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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Has anyone been to Maldives with kids?

28 replies

Chica · 10/05/2007 22:51

Thinking of taking kids with us to Maldives. (14,8 and 20 months) in Aug. DH loves to dive. Has anyone taken their kids? If so can you recommend a resort? Any advice?
Thanks

OP posts:
funnypeculiar · 10/05/2007 22:54

sigh - went before kids - it was fab - and there were lots of kids around... we went to meeru because it was cheapest place we could find!

Enjoy

barbamama · 10/05/2007 22:57

Hi we went last september with 22 month old ds. It was great. Only negative was the travel was a bit of a trek with a young baby - you have to change somewhere and then get a seaplane usually. Might be easier with 2 older ones for help. Emirates were terrible as well. The resort and Maldives were gorgeous once we got there. We went to One & Only Kanuhura which was very child friendly (childrens meals, kids club, play area etc) but was muchos ££££. Lots of info on different resorts on www.tripadvisor.com - which good for kids, diving etc.

Wotzsaname · 10/05/2007 22:58

One & Only is a quality hotel..lucky you.

barbamama · 10/05/2007 23:14

It was gorgeous, is the only one I have been too, maldives was so stunning though I am sure many/most resorts would be lovely too.

Spidermama · 10/05/2007 23:21

My sister lived there for the past 6 months with her two boys. She was in Male. It was very hot and as a woman you can't wear bikinis etc, but she said it was chilled and relaxing and her boys loved it.

barbamama · 10/05/2007 23:29

You can wear bikinis freely at the actual resort islands (male is the capital) but you couldn't go topless, nor would you want to. It's stunningly beautiful out there. Go if you can, you'll have a great holiday - though it is a long trek (we did carbon offsetting for the flights to assuage my guilt and most of the resorts have an eco-policy re: towel washing, protecting the environment etc)

Hersetta · 11/05/2007 13:12

I'm off to the Maldives later today infact - our 4th visit.

I agree the long journey will be pretty tough on your toddler - it's usually around a 18-20 journey door to door for us obviously longer if you have a large transit time or a delay of any kind.

August is pretty much luck of the draw weather wise. You could have fantastic weather or a week of continual rain. I would therefore suggest a bigger island that will have more facilities for your kids if it does rain a lot. Check out Kuredu or Sun Island which both offer all inclusive options. If you don't fancy those, Bandos is supposed to be the most child friendly, as it even has a kids club.

PestoMonster · 11/05/2007 13:15

Have a good time Hersetta. I am , went there many moons ago with dh pre-dds and we also went to Meeru. Bliss!

Hersetta · 11/05/2007 13:29

Thanks Pesto. We're off to Lily Beach again this time. Our last trip for a while I fear as I am 24 weeks pregnant with our first baby.

Original poster
Chica · 11/05/2007 19:46

We looked at the One & Only Reethi Rah which was quoted at about £16,500 for 2 weeks for 2 adults, 3 kids. I am sorry - i like to spend but that is ridiculous! The Other One & Only seems a bit cheaper - will have to look. Have been recommended Bandos island for the kids in particular which is much more reasonably priced.

Also looked at the Red Sea for Diving - any ideas? Looked at the Mark Warner resort Abu Soma in Dahab. Now I am not so sure - what with poor little Maddy's kidnap at their resort in portugal. Paranoid I know!

OP posts:
barbamama · 11/05/2007 20:41

For comparison we paid around £5000 for 11 nights at One & Only Kanuhura and that was enough for me! I think that was HB so it was pretty much 6K all in (!), ds was under 2 so I don't think we paid full price for his flights - just taxes maybe and I think the resort was 25% or something - but I guess with 2 more adult fares it will soon mount up - I think the Reethi Rah gets more honeymooners so it is probably a bit more pricey - we met some people who had come from there and they preferred Kanuhura saying Reethi Rah was a touch more clinical. Kanuhura was a mix of honeymooners and family's. Maldives is not a cheap option - I guess you get what you pay for - was worth it though I think.

I think we'll have to wait til he's gone to university now before we go back! It's so expensive to go on holiday with older kids!!

I'm not sure you need to pay the premium for the "name" hotel - it is so beautiful there you would be happy wherever you pitched up I think. I have heard Bandos is nice too.

We have also been to the Red Sea (pre-ds, Egypt) and you would have a very good family hol there too - the diving is excellent and possibly more accessible though the resorts and hotels obviously don't have that luxury desert island feel like the Maldives. Cheaper tho.

Original poster
Chica · 11/05/2007 21:30

Hi Barbamama,
Thanks for the info - looks like u travel a lot - you lucky thing! We just did Lykia world in Turkey last month for the second time - it was brilliant as usual. Great for families. I just can't make up my mind about the Maldives. It is beautiful no doubt but far, expensive (but my dh gets reimbursed for some of it)and I wonder what I will do to entertain 3 kids for 2 weeks! Having said that the diving is meant to be amazing (dh and dd dive, I dont).

