Overwater resorts are known for their classy, top notch design as well as luxury standards. Though this is true for most, there are a few that take amenities to the next level with unexpected features that add an extra touch to each villa.
Many resorts in the Maldives specialize in private bathrooms or private wooden terraces that offer stairs into the ocean or lagoon below but there are only a few that offer private, enjoyable jacuzzis designed for one or two. These jacuzzis can be found either inside the villa or right on the terrace, offering gorgeous views of the ocean and sky from the luxury of a relaxing dip. Below you'll find a list of the 9 best resorts for a jacuzzi experience, including some with surprisingly affordable nightly rates. All the resorts below offer dining options, water activities, spacious rooms and great reviews.
Hi Roger,
We are planning a 4 nights trip to Maldives this Nov end.
We were thinking of 2 nights at a water villa and 2 at a beach villa at the same resort. When we do this will they arrange airport transfer accordingly? Also do resorts take in such bookings?
Thanks
Greeshma
Greeshma,
Yes, this kind of booking is fairly common and I think it’s a good idea. If you book through Agoda or another online site they will ask you for your flight details before you arrive and you can put in the full stay. In other words, it’s not tied just to one room reservation, and you can contact the resort directly if it looks confusing. Have a great stay. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I am planning to visit Maldives in Dec for Honeymoon.
I am confused with the Resort – Should I go for OBLU Select or Olhuveli Resort
Nikita,
I haven’t been to either of these yet, but Olhuveli has always been one of the lower-price resorts that gets good (not great) reviews, where OBLU SELECT at Sangeli just opened in 2018 and has been getting fantastic reviews. OBLU Select is also an all-inclusive so if you want meals and drinks included it’s the better choice. I’d choose OBLU Select for sure. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Thank you so much for all of your comments and the time you spend in replying to everyone – They have been so helpful to us already.
We are newly weds but couldn’t afford the Maldives at the time we got married. Now that we can, we would love to go but are slightly unsure on when is best to in relation to making the trip cost effective and how much to risk it with the weather…
Our options are:
December 2019
April 2020
July 2020
We don’t mind a bit of rain here and there but just don’t want a wash out!
We have around an 8k budget and would like to be on a quiet resort with an all inclusive (plus if possible) board basis. We’d love to be able to afford an over water villa with a jacuzzi however know that a beach villa with a jacuzzi may be slightly more realistic with our price range.
If possible, we’d really appreciate your advice on any resorts that would fit a similar criteria!
Many thanks in advance,
Chris
Chris,
I’d go in December if you can. The last 10 days of the month are the peak season for hotel rates, but early in the month is quite reasonable. The weather should be almost perfect. It can rain any day of the year in the Maldives and it’s always somewhat humid. Late May to early July is the only period when it might rain for hours at a time. Otherwise it’s just a 30-minute storm here and there.
For all-inclusive Jacuzzi water villas at a reasonable price I always recommend Meeru Island and Veligandu Island. They are run by the same respected company and both offer very good rates. -Roger
Hi…any best budget watervilla in maldives for day trip. Including one time lunch o dinner. Main purpose is to get good couple pictures over watervilla.
Amit,
Unfortunately there are no convenient resorts for a day trip. It costs about US$100 return per guest for a speedboat from the airport and back, so it won’t be cheap. I’ve read that Adaaran Club Rannalhi has a day trip program, and perhaps the ferry rides are a bit cheaper for that. Good luck. -Roger
Hi Roger! Thanks for your quick reply! I really value your input.
That’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid…be miserable! Haha! Although I always try to find ways to get entertained and just have a positive mindset but if that can be totally avoided, then so much the better! Sounds like Meeru would be so much fun!
The only thing with Meeru is that you only need to take a speedboat and I kinda wanted to take a sea plane to view the Maldives from above. Is there any other resort island like Meeru? If not, I’ll forego the sea plane. Maybe the flight to MLE would be enough to view it. =))
As for the local island, I am actually not planning on staying at Male or Hulhumale but an island where you need to take a ferry to reach it. I was reading blogs on local islands to stay and Maafushi is recommended for solo travelers. Any thoughts?
