How do you choose where to stay in the Maldives?
Planning a trip to the Maldives for the first time can be so overwhelming if you are not using a travel agent. Prior to releasing a more detailed Maldives Honeymoon blog, I wanted to offer some strategies to help give your decision making a boost. I have received no incentive or revenue from any resorts, so my reviews are free of bias.
Located southwest of India and Sri Lanka, this Asian country is nestled in the beautiful Indian Ocean. If you are seeking the ultimate luxurious getaway, you have already selected an unbeatable destination.
Now, you want to get the planning right! Every aspect of your trip depends on the resort you choose.
As long as it takes to travel to this dreamy archipelago (containing nearly 1,200 islands within 26 atolls, and 160+ resorts), you’ll want to select your location wisely. Each resort is most commonly its own private island, requiring transportation by boat or plane after landing in the capital city of Male.
We love The Lonely Planet and highly suggest ordering their Maldives Guide to help plan your trip with upmost accuracy of information! Click here to purchase on their website, or click here for the Amazon link. I also am a huge fan of Trip Advisor for reading reviews of other travelers. Click here for Trip Advisor’s Maldives info page.
Tip – it is important to know the law wherever you go! The Maldives is a Muslim country operating under Sharia Law. Whether you agree or not, there are still potential consequences for certain actions you may be accustomed to in your own country. Do not bring alcohol in your luggage. As a female, I respectfully covered my shoulders and thighs in the airport. The island resorts do not have to follow these laws, but be mindful during your time in Male.
Transportation is one of the first factors you can focus on when selecting your choice of resort or even just narrowing down to an atoll (circular coral formations surrounding a lagoon).
Male International Airport (MLE) aka Velana (VIA) is the major hub and your first stop in the Maldives. From here, you will either need to take a boat, seaplane, or domestic flight to your next destination.
You should keep location, time, and cost in mind when deciding if the type of transfer will make or break your decision of resorts. Where is the resort located on the map? How long will the transfer take? What is the cost of transfer?
Speedboat transfers can be utilized if your atoll is close enough to Male. If you want a shorter transfer after long flights, or you are intimidated by the seaplane mode of transportation, then you can narrow down your resort to ones that are accessible by boat.
The seaplanes offer one of the most scenic views in the world. This preferred transfer method comes at a cost of approximately $400/person roundtrip, but can exceed $1000/person for higher luxury resorts that are further from Male. I won’t lie… I found my first seaplane ride to be breathtaking due to both beauty and fear. I kept looking over at Seth to read his face, so I could know if parts of the ride were normal. I will remember it for as long as I live!
The factor of “time” that I mentioned above doesn’t just apply to the actual duration of transfer. You also need to pay attention to your time of arrival in Male, because seaplanes do not operate at night. Travelers commonly have to book a hotel near the airport because of this. We planned our flight to arrive during the day in order to avoid this extra hassle in our travel itinerary. Trans Maldivian Airways (the major seaplane operator) suggests arriving by 3:30 pm to avoid spending the night in Male. Your resort can confirm specifics when booking, so keep this in mind when arranging flights to Male.
The transfers are handled by your resort and are usually calculated into your total cost of stay. Our first resort arranged pickup from the airport, drove us to the seaplane transfer terminal nearby, and provided a comfortable lounge while we awaited boarding.
Tip – if you are trying to be pretty aggressive in planning (like me) and hop between resorts, the transfer situation becomes even more complicated. Most of the time you have to return to Male between split-stays. It is possible to go directly between islands with proper research and coordination between resorts. Roundtrip transfers are automatically booked by your resort, so you will have to work out a one-way schedule with each of them. In a future blog, I will share how I managed to book 2 separate resort stays for our honeymoon without going back to Male for transfer!
Budget. *Shivers*. This is my least favorite component of traveling.
This tip comes down to one’s personal budget goals. Even if you are able to budget well on your accommodations, the time and travel required to reach the Maldives (from the U.S.) is going to be more of a splurge than your average tropical vacay.
