A noted beautiful tropical region that hosts 115 islands, the Seychelles is a dream come true for most travelers who seek a nice beach, sun, and a cold drink. Unfortunately, there aren't any overwater villas in this area as of now, and there aren't any plans at the moment to build any that we are aware of. However, there is some good news to share. Nearby, there is a plethora of overwater resorts, and those can be found in the famed Maldives.

What you'll want to note is that around two-thirds of the world's 125 or so overwater resorts are in the Maldives, meaning that there are lots of great choices in this one particular area compared to most anywhere else on the globe. There's also a single water villa resort that can be found in Mauritius, which is located just to the south, and therefore a bit closer to South Africa.

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Overwater bungalows closest to Seychelles

Around 1800 kilometers due south of the Seychelles you’ll find one wonderful overwater bungalow resort in Mauritius. This particular resort is seen as a luxurious one, however the overwater suites are just slightly perched over the lagoon, so they aren’t quite the same as the ones that so many people dream of spending their honeymoon in. Here, you’ll find 11 overwater rooms all together, alongside other suites that are land based. Most of the guests who stay here are romantic couples, though families with children do visit as well, you just won’t find as many families compared to couples. One thing you will want to note is that this resort provides a lot of free activities to guests staying in the overwater rooms and the land based ones, including golf.

 

About 1800 kilometers northeast of the Seychelles you reach the Maldives, which is also just southwest of India. This group of islands is home to most of the overwater bungalows (which are usually called ‘water villas’ there) in the world. Each of these resorts is on its own private island, and they range from tiny boutique resorts to large and boisterous hotels that are popular with families with children of various ages and groups. Along with the range of resort sizes, you’ll also find that the resorts vary widely in prices as well.


Maldives water villas

Those of you who are traveling from Europe or the Middle East will find that getting to and from the Maldives is a lot easier than traveling to the Seychelles. There are frequent direct flights connecting through Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Because of this, you’ll find that with one connection you can reach the Maldives from pretty much anywhere in Europe, Asia, or Africa. With an easy connection like this, you’ll save on the hassle that’s associated with long flights and numerous connections, which adds even more to the appeal of a Maldivian holiday.

 

Even with the inclusion a short layover, most people can get from a large airport in Europe to the Maldives airport in about 11 hours or so.


From all-inclusive budget to ultra-luxury

One of the things that does make the Maldives very appealing is the variation of price points. Because there is a huge difference in nightly rates from the most budget friendly resort to the most extravagant, you’ll find that it is easier to find a resort (and room) that fits nicely into your proposed vacation budget.  The cheapest water villa resorts start at around US$300 per night, and offer a small list of activities to enjoy and participate in. The nicer resorts start closer to US$600 per night and go way up from there. If money is no concern, you’ll find an impressive list of top notch 5-star overwater resorts that wow in every sense of the word.

 

 

Top photo credit: Jean-Marie Hullot on Flickr


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4 thoughts on "The Maldives will open back up in July"

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  1. Good afternoon from California, USA.
    I’m looking to visit Maldives in August 2021. Can you please tell me the Covid-19 restrictions for Maldives resorts and are all resorts now opened for vacationing??

    This will be a family vacation and what is a good recommendation for a family experience there at Maldives?

    Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you.

    Lorraine

    1. Lorraine,

      Maldives reopened its borders to tourists of all nationalities on 15th July 2020. There will be no further incoming travel restrictions to the country. So far there have been very few cases of COVID at any of the resorts and if you are vaccinated you should be fine.

      For families I highly recommend Meeru Island, which is among the largest islands and the most affordable for all-inclusives. Since it’s a large island they also offer more pools and activities than most others as well. Have a great trip! -Roger

  2. We are considering a 10 week stay and are avid scuba diverstrying not to break the bank
    We don’t need fancy we come for the diving. Any help would help. Where should we be looking for to be close to the diving?thanks Bob Hastings. 🌴🐋🦈😎

    1. Robert,

      Ten weeks in the Maldives is an extremely long stay and I’m not aware of any diving resorts that cost less than US$3,000 per week. You might try Indonesia as they have great diving resorts at much more reasonable prices. -Roger