Thanks again Roger! I hope to hear from you again soon!
Eris O.
Hi Roger! Thanks for your reply to my question, "Which resort would you recommend for a solo female traveler?". I guess my main concern is the atmosphere of the island. I’m looking for a resort that offers entertainment for solo travelers and not just couples and with lots of activities (yoga, water sports, etc.).
I currently have two bookings for an all inclusive overwater villa, Veligandu and Meeru, and I have a month to decide which one to keep or maybe book a different hotel that’s more suitable for me if you have any other suggestions.
Also, would you have any suggestion for a local island to stay for 3 nights?
Thanks in advance, Roger!
E.O.,
Okay then, I’d definitely recommend Meeru Island in that case. I stayed there as a solo person on a research trip and I was very pleased at how easy it was to meet and mingle with other guests. No doubt ALL of the Maldives resorts are oriented towards romantic couples and some for families as well, but at least Meeru is one of the largest islands with about 8 or 10 bars and different activities and nightlife every night. Even on the included Dolphin Cruise I was mingling with loads of different guests, and I was surprised by how easy it was under the circumstances. For the record, I tend to be quite an introvert and I’m the opposite of a social butterfly, so that doesn’t come easy to me. And I’ve also visited all-inclusive resorts elsewhere where I was borderline miserable because they were only set up for couples and families and there were no communal social areas.
As for a local island, I only have experience with Hulhumale and Male itself. Male is crowded and totally lacks charm, while Hulhumale (attached to the airport so it’s the easiest to reach) is open and has a nice vibe. On the other hand, most guests staying on Hulhumale are just staying one night on their way to or from a resort, so it might not be as social as some of the others that you can reach by ferry. I hope this helps. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Greetings from india,
firstly your blog is really helpful for all of us.
Thumbs up to your work buddy.
here i need your help
we are a newly married couple planning honeymoon trip to maldives in July Aug. Date is not yet decided. can you help us to plan the trip along with activities and site scenes in maldives.
I have no idea regarding the places to visit.
who much it would cost for 5 days spending in maldives ? any idea? suggestion regarding resorts? we are looking for water villa if in budget.
Thanks
Ronak
Ronak,
I will try to help you, but fortunately the Maldives is a simple place to plan your own trip. All of the water villas are on private-island resorts (one resort per island, by law) so it’s just a matter of choosing a resort that has the activities and features you prefer. Once you are there all the options will be obvious, and there aren’t really any other options. The main capital island of Male isn’t very interesting and it’s very crowded so I would skip it.
The Maldives is all about relaxing on the beach or in your water villa and snorkeling or scuba diving or sailing or whatever else the resorts offer. Most resorts have an "island hopping" trip where they take you in a boat to one or more neighboring islands that have small local populations so you get to shop for souvenirs and try local food, but that’s really the only option that isn’t at the resort. It will cost at least US$400 per night for a water villa and at least US$250 per couple for transportation from the airport to your resort, with many being MUCH more expensive than that for a sea-plane ride. In other words, for a 5-night Maldives holiday you are looking at at least US$2,300 and it can go way up from there. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Which resort would you recommend for a solo female traveler?
Thanks!
EO,
Sorry for the slow response. The Maldives is tricky for any solo traveler because nearly all water villas are priced for two guests, even if you are going alone. The only resort I’ve seen that offers discounted water villas for solo travelers is Gangehi Island Resort, so I’d start with them.
Aside from the price issue, I don’t think being a female would bring any other challenges at these resorts. The Maldives is a fairly conservative Muslim country and the guests at these private-island resorts are generally well behaved, or so it seems. Many of the staff are females so I don’t believe there is much of a culture of harassment of female guests. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Firstly , a well written blog and a complete guide about Maldives.
We (couple) are planning a visit to Maldives End of March for 3 nights.
