Of all the tropical island destinations in the world, there are few places like the Maldives, its string of picture-perfect islands ringed by pristine palm-fringed beaches and beyond that, crystal-clear turquoise lagoons teeming with an abundance of colourful marine life. Throw in an array of some of the world’s most beautiful hotels and life doesn’t get better than taking a dip in the warm, shallow waters directly from the deck of your overwater villa, or watching one of the epic sunsets turn the sky a pastel shade of candy-floss pink. But with hundreds of resorts, finding the best one to suit your style can be overwhelming, so here’s our pick of some of the best, to help you make the most of your bucket list trip to paradise.
Where is the Maldives?
The Maldives lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, made of over 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of twenty-six atolls in the clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. Of those islands, less than 200 are inhabited.
The best time to visit the Maldives
It's generally agreed that the best time to visit the Maldives is in the dry season between November and April when travellers can expect little rain, low humidity and blue skies – and clearer waters for diving visibility. The wet season starts in May and ends in October when you'll find cheaper flights and accommodation.
How to choose the best hotel in the Maldives
The only way to ensure an excellent experience is to research, research and research again. Unless you're using a specialist travel company, be sure to check the hotel or resort's websites, as well as look on third-party platforms for the best price.
Is it easy to travel around the Maldives?
Former House & Garden editor, Pamela Goodman, offers the following advice on travelling around the Maldives. ‘My advice regarding the Maldives, the destination that tops most bucket lists for winter sun, is to think hard about whether you want an end destination in a far-flung atoll reached by an onward scheduled domestic flight or one that’s only a short hop by seaplane or boat transfer.' The first of these options makes for a longer journey time, but offers a more far-flung, secluded experience and ‘greater sense of remoteness.’
The best resorts in the Maldives in 2024
Best for families
From The Den at Soneva Jani - the largest kids’ club in South East Asia - which comes complete with a bowling alley and a cinema, to making family memories at Six Senses Laamu by turning off devices and dialling up the fun with activities like flying yoga, organic gardening, or cooking workshops, the Maldives isn’t just a destination for honeymooners.
Make things easy with less travel by checking into One & Only Reethi Rah - a boat ride away from the airport - where many of the activities focus on education with activities like traditional Maldivian drumming and dance classes. Or head further afield to JW Marriott where some of the 100 plus activities range from pizza making to beach olympics and arts and crafts sessions aimed at reducing waste by using recycled materials. Whatever your needs, the Maldives is dotted with family-friendly resorts meaning you won’t arrive back home needing a holiday from your holiday.
Best for design lovers
In a setting such as the Maldives, the beauty is already at a high, but a number of resorts have stepped things up a notch with ultra design-orientated offerings to please even the fussiest of aesthetes. In the north Malé Atoll, Patina and Ritz-Carlton - both located on the Fari Islands - are beauties to look at; the latter with its distinct circle theme and curvilinear lines designed by architect Kerry Hill, and Patina with its sexy tropical brutalism and subtle tones by Brazilian designer Marcio Kogan.
At JOALI, the wow factor starts with its sculptural wave-like arrival pavilion and continues through to its interiors where hand-carved wooden panels, terrazzo flooring and green marble showers are emphasised with brass accents and organically shaped furnishings courtesy of Istanbul-based firm Autoban. And then there’s Alila Kothaifaru, where Japanese minimalism meets Scandi-chic with modern clean lined exteriors that lead to interiors with soft natural materials, cultural motifs, and organic forms.
Best for scuba diving and snorkelling
With its warm crystal clear waters, vibrant coral reefs and abundant marine life, nothing beats scuba diving or snorkelling in the Maldives. But with 26 atolls and over a hundred resorts to choose from, the question is where to go for the best underwater action? Comprising over 75 islands, the Baa Atoll, which has been designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, is peppered with resorts that include the Four Seasons, Anantara Kihavah, Soneva Fushi and Milaidhoo, all of which have easy access to Hanifaru Bay, one of the few places in the world where whale sharks congregate to mate, and between the months of May and November, hundreds of manta rays go to feed on the plankton pushed into the bay by the tides. Outside of that, each resort has its own house reef, with the more established properties - like Hurawalhi or Baros - being the best spots to jump straight from your over-water villa to find Nemo.
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Best for wellness
No longer just about having a fully equipped fitness centre, many resorts in the Maldives are kicking things up a notch with a host of offerings aimed at improving our sense of wellbeing and life balance. There’s Kagi Spa Island - whose sprawling 16,000 square foot Baani Spa offers alternative therapies, and a yoga and sound healing studio alongside a nutritional menu of gluten free and vegan bites - and COMO Cocoa Island, which has a two-storey wellness centre with a pilates studio, hydrotherapy pool and a menu of curated Wellness Immersions that focus on sleep, detoxing and activity.
But JOALI Being comes out tops, with a host of curated programmes, and 39 treatment rooms dotted around the island, that include a cryotherapy chamber, a Watsu pool, a Russian banya, a sensory deprivation room, and a herbology centre. All this alongside nutritional cooking classes, lectures on mindfulness, and on site naturopaths, ayurvedic and TCM practitioners that ensures you will emerge from your holiday reaping long term benefits.
Best for couples
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One of the most romantic destinations on the planet, there really is no better place to escape to than the Maldives for some quality time with your partner. And living up to its name as a honeymoon destination, there are more than enough resorts that up the passion factor, from adult-only retreats like Hurawalhi, which has a nearby sandbank for private picnics, to Milaidhoo, where the impossibly pink, no-filter cotton candy sunsets from onboard a private cruise, will be enough to get anyone in the mood. For a more boutique feel (and one of the longest-established resorts in the Maldives), look to Huvafen Fushi, which has recently reopened after a huge renovation.
Resorts like Vakkaru offers vow renewing ceremonies with coconut tree planting, while Gili Lankanfushi, a barefoot paradise in the North Malé Atoll, has packages designed for couples to reconnect, inclusive of activities such as couples’ massages, romantic baths, and dining in the dark for a true bonding experience as you lay under the stars.
Best for island hopping
The truth is, it’s not easy to island hop in the Maldives. Made up of nearly 2,000 islands that span 510 miles from north to south, getting from one resort to another usually involves a mixture of seaplanes and boats that mostly go to and from Malé. In other words, a means to an end, rather than a leisure activity. But for those who want a bit of variety, there are resorts that are easier to hop to than others, especially if they are located within close proximity to each other in a relatively small atoll, or are part of the same brand such as Anantara Dhigu and Veli, or JOALI and JOALI Being. Hurawalhi and its smaller more luxurious sister Kudadoo, in the Lhaviyani atoll are a short boat ride from each other, as are Patina and the Ritz Carlton, on the Fari Islands. Though for most, once you get to your resort, you’ll probably never want to leave.