There are some 3-star and 4-star hotels that are considered a more basic stay, but to me they look pretty awesome given the natural beauty of this world-class destination.
I have linked Trip Advisor’s highest reviewed 3-star resorts here.
If you are traveling on a more flexible budget, you can find some of the most exclusive resorts in the world in the Maldives.
I have also linked Trip Advisor’s highest reviewed 5-star resorts here for a good comparison.
We stayed at 2 different 5-star resorts. The first was an ultra-luxury, modern style resort where we were ushered around via golf cart. The second was an understated luxury resort – the barefoot and biking kind of island. Both were AMAZING! I will share specifics on my next blog.
What are some activities that excite you? Narrowing down the location of your stay could be done by some excursions or attractions of interest to you. Do you want to swim with whale sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads, or manta rays? The answer to these questions could guide you to certain locations on the map when planning your trip.
For example, the South Ari Atoll is the best location for swimming with whale sharks. Sightings are possible year-round, but you can research resorts with tours and their probability of sightings based on the time of year.
I chose our first resort based on their insane underwater restaurant, and everything else fell perfectly into place after that decision was made!
Some resorts have a really unique feature that sets it apart from the rest, such as private island dining for 2, a golf course, an ice skating rink, an under water villa, or the Sea of Stars, to name a few.
The Lonely Planet guide has an excellent table of all resorts to compare amenities, ratings, prices, location, adults only or kid-friendly, all-inclusive packages, and other criteria. For a honeymoon, you could rule out several resorts based on being a kid-friendly environment.
If you love snorkeling or diving, you could also focus on some highly rated house reefs at the resorts. The most amazing snorkeling was accessible from our villa, but we did have to watch out for our neighbor, Mr. Triggerfish. Know what these beautiful fish look like, treat them with respect year-round, and know that breeding season is when they become more aggressive.
Do you want to get cozy or have more ground to explore? My husband needs to be entertained on vacation. I could chill all day and night. If we were to stay on an island for more than a week, the size would matter more to us.
Each island has its own personality with varying sizes and features. If you are okay with a more intimate style of vacation, then island size might not matter to you. If you are like Seth, he appreciates a long list of activities to do during his stay, and the opportunity to explore.
Our second island resort is one of the longest in the Maldives, so we were given bikes upon arrival. It was SO fun to feel like kids and bike around barefoot every day, surrounded by lush green scenery! It also featured several large beaches, two private neighboring islands we could visit by small boat, and an impressive list of activities.
Research the island size and quantity of beaches to help guide your decision, especially if you are staying at one resort for a long period of time. The Lonely Planet guide had all of the information we needed, but I also like to visit each resort’s website as well.
Tip – Dining at a nearby sister resort may be possible for some locations. If you want to plan an adventure outside of your island, you can research resorts with a neighboring or sister property that offers travel between the two.
What type of villa are you looking for? Do you want to stay in a tree house? Is a private waterslide into the sparkling turquoise waters on your wish list? Perhaps you are set on staying in an overwater villa for the upmost feeling of luxury and seclusion? The Maldives is not typically a budget destination, so why not splurge for those stunning 360-degree ocean views? We did! No regrets here!
Resorts offer different types of villa styles, so use this to narrow down your search if you have a preference.
We chose an overwater villa at our first resort, and a beach villa with a private pool at our second resort. It was awesome to compare both types of accommodations! I don’t know that I could choose between the two after experiencing what each had to offer.
If I were to return to the Maldives and stay at only one resort, I would split my stay between an overwater villa and a beach villa. This accommodation is possible at many resorts, and could be another means of decision-making if you are interested in doing this too. Contact a few of your top resort choices and ask if this can be arranged during your projected time of booking.
Multi-destination travel could be on your brain if you share a similar “I want to see it all” mindset to me… or maybe I just gave you the best idea ever! Why not pair your Maldivian vacation with another amazing destination if you have the time and budget to make it happen?
