Maldives - where?!?

[msc6199]

DP & I have our sights on going to the Maldives in the next couple of years. It'll be an incredibly expensive trip but once in a lifetime, and to celebrate a big life event, so we want to get it right.
Where to start?! Rather naively we didn't quite appreciate just how many beautiful options are available, all the little islands etc.

So, does anybody have any suggestions in terms of which island to visit, what kind of room to go for (beach villa, ocean pool villa), what time of year to go and things like that?

I would hate to spend the best part of £10k on the wrong thing - although I would imagine it's hard to go wrong with such a beautiful location. Thank you all in advance for any ideas xx

January is a great time to go. Definitely definitely go for AI, you don’t want to have to start restricting your meals. All islands are very very expensive outside of meal plans. We stayed on one where a bottle of water was $10 outside of AI we drank about 5-6 a day!

Don’t book a garden room or bungalow, try and stretch at least to a beach bungalow. Never stayed in a water villa as we have small children. Buy sun creams, snorkelling gear etc before hand, everything you need to buy on the island will be very very expensive. (I unexpectedly got my period and paid a fortune for tampons 😩)

If traveling without children I would choose an island or part of a resort that’s childfree. A lot of resorts have adults only areas including pools. When you book check that the transfers are included- water plane can be another $350 or so per person. Take cash ($) for tips.

Not a ton of clothes needed, nobody wears high heels and it’s too hot for much make-up.

Surfing is amazing at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa according to my DH and the kids . We last went before the pandemic in Dec 2019 and took mil too . We were unlucky with the weather since only had time for a 6 d stay before Christmas and there was a storm and cloudy weather for about half the time but my kids and husband managed several surf trips any way , my DS went diving twice for the first time ever he was then nearly 15 ,he went jet blading too and we made a coral frame in Fil memory to restore the house reef ,saw baby turtles and bigger ones being rehabilitated in the rescue centre and saw countless fish and also turtles in the wild while snorkelling / diving . Some other activities we’d done before like fishing and a dolphin cruise were cancelled / ruined because of the weather . I really had wanted to fly to the other Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru for a day have lunch and go in a special small submarine with DH without the kids since we had Mil to watch the kids but it was being repaired . Previously we had been there around 7 y before with just DS in the same resort but in feb and the weather was better . I love four seasons resorts and hotels we’ve been to lots but I’d like to try a different place next time . I was looking at six senses originally which required a seaplane and there were some amazing new openings . Now haven’t travelled except to Greece last y oct half term or seen my own family for over 2 y which is new normality but initially very weird after 20 y in this country with lots of travelling . Kids are missing it I’ve been too tired to care as much but part of me is looking forward to exotic destinations one day again . I think we’ll appreciate it more next time !

Oh and we love a beach villa with a private pool and direct beach and sea access with the kids

This thread makes me happy.
I suppose it’s the mental escapism it’s creating.

I've been four times. It is my favourite place on earth.

I'm surprised at the comments about water bungalows. I love staying in them. Looking out, with nothing between you and the horizon is amazing, as is being able to step down straight into the sea. Sadly we are back on the beach now until our daughter gets a bit older.

As you say, OP, there is a huge selection of resorts and they are regularly changing too. My favourite so far has been Lux, followed by Anantara, but there are many gorgeous islands. I like the more far flung atolls, which you access by sea plane. The islands close to Male have planes and ships around them, so you don't get that feeling of paradise.

We've just come back from Lux South Ari Atoll, which was lovely. Not sure if you know but BA do a direct flight to Male which is much easier than going via Columbo or Dubai, especially if you book somewhere that needs a sea plane transfer which takes ages. We got a really good deal booking with BA in one of their sales.

We went for our honeymoon November 2018 to Thudufushi and Athuruga (sister islands) they are part of the Diamond resorts group. Did both a beach bungalow and water villa and both were amazing. Totally agree with the all inclusive comments. I'd go back tomorrow if I could it was utter paradise.

What’s better a land transfer or sea plane transfer.

@ihatethecold

What’s better a land transfer or sea plane transfer.

For us we loved the sea plane

yes, a sea plane sounds very James Bond

You are not going to find a land transfer in the Maldives... it's boat or plane.

BA's direct flight is only on their winter schedule, which is annoying. Now we have a child we are much more limited when we can travel and there are few opportunities that fit with the direct BA flights. Last time we flew Qatar and we're really impressed. The stopover worked well in terms of giving our daughter a chance to stretch her legs and all of us the opportunity to have something other than plane food, but I would prefer a direct flight.

thats what I meant Eurochick.
I knew there was another option apart from a plane. I just couldn't remember what it was. I thought land transfer sounded wrong!

Im ill, so forgive my addled brain

Where's the closest resort to the main airport - I hate transfers and would never get in a small plane ?

@LaurieFairyCake
The airport is on the main island, Male but you wouldn’t want to stay there.

If you don’t like small planes there are speedboat transfers but tbh the best islands are in the Baa Atoll which do involve a short hop on a plane

@LaurieFairyCake the closest is the original resort -kurumba. It's a ten minute boat ride from the airport. We've stayed there and it's very nice but there is some plane noise and you can see the fishing trawlers going in and out of Male so you don't get the full desert island experience.

Couple of tips, go all inclusive as alcohol is really expensive. I went 15 years ago and a bottle of jacobs creek was £27.

Also I wouldn’t have a water bungalow again, the water at night kept me awake (tough life I know).

We had a sea plane which was lovely as you could see the turtles in the ocean.

Would go again in a heartbeat.

The Maldives will soon be under water because of climate change. You’d better hurry up, or rethink the whole thing.

DH and I went for honeymoon January 2020.

January is such a good time to go.
We went to Oblu - Helengeli. We had a deluxe beach villa. I much preferred the beach villas to the water villas as they were on the water front anyway, and I loved being able to walk on the sand in the morning.

It's a small island, the staff cannot do enough for you my goodness. They are incredible.
If you like seafood, the seafood in the Maldives is like nothing I've ever tasted.

Try and get a direct flight. BA do direct flights every week or two. We flew with Qatar, it was a long slog and had to stop for 6 hours at Doha and it was long. Plus the 1 hour speed boat to the island.

It was a once in a lifetime trip. Please, please go if you can. It's beyond incredible and all these Instagram unrealistic pictures of holidays are nothing compared to the Maldives.

There's no fighting for sun beds in the morning. Make sure you go all inclusive. If you're into snorkelling / diving, Helengeli is one of the best places for it.

They have lobster bistro and private BBQs to book. It's an extra cost but it was just lovely. The alcohol / cocktails are all branded. None of the watered down house stuff.
The views are breathtaking.

I would go again in a heartbeat.