and a more creative tented jungle villa, each with a private pool. Guests can opt for a daily changing buffet at Raha Market or special menus at its two seafood-focused restaurants, Kata and Azure, and a selection of premium beverages.

As a truly kid-friendly island, there are multiple-bedroom villas perfect for the whole family. Plus, children under 12 stay and eat for free as part of the all-inclusive package. They can spend days painting coconuts in the Art Studio, making new friends in the Kids' Club or snorkeling in the Coralarium, a beautiful underwater sculpture garden and regeneration project.

All-inclusive rates at Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi start at $930 per night, based on double occupancy.

While it is one of the country's most family-friendly resorts, the fact that Lux* South Ari Atoll is on an island with a nearly 2-mile shoreline means there's plenty of room for everyone. At the edge of the Ari Atoll, this long sliver of sand has 193 stylish villas and pavilions with fresh white interiors and classic thatched roofs.

Once guests decide to leave the room, this sprawling resort has eight restaurants, five bars, a sprawling spa and two large pools to play in. Dining options for the all-inclusive package include Southeast Asian, Mediterranean, Indian and international, but exclude the resort's Italian and Japanese restaurants. However, there is a 40% discount if you're craving pasta or sushi. Taittinger Champagne by the glass and a selection of liquors flow freely at the resort's handful of bars if you book the all-inclusive offer, though.

There's not enough time in the day to try all of the resort's activities, but you can pack your vacation with free activities from bocce to kayaking to quiz night. However, we recommend booking a whale shark snorkeling excursion and a muscle-melting massage at the Lux* Me Spa.

All-inclusive rates at Lux* South Ari Atoll start at $626 per night based on double occupancy.

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The 30 Best Maldives Resorts for Every Kind of Island Traveler

Whether you're a romantic or underwater adventurer, here’s our cheat sheet to the top luxury options, categorized by travel personality..

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For the Romantic

True, pretty much anywhere you choose in the Maldives is going to be romantic, as the dreamy setting—plus things like private decks and plunge pools, secluded dining spots, and champagne-fueled cruises—have helped make this a top destination for honeymoons and proposals. But some hotels offer a little extra for their coupled-up guests.

Six Senses Kanuhura

Naladhu Private Island Maldives

Small but stunning, this newly refurbed resort is perfect for honeymooning couples and guests who want a more intimate vacation. It has just 20 private villas, each with a pool, private beach cabana and discreet butler service. Naladhu Private Island specializes in curating exclusive experiences, whether that’s a private outdoor movie night on cozy couches in the secluded coconut grove or a beachside dinner under the stars. The resort has a no-menu concept and a fabulous team of chefs who will make all of your culinary dreams come true. It’s the perfect place to escape from the world with your beloved..

The Nautilus

With no clocks and no schedules, this Baa atoll oasis is the perfect place for couples to reconnect. This elegant property has just 26 villas dotted around a small private island ideal for morning strolls and romantic sunsets spent sipping champagne by the nautilus-shaped pool. Its “anything you want, day or night” ethos opens your vacation up to magical experiences like private fireworks shows and private picnics on a castaway sandbank. The Nautilus’ overwater Solasta Spa also specializes in couples’ treatments, including a blissful three-hour Spa Journey.

Gili Lankanfushi  

For the Gourmand

From Michelin-star chef experiences to fiery teppanyaki dinners to mile-long buffets, dining in the Maldives is nothing short of extraordinary. Most resorts offer multiple dining options serving a variety of cuisines to keep things fresh; some spots, though, take things to new culinary heights.

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi

When there are a whopping 11 delicious dining options on island, it’s hard not to stuff yourself silly. Home to the first floating Zuma in the world, Japanese is arguably the Waldorf Astoria Maldives’ most popular cuisine. But the Ledge, by Michelin-star chef Dave Pynt, is a close second with brontosaurus-sized pieces of meat and other grilled classics. Down the beach, at Yasmeen, Levante dishes served in an elaborately-designed Arabian village shine, while guests at Terra enjoy caviar amongst the treetops in hanging bamboo pods. And that’s not even half of the resort’s dining venues.

The St. Regis Vommuli Resort

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort earned its foodie cred soon after opening in 2016. In addition to menus that run the gamut from Italian and Japanese to Indian, Korean, Pakistani, and Cantonese, the resort has hosted Michelin-starred chefs for a series of notable tasting dinners and intimate cooking classes, which we hope will come back post-Covid. It also has an award-winning wine cellar, Decanter, with difficult-to-find vintages, including a port dating back to 1795 . But, it’s not all fancy fare. Head to Crust & Craft to design your own pizzas or eat fresh fish tacos. Don’t forget to have the resort’s signature Bloody Mary at the Whale Bar, the resort’s whale shark-shaped overwater lounge.

Vakkaru Maldives

One&Only Reethi Rah

With eight dining spaces, One&Only Reethi Rah is a gourmand’s dream. Many resorts in the Maldives have just one or two restaurants, so the diverse cuisine is especially notable. One night, you might indulge in sashimi and nigiri at its Japanese restaurant Hoshi. Next book a plant-based meal at Botanica featuring vegetables from the island’s garden — so delicious that you won’t miss the meat. Your most memorable meal might take place out in the island’s lush landscape; the resort specializes in private dinners with bespoke menus and attentive service.

Kudadoo Maldives

Kudadoo Maldives brings the all-inclusive concept to new heights with its motto: Anything, Anywhere, Anytime. A butler will attend to your every need and plan fabulous activities, including decadent dining. They can set up private dinners or beach picnics anywhere on the island, perhaps under the stars or tucked away in a lush corner. Well worth the additional charge is the 5.8 Undersea Restaurant. The all-glass restaurant has curved walls and ceilings, so you can marvel at the sea life from all angles. Even the wine program is impressive, and a refreshing change from the sometimes lackluster options at all-inclusive resorts. Here, the all-inclusive wine cellar has 80 labels, all with ratings over 88 points from Wine Spectator and a sommelier to help you choose. If you’re looking for something unique, bottles from the Owner’s Wine Cellar are available at an additional cost. Another experience well worth the additional charge is the 5.8 Undersea Restaurant at neighboring resort Hurawalhi Maldives. The all-glass restaurant has curved walls and ceilings, so you can marvel at the sea life from all angles.

For the Family

Soneva fushi.

Renowned for its kids’ club, Soneva Fushi has always been a family favorite. The Den is the largest play area in the Maldives, spanning the size of six tennis courts. It’s the stuff of childhood dreams. Kids here can zoom down a waterslide, climb a pirate ship or spend hours in the dedicated Lego room. On top of that, it has its own cinema, dress-up room, cooking classes and much, much more. Parents find it so hard to pull their kid’s away that they have to bribe them with a trip to Soneva Fushi’s island-made ice cream and chocolate rooms—all included.

Amilla Maldives

It’s hard not to embrace your big kid on this lush tropical playground. Book a stay in one of Amilla’s Treetop Villas, and hover above the canopy in this super-luxe version of a treehouse. Another unique offering is the resort’s Glamping bubble, where older kids can spend the night in an air-conditioned bubble on a secluded slice of beach. Little ones can spend time in Sultan’s Village, the island’s kids’ club, where activities like pirate treasure hunts, coconut painting and disco nights keep them busy. At Javvu Spa, kids can indulge in treatments tailored to them, including a mini coconut scrub, a mini mani-pedi and mini meditation sessions.

Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

Niyama Private Islands Resort Maldives

Over at Niyama Private Islands Maldives Resort , you’ll find the hotel separated into two islands: the more adult-friendly “Chill”, and the family-focused “Play,” home to multi-bedroom villas, the treehouse Nest restaurant, great surfing spots, and a lively kids club. On “Play,” the younger guests are catered to with a wide array of activities, from baby yoga to pizza-making classes and snorkeling “safaris.” Parents can join their spawn on the adventures, or enlist the services of a trained nanny or babysitter for when they need some quiet time.

For the Wellness Seeker

From traditional therapies that draw from the Maldives’ cultural heritage to the latest high-tech beauty treatments, you’ll find it all in the islands. With many guests checking in for at least a week, targeted wellness programs are also big here, with multi-day programs designed to tackle things like detox, stress relief, and fitness .

Six Senses Laamu

At Six Senses Laamu , the signature Six Senses personalized wellness assessment uses both diagnostic technology (including biomarker analysis and movement efficiency tests) and one-on-one consultations to create the perfect mix of treatments, workouts, meal plans, and expert sessions to fit your needs; a dedicated program for sleep health—which tracks and analyzes your REM patterns—is also available. (The barefoot-chic resort also has an all-day ice cream parlor dolling out complimentary scoops,   if you want to balance the wellness with some indulgence.)

COMO Maalifushi

Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas

At Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas , check in to the Deluxe Spa Pool Villa to enjoy both holistic services—including two Ayurvedic programs featuring a mix of treatments, fitness, and healthy eating to target either Longevity or Detoxifying—as well as high-tech treatments like “Vampire” facials, IV therapies, and VelaShape fat-blasting in the Cocoon Medical Spa , the first full medi-spa in the region. The resort also has visiting wellness experts who offer intensive programs, complete with a health evaluation and wellness plan you can continue to use long after your stay. We recommend booking your trip around her residency.

Joali Being

Just from the name, you can tell that well-being is the primary focus of any trip to Joali Being . But, this isn’t an ascetic boot camp — it’s the first dedicated wellness retreat in the Maldives, so don’t expect a typical resort vacation . Each of the 68 opulent beach and water villas has a private pool and personal butler to attend to all of your needs. A stay here is tailored to each guest, courtesy of in-depth consultations, a bespoke wellness program, daily spa treatments and delicious yet healthy cuisine.

Soneva Jani

For the Underwater Adventurer

Whether you’re an amateur marine biologist or just like swimming with the fishes, these resorts will help connect you to the wild underwater world.

Baros Maldives

Surrounded by a natural reef, Baros Maldives is home to the first EcoDive center in the area to be certified by International Reef Check, which monitors, maintains and restores coral reefs around the world. Thanks to this on-site resource, guests can take a coral gardening workshop with the resident marine biologist, in which they’ll learn how to collect and re-attach broken coral fragments to help encourage regeneration. You can also join the biologist on a private snorkeling trip to other reefs in the area, do a guided night dive using specially filtered lights, or just paddle around with sea turtles, reef sharks and more a few feet from the Baros beach.

InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau

In the remote Raa Atoll, InterContinental’s marine biologists work closely with Manta Trust. This non-profit leads the world in manta ray research to better understand these beautiful marine creatures. At the resort, guests can visit the nearby juvenile feeding ground, snorkel with these gentle giants in a responsible way and even adopt one. The resort’s “Name-and-Adopt-a-Manta” program supports the non-profit’s work. While manta rays are a big draw, the island’s house reef is nothing to scoff at. If you’re adventurous, ask your butler to sign you up for a night snorkeling session when the underwater world truly comes alive.

Raffles Maldives Meradhoo

Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island

This former LUX North Male resort kept its signature style during the rebrand. A bit of Mykonos mixed with Miami Beach, its all-white exteriors nearly match the color of the island’s sand. Its 67 overwater and beach villas have private pools, sexy curved walls and one seriously unique design feature—rooftops. Perfect for private barbecues, movie screenings and stargazing, each villa has a sprawling upstairs space. And downstairs, things are just as generous with a massive indoor and outdoor bathroom area full of island character.

Park Hyatt Maldives

Beloved for its barefoot luxury approach, this resort in the Huvadhoo Atoll is also known for its incredible house reef. Grab your gear and float over a mile around the uninterrupted corals for a glimpse of parrotfish and eagle rays. Or book any number of unique experiences with Park Hyatt ’s marine biologist. From scuba diving at more than 40 dive sites to night snorkeling to a guided snorkel session along the equator, the marine team here is next level.

For the Design Aficionado

It’s not all thatched roofs and tropical flair here—the Maldives has attracted some of the world’s top architects and designers, many of who have brought a contemporary take to island living.

Alila Kothaifaru Maldives

Cheval Blanc Randheli

This elegant resort from LVMH perfectly blends French savoir-faire and design with its tranquil Maldivian surroundings. Cheval Blanc Randheli was designed by celebrated architect Jean-Michel Gathy, who used traditional materials like rattan, mother-of-pearl and bamboo throughout the property. Instead of the typical blues and greens that echo the greenery and ocean, Gathy used white, taupe, and a signature hue, “pop yellow,” which makes a statement in the lush tropical environment. There’s also some unmissable art, including Vincent Beaurin’s copper Arch in the lagoon. The villas and restaurants all have a sleek contemporary look, and even the newly refurbished Kids Club, Le Carrousel, has a beautiful design; some walls are painted with imaginary fish, and the building seamlessly blends with the landscape.

Patina Maldives, Fari Islands

You wouldn’t expect to find a world-class art destination in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but Patina Maldives, Fari Islands aims to change that through an ambitious residency program, art installations throughout the property and, the star of the show, a James Turrell-designed Skyspace pavilion, Amarta . Patina Maldives partnered with the Artling, a Singapore-based contemporary art consultancy, to commission bespoke art that guests interact with during their stay. Of course, the resort itself approaches architecture as art with design from Marcio Kogan’s firm Studiomk27. The villas were sustainably crafted from natural materials and have a serene environment, encouraging relaxation and connection with nature.

For the Fitness Warrior

Because not everyone is content to shuttle between the beach and pool for two weeks, these resorts offer activities that will help get the circulation flowing.

Joali Maldives

Angsana Velavaru

If you’d rather be in the water, Angsana Velavaru offers two beginner PADI diving certification courses at its 5-Star Gold Dive Center, each including confined and open water lessons and all necessary equipment. Once certified, explore some of the 30 diving spots around the South Nilandhe Atoll. For those that might prefer to stay closer to the surface, fishing trips and snorkeling with whale sharks can also be arranged.

Velaa Private Island

Velaa Private Island has a huge variety of activities, including some unique to the Maldives. It has one of the only covered tennis courts in the archipelago, a soccer field, a squash court, a climbing wall and a Technogym fitness center. But perhaps most impressively, it has a golf “short-game academy” on the island from José María Olazábal, which offers swing analysis, a golf simulator and coaching with PGA professionals. Its brand-new Wellbeing Village focuses on holistic wellness, including a yoga and pilates pavilion and an Ayurveda wellness center. On the water, you can embark on diving, snorkeling and fishing trips, or explore the island by jet ski, e-foil surfboard or even a hoverboard.

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The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

Experiences

Welcome to The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

Serenity in style: the ultimate maldives luxury resort.

Nestled between verdant rainforest and white-sand beaches on a private island, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort overlooks the alluring waves of the Indian Ocean. Explore the tropical beauty and rich marine life of this peaceful, eco-conscious setting. Our private lagoon, Iridium Spa and outdoor infinity pool promise nonpareil relaxation. A large variety of water sports and excursions at our diving center can be arranged by our signature service, the butlers. In addition, an exquisite culinary fare awaits at our seven restaurants and bars. Boasting refined furnishings and island-inspired design, each of our 33 on-land and 44 over-water villas promises picturesque ocean or garden views from private terraces and pools. Our legendary St. Regis Butlers deliver bespoke service day or night.

Rooms and Suites

Sophisticated Cuisine

A premier destination for international cuisines spanning from Asian to Western flavors awaits you at ALBA. Savor signature dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, meticulously prepared within an alfresco setting.

Indulge in modern Japanese Kaiseki-style cuisine at our newest culinary hideaway, T•Pan. Experience flavorful menus with the finest ingredients from the Maldives, Japan, that pair perfectly with sakes from the world-famous sake house Dassai.

Orientale redefines Eastern haute cuisine, boasting a sushi bar and a selection of seasonal pan-Asian dishes. Enjoy fine dining and unobstructed views of Indian Ocean from our airy restaurant. Visit us for dinner.

The Whale Bar

Relax at The Whale Bar, our exclusive overwater lounge in the Maldives. Sip on our resort's signature St. Regis Bloody Mary while you savor delectable tapas. Soak in panoramic views as the sun sets over a majestic coral reef.

Cargo restaurant pops up each night for dinner amidst our tropical gardens and offers an alternative to beachfront dining. Our menu includes gourmet interpretations of Middle Eastern fare. We promise you a memorable restaurant experience.

Crust & Craft

Create a custom pizza with a selection of traditional Italian ingredients and inventive toppings at Crust & Craft, our beachfront pizzeria. This casual restaurant in the Maldives also offers an extensive, family-friendly menu of sandwiches and snacks.

Your Exquisite Escape Awaits

From diving and snorkeling or speedboating and windsurfing to deep-sea fishing and glass-bottom kayak tours, our Vommuli Dive and Watersports Center is the ideal gateway to indelible recreation on—or beneath—the azure waves of the Indian Ocean.

Virtual Tour

Experience all the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort has to offer through breathtaking 360° panoramic views of our visionary retreat of natural beauty and unforgettable recreation. Take a virtual tour through our secluded paradise at Maldives' finest address that is sure to entice you to plan your next getaway. We invite you to experience the resort in its entirety. Explore our pristine white sand beaches, lush, tropical jungle, over-water villas, dramatic seascapes, sparkling pools, world-renowned restaurants, the award-winning Iridium Spa, and so much more.