We planned on doing a dual-stay between Sri Lanka and the Maldives, but Covid had other plans for us in 2021. This is why we opted for a dual-stay between two Maldivian resorts instead.
Now that the world is open for travel again, you could factor this idea into your planning. Research the major airline hubs accessible from your destination that offer direct flights to Male.
London, Mumbai, Sri Lanka, Doha, Dubai, Singapore , Istanbul, and Zurich are just a few direct flight options from some destinations that caught my eye.
Qatar Airways was an indescribably positive experience compared to the airlines we frequently use. The service, food, and whole experience blew us away. We were moved from our seats and each given an entire row for our flight to Doha! The attendant gave us blankets and pillows to make a bed. I slept for like 12 hours straight and woke up ready to explore the most over-the-top airport I have ever see.
Tip – For fellow shoppers, the Qatar Airport is a souvenir hotspot! The duty-free gold jewelry was beautiful with great prices. Whenever I wear them, I remember being in Doha with my new husband. This was also my first Harrods experience, which is a British luxury department store. I was not even mad at this awesome layover! Seth really appreciated the swanky lounges with showers!
Luxury and sustainability are not mutually exclusive in the Maldives. This piece of paradise is leading the world in innovative sustainable tourism. This attracts many people who share the same type of eco-conscious values, and is another method for resort selection. Some resorts even allow guests to get involved with impactful activities such as coral planting and reef cleanup.
If staying at an eco-friendly resort is priority, you can easily research ones that adhere to high standards and sustainability practices. I have linked some of the top green hotels in the Maldives on Trip Advisor here.
Our second resort had a Marine Centre operated by local NGO, which was incredible because we love sea turtles! Their marine biologist led a tour to protected nests on the sister island, and we were able to “adopt” their rescued turtles. What a unique opportunity for future marine biologists to come and experience such admirable work. I can’t wait to take Brooklyn here!
If you are seeking a more inspiring, hands-on vacation, you can find resorts that meet these requirements without having to sacrifice quality of stay in the Maldives. Search for resorts that have wildlife conservations, rebuilding reef projects, on-site marine biologists, or simply encourages their guests to interact with nature via island activities.
Meaningful attractions can really help you choose the perfect location for your stay, and make it unforgettable!
All-inclusive is the way to go. You will read about several meal plans such as breakfast only, half board, full board, and all-inclusive. Please read the terms of these packages because they are all different among resorts. Some hotel packages don’t include water and soft drinks, which is why reading the fine print is so important!
All-inclusive options were a vital part of our search criteria. I didn’t want to worry about cost of food or drinks during our honeymoon after hearing how expensive a bottle of water would be. I recommend going directly to the resort’s website for restaurant and food menu prices too, or googling it.
You are on a private island, so the imported food and drinks are significantly higher in price. There is no grocery store to hit up for late night snacks or homemade sandwiches to save money.
If you are trying to stay in budget, dining can really blow that up if you don’t factor in the costs beforehand.
Tip – It is common for certain island restaurants to be excluded from your dining package, so that shouldn’t necessarily deter you from choosing a resort.
In addition to all of my tips for planning your vacation to paradise, it is so important to remember that communication with your resort is key. The travel (from the U.S.) is already complicated, and you don’t want to be confused on the arrangements once you arrive in a foreign country.
Be aware of the time difference, though. Our first resort was 9 hours ahead of us, so the time between email responses was pretty significant. Also, some resorts operate on their own time, so it may not be the exact same time zone as Male.
Just know that all of the planning and, well, brutal travel day is TOTALLY WORTH IT! We don’t always visit a place that we would like to return to above a new destination, but the Maldives has been calling us back ever since we left their shimmering white sandy beaches.
Check out my new post to learn specifics about our stay in the Maldives!
I have also linked the Maldives Tourist Visa information here.
Feel free to reach out via contact form, or leave a comment below! – Amanda
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[…] may be helpful to first read my previous blog “Maldives Vacation – Where To Start Planning” for basic information about the Maldives, strategies on selecting atolls, multi-country ideas, and […]