In order to reduce the total expenses, prefer the first 2nights to be spent is beachfront room by doing water activities available nearby such as scuba or snorkeling.
Any information on the charges for the above activities?
The 3rd night we prefer to move to Overwater room and for laid back evening.
Does the above make sense ? and do you recommend to opt for full meal package or are there decent restaurant and bars considering we go light with the meals ?
Br
Roy
Roy,
I’m glad this is helpful. The good news is that non-motorized water sports are included in the room price at almost every resort. Scuba diving usually requires taking a boat to a proper nearby reef because the water is very clear under most of the water villas. The scuba boats are sometimes included and sometimes cost money, and the equipment rental will cost at most places as well. However, snorkeling is usually free and most resorts have one or two free boat trips to nearby reefs each day. We have the list of included activities on the page for each resort, so that should help.
Your idea to stay in an island villa for two nights and a water villa for one night is a great one to save money. Also, there are many cases where people who book that way will get upgraded to a water villa for one of the island nights, especially compared to someone who only booked an island villa.
As for full board or all-inclusive or a la carte (every resort includes breakfast though) will depend on what you’d spend on those things. You typically get great value at the all-inclusive places and some of them are only a bit more expensive than the breakfast-only resorts. That’s because the full-board and all-in places tend to have buffets, which obviously cuts down on the number of servers they need. The food at the Maldives buffets is generally excellent for buffet food. These places are charging US$500 per night and up in most cases so they don’t try to cheap out on the food.
Alcohol at these resorts usually starts at around US$6 and up for a beer, US$8 and up for wine, and US$10 and up for mixed drinks. I really enjoy drinking on a tropical island holiday so I really love the all-inclusive experience. I can highly recommend Meeru Island as a place to check out because they usually have the best rates for all-inclusive resorts. Their Jacuzzi Water Villas start at around US$500 per night with full board and about US$600 per night with all-inclusive for two people. They also have many island villas at appealing rates, though I wouldn’t recommend their cheapest room category because those are more like standard hotel rooms where you share walls on both sides. -Roger
Dear Roger, I have booked our flight to Maldives from 7-13 Jun 19.
Looking at 1 night stay at Male, 2 nights at airBnB type and 2 nights at watervilla.
We have 3 adults and 5 teenagers. Am keen on:
1. Daily activities like snookering, dophine watching, whale shark if possible, sports.
2. Full boarding meals.
3. Sparkling beach caused by biolummuscience.
Would like to seek your advice.
Regards.
Lai,
This is an unusual trip for the Maldives. Male doesn’t have much to see, strangely enough. I’d never considered an Airbnb in the Maldives, but it looks like quite a few semi-commercial guest houses are listed so hopefully you can find a suitable one. One of the challenges in the Maldives is you have to take ferries to reach any of the other inhabited islands, and that can be a bit complicated.
As for a water villa, most only allow 3 guests per room although there are some Maldives water villa resorts that allow 4 guests per room. Best of luck with all of this. -Roger
Roger my requirements is as under…..
For first 3 days I want to stay at hotel ,there should be alcohol facilities and I also want to enjoy different water sports in these 3 days.
On forth day I want a water villa like Meeru island’s water vulla,where alcohol facilities are available.
Please recommend something good economical as per my above requirements.
Thanks in advance.
Jagdish,
As I so often mention on here, Meeru Island almost always has the best value of the all-inclusive Maldives resorts. They keep their rates low enough so they are fully booked all year round without having to do last-minute promotions or advertise. They also have a wide variety of island villas in addition to their Jacuzzi Water Villas, which will be perfect for that one night. The place runs as full board so all meals are included in the room rate, and almost all non-motorized water sports are also included. The All Inclusive Plus plan includes unlimited alcohol and they have about 8 different bars, including a really nice one just at the end of the piers for the Jacuzzi Water Villas. If you plan on having more than 3 or so drinks per day it’s usually a very good deal.