Discover the Wonders of Maldives Aboard Norma

Embark on the ultimate Maldivian journey aboard the Norma, our renowned Azimut Flybridge 66 yacht. Sail through turquoise waters, explore hidden atolls, and delight in day trips or captivating overnight stays. With curated excursions like snorkeling in coral gardens, dolphin watching, and sunset cruises complemented by gourmet delights, every moment aboard Norma promises luxury and enchantment. Charter today for memories of a lifetime.

Eternal Vows in the Maldives

Timeless Promises in the Maldives

Celebrate your love amidst the unparalleled beauty of The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Our wedding packages, blending timeless elegance with the resort's luxurious charm, promise an unforgettable start to your forever. From beachfront ceremonies to private romantic dinners, every detail is meticulously crafted for your dream day. Experience the union of tradition and sophistication in paradise and make your wedding a tale to remember.

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TUNE INTO THE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

Sounds of St. Regis Maldives

Close your eyes and escape to turquoise waters, white sand, and lush jungle views. Listen to our Spotify playlists to bring you back to Maldives’ finest address and inspire future experiences with us! Click the link below to enjoy curated sounds from The Whale Bar, Beach & Pool, Maldives Sunset, The Ocean, Iridium Spa and Vommuli Island.

Authentic Island Experiences

Vommuli House

Vommuli House, which is the largest recreation center in the Maldives, was inspired by roots of banyan tree which was a tribute to the banyan tree that used to grow in that place before. Each of its 5 branches offer a unique activity. This is also where the Children's Club and activities are also located.

St. Regis Maldives x Reefscapers

The most advanced coral reef regeneration program invites you to get involved through sponsor opportunities, educational classes and activities with the resident Marine Biologist.

In partnership with Reefscapers Marine Environmental Consultancy, the finest address in the Maldives introduces the most advanced coral propagation program available to efficiently restore degraded reefs, unproductive sandy sea beds and reef flats. The initiative involves long-term monitoring and maintenance from a resident Marine Biologist and features guest-oriented activities to support the environmental efforts including snorkeling, marine life education classes for all ages, as well as opportunities to sponsor coral frames for reef regeneration. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort created an initial reef comprised of 25 structures at the onset of implementation. The frames will be monitored, pictured and shared with sponsors every six months via the Reefscapers website.

Come and enjoy the experience with us! For more information on the Reefscapers partnership and program, please click below.

Architecture

Signature Spaces

The resort's architecture was inspired by marine life and the local Maldivian culture. Some notable facilities are the Whale Bar, inspired by the whaleshark, and the Iridium Spa, inspired by the lobster.

GETTING HERE

Vommuli Island, Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives, 13080

Seaplane;reservation required

On-Property

Private Car Service

Limousine/Van Service

Local Shuttle Complimentary

To truly experience the pinnacle of exceptional maritime luxury, Norma may be chartered for exclusive direct and overnight transfers from and to Velana International Airport (MLE) or across other resorts in the Maldives. For more information and reservations please contact reservations:

WHAT TO EXPECT

Plan and Prepare for your Stay

Five-Star Forbes Travel Guide

Condé Nast Traveler’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli selected as “One of the Top Resorts in the Indian Ocean” for the fourth consecutive year.

World Travel Awards The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort named as the ‘World's Leading Luxury Island Resort' for the seventh consecutive year.

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort named as the ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Resort’ and ‘Maldives’ Leading Luxury Resort’ for the seventh consecutive year.

The John Jacob Astor Estate is the "Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Hotel Villa" for the fifth consecutive year.

TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort recognized by Tripadvisor as a 2023 Travelers’ Choice award.

Condé Nast Traveler's 2022 Middle East Readers’ Choice Awards Favourite Hotel For Private Pool Villas

World Travel Awards Iridium Spa received the "Spa Award" and "Indian Ocean's Best Resort Spa" for the fourth consecutive year.

Sharecare VERIFIED® with Forbes Travel Guide

Family Traditions

At The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, a visionary retreat of natural beauty and unforgettable recreation, discovery awaits. Every moment becomes a treasure and every experience a new family tradition.

Butler Service

St. Regis Butler Service has been a treasured hallmark of the St. Regis experience for more than one hundred years. Led by St. Regis Executive Butler Mohamed Nasheed, our St. Regis Butlers are committed to providing service beyond expectation.

Evening Ritual

Join us as the sun slips below the horizon to celebrate the transition from day to evening.

Sustainable Environmental Practices

We are committed to preserving the natural beauty of Vommuli Island through sustainable environmental practices. Our new bottling plant produces Fen signature still & sparkling water, decreasing our carbon footprint. For every bottle sold, $3 goes to our “Blue Fund”, supporting reef rejuvenation with local organization Reefscapers. In addition to this, complimentary Fen still water is provided in the gym and villas for indoor & outdoor use.

Property Details

Fitness Center

Outdoor Pool

Beach Access

24 Hour Room Service

Daily Housekeeping

Turndown Service

Bicycle Rental:$0.00

Watercraft Rental

Water Skiing

Convenience Store

Dry Cleaning Service

Activities for Kids

Room Service

Wake up Calls

Free Coffee/Tea

Kitchenette

Service Request

Check-in: 3:00 pm

Check-out: 12:00 pm

Minimum Age to Check In: 18

Smoke Free Property

Pets Not Allowed

Not available

Accepts: Cash, Credit Cards

Contactless mobile payments

Babysitting

Concierge desk service

Currency Exchange

Languages spoken by staff: English, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Divehi

For more information about the physical features of our accessible rooms, common areas or special services relating to a specific disability please call +960 676-6333

Room and Suites Access through the Interior Corridor

We do not have accessible access.

Deadbolts on Guest Room and Suites Doors

Electronic Room Key

Guest Room and Suites Doors Self-Closing

Lever Handles on Guest Room Doors

Room Windows Open

Safety Chains and/or Latches on Guest Doors

Secondary Locks on Room Windows

Viewports in Guest Room and Suites Doors

Frequently Asked Questions

The check-in time at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is 3:00 pm and the check-out time is 12:00 pm.

The pet policy at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is:

The parking options at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort are:

The property amenities at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort are:

Yes, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort has free Wi-Fi available to hotel guests.

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Vommuli Island,

Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives, 13080

Fax: +960 676-3636

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• There are loads of types of vacations in the Maldives and the cost will depend on what type of trip you’re taking and for how long you’d like to stay. Here are the latest prices for a 3 night trip for 2 travelers: Top vacation $1,417; Family vacation $1,063; Romantic vacation $1,549; Luxury vacation $1,781; Budget vacation $610.

Why should you book a vacation package to the Maldives?

When should you book a vacation package to the maldives.

The high season for travel to the Maldives runs from December to March, when the weather averages in the mid- to high-eighties daily, and Maldives flight and hotel prices are at their highest. Monsoon season extends from May to October, with peak rainfalls between May and November in the northern atolls, and November to March in the southern atolls. You can find cheap Maldives vacation packages from April to May, and in November, as well as during the rainy months.

Where should you stay in the Maldives during your vacation?

For any vacation type in the maldives:.

LUX* South Ari Atoll is the quintessential tropical island paradise, with two miles of white beaches and private villas on stilts above the lagoon. The all-inclusive resort is located on Dhidhoofinolhu Island, a short speedboat ride from Malé International Airport. Hotel Jen Malé is located in the capital city of the Maldives, just a seven minute speedboat ride from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. Located in the busy city center, it offers an urban edge to your tropical adventure, with the beach just a short walk away.

For family vacations in the Maldives:

Maldives vacation deals like the Family Getaway Experience at the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort bring a kid-friendly vibe to your tropical getaway. Families of four to six people can stay in a private villa with a pool, with two hours of complimentary babysitting per day. The rate includes combined transfer by seaplane and speedboat from Malé. Kurumba Maldives is an award winning luxury resort located on a private island in the North Malé Atoll. The airport is only a 10 minute speedboat ride away. Maldives vacation packages give you the best value for your travel dollar.

For romantic vacations in the Maldives:

The Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu Resort is accessible via a 30-minute seaplane ride from Malé International Airport. Located in the waters of the Baa Atoll, it offers a romantic escape in a UNESCO designated biosphere reserve, where you will sleep in a villa over the azure waters. You'll arrive at the Soneva Fushi resort on Eydhafushi Island via a traditional dhoni boat transfer from Malé Airport. Shoes are optional in the relaxed property where you'll stay in a traditional villa made from local materials. Look for Maldives travel deals for your romantic getaway.

For luxury vacations in the Maldives:

Gili Lankanfushi resort offers the ultimate in tropical luxury on a private island, where you can stay in your choice of villa, suite, or residence set on the pure white sands of Lankanfushi Island on the North Malé Atoll. Velana International Airport and Malé City are both accessible by speedboat. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is a private island resort that combines sleek modern design with local touches. Located on Vommuli Island, it's a 45 minute seaplane ride south of Malé International Airport.

For budget vacations in the Maldives:

Maldives getaways don't have to break the bank. Located on the South Malé Atoll, Isle Beach Inn is just a few minutes' walk from the beach, with garden or sea view rooms. The Inn is located on Maafushi Island, just a half hour by speedboat, or 90 minutes by ferry from the Malé International Airport. Paradise Island Resort brings you the relaxing seclusion of the Maldives at an affordable price. Located on Lankanfinolhu North Malé Atoll, the resort will arrange airport transfers at no additional cost with prior arrangement.

Where to stay in the Maldives

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How to Plan the Perfect Maldives Vacation at the Best Hotels

Here's everything you need to know to plan the perfect Maldives vacation.

The world's lowest-lying nation rises barely three feet above sea level (at its highest point, a mere 10 feet) and fans over the Indian Ocean in wide, flat circles of blindingly white sand. The Maldives are nestled halfway between Indonesia and Africa and attract travelers seriously committed to communing with the sparkling turquoise tides.

Made up of 26 atolls spanning 1,190 different islands (of these, less than a third are inhabited), the Maldives are like one giant jigsaw puzzle of sandbars and lagoons. An impressive number of marine species have made their homes in the surrounding reefs and, as a result, a Maldives vacation is particularly popular among scuba divers.

The Maldives are where people come to experience island life at its most relaxed — and most beautiful. Whether you're criss-crossing coral reefs in a glass-bottomed boat or dozing off in your private overwater bungalow, the chances of returning home disappointed are slim to none. Here's everything you need to know to plan the perfect Maldives vacation.

How to Get Around on Your Maldives Vacation

Within each of the island chain's ring-shaped atolls — North Ari Atoll, South Ari Atoll, Laamu Atoll, and so on — is a group of different islands typically anchored by a small airport. The Kaafu Atoll is home to Velana International Airport, which is the main entry point for all travelers. This main airport, near the capital island of Malé, is where you'll likely start your Maldives vacation. From here, you'll need to arrange a separate flight or speedboat transfer to get to your individual hotel — and if you're resort hopping, you may need to take more than one seaplane or boat to get around the Maldives. Often the luxury hotels can help you organize a seaplane or boat transport to your final destination. You can also hire your own speedboat transfer through companies like Atoll Transfer or take a public ferry between islands.

When to Plan Your Maldives Vacation

December through April is the dry season and the most popular time to visit the Maldives. This can make hotels slightly more expensive, but it's also when you can enjoy a near-guaranteed streak of gorgeous, storm-free days. Moreover, dry season makes for better visibility (think: crystal-clear snorkeling and underwater diving). No matter what time of year, travelers can expect balmy temperatures in the mid-80s.

How to Visit Multiple Islands in the Maldives

The Maldives are full of dreamy, relatively untouched islands, and one of the joys of vacationing here is venturing beyond your hotel. A typical excursion might include fishing at sunset in a 60-foot dhoni (a traditional Maldivian wooden boat). Another favorite is island hopping, when resort guests are taken to a handful of nearby islands and properties to snorkel and explore on land (a packed or barbecue lunch is almost always included). Some hotels even offer intimate escapes for couples. Just imagine being taken out to a deserted beach in a dinghy, where you're left to enjoy the company of your significant other for the entire afternoon, equipped with only a fully stocked picnic basket and a mobile phone in case of emergencies.

Best Hotels in the Maldives

Patina Maldives, Fari Islands was perhaps the biggest news coming out of the Maldives in 2021. This icon-in-the-making hotel debuted in May 2021, and it's the inaugural Patina Hotels & Resorts property (a new brand by Capella Hotel Group). The 90 one- to three-bedroom beach and pool villas feature exquisite architectural elements. Guests will love spending time at the Fari Marina Village and Fari Beach Club, all of which are part of the Patina experience.

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi launched a new private island at the beginning of 2021 that's available only for exclusive rental. Not only that, but the iconic luxury property debuted new villas and the country's first Aqua Wellness Center for travelers who want to maintain their healthy lifestyle while enjoying the natural beauty of the Maldives.

Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives debuted in June 2021 in the North Malé Atoll. Located near Chickens Break, a must-visit surfing spot, it's the perfect hotel for travelers looking to take advantage of water sports on their Maldives vacation. The property also boasts a spa overlooking the beach and a Singaporean-style street food market.

Another great stay in the Maldives is Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa — a luxe experience by Marriott. In the Lhaviyani Atoll, this resort is all about beachfront cafes, lagoon-access overwater villas, and an embrace of midcentury Maldivian design.

Must-try Activities in the Maldives

Scuba diving in the Maldives is second to none — the nutrient-rich waters, fed by currents from the Indian Ocean, are like a Whole Foods for marine life. Brightly colored tropical fish, manta rays, reef sharks, whale sharks, eels, sea turtles, and more are attracted to the waters of the Maldives. Start at the South Ari Atoll, where you'll find popular dive sites like Broken Rock (split in half by a deep canyon) and Kudarah Thila.

In 2005, Ithaa became the world's first all-glass, undersea restaurant. Though the trend has spread, travelers can still enjoy a seafood feast at the intimate, 14-seat restaurant. Everything on the menu is sustainably caught. To eat here, however, you'll need to plan ahead: Reservations are required well in advance, and guests of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island , where the restaurant is located, get first dibs.

Dolphin watching in the Maldives is also fairly popular, though it of course requires patience. One of the best spots to see the gorgeous creatures is Muli Channel. Work with your hotel or a local dive center to snorkel these waters on a clear day, when you'll have the best chance of seeing a dolphin.

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The best hotels in the Maldives

By Lee Cobaj and Lauren Burvill

To create a definitive guide to the best hotels in the Maldives in no easy feat. The archipelagic country sets the standard when it comes to superior island living. It’s where overwater stays come as standard, privacy is a given and natural beauty is all around. The calibre is sky high. Boutique stays and lo-fi boltholes are a rarity, instead, world class hotels are spread out on their own private islands, nestling state-of-the-art spas and multiple restaurants amongst lush jungles, pristine beaches and house reefs.

The new generation of Maldives hotels are taking this formula one step further. It’s not enough for just villas to be overwater anymore. Spas dangle above lagoons now too, with glass floors allowing guests to spy turtles as they enjoy a massage. The classic pool bar has been outdone by a beachside treehouse bar, and restaurants have relocated underwater. Steps towards sustainability are also commonplace too. Most hotels have their own conservation projects and coral programmes. One is even completely solar powered.

How we choose the best hotels in the Maldives

Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.

Which Maldives hotel is best for couples?

As the stuff of honeymoon legends, the Maldives has plenty to offer couples. For the truly standout spots, we love Cheval Blanc Randheli (as do the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), and the Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru . See our pick of the best Maldives honeymoons for more recommendations.

Which Maldives hotel is best for families?

The Maldives might be best known for honeymoons, but its private island resorts are the stuff of family holiday dreams too. Spacious villas mean there’s plenty of room for everyone, while kids clubs, restaurants and pools are all at your fingertips. Some of our favourite hotels for families include JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa and Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi . For more, see our guide to the best family hotels in the Maldives .

Which Maldives hotels are leading the way in terms of sustainability?

