Resorts in the Maldives you loved?

[ErickBroch]

Hi! I am looking to go on my honeymoon late this year, Nov/Dec time, and I am looking into the Maldives but there are so many options it's hard to know what's what.

I am ideally looking for 10 nights, all inclusive option, water villa, and budget is max 11k. I would love to hear where you stayed if you had a wonderful time. Thank you

We go back to the same resort every time because it’s perfect for us, but our budget is more around the 6k mark! If you haven’t been before, I’d think about the following:

• think carefully about whether you really want a water villa. Sounds silly, but you don’t get your own little bit of beach with them, just a deck. Also, you can end up with quite a long walk to get back to the island and to the restaurant, bar etc. Also, you might well get a couple of fairly intense storms while you’re there, and it might be a bit unnerving being in the middle of the sea then.
• I’d guess any island on your budget will have a house reef, but check how often they run snorkelling trips to other reefs and how much they cost.
• check that the dive school has good reviews if you want to do scuba.
• think about what kind of holiday you actually want. I always look at the fancier resorts and think, underwater restaurants are all very well, but what I want to do is eat with my toes in the sand and watch the sun set.
• obviously check that the restaurant gets good reviews because you can’t go anywhere else if you don’t like it!
• check how many bars there are and what they offer because you want the option to have a quiet drink on the beach (see previous point) as well as the entertainment, tv etc.
• this might be controversial, but see if you can get an idea of where most of their guests come from. IME hotels popular with French people can be relied on to have good food and a nice chilled out atmosphere.

We stayed on Kuramathi (booked through Kuoni) and had a wonderful time. It’s one of the bigger islands so plenty to do, great spa, lots of nice restaurants with amazing food. We didn’t stay in one but they do have water villas.

How funny @StruggleStreet we also stayed at Kuramathi for our honeymoon 10 years ago and I still have such special memories. We also didn’t stay in a water villa but would highly recommend the island!

What a coincidence @icklekid!
We also stayed for our honeymoon, such a special time.
Currently in the midst of sleepless nights with a newborn and now fantasising about running off to the Maldives to lie on a sun lounger with a book and a cocktail

Kandolhu is very special...tiny island with only 30 villas but absolutely idyllic with wonderful house reef ( so many turtles and tropical fish) , real barefoot luxury, no shoes no news
Food and accommodation is just amazing and views are incredible ( sunsets are spectacular)
It's only available to book from U.K. via Kuoni ( who we booked through) but if you go through some smaller specialist Maldives travel agencies they can book it for you ( Magic of Maldives and Simply Maldives)
We're due to return this September...can't wait!

Everyone is going to recommend the island they stayed at, which is not very helpful if they have only visited one.
Sensible advice from Bood, especially about water villas and the long walk on very hot decking.
Don’t let a high street travel agent send you to Meeru. For some reason they push newbies there. No snorkelling from the beach, you have to go on the resort boat to reach it.
If you are on Facebook, consider joining ‘Maldives Holidaymakers’.

We have done Paradise Island in a water villa and Conrad Rangali in a beach villa

Of the 2, I loved Rangali more but we will do a water villa when we go back in a few years

It has an incredible underwater restaurant plus teppanyaki on the beach, overwater, buffet and other restaurant

The spa with glass floors was fabulous and I loved chilling out in the sand floored bar playing pool, darts and listening to the live music nights

Paradise was nice, but just not as amazing