As for the island villas, the stand-alone villas are all fantastic and have their own little section of beach, but the absolute cheapest rooms they offer would not be suited to a honeymoon. They are more like normal hotel rooms that are all connected and only have a front window. They are great for people who want an affordable place to sleep because they’ll be on the beach all day, but they aren’t very romantic. -Roger
Hi Roger,I m planning honeymoon trip for five days,but I m confused while booking hotel and water villa.please I t will be a great help if u recommend me as per my requirements.
for first three days I want hotel with drink facilities also there should be availability of water sports and for fourth day I want a good water villa.please suggest me with some good affordable price.
Jagdish,
I’ll be happy to help, but I’m unsure what you mean by "drink facilities". Do you mean an all-inclusive resort that includes alcohol? If you give me a bit more info I’ll try to help right away. -Roger
Hi,
I’m interested in booking my honeymoon in June in Maldives, however, I’m looking for a luxury suite/room with private access for us to beach and a pool. Is that possible & if so, then where? Something closed off for the both of us.
please and thank you
Sara,
There are definitely water villas that have private pools, although in the Maldives they tend to be on the front deck, so anyone swimming in front of your villa potentially has a view. It’s rare that guests swim in front of neighboring villas, but it can happen and if you require absolute privacy that wouldn’t work. On the other hand, it’s common that Jacuzzis are fully enclosed by four walls, so that’s an option. That’s the set up at Meeru Island in their Jacuzzi water villas, for example.
And overwater bungalows don’t have their own access to the beach if they are true overwater bungalows. Even beach villas tend to be open so other guests can walk along the beach around the island.
If you are looking for a fully-enclosed pool in a water villa the only ones I know of are in Malaysia. The Grand Lexis Port Dickson has amazing large water villas that have a pool inside a courtyard in the center of the villa. You can’t swim below the water villas easily like you can in the Maldives, but the rooms are fantastic and very good value, plus they allow for 100% privacy in your own pool. -Roger
Thanks Roger. I will sure look into these resort. Another question, are all these speedboats owned by the reosrt or hotel owners or we can contact negotiate any speedboats in Male? OR it is really strictly the private speedboat owned by the resort?
I do appreciate your patience in replying any questions. This website and ur reply are wealth of information.
Ed
Ed,
My understanding is that all resorts own their own boats, or at least use specific charter companies that have the contract for the whole resort. And they all (as far as I know) request that you book the airport transfers when you make your reservation because it’s typically the only way. That said, I know there are a couple of independent transportation companies that say they can bring people to various islands and resorts. They claim to be cheaper as well, which would make sense. So it could be worth Googling for Maldives speedboat transfers and see what you can find. I’m sure they would know if it’s possible to book independently like that, although you’d also want to check with the resort before you booked just to be sure. I hope this helps. -Roger
Hi,
Me and my family (4 of us) is going to maldives this December 2018.
My question is, are all the resort reachable by boat? We try to avoid seaplanes as it would be costly?
we will be staying in Maafushi for 2 night, and planning to go to a private resort or island to experince a little of luxury in maldives. SO we might come from Maasfushi to the private resort by boat? Can you suggest of a nearbly private resort in maafushi?
thanks in advance.
ed
Ed,
Most Maldives private-island resorts are only accessible by sea-plane, but about 20 of them are close enough to the airport that they can be reached by speed boat. As you probably know, Maafushi is about a 90-minute ferry ride from Male. In order to reach another resort you’d have to go back to Male and then take the private speedboat transfer from the resort itself. The closest resort to Maafushi appears to be the Holiday Inn Kandooma, and Adaaran Club Rannalhi is a bit farther. There’s a chance that these resorts have daily boat service to Maafushi for supplies or for their “island hopping” trips so you could contact them to find out.
Otherwise you’d have to go back to the ferry port in Male and then go on a speedboat owned by whichever resort you chose. Here is a list of Maldives resorts close enough to Male Airport for speedboat transfers. Best of luck with this. -Roger
Dear Roger, I’m impressed by your knowledge! Maybe you can help me find the right spot for my birthday in early January. I will be travelling with my teenage son, so the
option of 2 separate beds (or, if not crazy expensive, 2 bedrooms) would be great.