When it comes to nurturing this precious ecosystem, the Four Seasons resorts have been setting the bar for more than two decades with their full-time resident marine biologists and reef restoration programmes. From the Marine Discovery Centres at  Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru  and  Four Seasons Kuda Huraa , their work with Reefscapers, along with the Maldivian Ministries, they’ve been coral-frame planting, rehabilitating marine life and carrying out vital research.  Six Senses Laamu  is a member of the respected conservation collective, The Long Run, and the only luxury resort in the southern Maldives’ Laamu Atoll, and their endeavours include next-level protection of seagrass meadows — one of the most effective carbon-storage marine vegetation systems. Soneva has always been sensitive to hospitality’s delicate relationship with nature, on land and in water, since 1995. Their NGO, Soneva Namoona, was set up recently to roll out their holistic sustainability strategy as modelled at their Eco Centres at  Soneva Jani  and  Soneva Fushi , and it’s changing the way waste is understood by local communities and handled in the Maldives. A tour of the back-of-house might not be your typical holiday activity, but it’s actually very inspiring. Soneva’s Waste-To-Wealth initiative sees the hotels recycle 90 per cent of the solid waste and alchemise trash into bricks, food matter becomes compost, cans are compacted and glass bottles are reused. As with all paradise-island destinations, fossil-fuel-run generators powering these dreamy escapes will always be one of the biggest sustainability hurdles. Recognising the fragility of their ocean home, too,  Kudadoo  deserves praise for their solar energy innovations since a remarkably extensive surface area of photovoltaic panels is required to generate even a little electricity in this context. Few blue, watery landscapes rival the drama of this romantic-as-can-be location — which means all the more reason to celebrate the hotels that show a genuine passion for protecting this unrivalled setting. Juliet Kinsman, sustainability editor

Soneva Jani Arrow

Featured in our Gold List of the best hotels in the world 2024

On the fringe of a lagoon in Noonu Atoll, blanketed in racing-green jungle and ringed with neon-white beach, Soneva Jani is the second Maldivian island home of the visionary brand. It’s an unreal world, where children and adults alike trail about the jungly interior on bikes, hang in hammocks on Robinson Crusoe beaches, throw themselves down slides, splash about on technicolour reefs and watch dolphins race through iridescent baby-blue waters. The overwater villas have glass-bottom floors and pool decks with corkscrew slides, and the fantastical Den, just a year and a half old, is the largest kids’ club in South Asia. But it’s not just about embracing your inner child. Adult treats include The Gathering, on the north side, an overwater barn of restaurants, a library and wine cellar. Eating is taken seriously – from a meat-free outpost by Bocuse d’Or-winning Swedish chef Mathias Dahlgren to the garden-set idyll So Local, as well a rotation of visiting chefs (2024’s include Tom Aikens and Jane Alty, co-owner of London Thai street-food hero The Begging Bowl). A treehouse-like Island Spa has egg-shaped rooms linked by walkways floating towards a yoga shala. Soneva Soul is the brand’s new, more ambitious approach to health. This year, it has launched three-, seven- and 14-day wellness journeys around foundational health, sleep, detoxing and anti-ageing, using its magic blend of naturopathy, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine alongside high-tech treatments such as platelet-rich plasma therapy and ozone therapy. Feeling well is at Soneva’s core – way beyond ditching one’s shoes on arrival. Lydia Bell

Six Senses Kanuhura Arrow

As you swoop into the Lhaviyani Atoll by seaplane, it's easy to see why Six Senses were so keen to bring this trifecta of natural coral islands ringed by turquoise seas and aquamarine lagoons into the fold. The second Six Senses property in the Maldives (the other being Six Senses Laamu) is a beauty, with great sweeps of broad white beach, a flourishing house reef and a jungly heart overflowing with soaring coconut palms, twisty screw pines and fragrant sea almonds, which you can explore on complimentary bicycles. Dotted around the island are 91 beachfront and overwater villas, including 12 sprawling retreats, all decked out in a pulse-slowing palette of warm woods, peach and teal, with big beds hung with billowing nets. Seven superb bars and restaurants include Drift, a little clapboard and thatch cafe on sister island Jehunuhura, and The Point, a circular building set on the sunset side of the island housing a Spanish restaurant and a round rooftop infinity pool. Alongside stacks of complimentary daily activities – core training, yoga, meditation, sound healing – and a tip-top spa, a stay here can be as lively or as sleepy as you like. Lee Cobaj

Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world

Renowned Istanbul -based design studio Autoban (behind London’s Duck + Rice, the extraordinary airport in Baku and numerous hotels in their hometown such as the House Hotels and the Witt Suites) were commissioned to come up with something fresh and different at Joali. The design details in the overwater and beach villas are beautifully curated. Locally hand-carved wood panels and bamboo-slatted headboards are counterbalanced with rose-gold bathroom taps resembling giant pebbles. In the dressing rooms you’ll find heron-and-palm-leaf printed kimonos by Ardmore and slippers like chubby clouds.

Joali is a hybrid of the best that the Maldives has to offer. Turn up barefoot at Mura Bar for a sunset Martini, a buttermilk-chicken slider and a shisha pipe. Or get dolled up for dinner at Japanese restaurant Saoke. It’s this deep-rooted, solid luxury, without the slightest hint of dictating who guests should be, what they should wear and how they should relax, that immediately aligns Joali with the frontrunners. For Maldivophiles, here is a worthy winter-sun detour that is every bit as high-achieving as some of the beloved old-timers and big-name brands. Read the full Joali Maldives review .

Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa

Looking for a Robinson Crusoe-style getaway? Powder-puff sands and jungly green on the inside, with a turquoise lagoon teeming with rainbow-coloured parrotfish, blacktip reef sharks and cow tail stingrays, this hotel is a dazzling addition to the Maldives. It’s small (just seven hectares) with 80 villas split between overwater and beach. There’s no bad room here they all overlook that twinkling, breath-stealing Indian Ocean, where water and sky merge seamlessly. You’ll be assigned a personal butler, who’ll organise spa treatments, book you in for a game of tennis or dig a heart-shaped seat for two in the sand. Food is a winner with five restaurants to choose from. Don’t sleep on teriyaki chicken and locally-caught miso reef fish at Teppanyaki Grill. Then there’s the spellbindingly romantic overwater restaurant Mediterraneo, where you can feast on homemade tortellini and decadent tiramisu with stars overhead and lapping waves below, all washed down with as much house Champagne as you wish (this might be the smartest all-inclusive resort in the Maldives). Book in for a Balinese massage in the spa, nestled among the trees with chattering terns for company. Snorkel, learn to dive, book a wine tasting on a private sandbank, or simply sit on your villa’s deck and watch pods of dolphins diving in the distance. Annabelle Spranklen

Read our full review of Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa .

Six Senses Laamu

The Maldives is more famous for romantic sunsets than right-handers, but Six Senses – the only resort in the southern Laamu Atoll – sets itself apart from the fly-and-flop brigade with its Yin Yang surf break. There's also paddle-boarding and catamaran sailing, alongside the usual dive boats and house-reef snorkelling. Its eco-agenda means that Six Senses does the at-times-clichéd Robinson Crusoe rustic look with feeling: to discourage the use of air-con, the beds are draped in gauzy white canopies and there are wooden slats in the walls to open at night and catch the breeze; the thatched roofs are also low-slung to keep things shady and cool. Even the twig pencils on the desk are responsibly sourced. Of course, there's no shortage of comforts – a 100-plus cocktail menu at the bar, a cheese-and-wine tower, a sensational sushi restaurant – but the vibe is very laid-back compared to some of the Maldives' more flashy resorts. And nowhere more so than in the spa, where it's all too easy to hole up in one of the thatched, nest-like pods for hours on end.

If anyone understands what discerning visitors to the Maldives want, it’s the Maldivian and Swedish entrepreneurs who not only developed the country’s first sea-plane company but co-manage nine other island resorts. On Kudadoo, they have created the country’s first solar-powered hotel and its first all-inclusive luxury hotel – all off a tiny coconut-forested sandbank. Arranged around a circular wooden walkway out at sea, its 15 rooms conjure spacious Japanese ryokans – designed by New York -based architect Yuji Yamazaki from soothing wood, stone and reed-thatch, and fronted by a wide deck, plunge pool and ladder into the swirling blue sea. When Petre says ‘all-inclusive’, he means it: whether that’s two-hour Healing Earth treatments in the airy spa, a butler 24/7, jet-skiing and deep-sea fishing, or feasts involving fine wines (80 from Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list) and impeccably presented dishes, from light Japanese teppanyaki to Maldivian seafood curry, concocted by French chef Antoine Lievaux, who has worked for Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse. Unusually, thanks to the 989 solar panels that roof the airy living area, there is not a single generator to be heard; just a gentle lap of waves on the beach, and the occasional thud of a coconut. For more, see our full review of Kudadoo Island .

Vakkaru Maldives Arrow

The setting is hard to beat – a private island filled with a soaring jungle of coconut palms gives Vakkaru a magic that the other man-made islands in the region can’t compete with. All the dreamy hallmarks of the Maldives are here, albeit more seductively discreet than most. Breezy thatched villas are wrapped in warm muted tones and natural textures, from the burlap wash bags in the bathrooms to the billowing muslin hanging from four-posters. The outside spaces appear just as thoughtful as inside – plush outdoor daybeds are placed within steps of floor hammocks at the overwater villas, so you’re never short of somewhere to flop.

There are six restaurants as well as an array of romantic private dining experiences in idyllic settings – the beach, the jungle, or even a sand bank in the middle of the Indian Ocean. A private lunch can be arranged in the serene organic farm, or a private supper under the stars in the jungle cinema – a winner for couples and families. At the multi-level overwater spa, all treatment rooms have glass floor windows, so muscle melting Balinese massages can be accompanied by an aqua blue parrotfish sighting. Or you can opt for a tailored Ayurvedic treatment following a consultant with Doctor Surandi Disssanayake. The cherry on top is the genuinely warm and welcoming spirit – who knew a villa on the beach of a private island could so easily feel like home and yet...

InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort Arrow

Despite opening in September 2019, this blissful resort flew under the radar due to the pandemic. But the delayed opening celebrations ended up being a blessing in disguise – the resort had ample time to smooth out any newbie crinkles and ensure that everything was functioning as perfectly as possible. And while the hotel is now getting its fair share of industry buzz, the private lagoon, white-sand beaches and nature offerings still feel like a well-kept secret. Guests can choose between three different room categories, from beach villas that fringe the shoreline and lagoon villas bordering the shallow waters to overwater bungalows hovering over lapping waves.

The resort is home to six restaurants and bars – The Lighthouse is our favourite, with 360-degree views of the Indian Ocean and spectacular Mediterranean-inspired dishes. The spa is also noteworthy, with a rotating schedule of visiting practitioners and floating treatment rooms over the water. But the most impressive aspect of the resort is the partnership with the Manta Trust and Ocean Conservation Programme. The hotel hosts marine biologists from the trust to conduct research and take guests on safe and responsible excursions to see them in their natural habitat. As both reef and Oceanic mantas are listed as vulnerable and endangered on the IUCN Red List, the work of this organisation is critical, and it was a magical experience to swim with these graceful giants alongside scientists who have dedicated their career to helping protect them. Seeing a luxury resort taking ocean conservation and sustainability is seriously is a joy. Olivia Morelli

Mary Lussiana

Connor Sturges

Anna Prendergast

Olivia Morelli

Alila Kothaifaru Maldives Arrow

Situated on a lush, natural private island with pool villas and wonderfully friendly and professional staff, this is easily one of the most charming hotels in the Maldives . About 45 minutes north of Malé International Airport by seaplane, in the Raa Atoll on a natural island known as Kothaifaru, the setting here is blessed with long white beaches and endless palm trees. Throughout the 27.6 acres, there is also thick jungle vegetation that gives the new space an already settled-in feel. The 80 villas – all with pools – are split between overwater villas (with bathrooms that open up to the sea) and beach villas (with sunrise and sunset options). There are two restaurants and two bars to choose from, as well as a spa tucked away deep within the jungle vegetation. But the service here is what makes this resort stand out in the crowd of smart hotels in the Maldives . After a few days, it will start to feel like home with staff remembering your preference for still or sparkling water, the names of your children, and where your favourite table is – so much so that there is an urge to book a repeat trip before you have finished the first one.  Rooms from around £680. Mary Lussiana

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Arrow

This is an island that attracts a fashionable globetrotting crowd, and loyal St Regis fans – arguably one in the same. During the day it’s less barefoot luxury and more Chanel heels on the beach. At sunset its Amina Muaddi slingbacks, when honeymooners head to the bar to make the most of the martini shots while a could-be-a-model DJ plays cool and breezy beats in a midriff-bearing top. It’s a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in Manhattan, and yet this bar couldn’t be further from New York, sitting over the Indian Ocean and shaped to resemble a whale shark.

The American hotel brand landed a prime spot of tropical paradise when it opened in 2016 on the previously uninhabited natural island of Vommuli. This lush environment has played a key role in the hotel's nature-inspired design – overwater villas are shaped like manta rays and made from predominantly cross laminated wood, while the impressively large library swirls into the sky like a cone shell. Morning yoga classes are held at the overwater Iridium Spa, with mats placed over the open-air lounge’s glass floor portholes, so you can watch trumpetfish paddle past inbetween poses. Follow it up with a glass of crystal-infused water and a muscle-melting dip in the Blue Hole Pool, one of the largest hydrotherapy pools in the country. The seven restaurants scattered across the island are all undeniably decadent, with Maldivian lobster plucked straight from the sea and served at every turn – even in the omelettes at breakfast. At Pan Asian restaurant Oriental, the lobster comes to the beachside tables looking like plump scoops of ice-cream. Don’t sleep on the intriguing looking Maldivian section at the morning breakfast spread either – its a delicious adventure you won't forget.

The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives Arrow

Born from star-studded Hollywood roots and having conquered cities like New York, Miami and London, The Standard brings a rare sense of irreverent cool to the Maldives. Instead of the typical cream-covered and thatched roof signatures of the region, villas here are brightly coloured, with disco balls in the bathroom and neon pink pool floats on the walls. Such playful touches attract an international mix of not just couples and families but also groups of friends.

Mornings start with freshly prepared eggs and proper coffee topped with fish foam art in the breezy beachside all-day restaurant, Kula. Or you can order in to your villa, or more specifically to your villa’s plunge pool, with a full breakfast spread served on a floating tray. During the day, the house reef is just steps away from the overwater villas, while dolphin cruises and swimming with manta rays can also be arranged. Supper is served either on the beach at BBQ Shack, or at overwater restaurant Gudagudaguda – cheekily named after the sound that shisha makes. It's here that you can enjoy a traditional Maldivian experience with cushion floor seating, tuna sambal and authentic curries with just the right spice level. Keep the party going at the overwater nightclub Beru Bar, where the largest disco ball in the Maldives shines bright above a see-through dance floor.

Emerald Resort & Spa

A thrilling 45-minute seaplane ride from Malé, over uninhabited jungly islands and twinkling turquoise lagoons, Emerald Resort and Spa feels like you’re landing into your own Bounty advert. Set on Fasmendhoo Island in Raa Atoll, with miles of endless cotton-white beaches, perfect for snorkelling and diving, gin-clear waters with reef fish bursting all around like confetti - manta rays, black-tip tiger sharks and dolphins - it’s  Finding Nemo  on acid. There are 120 jaw-dropping villas here, split between overwater and beach, designed by American architect Edward David Poole and built using bamboo, natural stone and langhi langhi leaves so they blend seamlessly with the tropical setting. The look is minimalist and modern – contemporary furniture and lots of sea-breezy colours. Overwater pool villas have sprawling marble bathrooms with sunken bathtubs made for gazing out at the ocean and the beach stretching in both directions. The good life comes easily here with your own butler to take care of your every whim – from ferrying you around in a buggy like a personal chauffeur to booking tables and organising a private cinema under the stars with homemade popcorn and cocktails to boot, they’re on it. The retreat operates a deluxe all-inclusive package – and this might just be the smartest in the Maldives. There’s Asiatique, where you’ll feast on extraordinary Asian grub (sticky wings, seafood gyoza) and Amazonica for mouth-tingling South American food (red snapper ceviche in tiger’s milk and Peruvian quinoa salads). Sprogs can go feral without anyone lifting an eyebrow thanks to the largest kids’ club in the Maldives – perfect while you nest down at the Balinese-style spa. After dark, lie back on your deck and make a wish on a shooting star – there’s not a glimmer of light pollution. Annabelle Spranklen

Gili Lankanfushi Maldives

When this spot in the North Malé atoll came into existence just over 20 years ago (originally under sustainability hero Soneva’s wing), Malé’s international airport was barely more than a tin shed, postcards were the main mode of communication and most islands were without regular electricity. The pancakes of sand surrounding the capital were about as isolated a destination as travellers could get to. Now, Gili Lankanfushi is considered within easy reach (just a 20-minute speedboat transfer), yachts and seaplanes criss-cross the ocean and sky from morning until night and the neighbouring islands have street lights and a Coca-Cola factory. But relax, some things never change.

This hotel is still set in one of the most eye-wateringly beautiful lagoons in the country, a vision of broad white beaches, shape-shifting sandbanks and waters that dance from peacock green to sapphire blue. All the villas here are stilted over the water, keeping the island wild and the beaches on full dazzling display. When fire ravaged the resort in 2019, it was an opportunity for renewal. Interiors were redesigned, with hand-made wooden furniture and woven lampshades sourced from sustainable suppliers in Bali; bathrooms are stocked with organic potions and reef-safe sunscreen. For the ultimate Do Not Disturb energy, maroon yourself in one of the clapboard Robinson Crusoe villas, cast out on the edges of the lagoon reached by a little pontoon, where you can lie on your rooftop deck tracing the spine of Scorpio across the night sky.

Putter back to the island and there’s sunrise yoga; beach and jungle restaurants where ingredients come fresh off the boat or pulled from organic gardens; and expert therapists from Thailand , Bali and India at the Meera Spa. Baby coral being grown on ropes in the house reef will eventually be replanted in the sea in a bid to create reefs that are more resistant to climate-change bleaching (they also work as an underwater hammock for a big green turtle that stops by most days). Gili Lankanfushi has been working on its coral programme for seven years – it was championing sustainability long before it became a literal hot topic. And it’s for that reason, as much as the dreamy location and impeccable service, that it still stands head and shoulders above the crowd. LC

Raffles Maldives Meradhoo

What could be more lovely than a stay at Raffles? How about a stay at Raffles by the beach ? So far south its skimming the equator – the delicious remoteness is well worth the longer transfer time – this tiny island resort takes all the charm of its older Singapore sibling and fuses it with clotted-cream sands, raspberry sunsets and a coconut version of its famous Sling. Complimentary neck massages are doled out while you wait for breakfast (French boulangerie, Sri Lankan egg hoppers, detox juices) with your feet in the sand. Lunch could be catch of the day – smoked tuna, say, grilled with lemon oil. At the smart overwater spa , Balinese therapists perform signature massages that start with the hum of a Tibetan singing bowl and end with warm coconut oil being poured onto your third eye. And the marine life is so profuse you can spot an aqua-menagerie without even getting your feet wet (20 hawksbill turtles have been recorded as living around the island).

