Maldives at a glance
Islands made up of white sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters and an abundance of incredible marine life; more than enough to bring well over a million people a year to this beautiful remote Indian Ocean utopia. Not forgetting that the Maldives is home to some of the best diving and snorkelling sites in the world.
Pretty much every resort in Maldives is its own private island, and with over 100 to choose from the only problem is picking where you want to stay. Kuoni have put together this useful guide to help you decide…
About the Maldives
Island size
Most of the islands in the Maldives are tiny. The Maldives consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls (or collections of islands). Aside from the most populous island of Male, most islands have no more than one resort or hotel situated on them.
Drinks & dining
The Maldives is very different to other islands around the world where it’s easy to nip out to a local food stall for pad thai or jerk chicken. Essentially every resort in the Maldives is on its own island. There are no shops, food, drink, and entertainment options outside of your resort, so make sure to research your chosen resort and take a look at the number of restaurants and bars, the kind of food they serve up, and what’s included.
House reef
One of the special things about the Maldives is that most resorts are surrounded by a coral-rich reef – which separates the island and its lagoon from deeper water – so you can snorkel straight from the beach. Many resorts run free guided snorkelling trips to get you familiar with the snorkelling channels and currents. On the best house reefs you can even spot turtles.
Island vibes
Some resorts are rustic retreats, while others are cool and contemporary. Even at five-star hotels the daytime dress code is usually super casual (think shorts and flip flops). However, if you take a day trip to a local island, you may be expected to follow the local customs. On most islands you’ll barely hear a peep after 10pm, but there are a couple of livelier resorts where entertainment and parties carry on into the night.
Transfers
Hotel transfers don’t usually fill us with joy, but things are different here. Depending on how far your resort is from the airport, you’ll cruise or fly. Speedboats will whisk you to the islands that are closer, while for the islands that are further away, a seaplane is quicker at getting you from A to B.
Best time to visit
Temperatures stay at a pleasantly warm 25-30°C year-round and only drop a few degrees at night. There’s an average of 8 hours of sunshine every day and the water temperature barely falls below 25°C.
There are distinct wet (south-west monsoon) and dry (north-east monsoon) seasons; peak season is between December to April when the climate is drier, it’s less windy and the weather is hotter. Most travellers see this as the best time to go, but it’s not just the weather to think about – such as the best visibility for diving and when the whale shark season begins.
Top diving & snorkelling adventures
There are top dive sites scattered all around the Maldives, where you can spot extraordinary creatures like hammerheads, guitar sharks, manta rays, zebra morays and whale sharks. The clear waters are warm year-round and the underwater visibility can reach over 50 metres. Plus, most islands are surrounded by a reef so you can snorkel straight from the beach through dedicated snorkelling channels.
Go scuba diving from the beach at Sandies Bathala
This recently revamped island has been popular for years with divers from all around the globe. You can snorkel straight from the beach on many of the Maldives islands but Bathala goes a step further – so there’s no need to do an ungraceful back-roll entry from a boat.
Glide alongside whale sharks at Maafushivaru Maldives or Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
These gentle giants often top the list of wildlife experiences. The South Ari Atoll is one of the best areas to spot whale sharks – especially from August to November – thanks to the plankton-rich waters at the southern tip of the atoll.
Snorkel with manta rays at Milaidhoo Island Maldives or Dhigali Maldives
The Baa Atoll is the Maldives’ underwater superstar – it’s a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The manta feeding hot spot of Hanifaru Bay is the highlight and although you can no longer dive here (to help protect the manta rays), you can get excellent sightings of these fascinating creatures on a snorkel trip between June and September.
Snorkel with turtles from the shore at Kandolhu Maldives
Kandolhu has an astounding house reef and turtles love it. Their favourite hangout is by the service jetty, where you’ll often find them chomping on coral.
Meet like-minded divers at Biyadhoo
Guests live and breathe diving at easy-going Biyadhoo. It has a top dive school and the expert instructors will recommend the best local dive sites suited to your ability. Biyadhoo is in the South Malé Atoll, close to Maaya Thila: a world-class dive site that’s known for sightings of white-tip sharks, turtles, zebra morays and the rare guitar shark.