We love snorkeling, so a good house reef would be essential.
An over water villa of course would be best.
All inclusive option (good food) should be available.
No Spa or entertainment needed, but WIFI in the room free of charge (it is annoying to pay extra for it when cost is already high)
And as an extra, not a must, but would make everything perfect, free Kayaks.
I have been to Embudu Village before and I found the water villa nice enough and loved the beach and snorkeling, but I would consider to spend more for my Bday.
I know it’s a lot, and it’s also high season, where some resorts will be way too expensive, but I hope you can recommend something for us.
Thanks in Advance!
Sincerely,
Chrissie
Chrissie,
Sorry for the slow response. I know some of the resorts in the South Pacific have rooms with two separate beds, but I haven’t seen many in the Maldives. And I think the better snorkeling at most Maldives resorts is from the twice-daily (free) boat trips they do to nearby reefs rather than at house reefs. The other constraint is that you are looking for all-inclusive or at least full board. My go-to recommendation for all inclusive resorts might be your best choice and that is Meeru Island or their sister resort Veligandu. Meeru Island is much larger, but the island is so large that each guest feels like they have a section of it to themselves. The food is fantastic and there is slow wi-fi free in the water villas (you can pay for faster service). Since Meeru Island operates on a full-board basis it might be a good choice so you don’t have to pay so much for alcohol for other guests, and you can still buy drinks for yourself at fairly reasonable prices (for the Maldives).
Again, the tricky thing is the all-inclusive because so many of those resorts (about 15 or 20 of them) are focused on boozy couples rather than recreation and such. And most charge quite a bit for the all-inclusive part, while Meeru and Veligandu offer that as an affordable upgrade, or you can just do full board. Another one to consider, which I haven’t visited yet, is Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa. It’s another all-inclusive resort that usually has very good rates compared to the others. Best of luck on this. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Planning a 3 night Honeymoon trip to Maldives this December starting 22nd Dec 2018.
Could you suggest some budget resorts (100-150 US$ per night) for a sounding experience? Besides any recommendations on the island which would be good to stay !
Rahul,
Unfortunately that is Christmas week and it’s the most expensive time of the year in the Maldives. Even in the slowest time of the year (June and July) water villas start at around US$350 per night for two people. The cheapest hotels in the Maldives on a beach are those on Hulhumale Island, which is connected to the island where the airport is located. Hotels (not resorts) there start around US$100 per night for two people in a small room, but at least you are on or very close to a sandy beach. On that budget I would go somewhere other than the Maldives and you get a lot more for your money. Best of luck. -Roger
Hi my mother is celiac (can not eat gluten) would there be many options for her food wise at some of these resorts?
Chloe,
My guess is that she’ll be fine at any of the larger resorts such as Meeru Island because they have large buffets with many items. In fact, the larger resorts tend to also have many different styles of cuisine such as Indian, Chinese, Italian, and meat items at each meal because they have so many visitors from different parts of the world. -Roger
hi good day!planning for a honeymoon trip to maldives most probably february 2019.from the list of resorts we’ve checked,it seems like most of the rooms accomodate 1 person max,though the bed is either king or queen size,how is that?thank you
Raine,
Actually, nearly all Maldives resorts can accommodate three people per room, and finding a single room is almost impossible. All of the resorts have either a king bed or two twins, plus nearly all of them have a pull-out sofa in the room as well. -Roger
i contact to anantara veli resort, they said speed boat transfer airport cost $195/person. ( some resort include free transfer, but more expensive )
that speed boat is too expensive for me. did you have suggest another way go to anantara veli resort? thanks roger
Christy,
Unfortunately the resorts control the transportation to and from their private islands, so I don’t know of a way to get it cheaper. It does seem like a lot, but once you factor in the overall price it might still be your best option. Sorry I don’t have better news. -Roger