Jumeirah Maldives

A thrilling speedboat ride from the airport, on the edges of the tranquil North Malé Atoll, is where Jumeirah have chosen to make their return to the Maldives (having pulled out of the country in late 2020). The island of Olhuhali was formerly inhabited by Lux* North Malé and the Dubai -based hospitality group has stuck with the original's sleek South Beach Miami design while adding their own distinctly glitzy touch, from monogrammed bathrobes to new restaurants and live bands you really want to listen to. The 67 villas are some of the largest entry-level villas in the Maldives and come in overwater and beach flavour. The former have knee-trembling sunset views; the latter are more private; all have masses of outdoor space, big private pools and splendid rooftop decks for stargazing and outdoor movie nights. Bathrooms are decidedly modern and concrete, and have tubs that sink down deep in that way only hotel bathtubs ever do.

The sapphire-blue pool has pops of red and an ice-cream cart straight out of South Beach, while the Barium private dining room has aquariums for walls. And then, well, there is Inti restaurant where the eye-roll-inducingly fresh ceviche blows the typical menu of grilled fish out of these turquoise waters. The surrounding corals aren't in great shape due to climate change (something that's becoming more and more of a problem across the Maldives) but you can hire a jet ski in the morning and hang out with 100-strong pods of bottlenose dolphins catching breakfast just outside of the lagoon. This is a place where the children of families who used to come to the Maldives every year are now choosing to return to themselves as grown-ups.

Conrad Maldives

Having staked its claim on the beautiful all-natural twin islands of Rangali and Rangali Finolhu over a quarter of a century ago, the Conrad's location remains one of the best of any resort in the Maldives – with long, broad stretches of sand wrapped around both jungly islands and manta rays pirouetting in the channel between. But there have been changes afoot: the installation of The Muraka (the world's first underwater hotel suite) in 2018 was followed by a revamp of the cathedral-like beach villas in 2019, while the water villas got their turn this year. New chef Christian Pedersen has breathed new life into all 12 restaurants. From the sand-between-your-toes breakfast to the healthy seared scallop and asparagus salads to the tasting menus at underwater restaurant Ithaa, his food never fails to impress. Resistance is futile but you can work off any excesses by paddle-boarding around the lagoon staring at shimmering parrotfish and sashaying reef sharks through a mesmeric turquoise lens.

JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa

There isn’t a hibiscus out of place or a palm that hasn’t been preened at this Indian Ocean version of the white-picket perfection of the Hamptons . It’s set in the far-northern Shaviyani atoll – where the neighbouring islands are mostly undeveloped – so the seaplane transfer, at around an hour, takes a little longer than most, but the pay-off comes in the form of never-ending horizons, uninterrupted expanses of sea and crystal-clear night skies. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from one end of the island to the other, which makes it medium-sized by Maldivian standards.

Offshore there’s a large house reef – although the corals aren’t in the best shape (a jarring reminder of global warming) – but you can still see large white-tip reef sharks, moray eels and clouds of shoaling fish. For bigger marine thrills, the dolphin cruise yields sightings of thousands rather than the usual handful in less remote waters, or join a fishing expedition in search of sailfish the size of schoolchildren. The Shaviyani atoll is mega-fauna central. Back on dry land, there are two main swimming pools, a glass-encased spa, a gigantic kids’ club and 60 pool villas, shaped like upturned galleons. Skip the tightly packed overwater variety and plump for one on the sand instead, where each sits on its own spacious bougainvillaea-veiled plot, just feet from the ocean, and the duplexes, with their upstairs dens, are excellent for families.

Inside, the decor strays from the traditional Maldivian teak-chic, favouring muted shades of blue textiles and amethyst-topped tables. Among the five superb restaurants, lunchtime-only treetop Kaashi is a standout for authentic Thai, and there are three bars: one by the Missoni-striped swimming pool and another serving 98 types of rum inside a treehouse overlooking the beach. While there aren’t many surprises, this is an ultra-slick take on the tropical paradise blueprint. LC

Hurawalhi Island Resort

It has the biggest underwater restaurant in the Maldives – and there are wonders on both sides of the glass. Hurawalhi is surrounded by no fewer than 50 outstanding dive sites , including one of the most reliable manta-ray hotspots in the archipelago, where you can marvel at the spectacle of these creatures lining up to be fussed over by lesser marine life. The 90 villas are compact and uncomplicated, differentiated only by their position and the presence or absence of a private pool. The two main restaurants and bar are airy spaces with soaring ceilings. Discreet touches – table-tops in a mosaic of petrified wood; transparent panels in the floor to allow fish-spotting – perk up the unpretentious design. Both the views and the menu (tuna carpaccio with pickled daikon, yuzu gel and shiso) at underwater restaurant 5.8 are deeply impressive. Another temptation is the small but splendidly stocked wine cellar, curated by managing partner Lars Petre, a pioneering hotelier and entrepreneur in the Maldives whose love of the islands is written all over his craggy Swedish face. But at Hurawalhi, it's what's below the surface that really counts. There's an inspiring young dive team - all of whom appear to speak half a dozen languages and hold higher degrees in easy-going charm – to help you into your mask and fins. SK

Patina Maldives

This is an island for aesthetes. One of the coolest, cleverest resorts to open in 2021 – even more of an achievement during a pandemic – and the first of a progressive new brand of hotels from Capella, which counts the Sir Norman Foster-designed Capella Singapore and Bill Bensley’s Capella Ubud among its show-stopping properties. (Patina Ubud is in the works). Here, Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan has been handed the reins, designing his first hotel, and has come up with something that feels truly special, transplanting his take on tropical modernism to the Indian Ocean . In keeping with the movement, the architecture encourages interaction with nature. Long, linear wooden structures are open to the elements, and cooled by swirling fans and perforated screens, all chiaroscuro light and shadow. Custom-made furniture from Dedon and Paola Lenti sits beneath triangular sun shades strung between towering palms. Then there’s the art collection, like a treasure hunt for grown-ups, with James Turrell’s Skyspace light gallery the star attraction.

Yoga gurus from Rishikesh hold classes inside the installation in the soft morning glow. In the evening, when it’s illuminated violet, the skylight frames the moon. The 90 pool villas aren’t the largest in the Maldives but they impress in other ways, with glass walls that fully retract on three sides. In the bathrooms, there are exfoliating seaweed soaps from Haeckels and 3-D-printed vitamins appear on pillows instead of chocolates at bedtime. The Flow Spa is original too, with treatment rooms that look like sugar cubes tossed into the long grass. Hi-tech therapies – flotation pods, LED-light therapy, Iris sound immersions – are offered alongside deep-reaching rituals that might include an out-of-body experience in the watsu pool with Balinese healer Purnomo Diretno.

But the best part might be the eight bars and restaurants, each one exceptional. Patina, as well as the new Ritz-Carlton, are the first hotels built in the man-made Fari Islands in the North Malé atoll. With space at a premium, artificial isles aren’t new in the Maldives – the Waldorf Astoria, Hard Rock Hotel and local Hulhumalé island are all also fresh arrivals. But at both resorts currently open in the Faris, serious sustainability efforts and conservation projects try to go a long way to mitigate any environmental impact of the construction. This is next generation Maldives so smart and thoughtful it’s hard to believe it has only been around for a few months. Lee Cobaj

COMO Cocoa Island

Over its 20-year history, bigger, flashier resorts have tried to upstage little Cocoa. All-singing hotels with submerged spas, snow rooms and ice-skating rinks. But this living coral island, still in a plum, not-too-hectic spot in the often-busy South Malé atoll, 40 minutes from the airport by speedboat, has remained in the limelight precisely because of its gimmick-free simplicity. The newly refreshed overwater villas (34 in total, some shaped like Maldivian dhoni boats) are the epitome of less is more, with dark teak, crisp white walls and deep bathtubs. Compared to its Bali sibling, the sandy-floored COMO Shambhala spa here is less comprehensive, which feels like a bit of a missed opportunity, but the therapists are still top of their game and soothe, stroke and crush out every molecule of tension in the signature massage.

There’s a new Pilates studio, where head-to-toe alignment programmes straighten out even the most pandemic-weary postures and new COMO wellness retreats are promised by the end of the year. For now, extra reinvigoration comes during an hour being pummelled by a dozen jets in the free hydrotherapy pool. But, of course, it’s the Indian Ocean that’s the main watery attraction and unlike a lot of the reefs that surround Malé, Cocoa Island’s are colourful, varied and recovering well from the 2016 worldwide bleaching event. You’ll also spot octopus, lobster, lionfish, reef sharks and amber-eyed hawksbill turtles – take a trip with Aminath Angeela (a rarely spotted Maldivian female marine conservationist) to learn more about rising sea temperatures and coral regeneration. In keeping with the low-key vibe, there’s only one restaurant, but the food is always enticing. There are coconut smoothie bowls for breakfast; proper pizzas and lobster rolls for lunch; and an Indonesian feast or a surf ’n’ turf barbecue come evening. Plus, the same thoughtful, delicious wellness menus you find at every COMO hotel. Peaceful, pampering, smart but unpretentious: this is the essence of what a Maldives hotel should be. LC

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

Design in the Maldives has been slowly dismantling its thatched- roof image, and The Ritz-Carlton continues the trend thanks to the studio of the late architect Kerry Hill. Its 100 contemporary circular villas are scattered above the water and up and down a stretch of beach. Each is polished, pared back and pulse-slowing, with glass doors that open onto half-moon decks, teardrop-shaped plunge pools and the high-definition blue of the ocean. The rest of the resort, by contrast, feels a little conservative, if still beautiful. Most of the action is confined to the island’s southern tip, where there’s a gym and photography studio, plus a watersports centre (with the usual kayaks, SUPs and windsurfing) and a large kids’ club with dancing fountains hidden in a Teletubbies -style mound of grass. This is also where you’ll find Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment programme, the only one in the Maldives, staffed by marine biologists who are monitoring sealife with underwater robots and airborne drones, in addition to guiding guests.

Head out snorkelling with them at night for spooky encounters with nurse sharks, unfurling feather stars and bioluminescent squid. At the showpiece restaurant Iwau, knife-juggling chefs prepare pretty nigiri rolls and just-caught lobster, but there are six more restaurants to choose from, including one in a Bedouin tent and a food truck in the Fari marina. One of the island’s luxuries is its space (which is why Ritz-Carlton ended up opting for this man-made spot), giving guests with less tolerance for lazing about plenty of opportunity to cycle around on bicycles. Another is the timber-clad spa in the middle of the lagoon – look out for stingrays hovering below on your walk to a treatment – offering therapies by British brand Bamford. Ritz-Carlton is known for its classic, old-school luxury, but here is an exciting forward-looking update. LC

Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives

Not all Maldivian islands are made equal; some only have natural beaches along one shore, the other eroded away by the sea. Not here. From above, Finolhu looks like a comet shooting across the heavens, its tail formed by a 1.2-mile platinum sandbank. If resorts here were ranked solely on their beaches, Finolhu would be on the medal table (along with Kanuhura and The Residence at Dhigurah) purely because there’s so much sand. And the marine life is just as magnificent. There are dozens of exceptional dive sites within the hotel’s orbit, including caves haunted by barracuda, kaleidoscopic gardens of hard-tree coral and Hanifaru cleaning station, where hundreds of manta rays come to be preened by little blue wrasse (visit between May and November for the best chance to swim with them).

Almost as exuberant is the hotel itself, which emerged in November 2020 under new management and with a fresh look. Out went the Seventies design in favour of a mood board of colour, with 125 villas kitted out in electric blue, sherbet yellow or lime green. What remains, however, is the Ibiza-in-the-Indian-Ocean vibe; for the full effect book a Rock Star Villa with its giant disco ball and cocktail bar (and a golf buggy decked out like a mini Rolls-Royce). Food at the five restaurants is good, if less dazzling than the rest of the place; the premium all-inclusive option is especially good value, covering everything from wagyu steak in Japanese restaurant Kanusan to post-workout protein drinks at the Milk Lab café and Taittinger Champagne from the bar. And the weekly list of activities runs from the standard yoga and beach volleyball to acrobatic shows and mermaids in the swimming pool. Many hotels have tried to bring the party to the Maldives – Finolhu hits the sweet spot between indulgent fun and carefree affordability. LC

LUX* South Ari Atoll

This dreamy island has 193 villas, both on the beach and on two jetties (one of which is adults-only), with vaulted white ceilings, grey wood-effect ceramic floors and tree-trunk furniture. Many of the over-water villas are brand new, the spa is bigger, and the interiors have been smartened up. There's a mellow beach club vibe throughout, with bicycles to nip between the two bars at opposite ends of the three-kilometre-long island: one more chilled beside the pool, and the other, livelier, with colourful reclaimed wooden tables, a reggae soundtrack, surfboards propped against the wall, and inflatable swans standing by to drift about on the sea. There's coffee – roasted on-site – in reception, an ice-cream parlour with 32 homemade flavours such as bubblegum and pistachio, and live DJs at Beach Rouge, one of the six restaurants, including Allegria for Italian dishes and Senses for Indian.

The spa offers yoga in a grove of palms or on stand-up paddle boards (great for strengthening the core), as well as a tennis coach for private lessons and a marine biologist to take guests swimming with whale sharks in a protected area. Frequent pop-ups include a mixologist making Aperol cocktails at East Point, an open-air cinema on the beach – and the sudden appearance of a rack of Panama hats guests can borrow. It's impossible to miss home, but just in case, there's a red telephone box by reception for free old-school-style phone calls. This hideaway, above all, is incredibly fun. EL

Drift Thelu Veliga Retreat

On one side of this island retreat – a circular hectare bisected by a sandy path lined with banana trees and bougainvillaea – is an open-air thatched bar, restaurant and water sports; on the other are the villas and a tiny but brilliant spa. The 10 beach and 20 over-water villas are simple and rustic, with apple-green, wood-panelled exteriors, coconut-leaf-thatched roofs and wicker sun loungers on the terraces (but no televisions, as the point here is to unplug). An early riser can practise hatha yoga with Rasmika Sahan before a snorkelling trip nearby (although the house reef is a treat too, with angelfish and baby blacktip sharks). Serious foodies might find the nightly buffet a tad repetitive, but it is, nevertheless, delightfully laid-back, carefree and barefoot. There are also beach barbecues and Sri Lankan feasts under the eye of chef Chaminda Udabage, who cooks up his homeland favourites of fish curries and dhal. This is a small, unhurried, good-value island aimed at those who spend their days drifting between sun beds and the ocean. Emma Love

The Nautilus

If city living is all about the lean-in, the Maldives is for the recline. Named after Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus private-island retreat of 26 overwater and beach houses has maxed out on relaxed luxe. Sitting above the indigo Baa Atoll and its eddying UNESCO biosphere reserve of pale sandbars and just visible coral gardens, it’s a place where schedules are decidedly lacking and guests duck in via seaplane or yacht to zone out. The USP here is that everything is fluid: unscripted dining means scallop carpaccio or oyster ice cream at 5am if you wish. Waterborne adventures are impromptu, too, with watches and iPhones swapped out for snorkels and paddleboards at any time. This is very much a barefoot-and-board-shorts hideaway, crisscrossed with polished hardwood walkways and lofty palms beside walls of fragrant clerodendrum. Only the arrival of whale sharks and manta rays on their May-December migration provides a discernible sign of time passing. Unusually for hotels in the region, the Nautilus is independently Maldivian owned, and is designed for the next generation of smart travellers who are seeking out the latest go-with-the-flow modern boho experience.

Four Seasons Maldives Private Island at Voavah, Baa Atoll

Wide-brimmed straw hats off to the Four Seasons. With this five-acre, seven-bedroom, profoundly private island it has raised the proverbial bar. (While the group was at it, it probably got its design team to take another look at the bar and turn it into something more pleasing to behold, pleasant to touch and practical to use. It's what the Four Seasons does.) How much or how little you make of Voavah is likely to be your main – your only – concern. There's no shortage of possibilities. It's all yours. You've got the splendours of the Baa Atoll lapping at your shores and your own yacht on which to explore it. You've got your own dive centre and every beach toy known to man-child. Not to mention your own spa, the immaculate Ocean of Consciousness (surely missing an 'un'), and 28 staff dedicated to making your life as agreeable as possible. There may be no better circumstances in which to simply retreat to a shady spot with a book and give everyone the day off.

