It is this montage of the Maldives that bewitches holidaymakers, simply enticing them to head to one of the 187 inhabited luxury island resorts. Spend your days with loved ones, lounging by a pool, surfing, windsurfing, kayaking or jetskiing, simply enjoying the wide expanse of turquoise water that surrounds the archipelago. Dine on fresh seafood and local fruits, then take a boat trip to explore the reefs and lagoons and marine life below the surface of the ocean. No longer just a honeymoon destination, the Maldives is embracing solo and multigenerational travellers too.
Where to eat and drink in the Maldives
Hard Rock Cafe on The Marina
When you’ve relaxed enough and need some rock ‘n’ roll and quintessential American-style food, the Hard Rock Cafe has burgers, wings, BBQ ribs, nachos and fries. With memorabilia lining the walls and regular musical performances, this cafe is always fun. Don’t miss the New York cheesecake.
The Cellar, JA Manafaru
Underneath the private island that is home to JA Manafaru luxury resort is a wine cave carved into volcanic rock that you’ll never forget. With a drinks list that allows connoisseurs to truly indulge, enjoy a Champagne breakfast or a degustation meal in this ambient venue.
Long Bar, Raffles Maldives
Order a Maldivian Sling made with gin and flavours of the islands, with cinnamon, cloves and coconut toasted with a cook’s blowtorch at the table in front of you. Delight in the renowned Raffles service at this stunning outdoor re-creation of the famous Singapore bar with views of palm trees and the ocean.
Aqua Villa, Pullman Maldives
For a truly immersive travel experience, book an Aqua Villa with submerged master bedroom for a couple of hours so you can experience a true bucket list meal. Order canapes and bubbles and watch vibrant schools of fish flitting by through a window to the underwater world.
Flying Sauces, Soneva Fushi
Strap in for a unique adventure. Fine dining and ziplining go together like high tea and Champagne at this elevated dining platform 12 metres above the ground. Zip in on the Flying Sauces zipline to Soneva Fushi and sit among the treetops where Michelin-starred chefs create sustainably sourced brunch and early dinners.
Chef’s Garden Treehouse, Park Hyatt Maldives
Tour the garden then ascend to the platform, nestled within a forest of flourishing leafy foliage, for a menu that might include pan-seared tofu, spiced cauliflower, roasted pumpkin, barley risotto and chocolate. Watch the sun set in brilliant Technicolor over the lagoon as you indulge.
Where to stay in the Maldives
Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
Hadahaa has one of the best house reefs for snorkelling and diving anywhere in the Maldives. Enjoy pure luxury with a distinctive sense of place. Modern rooms offer breathtaking views of the azure lagoon. Explore the sub-aquatic splendour of Huvadhoo Atoll and find peace in your private haven.
Lily Beach Resort & Spa
Book an overwater bungalow with glass floors and be captivated by marine life. This award-winning, all-inclusive resort has gourmet buffets and a la carte dining with 80 wines from around the world. Try guided water sports, snorkelling in coral gardens, a sunset cruise or dolphin safari excursions. Luxuriate with personalised Ayurveda treatments at Tamara Spa.
Mercure Maldives
This adults-only resort will spark your curiosity for Maldivian cuisine, adventures and a more sustainable way of life. Marine life is abundant in the lagoon and you can explore the coral reefs; swim with turtles, dolphins and multi-coloured fish with a snorkel; and spend time in the verdant jungle or on the pristine beaches.
Pullman Maldives
This five-star retreat on 18 hectares of tropical paradise is a stunner. Arrive in style on a scenic flight and speedboat trip then unwind in the award-winning Ayu spa, enjoy the DJ vibes at Saffron Affair, or sign up for adrenaline-filled water sports adventures with a personal diving instructor at the resort’s dive centre.
Seaside Finolhu
Foodies will love Seaside Finolhu Baa Atoll’s premier dining experience at 5° North. Indulge in a meal of oysters, Maldivian lobster, delicious jumbo prawns and marinated reef fish under the stars on an exclusive platform, then take a walk almost two kilometres along the longest beach in the archipelago.
JA Manafaru Maldives
Blissfully romantic, this serene resort also offers family residences. Guests are enriched by the many opportunities on the island. “Dine by Design” unique culinary experiences enhance wellbeing, and customised fishing, diving and cultural excursions abound. Cycle, play football, hit the gym, have a family photo shoot or simply take time to rest.
When to go to the Maldives
The Maldives is just north of the equator so the weather is delightfully warm all year round, with the seasons divided into wet and dry.
Dry season: December to April
If you’re planning a wedding or special event, the best time to book is during the north-east monsoon season from December to April, where you can be sure of sunny days, low humidity and very little rain.
During the dry season, the paradise that is the Maldives will be at its glorious best for magical blue-sky photographs and all outdoor activities. This is the ideal time for swimming, snorkelling, diving and water sports, and, of course, long lazy beach days.
Wet season: May to November
From May to November is the south-west monsoon season and you can experience windy, rainy weather but it won’t last all day. This makes it a very good season to travel to the Maldives and you can access some really good prices for high-end resorts. January is when the temperatures are still warm but humidity increases.
The bonus for travellers during this season is that the island nation is not as crowded with other holidaymakers.
February has the most hours of sunshine with an average of 10 per day. March is the hottest month in the Maldives, with temperatures ranging between 28°C and 32°C. In September, it’s the wet season and you should expect rain.
Microclimates can be different depending on the location of the resort, with islands in the north experiencing slightly different weather patterns from those in the south.
What is the Maldives best known for?
Bucket-list ticking
Diving deep under the surface to explore marine life is on most travellers’ agendas. Until you’ve swum next to a whale shark, watched a hermit crab scamper along the sand, listened to the melodious call of an Asian koel (which is said to bring good fortune) and spent days dining on fresh seafood and delicious Maldivian curry, you’ll never truly understand the spellbinding essence of the Maldives.