OP posts:
ILoveDolly · 11/05/2007 21:40

hi we went to Coco Palm Resort in the Baa Atoll before sprogged up. That resort is more of an adults only place really. It was May and so hot already, but the snorkelling was fantastic. Your older kids will love it if they are happy to snorkel all day but the islands themselves are really not full of 'fun', just wonderfully beautiful, relaxing, and remote! If you chose a resort with kids club i'm sure you won't be in the situation of the german couple on our island, their kids were so bored and just spent all day shooting pool on the verandah of the spa! not a holiday worth £1000's from their point of veiw i reckon!! buy a cheap underwater camera while in UK (they charge a lot out there for them!!) so your children can have fun being nature photographers, and taking pics of dad underwater, natch.

barbamama · 12/05/2007 10:45

Used too ; >

We are going to Cornwall this year as I am pregnant and a 21/2 year old isn't quite as easy to keep entertained for a 14 hour flight! Can't face it anymore! Mind you he would have a seat this time which might be easier. Last time he was too big for the tiny skycots so slept on our knees the whole way - numb bums!

For entertainment I think you have to check what is at the resort - personally I think we had enough to do - the first few days were stormy and there was a cinema, DVD's, games room, spa (not much use for the kids but great for you!)and the kids club was basically a nursery/soft play which you could use freely with the little ones - had sandpits, jigsaws etc. Teenagers or older ones might have found it a touch quiet. Although there was, would you believe, a nightclub every saturday (other side of island, no noise probs) which was quite a laugh - I found it quite ironic that the first time I had been to a club since ds was born was on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, miles from anywhere!

Familly holidays are not as simple to organise are they? The Red Sea would be a good option as well I think and would certainly keep the divers and snorkellers happy - it is great diving there (though busy).

You are making me want to go on holiday now!!!

pammo · 16/05/2007 18:43

I learnt to dive on Velidhu (North Ari Atoll) and another pre kids holiday. Maldives are great for diving, snorkelling and total relaxation since there is little else to do. If your 14 & 8 yr old are allowed to learn to dive, then it may be worth it - honestly, there won't be many other kids and with a 20 mth old, you'll be sitting on the beach while your DH is away for at least half if not the whole day diving! The islands are pretty small and you can pretty much walk around the largest one in well under an hour. Have to say that a diving holiday in the Madives is not really child friendly unless the whole family dives, not just your DH! But if you do, take the opportunity and learn to dive, it'll definitely be a pleasant place to learn. (And pack a kite - we did! - it'll while away an hour or two every day.)Good Luck!

RTKangaMummy · 16/05/2007 19:03

We went to Maldives on the 1st stop of our round the world trip when DS was 6 years old

It was January when we were there and it was sooooooooooooo deffo brill

DS did snorkelling there

All the people are soooooooooo lovely

Moomin · 16/05/2007 19:09

My brother works as a diving instructor in the Maldives. He does a lot of work with families and think he told me that the youngest they instruct is 6. I will find out the name of his resort and let you know. It doesn't all revolve around diving; there are other activites too. am very [jealous] (of you and of him)

Moomin · 16/05/2007 19:09

ha ha meant !

Moomin · 16/05/2007 19:28

Here you go.The Meeru Island resort

Original poster
Chica · 17/05/2007 20:04

Thanks for the info - I will look into the Meeru resort too

OP posts:
dontwanttogetoutofbed · 17/05/2007 20:10

RTKanga, tell us more about an around the world trip with a child. how long did you go for? what did you do? work or just travel?

beij78 · 16/05/2015 08:08

Hi we are off to Maldives with 22 month little girl - does anyone have any tips on what to take with us for the 2 weeks. There will be no kids but we do have the option of a baby sitting service if we require some time off ;)

Newquay · 16/05/2015 08:36

How lovely! We went with dc when he was 22 months and although it was tricky (mostly because he is a fussy eater) it was rather amazing. The main worries were the sun and the pools/drowning worry. So we took lots of uht milk (they didn't have fresh milk on the island we went to (Holiday inn Kandooma) - u can get it there but it's expensive (unless u sidle up to the resort manager and get some free ;)). Take LOADS of suncream and nappies. Basically if u run out of anything it costs loads to get some there. It was useful to have 3 sets of sun suits/hats (we had 2 but given the flash rain storms sometimes they would be wet still). We took a tablet for dinner table.

Newquay · 16/05/2015 08:52

Oh yes I forgot that most of the clothes I took for dc (tshirts n shorts) were way too hot for the humidity - we have 1 cotton shirt which he wore everyday to breakfast with a nappy on. So I wish I had done more research into getting clothing that would be appropriate for such heat - rather than just thinking that British summer time clothing would suit. Same went for me - my tshirt dresses were just impossible to wear.

Yeesss · 16/05/2015 18:41

Just by way of warning.....I have stayed at a different O&O resort, and whilst it was very nice, it was a complete rip off once we were there. We are spending around £600 per day for meals for 2 adults and 2 four year olds.

That aside, we regularly travel long haul with our kids and it is surprising how well they cope with it.

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