The place looks great and feels great too. The juxtaposition of smooth and rough textures, and traditional and contemporary materials, is brilliantly managed. Voavah is where woven seagrass met diamond-polished concrete and fell hopelessly in love. The muted palette of the interiors may at first appear unduly subdued – until you realise that what seems like conservatism is really a form of reverence. It serves to draw your eye outwards, back into the sublime, saturated colour and endless space of sea and sky beyond. SK  

Milaidhoo Maldives

A wonderful reminder of the joys of getting back to basics. Milaidhoo Maldives gives classic Maldivian island style a refreshing contemporary twist. Understated, refined, and properly spoiling. The 50 villas are enlivened with deft decorative flourishes – the vivid blue-on-blue accents and curvaceous lines of the Beach Pool villas, in particular, display great charm and panache. The island is small enough to get around without a buggy, so you can put a little of the barefoot work back into the enjoyment of barefoot luxury. Milaidhoo's location in Baa Atoll - a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with the world's highest concentration of manta rays – is a huge plus. Nearby Hanifaru Bay is to ray fanciers what La Scala is to opera buffs. A snorkelling, diving or sailing expedition, especially in the company of the resident marine biologist, is likely to be as instructive as it is beautiful – the sort of experience that could alter a person's entire attitude towards the oceans. The signature restaurant, Ba'theli, serving Maldivian and trade-route-inspired dishes in three cleverly interlinked dhonis, is a show-stopper. No less intriguing is the Deep Sleep Mood Menu. Four courses contrived for maximum soporific effect (passion-fruit-and-green-tea soup – who knew?) are served on your candlelit terrace. Ideally, it will be preceded by a spa treatment and followed by a meditation session and herb-infused bath. A bedtime story and glass of warm milk, though surely unnecessary by this point, could no doubt also be arranged. SK

At 15 hectares, Ayada , on the southern rim of the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and just 30km north of the Equator, is big enough to get lost on, and the more walking or cycling about you do, the more surprises keep popping up. Take a stroll after dinner (there are six restaurants) and... hello, what's this? A wine-and-cheese station for a glass of rouge and a sliver of brie while sitting on a bench fashioned from a fishing boat. Or as you head off to Zuzuu (the kids' club), you might stumble across The White Room, a part-colonial, part-tropical folly (pillars and a thatched roof) of such kitschness, you half expect the ghost of Elvis to emerge in a white tuxedo. Or you could stop in at the Ottoman Lounge (a nod to Ayada's Turkish ownership) and settle in for a coffee with a squidge of Turkish delight and a shisha pipe. The Middle Eastern mood shimmies through the villas: a filigree lampshade here, a joss-stick there, a flounce of Turkish fabric over the bed. And there's a full-on Turkish bath in the spa. This far from Malé, there's not a hint of light pollution in the inky night skies; by day there are dive sites, snorkelling with whale sharks and (unusually for the Maldives) surf breaks.

Cheval Blanc Randheli

Eight years after the first LVMH Cheval Blanc hotel opened in Courchevel (booked solid from day one) comes beautiful Randheli in the Maldives , designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, who also created One&Only Reethi Rah. Here he's used the same large-scale, cathedral-roofed template for the beach villas, and the detailing is superb. Those insouciant little armless sofas; that Vincent Beaurin lemon-yellow sand-disc artwork, which slowly turns as the weight of perpetually falling grains of sand rotate it; the square, slate-lined pool; the de Havilland seaplane bobbing in the water; the white bicycles for getting around; the taupe espadrilles in the villas' dressing rooms. It's all so chic. In the Guerlain spa, reached by dhoni, even a glance upwards from the massage bed prompts a smile in appreciation of the exquisitely woven rattan ceiling. Some bits grate: having to press a switch to open the villa front door from the inside, for instance. But from breakfast on the terrace – molten-centred brownies, celestial with a cappuccino – to the doll-sized mouthfuls on the tasting menu at Le 1947 restaurant, named after Cheval Blanc's most famous vintage, every element confirms this as the most sensational new resort in the Maldives. 

Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

Something to keep in mind when planning a holiday in the Maldives is that the remoteness once guaranteed by these faraway atolls can no longer be taken for granted. Resorts too close to the capital, Malé, may have views across to its high-rise skyline; others may have a neighbouring hotel within earshot or clear sight. But the gloriously isolated Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru , a former coconut plantation, has no such problems. The villas are also big and well spaced for privacy, the food couldn't be healthier (catch of the day at Fuego Grill; Lebanese mezze at Al Barakat) and the spa is truly outstanding. Our 2020 Spa Guide winner for most meaningful experience, as well as overwater treatment rooms, it has a shady Ayurvedic area in a clearing, where prayerful therapists from a Tantric Ayurvedic centre in Indonesia administer rituals lasting hours. It's also set up to provide a restorative 14-or 21-day panchakarma cleanse, which takes pounds off like nothing else. The island's Marine Discovery Centre, run by a team of biologists whose main focus is manta-ray research, could get anyone hooked on the wondrous world revealed as one sinks below the ocean surface with a snorkel or tank. Read our full review of Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru .

One&Only Reethi Rah

When you spot a woman in Prada getting off one of the seaplanes arriving at Malé airport , it's almost certain she'll have been staying at Reethi Rah. The hotel is deeply glamorous: guests dress up for dinner in its dimly lit, gently gleaming environs, and sometimes for breakfast, lunch and dive school, too. Super-smart, with its stone baths designed for two, often with a royal in residence (never seen but identifiable by uniformed bodyguards sitting outside the villa), this is an immense and hugely successful hotel, with 12 private beaches. There's a very Zen spa where you can fully detox, and an amazing teen zone with ping-pong tables and all kinds of watersports. Since it opened, a cookery school has been added and its overwater villas now have pools, but the beach pool villas are still the best: thrillingly big and impressive, they have wardrobes and shoe space to match.

Velaa Private Island

One of the most expensive resorts in the Maldives is owned by 42-year-old Czech billionaire Jiri Smejc, who asked his villa butler at Huvafen Fushi, Maldives to find him an island. He then hired a hot-shot general manager, Hans Cauchi from the Corinthia in London , installed his former butler front-of-house, and brought in 500 Czech builders for six months. The result? State-of-the-art boys' toys (not even glossy rivals Cheval Blanc or One&Only Reethi Rah have a Seabob or semi-submarine); a spa with expert therapists, an ocean-view sauna, snow room and snooze pod; a nine-hole golf course; tennis and squash courts; an extraordinary three-storey wine tower with a 6,000-bottle, £970,000 inventory (including a 1978 Romanée-Conti for £36,000); and Aragu, an overwater, open-kitchen restaurant and Champagne lounge with a Sri Lankan chef. Some design elements are a little retro: suede-effect giant-weave cushions; patchwork carpets; the hanging chair and three massive vases you have to dodge to get to the bath. But the outdoor bathrooms are quite wonderful, and four-bedroom villas plus top-notch security are great for those who must factor in space for the bodyguard and long-range-lens issues. Saudi's crown prince was among the first guests to arrive when the resort opened in December 2013.

Coco Prive Kuda Hithi

The ludicrously pretty and impossibly slick Coco Prive Kuda Hithi is only available for private hire. Previously a boutique hotel, the island's main building has an enormous master suite, and there are five other villas to fill. The architecture is stunning, with massive expanses of glass to draw the outside in, and natural materials and organic shapes to echo the surroundings. Every light, heat-source and sound setting can be zapped from your personal iPad, and the attention to detail is phenomenal (the place is repainted between every stay). The kitchen is yours to use, but the chef is brilliant and will prepare anything you want (stories include a specific variety of apple being flown in at a guest's request), such as baked red snapper in aromatic herbs, and banana fritters with sweet crêpes in caramel. Sun-bleached decking around the island leads to mini jungle paths where pretty wicker baubles dangle, red flowers burst and the resident fruit bat swings from palm to palm. As a bonus, the reef is monitored by a team of experts who know each turn and turtle intimately. 

Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas

When this hotel landed in the Baa atoll in 2011, it was a sleeker, clubbier Anantara outpost than family-friendly Dhigu, honeymooners’ Veli and quiet Naladhu that the brand already had in these waters. And there were plenty of head-turning attractions: the glass-bottomed baths in the overwater villas, the underwater restaurant, reportedly the country’s longest swimming pool. But plenty more splashier arrivals have since played their cards in the ongoing game of Maldives hotel top trumps. So Anantara’s latest update puts it back on the board, with knockout new multi-bedroom beach and pool residences, each with their own kitchen, gym, spa treatment room and pool deck.

The rest of the island is lush (no trees were felled during construction) and its central sandy path provides peekaboo pops of turquoise water while leading to diversions including an art studio, kids’ club and outdoor cinema beneath a celestial sky. At the overwater spa, there are new vitamin-drip therapies, part of the region’s only Cocoon Medical Spa, and an updated relaxation platform with saunas and plunge pools. That underwater restaurant is part of Sea Fire Spice Sky, a quartet of dining spaces varying from teppanyaki to grills from an authentic tandoori oven. The overwater observatory, the only one in the Maldives, has the country’s most powerful telescope (a research-grade 16-inch Meade LX200). Here, astronomer Ali Shameem, who grew up fascinated by the stars on the island of Maalhos, guides guests through the cosmos – the bonus of being almost on the equator means you can see constellations in both hemispheres. For all the slick hotel tricks, it’s always the hypnotic sea and sky that are the real knockouts. Ramsey Qubein

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Travel guide to the Maldives

Glamorous overwater resorts , pristine white-sand beaches , and a spectacular underwater world make the Maldives the ultimate travel destination for the discerning traveler. The sovereign archipelagic nation – positioned in the Indian Ocean southwest of India – consists of 26 breathtaking atolls boasting rich cultural traditions and natural treasures. All 1192 coral islands and sandbanks (200 inhabited islands, plus 100 islands with tourist resorts) are the visible coral tips of an oceanic volcanic mountain range whose outer edge at some points plunge to depths of over 3 km (10,000 ft). The tiny islands are encircled by magnificent beaches and incredibly beautiful lagoons, blessed with crystal clear waters and protected by reef structures. Every resort in the Maldives is built on its own private, picture-perfect palm island, with the world’s most exclusive hotel brands  competing with each other to offer their guests unprecedented levels of mind-blowing luxury. A holiday in the Maldives can be easily combined with a stay in Sri Lanka  as there are numerous direct flights – most of them operated by  SriLankan Airlines  – between Sri Lanka and the Maldives (with a flight time of around one hour).

Get the most out of your (luxury) trip to the Maldives with my travel guide. Find out more about:

• Best time to visit
• How to get there
• Getting around
• Travel requirements
• Inspiration, highlights, & travel tips
• Suggested itineraries
• Recommended luxury hotels (+ reviews)

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The Maldives enjoys a tropical climate, hot all year round, with a weather pattern that is mainly determined by two monsoon seasons in which the trade winds blow from opposite directions.

• The best weather in the Maldives is between January and mid-April, when the dry northeast monsoon prevails. You can expect blue skies and low humidity, although occasional, short showers can still occur (especially in the southern atolls). The dry season also coincides with the northern hemisphere’s cold winter season, which means this is high season in the Maldives, with low availability (although it never gets crowded) and often insanely expensive room rates at the resorts.
• The wet southwest monsoon runs from May to October, peaking in June. Although the temperatures remain as warm as in the dry season, rainy days and thunderstorms are far more likely. There may be days, or periods of a few days, when the sky is cloudy. However, even during this period, there are usually long periods of bright sunshine, and more affordable room rates mean this is still a good time to visit.
• The transition periods  between the dry northeast and the wet southwest monsoon usually occurs sometime in late November or December and the end of April or May. These transition periods are often accompanied by a longer period of unsettled weather and overcast, rainy days.

It has to be noted that the tropical climate in the Maldives and the exact timing of the transition periods have become very much unpredictable in recent years, with the wet season becoming drier and the dry season seeing more showers. Also, there a subtle differences in the weather patterns from atoll to atoll, since the Maldives is a very large country, stretching out over 800 km (500 mi) in the equatorial area. The northern atolls – which are home to the archipelago’s most luxurious resorts – enjoy more sunshine and have lesser annual rainfall than the central atolls (where the capital Male is located) and the atolls located south of the Equator. This geographic difference is mainly due to the fact that the dry season is more pronounced in the northernmost atolls.

Some travelers visit the Maldives, not so much for the beaches and resorts, but for the world-class diving and the opportunity of swimming with manta rays and whale sharks. Diving conditions are superb throughout the year, but the areas frequented by the larger marine animals vary with the seasons. During the dry northeast monsoon season, manta ray and whale shark diving in the Maldives is best on the western side of the atolls, whereas during the Southeast Monsoon season, manta rays and whale sharks will typically be encountered near the eastern edge of the atolls.

IMHO, it is worth paying higher prices and sticking to the dry season in the Maldives (January to mid-April) as there is not much to do on a rainy day, except drink, eat, work out, or scuba dive.

HOW TO GET THERE

The majority of the Maldives’ secluded resorts on far-flung private islands are within a one hour boat or floatplane ride from the Maldives’ main airport, Male International Airport (MLE; also known as Velana International Airport ), which is located in the North Male Atoll near the capital of Male. The airport is served by a wide array of international Asian and European airlines, both charters and mainstream carriers. Click  here for a list of airlines that offer direct flights to Male International Airport.

Before you buy a plane ticket, consider reading my  tips & tricks for buying the cheapest plane ticket .

GETTING AROUND

Transfers from Male airport to the hotels are taken care of by the resorts:

• Hotels located in the North and South Male Atoll are reached by speedboat from the airport, with a transfer time between 15 minutes and one hour. Due to their proximity to the airport, these resorts experience more boat traffic and noise levels as compared the more remotely located resorts in other atolls. Boat transfers run 24 hours a day.
• Hotels located in all other central atolls (except the Laamu Atoll) as well as the northernmost atolls can be reached by seaplane from the airport, with a flight time between 20 minutes and one hour. Admiring the picture-perfect archipelago from a bird’s eye perspective is one of the  ultimate experiences that the destination has to offer . However, keep in mind that seaplanes operate during daylight hours only, so you may have to stay overnight near the airport when you arrive in the Maldives after 4 pm. In addition, getting to a resort in a remote atoll by seaplane does take more time as compared to reaching one of the hotels closer to the airport, because of additional waiting time at the airport. On a positive note, most five-star hotels offer a private lounge near the airport to ease the waiting process which seldom exceeds two hours.
• Hotels located in the Laamu Atoll and all southern atolls are reached by a domestic flight , operated by a turboprop plane, followed by a speedboat transfer. Getting to these resort requires an often lengthy and tiring trip, something you may not be looking forward to after your long-haul flight arrives in the Maldives. Besides the 30 to 60 minute domestic flight, you also have to take into account waiting time – varying from one to maximum five hours – at Male airport, both at the start and the end of your journey. All in all, it means that getting to these resorts may take a large chunk of your holiday time on the day of your arrival and departure, making the southern atolls not ideal for a short trip. I suggest you stay at least 5 nights here to make the most of the long journey getting there. The good news is that once there, you will completely relax in otherworldly tropical scenery.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for entry into the Maldives differ from country to country, and are subject to change. Prior to departure, always check with your government and your nearest Maldivian embassy or consulate what documents you need for travel to the Maldives.

• You need a valid  passport . The passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into the Maldives.
• The Maldives have a remarkably easy visa policy: everybody gets a free 30-day visa on arrival, provided that you have a valid travel document, a ticket out and proof of sufficient funds, defined as a confirmed reservation in a hotel.

Make sure you read my 10 tips to plan a worry-free trip .

INSPIRATION, HIGHLIGHTS, & TRAVEL TIPS

There are several good reasons why you should put the Maldives on your bucket list:

• Magnificent white-sand beaches, that rank among the best beaches in the world .
• Incredible marine  wildlife viewing opportunities (the Maldives is the world’s best snorkeling and diving destination).
• Ultra-luxury overwater resorts, unmatched in the world.

The following articles may also inspire you and help you plan your holiday to the Maldives:

• Top 10 best things to see & do in the Maldives
• Top 10 most insanely beautiful resorts in the Maldives
• Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling
• Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives close to Male airport
• Top 10 most fabulous overwater villas in the Maldives
• Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives for couples
• Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives for families
• Maldives vs Seychelles vs Mauritius: which one is best?
• Maldives vs Bora Bora: which one is best?
• Get complimentary VIP perks at the Maldives’ most exclusive resorts: the Soneva properties
• Tips & tricks for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel

SUGGESTED ITINERARIES 

Most people who travel to the Maldives stay at one resort for one week. I don’t recommend to travel around too much within the Maldives, since getting from one resort to another is an expensive and often time-consuming affair (since you mostly have to backtrack via Male airport).