Dive from a luxury liveaboard yacht at The Floating Resort by Scubaspa
Scubaspa is not your average live-aboard. The Floating Resort is a 50-metre purpose-built luxury ‘safari yacht’ with PADI 5 Star Dive Resort status and a real wow factor. A separate dive boat travels with the main yacht, carrying all your dive equipment as you sail around the Maldives.
Top All-Inclusive Islands
The Maldives has some of the most generous all-inclusive packages in the world – here’s our pick of the bunch.
Diamonds Athuruga & Thudufushi
These laid-back sister islands have an identical all-inclusive package and it’s a generous one. Enjoy meals at the main buffet restaurant (or the overwater restaurant for Water Villa guests) and make the most of the fact that your minibar is refilled daily with water, soft drinks and beer. Stay in a Water Villa and you’ll also get free Wi-Fi in your villa, wine in your minibar and a selected sparkling wine menu. Free watersports like windsurfing, guided snorkelling tours of the house reef and a Fisherman’s Island excursion are also included.
Veligandu Island Resort & Spa
Veligandu means ‘sandbank’ in Maldivian and the glorious long strip of sand at the south end of the island is up there with the best in the Maldives. All meals are served at the same buffet-style restaurant, but it’s the little extras – from learning how to windsurf to round-theclock snacks – that make the difference. A sunset cruise, half-day local island trip, group windsurfing and snorkelling lessons may also be of interest.
Kandolhu Maldives
For a tiny speck of an island, Kandolhu’s all-inclusive packs a punch. Dining here is so flexible that you can have lunch any time between breakfast and dinner; and if you don’t fancy dinner until 10pm, that’s fine too. You can eat at all five intimate à la carte restaurants – including the Japanese teppanyaki and seafood grill – and, in your villa, the wine chiller is stocked with more than 30 bottles… that can be replaced as often as you like. You will also have full use of a GoPro and a chance to go on a canapés sunset cruise.
Constance Moofushi Maldives
It’s all about barefoot luxury at Constance Moofushi, where the subtle, high-end Robinson Crusoe theme includes hammocks on the Beach Villa terraces and coin chest minibars packed with treats. Everything in the all-inclusive package here oozes quality; you can sip Champagne with dinner, drinks are premium international brands, and afternoon tea is served every day. Guided snorkelling trips, introduction to scuba diving session in the pool, a minibar with wine and beer, and a Mac mini with music and movies on demand are also included.
Finolhu
This cool island playground shakes things up with a fun and fresh spin on Maldivian luxury. It’s quirky; think Instagrammable splashes of retro cool like VW campers parked on the beach and vintage phones for ordering Champagne. But it’s also ultra-luxurious, with sleek private villas and five-star dining. Hands down, our favourite place to eat on the island is the Fish & Crab Shack at the end of the powder-soft sandbank. You can also enjoy yoga sessions, weekly parties and entertainment from acrobats to DJs.
Kuramathi Maldives
Our most popular island has a great choice of restaurants, two oceanfront pools and a dazzling sandbank. We love Kuramathi’s Select All Inclusive option, where you can try out all of the island’s à la carte restaurants including the popular Island Barbecue on the beach, Thai dishes at Siam Garden, and fresh seafood at the overwater restaurant, The Reef. A sunset cruise, trip to a local island, windsurfing and snorkelling gear, and high tea are also included.
Top Water Villas
Diamonds Athuruga
Athuruga’s sleek white villas make a knockout first impression. They wouldn’t look out of place in a White Company brochure and come with four-poster beds, handmade parquet floors and iMacs.
Gili Lankanfushi
Crusoe Residences set the bar in rustic-luxe water villas. These huge sanctuaries have a hammock for snoozing above the lagoon and – for a real castaway experience – can only be reached by boat.
Kandolhu Maldives
Kandolhu’s Ocean Pool Villa bathrooms have floor-toceiling windows that you can slide right back to see nothing but the sky and ocean (and maybe dolphins).
Milaidhoo Island
Maldives We love the curved overwater infinity pools at super swish Milaidhoo. Plush over-pool day beds and deep-soaking tubs where you can gaze out to the ocean also come as standard.
Kuramathi Maldives
Thundi Water Villas have a jaw-dropping location on the edge of Kuramathi’s famous sandbank. Spend sunny afternoons floating in your private pool and fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves.
Feeling inspired? Call our friendly travel experts free on 0800 707 6229 to learn more or book your holiday today.
Alternatively, browse our carefully picked selection of Maldives Holidays here.