The colours you see here are not enhanced – they’re exactly what you’ll see when you get off the plane in this Indian Ocean destination. Blue, blue and more blue.
Marine life
Communing with biodiverse marine life is one of the truly astonishing activities that never fails to amaze guests. Fish enthusiasts have over 1100 fish species to discover and will spot giant guitarfish, blue spotted ribbontail rays, zebra sharks, Moray eels, turtles, lionfish and hundreds of small spotted darts and wrasse.
Above the surface, the beaches have soft, fine coralline found on only 5 per cent of the world’s beaches. It’s produced by a process called bioerosion (parrotfish spend most of their days eating from the coral garden smorgasbord of 200 different species of coral then excrete the sand as a waste product).
Profound relaxation
If you want to relax, the spa sanctuaries across the Maldives are something truly special. Great care is taken to design welcoming, tranquil spaces that encourage deep rest and rejuvenation. Whether you need to detox with a sea salt and seaweed body wrap, replenish your skin with a citrus body scrub, soothe tight muscles with a hot stone essential oil remedial massage or try reiki, breathwork, ice baths or sound healing, you name it, you can find it here.
Things to do in the Maldives
Focus on wellbeing at the spa
In the Maldives, joyful experiences take centre stage and every resort has a spa that nurtures guests’ physical and emotional health. At OUTRIGGER, the Navasana Spa draws inspiration from the natural environment and uses hand-harvested seaweed products in treatments. The World Spa Awards crowned Joali Being the best multigenerational wellbeing retreat in 2024.
Night-time stargazing
Because there’s no light pollution, the stars dial up the romance and put on a sparkly show every night in the Maldives, especially during the dry season. At Anantara Kihavah there’s a sky bar with a stargazing observatory where a dedicated SKY storyteller points out the constellations for you.
Dolphin sunset cruise
The Maldives are known for their dramatic sunsets and there’s no better way to immerse yourself in the light show than on a sunset cruise at resorts like SO/ Maldives. Fill your glass with bubbles, snack on gourmet canapes and watch dolphins frolic as the sun sinks below the waterline.
Whale submarine tour
When you’re transiting through Male you’ll have time to spare. This tour is for those who don’t snorkel but still want to go deep and see the best trumpet fish, octopus, coral and, of course, whales. This is the world’s largest passenger submarine – great for the whole family.
Learn to scuba
If you’ve never learnt to scuba dive, the Maldives is possibly the best place on the planet for lessons. Resorts can organise a personal instructor and before you know it you’ll be confidently exploring the biodiverse coral reefs and encountering marine animals up close in the magical underwater world. Underwater pursuits are one of the best things to do in the Maldives.
Surfing
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you’ll find your perfect wave in the Maldives. The region is home to some world-class swells. The InterContinental Maldives has surf guides and coaches on the island who will take you to the best breaks for your skill level. Hang ten in style.
Religion in the Maldives
It’s a requirement of citizenship that locals practise Sunni Islam. Alcohol, pork and idols of worship are forbidden. Because the islands of the Maldives are privately owned, resort guests are not subject to these laws and are therefore able to drink alcohol and eat pork products.
The official language of the Maldives is Dhivehi or Maldivian. It’s similar to Sri Lankan Sinhalese. Maldivians greet each other with the phrase “Assalaa mu alaikum”, which means “may peace be upon you”.
The Islamic nation observes a month of fasting during Ramadan, from sun up to sun down. Resorts do operate normally at this time and it’s not a requirement, but be mindful while you’re holidaying during Ramadan and try not to eat, smoke or drink in public during this time.
Like Muslims worldwide, Maldivians celebrate Eid with prayers and feasting at the end of Ramadan. If you are in the Maldives during this spiritually significant period, you may even have the chance to enjoy delicious Ramadan treats.
As Ramadan and Eid occur according to a lunar calendar, they are celebrated at different times each year. Eid and the three days following are national holidays in the Maldives.
Is the Maldives family-friendly?
Although we usually associate the Maldives with luxurious romantic holidays, it is certainly a place that welcomes and embraces children, providing many opportunities for fun with (and without) the younger members of the family.
For those with tiny tots, babysitting and kids’ clubs are widely available. If the children are older, the whole family can hire fins, a mask, and a snorkel and join a snorkelling safari.
Family groups can also ride in a submarine, visit the bioluminescent glowing beaches, paddle the lagoon in kayaks, and swim around house coral reefs directly off the beaches of the resort.
At the Pullman Resort parents can even watch their kids scuba diving through the windows of the Aqua Villa while they drink Champagne.
Located adjacent to Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere reserve, hotels like Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort love to welcome the little loves of your life.
With family pavilions and villas that have separate bedrooms, this resort considers the needs of the whole family so both adults and children have a chance to unwind and recharge. Parents can hit the spa while kids go kitesurfing with qualified instructors or join in with the ever-engaging kids’ club activities.
Hotels like the Four Seasons have dedicated junior marine biologist science programs available and at Soneva Fushi there are educational programs that are so much fun that the kids will never suspect they’re learning something!
The trip between Sydney and Malé is about 18 hours so families can be assured that after they arrive, the kids will be happy. All guests have to do is don their swimmers and slip into a state of total relaxation. Luxury Escapes’ direct flight from Melbourne to Malé has you fly overnight, landing in paradise in less than 11 hours.
With every resort offering gorgeous swimming pools and beaches, child-friendly restaurant menus, a full range of motorised and non-motorised water sports, there’s no place like the Maldives for family fun.
Discover the Maldives
This feature was originally published in Issue 10 of Dream by Luxury Escapes.