However, if the prospect of staying an entire week at one resort on a little island sounds too much for you, there are a few resorts that can be easily combined in one and the same itinerary, because they are either located in the same atoll or connected via a direct and private (and often pricey) speedboat transfer. A few examples:

• Noonu Atoll: Soneva Jani , Cheval Blanc Randheli , and Velaa Private Island
• Baa Atoll (a UNESCOBiosphere Reserve): Soneva Fushi , Four Seasons Landaa Giravaaru , and Anantara Kihavah
• Raa Atoll:  JOALI Maldives , JOALI BEING , Alila Kothaifaru Maldives , and InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
• North Male Atoll: One&Only Reethi Rah , Patina Maldives , The Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands , Four Seasons Kuda Huraa , and Gili Lankanfushi
• South Male Atoll: Taj Exotica Resort & Spa , Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi , Naladhu and COMO Cocoa Island
• Huvadhu Atoll: Park Hyatt Hadahaa and Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort

In addition, a select group of ultra-luxe hotel companies operates more than one resort in the archipelago, offering an enhanced and more convenient transfer experience between their properties. A few examples:

• Soneva: Soneva Fushi  and  Soneva Jani  (60 min speedboat transfer between both resorts)
• Four Seasons:  Four Seasons Landaa Giravaaru  and  Four Seasons Kuda Huraa  (40 min watertaxi transfer)
• COMO hotels & resorts:  COMO Cocoa Island  and COMO Maalifushi  (45 min watertaxi transfer)
• JOALI:  JOALI Maldives and JOALI BEING (25 min speedboat transfer)

RECOMMENDED LUXURY HOTELS (+ REVIEWS)

I recommend to visit my top 10 travel lists if you are eager to know how I rank the Maldives’ top hotels, based on my own experience:

Below, you find my reviews of hotels in the Maldives (with pros, cons, and tips to save money per hotel).

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These are the island of the paradise.

Yes! Finally something about cialis interactions.

Hello, I am from New Hampshire and would be flying out of MHT or Boston Logan to start my journey (alone)..which comes to my next question. I would like to stay in a Villa on the island in the Maldives, the smallest one available. What would I be looking at for cost to fly round trip with all transfers, food, all inclusive, by myself, for one week? Thank you for your time and thoughts in advance.

Nice blog author. Thank you. Keep it up.

This is a great site. We’ve been watching your YouTube channel for a while now and our normal Caribbean trip is likely to be replaced by a Maldives stay. Advice is always appreciated. Our budget is reasonable but not unlimited.

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Snorkeling! Personally, I would never go to a resort without a house reef as I would be missing out on what is the best thing about the Maldives — the underwater world! The amount and variety of fish are incredible, and for first-timers being able to swim with sharks and turtles is such an amazing experience (in fact it never gets less amazing!).

darrylpaula

Our biggest priority when choosing an island is the accessibility and quality of the house reef/snorkeling. Another must-do is watching the sunrise and sunset.

Placitasgirl

The underwater world is, of course, my number one, but watching dolphins play at sunrise is probably my number two.

For us, the Maldives is all about snorkeling. Yes, it's stunningly beautiful and totally idyllic, but what makes it utterly unique is the underwater world that is SO accessible and varied.

Swimming with the fishes (sorry, couldn't resist) in the Maldives is a life-changing experience, so far removed from most people's day-to-day life that it has the power to change your whole perspective. For many of us, there is no going back — a holiday that isn't shared with a shark or ten is just not worth the bother.

Have to say it's the diving for me, amazing corals and fish, and if you time, the months you travel and location the opportunity to dive with Manta, whale sharks or 200+ sharks at the mouth of a channel is amazing. With Fuvahmulah, the addition of tiger sharks, oceanic manta, hammerheads, and threshers makes this a one-of-a-kind location for diving. Throw in the remoteness, and on a clear night, unbelievable skies, it's a paradise hard to replicate.

What is the best way to get there?

Velana International Airport (VIA) is the only international airport in the Maldives. It offers several flights to/from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. From its location on Hulhule Island near the capital island of Male, you can grab your (usually pre-arranged) speedboat, seaplane or ferry to your destination island.

For more info, visit the  Male Airport Guide  or  Trans Maldivian Airways .

Do I need a visa?

Though a 30-day tourist visa is given to all travelers upon arrival, there are certain entry requirements, such as a passport that’ll be valid for at least six months.

For more visa info,  see here .

When is the best time to visit?

It doesn’t get much more tropical than the Maldives! And the best time to visit the Maldives is January through March, though prices may be higher this time of year. Prices are typically cheaper May through November during the rainy season. The average daily temperatures most times of the year are highs of 32 C (89 F) and lows of 26 C (78 F).

These high-speed boats are a common way to get around the islands, especially to/from the hotels and airports, but they can be expensive.

These get you to the more far-flung islands in the Maldives if you want to island-hop, but these, too, can be expensive.

Public ferries run between the inhabited islands, but schedules are often unreliable and can vary depending on the time of year. Visit here for more info.

On the ground

What is the timezone.

Maldives Time.

What are the voltage/plug types?

230 V and 50 Hz with type D and G plugs.

What is the currency?

Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR)

Are ATMs readily accessible?

Only in certain areas.

Are credit cards widely accepted?

Is it easy to find a bank, how much do i tip.

$1-$2 per bag and a few dollars per day of your stay for the housekeeping staff.

Restaurants

Because of the service charge, just rounding up your bill is sufficient, but if the service was excellent, extra cash is always appreciated.

Spa Service

$5 per service.

Tour Guides

Tours in the Maldives can be expensive, so tips are not usually expected by guides. But, if one went above and beyond, at least $10 will suffice.

Are there local customs I should know?

The legal drinking age in the Maldives is 18.

Most residents speak English, but learning a few words of the national language Dhivehi is appreciated: “Assalaamu Alaikum” (hello); Ran’galhu, shukuriyaa (fine, thank you); Shukuriyaa (thank you).

Additional entry requirements in the Maldives include proof of pre-paid accommodations and that you have enough funds for your stay as well as confirmed onward/return tickets home. For more info, visit  here .

Environment

Coral reefs are the foundation of the Maldives, so it is very important to not disturb, touch, remove, or stand on its coral reefs when diving or snorkeling. And never leave garbage behind.

Always greet people

A courteous, formal greeting in French, “Bonjour, Monsieur/Madame,” is always appreciated — this includes shop attendants, wait staff, hotel staff, drivers.

Don’t talk loudly in public

It is considered rude and ugly.

Don’t expect fast service

Sales assistants in shops or wait staff in restaurants won’t approach you straight away — giving people time and space is an important part of French culture. Also, don’t expect wait staff to give you the bill when your meal is finished, you will have to ask for it.

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The Family Vacation Guide

15 of the Best Family Resorts in the Maldives

posted by Charmaine Cortes on August 21, 2023 // last updated on August 21, 2023

There’s something magical about the Maldives. This South Asian country stretches into the Indian Ocean and is the site of many breathtaking overwater bungalows you see online. While this area is very romantic, it’s perfect for a family getaway too!

Before you book your flights and pack your bags, finding the perfect resort to take your whole family to is vital. 

With hundreds of resorts to choose from on the various atolls and islands, choosing one that will satisfy everyone in the family can be challenging. To help you in your hunt, these are 15 of the best family resorts in the Maldives.

Patina Maldives, Fari Islands

Fairmont sirru fen fushi, one&only reethi rah, ritz-carlton maldives, centara grand island resort & spa maldives, four seasons landaa giraavaru, constance halaveli, ozen life maadhoo, seaside finolhu, amilla maldives resort, niyama private islands, anantara kihavah, soneva fushi, kandima maldives, six senses laamu, which of these family resorts in maldives will you visit.

For one of the most tranquil family vacations, you need to visit Patina Maldives on the Fari Islands. This resort is only 45 minutes from Male via speedboat and offers a variety of things for families of all age ranges and sizes to enjoy. Families love this resort because the primary beach has a shelter on three sides, making the waters remarkably calm.

Calm waters are great for families, so children can get free snorkeling and scuba diving lessons, go kayaking, and paddleboard without you being overly worried. You can also partake in all these water activities during your stay at the resort.

You’ll most likely want to book a two-bedroom villa with a pool for your family. It’s the most spacious option, and even though it’s not that large, it can still sleep up to six people comfortably. When you book, you can get discounts on breakfast services and other amenities sometimes.

You can bike around the island, relax on the beach, and enjoy making memories with your family. After a long day of exploring or your kids playing in the kids’ club, you can come together for a family dinner at one of their ten dining options.

The Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi is on the Shaviyani Atoll, which has one of the Maldives’ largest resort lagoons. There are 120 villas to choose from, and each one is just as elegant as the next. You can choose whether you want the sunrise or sunset side of the resort, but either way, you’ll love sitting at your deck watching the sun rise or set.

You and your family will love spending time outdoors with miles of sandy beaches. You can swim, relax, build sand castles, and participate in various other water activities. The kids’ club is perfect for kids four and older who want to play while you relax in your villa or on the beach.

You should go snorkeling to find the underwater art gallery when you’re here. Along the shores, you’ll discover semi-submerged boxes filled with underwater sculptures. It’s a fantastic sight to see. Each villa has a host you can call whenever you need something, making you feel like the most important guest on the island. 

Other activities include yoga, personal training, tennis, aerial yoga, spa treatments, and exploring the various dining options. The restaurants are beautiful, but they offer in-villa dining when you want to enjoy some privacy and a meal as a family.

Many of the resorts in the Maldives cater to families, but One&Only Reethi Rah is well known for being extremely accommodating to families. It’s about 430 miles from Sri Lanka and is on one of the largest islands in the Northern Male Atoll. 

They offer beach villas and overwater villas, but if you’re traveling with younger children, the beach villas might be the better option. Older children will love the overwater villas, and the adults will love them too. Not all the villas offer a private pool, so if that’s something you want, you’ll need to double-check before booking. 

Even if you don’t get a villa with a private pool, there’s plenty on the resort property and even more oceanfront to dip your toes into. You can spend your days lounging in the white sand, snorkeling, exploring via pedal boat, windsurfing, jet-skiing, and more. Kids between four and 18 will have access to the various clubs based on age. 

There are several restaurants and bars to choose from, and the one directly on the beach with the tables in the sand is a family favorite. You won’t want to miss taking advantage of their boating excursions, shopping, and the spa.

Almost everyone knows that the name Ritz-Carlton is synonymous with luxury, and the Ritz-Carlton Maldives lives up to that expectation. The resort is on the North Male Atoll and is perfect for a relaxing vacation for the entire family. 

They break down their villas by the type of location you want. You can stay on the ocean, lagoon, or the beach. Each villa has a private pool that everyone in your family will love playing or lounging in. For larger families, their two-bedroom villas are the perfect option. 

For the kids, they’ll love playing in the Ritz Kids’ Club, where they’ll find a pool, water slides, a game room, and areas for them to nap when necessary. The older kids have a separate area with another pool, pool tables, games, and a photography studio. 

Besides swimming in the ocean, other activities on the property include biking, nature walks, snorkeling, learning about ocean conservation, visiting the spa, and a movie theater under the stars. The movie theater is a great way to wind down as a family at the end of the day. You’ll love all seven of their restaurants, and you must try each one at least once.

Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is only 30 minutes away from the Velana International Airport when you take a seaplane. Families will love the various discounts they regularly offer. They usually involve cheaper per-night stays for extended bookings. 

The family overwater villa is a top choice for families heading to this resort because it has ample space and allows you to have a home away from home. Other options include beach villas, sunset villas, and more. Regardless of your choice, you’re in for the vacation of a lifetime.

Families love that the kids’ club and E-Zone are available for much of the day because it allows the adults to play tennis, hit the spa, or have some alone time. The E-Zone is perfect for older kids, and they can play video games, table tennis, and meet new friends. They offer babysitting for infants for an additional charge.

You’ll love swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, walking along the beach, and enjoying the excellent dining options. There are three options as well as several bars. Be sure to look into their meal plan options for your family.

The Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is on the Baa Atoll and is the perfect resort for travelers of all ages. Similar to other family resorts in the Maldives, you’ll get to choose the type of lodging you want. You can decide between overwater, oceanfront rooms, and villas with private pools, which are very popular with kids.

The private pools are ideal for families because your kids can splash and squeal as much as they want without disturbing other vacationers. Kid programs include lizard spotting, ice cream parties, beach activities, and more. 

You can take advantage of activities and amenities while staying here, including shopping at the property boutiques, beach activities like swimming, paddling, and snorkeling, their luxurious spa, and other relaxing or exciting excursions. If you want to meet other travelers, there are four other communal pools on the resort’s property. 

There are four delicious restaurants with great options and four lounges for the adults to enjoy while the kids play at the kids’ club. There are also yoga classes, guided nature walks, and catamaran sailing in the Indian Ocean.

You’ll find Constance Halaveli on the North Ari Atoll. This resort has one of the largest varieties of lodging options. There are beautiful beach villas, water villas, two-story beach villas, and villas on the water or beach specifically for families. These have extra rooms and additional amenities for children and families.

Your kids will love the kids’ club that’s open most of the day. They’ll go on treasure hunts, have dance parties, movie nights, go crab hunting, learn to make pizza, and much more. 

While your kids are living their best life, you can take advantage of the swim-up bars, relax in the lounge chairs, go paddleboarding, snorkeling, and enjoy some quality time with your partner or by yourself. Something you can’t miss while staying here is snorkeling with sea turtles.

There are six bars and restaurants to enjoy while staying at Constance Halaveli. All the cuisine is elegant, and you’ll feel like royalty. Don’t worry about the kids; they have plenty of kid-friendly options they’ll love.

OZEN Life Maadhoo is on Maadhoo island, about 45 minutes from Male. Families and other travelers love this incredible resort because they offer an all-inclusive package. It’s a great deal to have when traveling with your family. 

When booking your stay at OZEN Life, there are five types of private villas to select from. Each one is luxurious and offers a great experience, but the two-bedroom villas are ideal for families so everyone can have their own space. 

There’s something for everyone at this resort, and when you book their all-inclusive package, you and your family can enjoy an authentic fishing excursion at sunset. If you don’t want to pay for additional tours, there are plenty of things to do that come with your all-inclusive price.

You can take advantage of non-motorized water sports, snorkeling, spa treatments, swim in the ocean or pool, build sandcastles, go shopping, and kids can play in the kids’ club. Adults get complimentary spa treatments depending on how long they plan on staying. You’ll love the nine different dining options included in your all-inclusive price.

The Seaside Finolhu is on the Baa Atoll and features a stunning white-sand beach with a great sandbank. They have villas facing the lagoon, ocean, or poolside. Various two-bedroom options are perfect for families. They even have a bubble beach tent which is a truly unique experience. 

You and your family can spend your days splashing in the ocean and lagoon, playing on the inflatable waterpark, and exploring the marine ecosystems below the surface. There’s a kids’ club with various activities like pirate workshops, kayaking, outdoor play, and more.

For adults and teenagers, you can partake in motorized and non-motorized water sports, play tennis, go scuba diving, snorkeling, relax at the spa, and perfect your swing at the golf studio. Even if you want to relax, you can lounge on your private deck, beach, or pool.

You’ll never go hungry at Seaside Finolhu. Several dining options range from elegant and upscale dining to more casual eateries. You can treat yourself to a special date night, enjoy pizza with the whole family, and experience new cuisines as a family.

The Amilla Maldives Resort is one of the largest resorts in the Maldives, with luxury villas over the water and on land and its own private mini blue hole. Sixty-seven villas feature Hampton decor, a living room, private swimming pools, and outdoor space. 

During your stay, your kids can hang out at the Sultan’s Village kids’ club, which has some of the most extended hours in the country. Other activities include learning how to make excellent sandcastles, kombucha classes, attending the Friday night disco, glamping on the beach, snorkeling, sunset cruises, and more. 

If you’re traveling with teenagers, they have a specific teen activity program with age-appropriate things to do while giving them a little freedom. You’ll love renting their kayaks and paddleboards and exploring the blue waters with your family. 

There are over 13 dining options to choose from at this resort. There are upscale and casual restaurants, room service, and even floating breakfast trays that you can enjoy poolside. While the resort isn’t all-inclusive, they offer meal plans worth considering.

In the southern Dhaalu Atoll is Niyama Private Islands . This resort features twin islands, one deemed for play and the other for chill. The resort offers villas and pavilions that are perfect for families of all sizes. The pavilions are larger and nestled closer to the jungle, while the villas are closer to the ocean and lagoon.

For adventurous family members, you can take surfing lessons. They offer it for those of all ages, and the resort has a surf break with calmer waters to learn on. Once you can handle the more tranquil waters, you can tackle the open ocean to show off your skills. 

Other activities and amenities at this resort include a dance club for the kids, care for children as young as 12 months old, snorkeling, tennis courts, a spa, a library, water sports, and other water activities.

You’ll need food to give you energy for all the activities you want to do, and there are 11 restaurants and bars to dine at. Some popular restaurants are a treehouse, underwater dining, and a food truck.

The Maldives is an excellent place for adventurous families, but the Anantara Kihavah resort is one of the best when you and your family can’t sit still for too long. There are many family-friendly activities for every age group to participate in.

When booking your stay at this resort, there are several packages to choose from, including a family package with complimentary babysitting services so you can have a romantic date night. Kids love the kids’ club, trampoline park, and playing on the inflatable water park. 

Adults will love the swim-up bars, relaxing lounge chairs, doing yoga on the beach, and luxurious spa where they can treat themselves to a facial or massage. The state-of-the-art fitness center is excellent when you want a workout session on vacation. 

You can choose overwater villas, poolside villas, one bedroom, two bedrooms, and sunset villas. The family two-bedroom villas come with kid amenities that other villas don’t have. As for the dining options, there are nine, but the best is the one nestled into an aquarium with marine life swimming around you.

If you and your family are dying to see manta rays, then Soneva Fushi is an excellent option. It sits on the Baa Atoll, which is known for its large population of manta rays. When you book your trip, you’ll get to stay in luxury villas and choose whether you want sunset or sunrise views. 

