Maldives - help!

[Sarahr22]

Hello. I am planning a trip with my husband and 14 year old in april. Budget is very limited but I would rather do the Maldives than elsewhere (we have done Mauritius etc previously). I am struggling with island choice - the cheaper options are coming up as Oblu Xperience, Villa Park, Canareef, Royal Island, Nautica, Kuredu (been before but 20 years ago!) or Ellaidhoo. I know some of these are the "newer" islands but seem to do more that a 14 yaer old may enjoy. Any thoughts or recommendations. Any of these with their own reef? Also any thoughts on which have the better all incl options (eg a few boat rides thrown in for example). Thank you :)

I have no idea, but looking to go someone where March, so a hopeful bump that someone else can advise.

We always loved Bandos, took dd every year from 10-16.
It's the closest to the airport, the oldest resort in the Maldives, really beautiful a proper Robinson Crusoe island with jungle and little bays.
Own dive school.
Tennis/squash courts, two pools.
Perfect snorkelling reef.

Any questions do just ask.

What is the budget?

Did Ellaidhoo two years ago it was amazing fabulous reef great food just perfect

I haven't been to any of those, but have a look at the simply Maldives website, it will tell you which have house reefs, what the food options are etc. You don't need to book with them, just find it a good source of information.

Agree about Simply Maldives, you’ll be able to narrow down your list. If you choose an island close to Male, transport will be cheaper (boat instead of a plane).

I enjoyed Ellaidhoo a lot and the food was excellent (they had a Sri Lankan chef at the time), but it has a sea wall, which might be a put off for some people. Also, when I was there (spring), the currents outside of the sea wall, where the reef with the drop off is, could be quite strong. The reef was fabulous though. The island is also rather small, you can probably walk around it in less than 15 mins.

Better still, have a look at the Trip Advisor Maldives forum - a wealth of up to date information and helpful users who go regularly/visited many resorts, so can give more reliable advice. I used it a lot for planning and found it very useful.

Thank you all thats helpful - our budget is low around £7k. I think I need to just accept that if we want to go to the Maldives and that is our budget we need to compromise but just trying to understand what the best I can get for that budget is. Appreciate all of your comments - thank you. Budget is driving me towards Oblu Xperience but conscious I am selling my daughter a desert island type holiday and then when we arrive it is lively with no fish! :) although if I was a teen I suspect lively is good :) If anyone has been to Oblu can you see Male in the distance - conscious its close to airport as short transfer.

Loved Kuredu, great house reef. Lots for kids, pools, excursions and water sports. I didn’t like the basic beach villas, very dark and old and upgraded when we were there (and that wasn’t cheap).
also loved VIlamindhoo, amazing house reef.

A boat transfer is also a lot cheaper than sea plane.

Hello an option to Reethi Beach has now come up - I am aware its closing soon for a refurb so just curious if anyone has been recently as worried it may be looking too tired? I am thinking it is probably a better option however than "newer" resorts by Male.....

We went to Reethi Beach some years ago and found it felt rather budget, if you can say that of The Maldives. The water villas were small, a bit worn and had tiny patios. The beaches aren't that big for the number of guests, and some are edged with ugly piles of rocks in wire cages.
Probably the biggest issue was that we were virtually the only people there who weren't from one particular country and some were in very big groups/families so, even though we weren't there for a super-sociable time, we felt uncomfortable. Trying to get a spot on the beach was awful as they'd all bagged huge areas early in the morning. The main restaurant was like a school canteen with long queues and pretty basic food. Our villa stank of cigarette smoke and we couldn't be moved as it was full. There was nothing luxury about it at all.
We were on a 2-resort holiday and had come from a much nicer island, and I don't think I've ever been as disappointed in my life.

thank you thats helpful - its so hard to find the right one to book! :( I just seem to keep upping the budget!

Club med finolhu was great and they often have deals

If you've promised your daughter a desert island style feel, try Centara Grand. It's a tiny island but has a lovely reef for snorkelling and we were impressed by the package which was basically all inclusive in the main restaurant and pool bars and gave us 1 night at a speciality restaurant for every 3/4 nights we stayed. It also included 2 x boat trips or excursions for every 4/5 nights. We booked through Kenwood Travel. It's a seaplane ride away and it feels REMOTE!

If you’re choosing on a tight budget, it really comes down to what matters most for you and your 14-year-old. Some islands are much better for snorkelling with a proper house reef right off the beach, while others are larger and have more going on for teens, like sports and watersports. The all-inclusive packages also vary a lot, so it’s worth checking what’s actually included, as some places throw in small boat trips and some don’t.
As a reference, a North Male Atoll resort such as VARU by Atmosphere gives you an idea of what easy snorkelling and quick transfers look like, even if you end up choosing a cheaper island. Thinking about whether you want good snorkelling, more activities, or the best-value all-inclusive usually makes the choice much clearer.

Vilamendhoo is a solid 4 star option with an amazing house reef, accessible directly from shore. Great for that age. Stay on the side opposite from the jetty for desert feel.

Zombie thread, OP (hopefully) went months ago!

Dhigali at Easter - it was amazing :)