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The Maldives is a Muslim island nation made up of groups of atolls in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. An atoll is a type of island with a ring-shaped coral reef structure, either open or closed, surrounding a shallow lagoon. The lagoon forms due to the sinking of a volcano, parts of which sometimes still protrude above the surface.
The Maldives comprises 26 atolls with 1,192 islands, of which only 192 are inhabited. The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia in terms of population and also the least populous among all Islamic nations.
The weather in the Maldives is tropical and warm throughout the year, with the dry and recommended season for visiting being from November to April, and the period between December and March being the most popular and expensive.
A vacation in the Maldives is usually a relaxing getaway focused on leisure rather than exploring. When booking a trip, the main focus is on selecting the hotel, as each hotel here is located on its own private island—the hotel is the island, and the island is the hotel. All the island's residents are either resort guests or staff. Don’t expect to find any authentic experience of exploring or getting to know the local culture. Most hotel staff are foreigners from neighboring countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, who come to work at one of the resorts. Few of the people we met during our vacation were actually born in the Maldives.
How to Choose a Resort
The options are endless. While many people assume it's always a very expensive vacation, once you start searching for your dream resort, you'll find a wide range of prices and options. I'll summarize a few parameters worth considering to tailor the vacation to your needs, but in general, my tip is to prepare a list of hotel options and read reviews about them on TripAdvisor. Keep in mind that the more reviews there are, the more reliable they are likely to be.
Island Size
Some resorts are located on large islands, occasionally sharing the island with other hotels, while others occupy the entire island. The main advantage of larger islands is the more extensive beachfront and the wider variety of attractions, restaurants, and points of interest. The charm of a smaller island lies in the intimate, secluded atmosphere, where you can cross the entire island on foot in a short time, creating a feeling of privacy.
The "Board" Plan
Some hotels offer all-inclusive packages. The major advantage is, of course, that there are no additional expenses beyond the initial payment. The downside is often a trade-off in quality or price. All-inclusive at a luxury hotel will come at a corresponding cost, so keep that in mind. Some hotels offer half-board and alcohol packages that can provide a satisfying experience without needing full all-inclusive. With half-board, the advantage is that you choose what to spend on based on any extra drinks or food you'd like.
Restaurants
In addition to the buffet available in all hotels, most resorts also operate their own restaurants on the island. It's a good idea to check in advance how many restaurants there are and their ratings, if available on Google or TripAdvisor. The Maldives has no nightlife, so the main form of entertainment is the island's restaurants and bars. Therefore, a dinner at a restaurant during your stay is undoubtedly an attraction in itself.
Type of Hosting
Some resorts are designated for adults only. It's worth considering if that's something you're looking for. On the other hand, many hotels offer activities for children, including arts and crafts workshops, entertainment, and even babysitting services.
Attractions
Most hotels offer a variety of activities such as water sports, diving, boat trips, private open-air dinners, and professional photography for couples or families. All of these typically require an additional fee unless you're booking a package that includes some of them.
Connectivity
From the moment you land in the Maldives, cellular reception for most carriers disappears. All the islands offer free Wi-Fi, but if it's important for you to be reachable at all times and from anywhere, it's recommended to purchase a local SIM card at Malé airport, as Wi-Fi might not work well in all areas of the island where you'll be staying.
Getting There
Your journey to the selected island starts with an international flight to Malé, the capital city’s airport, where all international flights land. From Malé, there are several ways to reach your resort, typically determined by the resort itself based on distance from Malé, tourist traffic, weather conditions, and other factors.
Boat Transfer – Islands near Malé can be reached by a boat or ferry directly from the airport's harbor. This option is usually relevant for resorts located within an hour to an hour and a half from the airport.
Seaplane Flight – The most common mode of transport between islands is by seaplane. Most flights are operated by Trans Maldivian Airlines, which partners with most resorts. The terminal for these flights is a 5-minute drive from the international airport, and a shuttle provided by the airline will take you there. Check-in is done at the landing terminal. It's important to note that seaplane flight times are scheduled the night before by the airline, so the time of your departure to the island or back to the capital is not under your control, nor that of your hotel. Most luxury hotels have lounges at the airport for guests to wait comfortably before their flight to the island. Additionally, there’s a large lounge next to the Malé terminal where resort guests get free access during their wait time if they land in Malé well before their seaplane departure. Both lounges offer food, drinks, and free internet access.
Domestic Flight and Boat Transfer – The third, less common option is a domestic flight. These flights land on relatively large islands, not on the small islands where the resorts are located, so a boat transfer will likely be required from the island you land on to the resort where you'll be staying.
My Vacation
Originally planned as a second honeymoon, my vacation was delayed by a few months due to COVID-19 and also became a birthday celebration for me. We booked a honeymoon package, which included a bottle of champagne upon arrival, a bed decorated with flowers, and a half-hour couples' massage.
After extensive research, we chose the Fairmont Maldives, part of the international Fairmont luxury hotel chain. Our stay lasted six nights—two in a beachfront villa with a sunrise view and four in an overwater villa with a sunset view. Both villas were spacious, designed down to the smallest details, and included a bathtub, private pool, coffee machine, unlimited beverages, and mineral water.
I highly recommend splitting your stay between two types of rooms, not only because it reduces costs when combining a beachfront villa stay but also because it allows you to experience different areas of the island and adds variety to the vacation. A beachside getaway can sometimes feel repetitive since the days tend to blur together, and staying in two different room types creates a sense of a longer, more dynamic vacation.
The island where the Fairmont Maldives resort is located is relatively small, you can walk across it in about 20 minutes. It's about one hour seaplane flight from the capital, Malé. As a respectful five-star hotel, from the moment you land in Malé, a hotel representative meets you and assists with everything until your return flight home.
On the island, each guest is assigned a personal butler to take care of any needs or requests, from dinner reservations, spa appointments, snorkeling gear, to transportation around the island by buggy. This provides the ultimate sense of relaxation, creating a true "zero worries" experience, which for me is the perfect definition of a real vacation.
The Fairmont doesn't offer all-inclusive stays. Instead, you can choose from breakfast or half-board options, with the possibility of adding a basic or extended alcohol package. The alcohol package is not particularly worthwhile, and I wouldn't recommend it.
Half-Board Accommodation
The half-board option includes breakfast served until 10 AM, which then transitions into brunch until 3 PM. Guests can choose to eat in the morning or at brunch, along with dinner either at the buffet or at one of the island's restaurants.
Restaurants
There are two restaurants on the island serving dinner: a seafood restaurant and a Japanese buffet restaurant. Both offer delicious food. Additionally, there's a buffet (in the breakfast restaurant) that features a changing dinner theme each night, including Indian, European, Asian, and more.
Attractions
The hotel offers a wide range of activities you can think of, such as sunset cruises, a diving club, stand-up paddle boarding, jet skiing, romantic outdoor dinners, couples' photography, tennis lessons with a coach, and more. The island also features a large, beautifully designed spa with a boho atmosphere, overlooking the jungle and sea, complete with outdoor bathtubs next to each treatment room.
The massage I had was professional, indulgent, and definitely one of the best I've experienced. Keep in mind that all activities require additional payment and can be quite expensive.
General Tip
Since this is a relatively expensive vacation, I do recommend consulting with an agent. While searching for the perfect hotel and endlessly browsing booking sites, I consulted with two agencies and was amazed to find that their prices were about 30% lower than what I found online. Additionally, agents who work with various hotels in the Maldives can offer tips and answer questions, such as the type of clientele that visits the hotel, the number of restaurants available, and how new the hotel is.
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