Some villas have up to nine bedrooms, so this resort is excellent for larger families. Almost every private villa has a small private pool, sun deck for relaxing, and everything else you need to enjoy your trip to the Maldives.

When you need a break from family time and want to hit the bars while your kids do what they want, they have the largest kids’ club of all the resorts in the Maldives. Other activities include cooking classes, a library, an outdoor movie theater, tennis courts, and an observatory where you can see Saturn’s rings on a clear night.

There are over ten restaurants with elegant dishes and kid-approved ones if you have picky eaters. You can spend all day on the beach, pool, or another activity, but you can’t miss booking snorkeling with the manta rays tour.

Kandima Maldives is arguably one of the best family resorts in the Maldives because of the sheer number of activities that cater to people of all ages. This resort rests on the Dhaalu Atoll, barely developed beside the villas.

One of the main reasons this resort is so attractive for families is the price. It’s very affordable, and you can choose to stay in overwater bungalows or more traditional style lodging. They also have an all-inclusive offer which families love taking advantage of, so they don’t have to worry about a thing once they arrive. Plus, kids six and under eat and stay for free!

The resort is right on the beach, so you can play in the white sand and ocean all day, but if you need a break, they have a beautiful pool that you can use. There’s even a small waterpark with dump buckets and slides for the younger travelers.

Kandima offers eight dining options, off-site dining they will book for you, and meal plans if you don’t want to pay for an all-inclusive stay. Besides swimming, you can participate in kayaking, snorkeling, diving, listening to live music, doing arts and crafts, and skydiving.

Nestled on the Laamu Atoll is Six Senses Laamu . This stunning property is on a remote atoll and provides you and your family with everything you need to enjoy the beauty of the Maldives. This resort is known for its Junior Marine Biologist program and other water activities.

The program is ten weeks and done entirely online for free. So, if you’re traveling with children who love the water or are interested in marine biology, they can take this course before arriving and use their new skills.

You and your family will love swimming through the seagrass, seeing sea turtles, diving with manta rays, and exploring the crystal clear water in other ways. They offer ocean and lagoon villas, and the lagoon villas are ideal for younger kids since the seas are calmer. 

There are six bars and restaurants to choose from during your stay. The kids and adults will love the ice cream parlor with over 40 unique and classic flavors. Other activities include their luxurious spa, a complimentary kids’ club, kayaking tours, movie nights, and dolphin tours.

The Maldives is a stunning destination for a family getaway. Whether you’re interested in relaxing all day, swimming, snorkeling, or participating in various activities, the resorts in this country are sure to impress. 

You can stay in overwater bungalows, traditional hotels, villas, or something smaller. Whatever type of vacation you and your family crave, these resorts are a great way to ensure everyone has the best time.

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Discover Villa Haven / Opening 2024

Essence of reserved and serene living

Named among the best places to stay in the Maldives

People and place living in harmony

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Embrace the seafarer lifestyle

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Explore a faraway island retreat

A collection of award-winning resorts in the maldives archipelago.

Discover the essence of Maldivian luxury with Villa Resorts, a collection of award-winning resorts in the stunning archipelago of the Maldives. Merging the islands' vibrant beauty with the richness of local culture, each resort offers a spectrum of experiences, from peaceful retreats to dynamic adventures. Embrace a world where luxury, culture, and natural harmony converge, inviting you to a memorable escape in paradise.

Explore our resorts

Villa haven (opening 2024), south ari atoll, maldives.

Immersed in natural beauty, this heavenly sanctuary is a restorative island escape. Experience an elevated sense of harmony at Villa Haven.

Villa Nautica

North malé atoll, maldives.

Celebrating the glitz of yacht-life, Villa Nautica bustles with cosmopolitan flair. Embrace the seafarer lifestyle in a glamorous maritime setting.

Tropical, exotic and teeming with wildlife, Villa Park is adventurously unfamiliar. Explore our colourful isle with a far-flung and fun-filled getaway.

Royal Island

Baa atoll, maldives.

Connect with nature in the splendour of a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Ease into the local rhythm and recharge at Royal Island.

Find your perfect experience

Eden’s garden, villa haven.

Eden’s Garden is a perfumed enclave in which Simple Sybarites learn how to open their noses and make, bottle and name their own fragrances.

Healing Haven

Stress doesn’t just evaporate the moment you arrive on holiday. To accelerate the process of decompression, Villa Haven has designed a spacious lobby to help guests loosen up and feel the resort’s healing spirit from the very start.

Spellbinding Shows and Tales

After dinner, guests congregate casually around a fire pit on the beach to take part in Villa Haven’s serene evening ritual of cross-cultural and Holhuashi storytelling.

The Clay Club

The Clay Club is a place for calm; an escapist environment that nurtures a precious sense of community.

Toddy Tapper Tricks

In days gone by, the artful skill of toddy tapping was the backbone of island livelihoods. Villa Haven preserves and nurtures this unique and historical occupation, inviting guests to enjoy a uniquely Maldivian experience.

Seawall Specialities

Our wicker picnic baskets are stocked with delicious seasonal snacking delights for a secluded and relaxed meal on the seawall.

Crow’s Nest

As its name suggests, this lofty vantage-point and chill-out nest has unbeatable views of the island. Only reached via a thrilling spiral staircase… miniature rum cocktails at the top for the brave!

Villa Nautica has curated top-level exercise classes that are guaranteed to get you shipshape and yacht-body ready!

Book directly and we’ll spoil you with so many extras...

Maldives summer escapes.

Embrace the summer vibe year-round in the Maldives with our exclusive Maldives Summer Escapes offer, featuring savings up to 20%.

Exclusive Online Offers

Book directly via our website and we’ll spoil you with so many extras, from complimentary dining experiences to generous long-stay rates and excellent all-inclusive family friendly packages.

Romantic Honeymoons & Retreats

Book your honeymoon direct and enjoy special discounts on everything from spa treatments to dinners at Villa Resorts.

Free-spirited Families

Book a family adventure: kids under twelve stay free!

Stay Longer For Less

Stay for 10 nights or more, and we’ll spoil you with an additional 10% off.

Local and Expat Offer

Book a weekend getaway with this special offer for locals and expats living in the Maldives

Explore Villa Resorts through the eyes of our guests, or share your own experiences. #VillaResorts

• A private dining experience to remember forever ???? ⁠ ⁠ Our team love nothing more than surprising you both or your loved ones with the most unique dinner settings and Cape wine pairings by our world-renowned sommelier, all under gently swaying palms on the beach. ⁠ ⁠ Could there be anywhere more romantic in the world for a sunset dinner tonight?⁠ ⁠ #VillaResorts
• Another day of magical memories made in paradise ???? ⁠ ⁠ Barefoot beach walks together as the sun casts its softening rays across a coral-pink sky, turning floating clouds on the horizon into mesmerising palettes as dusk slowly turns to night.⁠ ⁠ Dreaming of enchanting island sunsets yet? Link in bio for more.⁠ Captured by @twosometravellers ⁠ #VillaResorts
• ⁠Our island home is an oasis of discovery ✨ ⁠ ⁠ Your holiday starts the moment you step off the plane and take the short 20-minute speedboat ride across the ocean from Malé. ⁠ ⁠ Will you be joining us @villanautica.maldives in North Malé Atoll?⁠ ⁠ Captured by @withluke⁠ ⁠ #VillaNautica #VillaResorts
• Thoughtful touches to make every moment count ???? ???? ???? ⁠ ⁠ Before dawn when the air is freshest and everyone is slowly waking to a new day, our team wander through our island gardens to pluck the prettiest blooms for you, knowing that even the smallest detail makes the happiest island memories.⁠ ⁠ First image by @wherethesoulswander⁠ ⁠ #VillaResorts
• Postcard from @villanautica.maldives ✨ ⁠Every now and then, playful spinner or bottlenose dolphins will cross your path, often right in front of your boat at dawn or dusk.⁠ ⁠ See you at the jetty for sundowner dolphin safari this evening? ⁠ Captured by @withluke⁠ ⁠ #VillaNautica #VillaPark
• Come on a virtual morning walk with us through Araamu Spa at @villapark.maldives ???????????? Imagine colourful blooms in tropical gardens and a bird-filled paradise as the beauty of our untouched island jungle unfolds before you.... shafts of sunlight stream through the palms and the unmistakable scent of the earth beneath your feet is both healing and grounding. Breathe, relax and discover the art of slowing down. Captured by @sofikulin #VillaPark #VillaResorts

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Your Maldives Vacation

The Maldives is the ultimate paradise destination, the one we all dream of visiting. Renowned for its spectacular beaches and luxurious hotels, it’s a bucket list destination for a reason. In the heart of the Indian Ocean, this tropical archipelago is of thousands of islands, clustered into larger atolls. Most Maldives travel packages start and end in the capital, Male, where you can hop aboard a water plane or speedboat to head to your idyllic island getaway. The Maldives resort vacation packages all but guarantee an incredibly special vacation, so you just need to choose: barefoot luxury, all-out glamor, family-friendly fun, or another version of bliss.

Top destinations in Maldives

Hangnaameedhoo

Furanafushi Island

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Maldives Romantic Vacation Packages

Celebrate your new life as a married couple by booking a romantic vacation package to the idyllic Maldives. With tropical beaches, crystal clear lagoons and secluded resorts, this dazzling archipelago in the Indian Ocean is a honeymoon hot spot in particular. Experience one of those emblematic overwater villas the Maldives is famous for at the 5-star Hurawalhi Island Resort in Lhaviyani Atoll . Add this indulgent stay to your Maldives vacation package and spend your days as newlyweds enjoying couples spa treatments and dining at the incredible glass undersea restaurant.

Meeru Island Resort & Spa will also sweep you off your feet. Rated 4.5 stars, it’s the only resort on Meerufenfushi Island and features an adults-only infinity pool, a day spa and beach dining. If you’re flirting with the idea of a Maldives honeymoon, find more inspiration in our list of Maldives Honeymoon Resorts & Hotels . Then, add some cool activities to your honeymoon package in the Maldives. A Night Snorkeling Experience in Dhiffushi Island and Maafushi: Sunset Fishing with BBQ Dinner are favorites!

Adults-Only Packages in the Maldives

Leave daily worries behind (and the kids!) for an unforgettable adults-only vacation. Just picture the two of you taking well-earned time out in paradise away from the real world. Now picture yourself at the 5-star Komandoo Maldives Island Resort on Komandoo Island! Offering candlelit dinners on the beach, a diving school and a day spa, this chic resort is all about the grown-ups and the perfect addition to your Maldives package deal.

Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is also irresistible. Take advantage of the swimming pool, spa and dive center at this 4-star getaway in Kooddoo . For more ideas about where to stay, check out these Adults Only Resorts & Hotels in Maldives and start building your Maldives vacation package today.

Where to Stay in the Maldives

Made up of almost 1,200 islands, you’ll easily find a slice of paradise to call your own. Here are our top picks to consider for your Maldives tourist package:

• Malé : Stay in the lively capital of the Maldives to experience dreamy beaches, historical landmarks, busy markets and colorful buildings.
• Huvafen Fushi : Indulge, relax, repeat! That’s the order of the day at Huvafen Fushi, an island known for its spa experiences and luxurious overwater bungalows with private plunge pools.
• Finolhas Island : Cast yourself away on this picture-perfect island with a reputation for fine food. Dine under the stars and savor local and international dishes while listening to the lapping waves.
• Nika Island : Love to dive? Stay on this island in the North Ari atoll for easy access to exciting dive sites.

Top Things to Do

Turquoise waters and glistening white sands are only part of the Maldives’ charm. To help you plan your Maldives vacation package, check out this list of cool things to see and do:

• Nature : When it comes to natural beauty, few destinations compare to the Maldives. Addu Nature Park , Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve and Chicken Island Reef are unmissable.
• Beach : Find your perfect piece of paradise among the soft, white sands and swaying palm trees of Hulhumale Beach , Paradise Island Beach and Olhuveli Beach .
• Food : Sample the rich tastes and flavors the Maldives is known for. Dine at top restaurants like Aragu at Velaa Private Island, Shades of Green on Soneva Fushi and Subsix at Niyama Resort.
• Adventure : Hear that? That’s adventure calling. A Maldives Adventure Trip , a Maafushi: Discover Scuba Diving in Maldives experience and a 2-Hour Maldives Submarine Tour from Male will keep you busy.

Check out our Things to Do in Maldives guide to get even more inspired while planning your Maldives vacation package!

How to Find Cheap Deals

Our all inclusive Maldives vacation packages are a great way to save. While inclusions will differ, accommodations, meals, snacks, entertainment and activities are typically included in the hotel price. The cherry on top is knowing you’ve landed an amazing deal on Expedia!

Maldives Essential Information

Prepare for your maldives vacation with our essential travel info, maldives hotel deals.

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Frequently asked questions, discover the most popular places to visit in maldives, paradise island beach.

If a restful vacation is part of your travel plans, Paradise Island Beach might be the perfect place to seek out during your trip to Lankanfinolhu. Stroll along this relaxing area's seaside, or simply enjoy its restaurants.

Gili Lankanfushi Beach

If a restful vacation is part of your travel plans, Gili Lankanfushi Beach might be the perfect place to seek out during your trip to Lankanfushi Island. While you're in the area, stroll along the seaside.

Hulhumale Beach

Why not spend a carefree afternoon at Hulhumale Beach during your travels in Hulhumalé? Make some time to visit the shops while you're in the area.

What to do in Maldives

Full day maldives adventure, other vacations you might like.

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Discover a new luxury all-inclusive resort in Maldives

Welcome to Pullman Maldives Maamutaa—an all-inclusive haven where luxury meets limitless possibilities. Immerse yourself in exclusive perks, ignite your intellect, and boldly extend your horizons. This isn’t just a resort; it’s a place designed for those who want to up their game.

Nestled in the Southern Maldives on Maamutaa Island within the Gaafu Alifu Atoll, our enterprising playground spans 18 hectares of lush greenery, encircling a natural lake. Our commitment? Providing you with the holiday of a lifetime—where the dynamic blend of business and pleasure takes center stage.

Let’s dive into the art of balancing work and play, where every moment is an opportunity to cultivate success and revel in the joy of discovery!

VIEW ALL INCLUSIVE BENEFITS

Why stay at Pullman Maldives Maamutaa?

At Pullman Maldives, we redefine your stay beyond mere slumber. We pay attention to the smallest detail so you don’t have to. Here are 5 reasons why you should stay at Pullman Maldives Maamutaa for your next dream vacation in Maldives.

#1 MOST GENEROUS ALL INCLUSIVE RESORT IN MALDIVES

Be prepared to enjoy some exclusive benefits during your stay, so you can leave your worries behind and simply enjoy your dream vacation in Maldives. From unlimited meals in our 3 Restaurants, a wide range of fitness options and complimentary non-motorized water activities or sunset cruise, this are just a few of the many activities you can choose to do. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll do it in style.

#2 NEVER STAY HUNGRY

At Pullman Maldives we serve you up a fresh take on ‘eatertainment’. There are no set rules. Sample local dishes, street-food inspired bites and pop-up craft beverages from every corner of the Resort within any of our 3 restaurants and 3 bars. Everything on offer is designed to fuel your performance – wherever and whenever you need it.

#3 SLEEP IN AN UNDERWATER BEDROOM

From the moment Pullman guests arrive they are immersed in local art – designed to inspire and spanned across the entire resort. Discover the place where creativity and innovation meets, with 2 exclusively designed Aqua Villas , featuring two underwater bedrooms in Maldives, where you can have an intimate encounter with marine life from the comfort of your bed. On land, above or under water, we have a total of 122 spacious and modern Villas & Suites .

#4 PUSH YOUR FITNESS GOALS

Get ahead of the game and stay there with Pullman’s bold new vision for fitness in Maldives. Gone are run-of-the-mill facilities and dedicated fitness spaces. In their place: fun, stylish and game-changing ways to unleash your athletic energy, in and around our island. We train hard, and we do it together. We are home of one of the best fitness retreats in Maldives .

#5 ONE OF THE BEST PLACES FOR DIVING IN SOUTH MALDIVES

Our unique location make us one of the best places for diving in South Maldives and the Pullman Suvadiva Diving Center is the go-to place for any diving enthusiasts. As a 5* PADI dive center, we offer all the PADI courses from beginners to advanced up to Dive Master. As specialty courses we offer Nitrox, DPV dive propulsion vehicle, side mouth and many more…

Earn your tail and fins by becoming a PADI certified mermaid, making all your childhood dreams come to life! The Suvadiva Dive Center by Pullman is the only Dive Center in the Maldives to have a PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer – which means not only can you get certified all the way up to Advanced Mermaid, but you can become a Mermaid Trainer yourself! Not up to doing the full course? You can also opt to pick out your tail at the Dive Center for a fun photo shoot at the Mélange pool!

The Suvadiva Dive Center is now a certified PADI Eco Center – only one of 4 in the whole of the Maldives!

Take a snorkeling or dive trip to one of our adopted dive sites, and be in awe of the wonders under the waves. The waters of the Gaafu Alifu atoll offer a range of dive and snorkeling sites that suit any experience level. If you’re looking to enjoy the ocean above water, there is a ton of activities, both relaxing and adventurous, available at the Water Sports center. Grab a paddle and meander around the lagoon at your own pace, or jump on a jet ski and explore the nearby islands, riding the wake of a pod of dolphins.

That’s not all, here’s an extra tip:

#6 SAVE MORE WHEN YOU BOOK HERE IN OUR WEB!

Don’t pay “hidden fees” anymore! You can get access to the best rates for Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Resort, simply when you book direct – here in our website. Also, don’t forget you can get rewarded during your stay and unlock more benefits with our Accor Loyalty Program: ALL – Accor Live Limitless . ALL  is built around you, rewarding you for the way you live, work and play. Earn and use points and enjoy privileges as a member of ALL.

The island is a playground, but it is also a sanctuary — privacy is of utmost importance to us. The flying of drones is restricted to the Panorama Beach with prior approval. Reach out to the Front Office for requests to avoid security issues. Management reserves the right to stop drone use if the privacy and security of other guests are compromised.

Pullman Maldives Maamutaa ☆☆☆☆☆ Maamutaa Island, 20219 Gaafu Alifu Atoll Maldives Tel: +960 6820909 Email: [email protected]

Nothing beats a good night’s sleep. That’s why we are always looking for ways to make bedtime better. The new Pullman Bed experience helps you...

At Pullman Maldives we aim to create unique experiences, and our 5-star PADI certified Suvadiva Dive Centre is the perfect place to do so. Our...

At Pullman Maldives we like to do things different and we love taking care of every single detail to make you live a truly memorable stay in...

Very nice property we are staying Pullman is beautiful resort Room , food , the sea and all activities are superb Rani at the spa treating me like a queen She’s very professional and very...

The comfort at the hotel was beyond tremendous. The rooms, restaurants and other activity areas were clean and meticulous. The smile and sincerity of the employees was one of the most important...

Experience at the spa was one of the best ever ! Rahul and rain 👌👌 This is really recommend to everyone We been doing so many massages but this is really really the best what we can say! Nothing...

Rahal and Rani are fantastic massagers. Resort is so beautiful food is so good we are enjoy here allot we are here for vactoins its nice and enojybel. But wather is not good no sun thats make...

Everyone and everything has been absolutely amazing, from the luxury of the beds/room to the food and drinks Recommend massage, Rahul & Kinzang , magical hands. Every meal has been delicious, Souq...

Based on 1085 user reviews

Address: Maamutaa Island, 20219 Gaafu Alifu Atoll , Maldives Phone: +960 6820909 Latitude: 0.8455784 - Longitude: 73.4085087

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Kandima Maldives

Welcome to Kandima – the ultimate playground in paradise! This game-changing island resort is bursting with Maldivian soul, cutting-edge facilities and nonstop fun. Experience delicious dining, thrilling water sports, 24/7 fitness, sports courts and an expansive kids club. At Kandima, every moment is extraordinary!

SMART, SPACIOUS & OH-SO STYLISH!

BEACH VILLA WITH POOL

BEACH & SKY STUDIOS

BEACH VILLA WITH SWIRL POOL

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FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS!

Spoilt for choice, you can choose from a total of ten unique restaurants and bars offering mouth-watering flavours from all over the world.

OUR SUPER COOL OFFERS

Are you looking for the koolest vacation ever in the Maldives? Well, you have come to exactly the right place! Check out our oh-so exciting offers at our game-changing lifestyle (desti)nation for an anything but ordinary vacation!

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What’s the difference between Full Board & Dine Around All Inclusive? What are the different inclusions for each meal plan at Kandima?

HOW TO GET HERE

Now that you have booked your trip to Kandima, it is time to arrange transfers. Please follow the step by step guide below to arrange your transfers to your island (desti)nation.

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Do you have more questions? Please have a look at our FAQ with all the major questions that our guests ask us. If you have any other specific query, please drop a message on the web chat!

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Best Marriott: St Regis Vs. W Maldives

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1. Location: St Regis Vs. W Maldives

2. style & character, 3. beach & pools, 8. conclusion.

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort and The W Maldives are part of the Marriott brand, so you can earn and burn Marriott Bonvoy points at both resorts.

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is on a private island in the Dhaalu Atoll, requiring a scenic 45-minute but expensive seaplane ride from Malé. 

W Maldives is located on North Ari Atoll, a shorter seaplane ride from Mahe airport. The flight takes just 25 minutes. A cheaper arrival option is a domestic flight to Maamigili Airport, which takes about 20 minutes, followed by a speedboat transfer, which takes about 45 minutes.

The W Maldives seaplane transfer is around half the price of the transfers to the St. Regis, which is worth budgeting as these transfers are expensive. Around $500 USD Vs. $750 USD when comparing the two resorts.

The St. Regis blends contemporary design and traditional Maldivian architecture, marked by sleek, modern lines and luxurious, opulent details. Upon arrival at both resorts, guests are welcomed by a greeting line of senior resort staff at the hotel’s respective seaplane jetties.

W Maldives is currently undergoing major renovations, with a reopening slated for Q4 2024. It should be beautifully finished in 2025 and well worth visiting. The resort has a warm and friendly vibe. When you are greeted at the W, you are handed a lovely welcome cocktail to start the fun. Fun and a great reef are the main selling points of this resort.

Ritz-Carlton Or St. Regis. Which Is The Best Marriott In The Maldives?

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The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort and The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, are both epitomes of luxury in the Maldives, each with its unique offerings. They are both part of the Marriott brand, so you can earn and burn Marriott Bonvoy points at both resorts. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is on a private island in the Dhaalu Atoll, requiring a scenic 45-minute but expensive seaplane ride from Malé. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives is located in the North Malé Atoll, accessible by a shorter 10-minute speedboat ride from Malé International Airport. The St.

Both resorts boast pristine white-sand beaches. The St. Regis features an impressive infinity pool that seamlessly blends into the ocean horizon and private pools. However, the pool and the beach are in the same area of the resort, so they lack variety. As beaching and pooling are the main things to do on the island, the St. Regis can be a little boring as you only have one place to go.

The main pool at W Maldives is lively but not busy. It has music playing and jacuzzis on one side. Weekly pool parties offer a great way to make new friends if you are looking for this. The W is a friendly, fun resort.

Both islands offer similar activities, but the W is definitely more adult, and there is no babysitting or kids’ club. Kids are welcome but not particularly well catered for. That said, the adults are very well catered for, and there is a neverending calendar of activities to do, so it’s hard to get bored.

Snorkeling is decent at St. Regis. The disadvantage of the reef at the St Regis is getting to it. You must swim quite a distance from your bungalow to get to the edge of the reef, which has a 100-foot drop-off that can feel weird and uncomfortable for beginners and young snorkelers.

The water at the St. Regis can be fairly rough around the villas, so you can’t always step out into the sea to swim or snorkel. If you have children, the roughness may frighten them.

The W Maldives is well known for having one of the best reefs in the Maldives. Expect to see sharks, eagle rays, and a brilliant array of fish. For snorkeling and diving alone, W is the one to pick

Ritz-Carlton Vs. St. Regis. Which Is Best?

Which is best, Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis? Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis are both high-end brands under the Marriott umbrella. They share this elite spot with BVLGARI, EDITION, and The Luxury Collection. These brands occupy a 5-star luxury category, with room quality and size, service, restaurants, and the hotel as a whole offering an ultra-luxurious setting. There are currently 61 St. Regis hotels. There are 11 in North America, 2 in Africa, 24 in Asia, 6 in Central America and the Caribbean, 6 in Europe, and 10 in the Middle East.

There are 77 private villas at The St. Regis. The rooms are luxurious villas with a contemporary design, high-end amenities, and private pools, providing a sense of grandeur and exclusivity. They offer high-end marble floors and fixtures but lack Maldivian charm. 

The base room here is not overwater but on the edge of the beach, and some of the rooms are tired and worn in places. If you book a standard overwater villa at St. Regis, it may also overlook other villas and lack privacy. We suggest requesting a room as far from the Whale Bar as possible to avoid unwanted noise.

The W Maldives rooms are a similar mix of beach and overwater villas, all with thatched roofs. The overwater villas are their base rooms, and the beach villas are a step up. They are more expensive, larger, and semi-detached, so they are attached to the next-door villa. 

The beds in the beach villas are comfy but quite low to get in and out of, and there are steps from the bed to the living area of the room that would be a nightmare with small kids. The bathrooms are a highlight in the beach villas at W Maldives as they are partially open-air with greenery drooping in. They are really nice and unusual.

W Maldives tends to be slightly cheaper than the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Rooms at the W Maldives usually start at around $1,200 USD per night, while St. Regis usually starts at around $1,500 USD per night.

Book either of these hotels via our luxury travel concierge to get a better deal. We can gift you free breakfast for two, along with priority room upgrades, hotel credit, and more. You also get your usual Marriott Bonvoy points when you book via our agency.

While both resorts offer luxurious experiences in stunning locations, the W Maldives is typically the more budget-friendly option. It has a vibrant, energetic vibe and a very friendly relaxed, and welcoming atmosphere.

The St. Regis offers a more refined, opulent, luxurious, and peaceful experience. It’s for those who want to avoid partying and want a more sedate and exclusive experience.

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5 reasons a Sun Siyam Resorts holiday is the ultimate way to experience the Maldives

Paradise is within your reach

Picture the Maldives and you can’t help but conjure up stretches of white sand, gently swaying palm trees and sparkling, aquamarine water. You may assume this is an unattainable paradise – but you’d be wrong.

1. Divine dining options

If sampling incredible food and drink is more important to you than topping up your tan, make sure you check in to Sun Siyam Iru Fushi , which boasts a whopping 15 restaurants and bars. Choose cuisine from all over the world, such as French fine dining at Flavours, Asian delicacies at Bamboo or fresh seafood, served Maldivian-style, at the Islander’s Grill. Enjoy a sundowner at adults-only poolside bar Reflections or remind yourself you’re in the Indian Ocean by seeking out authentic curries, dahls and breads at A Taste of India.

2. Unrivalled reefs

It may not be headline news that the Maldives offers fantastic marine life, but diving enthusiasts will be utterly spoilt at Sun Siyam Vilu Reef thanks to its uniquely preserved house reef. Offering some of the best diving and snorkelling in the archipelago, it’s situated just a few steps from the white-sand shoreline and is home to turtles and huge schools of spectacular coloured fish. Special courses created especially for children mean the whole family can dive together – and even better, each resort has a dedicated coral restoration project, helping to make sure these fragile ecosystems continue to flourish for future generations to enjoy and explore.

3. World-class wellness

The perfect place to come and be pampered, The Spa by Thalgo France at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi will have you feeling blissful as soon as you stroll through the lush forest to reach your individual pamper room. 160 treatments are on offer, including several which are Maldivian-inspired, so you can truly feel as if you’re connecting with the island. The spa practitioners combine timeless wisdom with a contemporary approach, and specialise in traditional massage, as well as world-renowned wellness practices. You can also avail yourself of hydrotherapy rooms, steam rooms and saunas, with bespoke consultations on offer, in addition to personalised wellness experiences such as one-to-one yoga sessions with guided meditation, or a meeting with the spa’s resident Ayurvedic doctor.

4. The best of both worlds

If you can’t make up your mind between a beach-based holiday or something more adventurous, Sun Siyam Resorts offers the perfect solution: a split-destination trip between one of its Maldives resorts and its newly refurbished Sun Siyam Pasikudah on Sri Lanka’s east coast. Boasting 34 luxurious pavilions, it’s a perfect base to explore some of the island’s incredible wildlife, plantations and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Spot wild elephants and monkeys at Minneriya National Park, where you might even spy endangered species such as the Sri Lankan leopard and sloth bear; visit the royal ancient city of Polonnaruwa, or take a trip to the golden bay on Pasikudah Beach and snorkel above coral formations and schools of reef fish.

5. Authentic island life

The downside of many five-star hotels is that you could be anywhere. Not at Sun Siyam Resorts though, as each one offers a truly authentic Maldivian welcome, albeit with a unique vibe and different experiences. Vilu Reef, where it all began, boasts stunning overwater villas, a secluded beach and fabulous house reef. Iru Fushi offers a personalised butler service, perfect for honeymooners and families (up to two children under 15 can stay and eat for free!). Sun Siyam Olhuveli suits an adventurous crowd, thanks to an itinerary including shark encounters and shipwreck snorkelling, while Sun Siyam Iru Veli appeals to those looking for laid-back luxury.

Finally, new Siyam World attracts groups of friends and multi-generation families on one of the Maldives’ largest islands. Best of all, you can holiday with a clear conscience knowing that the group has a bedrock of sustainability programmes to ensure it takes less and gives back . What more could you want?

Take advantage of summer-special offers and book your Sun Siyam Resorts holiday today

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Why do Americans go to the Maldives when they could stay in the Caribbean?

Why do we suffer grueling flights, dizzying jet lag and prices known to rattle pacemakers for what amounts to a holiday in the sun? We also have sun. Florida has sun. The US Virgin Islands have sun. The answer, whether we care to admit it, is that it just sounds so nice to respond to the question, “Where’d you get so tan, Charlie?” with, “Just back from the Maldives, Bill. You shoulda seen it.”

But what if there was a case for going just as far, with even more legs, to a tropical island resort almost no one has ever heard of? Could there be a rationale for traveling to a place so outlying and unidentifiable that it would baffle Bill?

Consider this.

Floating halfway between Singapore and the west coast of Borneo in the South China Sea, on the fringes of the Anambas Islands Regency archipelago under the flag of Indonesia, is a cluster of six smalls isles: Bawah, Elang, Sanggah, Muerba, Batu tokong and Lidi. With a collective land mass of about one-third of a square mile, they’re little more than steep volcanic hills, blanketed in jungle fronds, ringed in pale sand. Together, these islands make up Bawah Reserve , a boutique resort dedicated to caretaking this threatened marine environment.

But the path to this littoral Eden, ripe with a heterogeneity of prismatic butterflies and fish, might have made headstrong Hannibal hesitate. Step one: Fly 19 hours east from NYC to Singapore. Step two: Go through Singapore immigration, get in a van and head to the cruise terminal. Step three: Board a 45-minute ferry to the Indonesian island of Batam. Passport stamped, you’ll drive across Batam to a small airport. Step four: Hop on a seaplane for an 80-minute flight to Bawah, et voila. Suddenly an elephant-back crossing of the Alps doesn’t sound so bad.

So about that rationale again?

Bawah Reserve opened in 2019 and was quickly shut down by the pandemic.

Today, the resort’s eponymous island is born again.

Based around a central bar and treetop restaurant, the resort’s 36 beachfront and overwater villas unfold under the tropical canopy and against the surf. Walk along its single track and you’ll pass the pool, grass tennis court, vegetable garden, beachfront restaurant and the spa. Rarely are the best resorts all-inclusive and when they are, they rarely mean it. But at Bawah, the chef’s dinners, the surf-side lunches, laundry, all activities (snorkeling, paddle boarding and kayaking), the classes (yoga, meditation, coffee tastings and perfume mixing) and, yes, even daily spa treatments are part of the deal.

And that all adds up to point No.1 for going to an island your neighbors haven’t heard of. At $1,900 per night (which includes Indonesia’s steep hotel tax), plus $950-per-person transport, it’s damn competitive. For instance, at a Maldives favorite like Soneva Fushi, rooms start at $1,500 per night, but that doesn’t include meals, doesn’t include the $1,300-per-person seaplane, doesn’t include the spa and doesn’t include a 29.92% tax on your villa.

The next reason to head for nowhere is privacy. Although Bawah feels adventurously remote, its neighboring island, Elang, is even more secluded. Built as owner and shipping magnate Tim Hartnoll’s private family residence, this 15-acre speck is available for buyout only for up to 22 guests. A sprawling jungle mansion filled with trees, light and character, it’s obvious the owner’s eye was focused here. No, there are no water slides. No, there are no glass-walled underwater bedrooms. But there is a private grass tennis court. There is a bathtub on the terrace in the tree canopy. Rooms are filled with tasteful locally made furnishings that look straight out of the New York’s D&D Building. It’s heaven on earth for people who know how to put away their phones.

The other argument for Bawah is indie-environmentalism. Yes, every resort on planet Earth advertises its eco chops. They plant coral (usually after destroying the reef during construction). But there is nothing corporate or greenwashed about Bawah: It’s managed by a team of OCD garbage sorters and plays by its own rules. It runs a mini-recycling and bottling plant.

Everything is composted and the veggies and fruits in the restaurants are grown right there. There’s a shop where driftwood and whatever else washes ashore is transformed into usable furniture and lumber. Everything from coconut husks to beer bottles become something new. There are no coffee pods (it’s ground fresh) and there’s no plastic. And, of course, there’s extensive coral planting in the glassy lagoons. It’s a massive, frequently Sisyphean effort that gives the resort a gently commune-esque atmosphere in places. Environmentalism is in the blood here.

And here’s the sinker: It’s important, even luxurious, to drop off the map. Every year, it’s becoming harder and harder to find a destination that isn’t a brand name, that isn’t a neon-lit exhibition of social media clout.

Tomorrow, it might be impossible. Of course, it’s fine to book St. Barts, the Côte d’Azur, the Maldives; they’re great. But they’re also as conspicuous as a pair of hot pink Juicy sweatpants at a Connecticut Sunday school. Did you really schlep all that way for you or for them? So go ahead, baffle Bill.

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