Located south of India and stretching all the way to below the equator, the Maldives is home to over 80 resorts with “water villas”, as they are tend to be called there. Each resort, by local law, rests on its own private island, and they range from tiny boutique resorts to large family resorts that cater with hundreds of rooms.
All of the islands in the Maldives chain are completely flat, meaning you won’t find mountain views like you would in the South Pacific. However, each island is surrounded by its own clear lagoon and thus offers great snorkeling and scuba diving, making it still feel like paradise.
What you’ll find is that the Maldives resorts range from all-inclusive package hotels that offer one large buffet restaurant serving every meal for a week, all the way up to super-luxury islands where there are an impressive 10 restaurants and bars that serve only 70 rooms.
Prices
Maldives water villas start at around US$306 per night
All-inclusive Maldives water villas start at about US$370 per night for two people
Getting there
The Maldives is an island chain that is incredibly and widely spread out, but with that said, all vacations to the country will still start out with travelers flying into the Malé International Airport, which is just northeast of the main island of Malé. To reach this airport from Europe you’ll almost certainly be taking an overnight flight, changing planes in the Middle East (Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai), and arriving in Malé in the morning.
Once you land at the Malé International Airport you’ll be met by staff from your resort who with either guide you to a private speedboat that takes you directly to the island. Or they’ll put you on a sea-plane for a short flight to the island. When you make your hotel reservation they’ll include the cost of the boat ride or flight, so it’s best to save money and book it yourself online.
More information
Overwater resorts in the Maldives
We are looking for an overwater bungalow for 4 people in late June 2019 for one week. We are looking for something in the Caribbean or Fiji areas. Do you have anything that will meet our needs? Thank you!
Jessica,
Most overwater resorts only allow 3 people per room, but there are a few that allow 4. I think your best bet is to check the different overwater bungalows in the Caribbean and see if you can find one you like that allows 4 guests per room. -Roger
Would like to stay there in 2020. What are rates between Feb 2020 and October 2020 and name of nearest airport? Thanks
FR,
Hotels don’t typically set rates more than 11 months in advance, but they shouldn’t change much from the same months in 2019. The nearest airport is Fa’a’? International Airport, which has frequent nonstop flights from LAX and is only a few miles from the resort itself. -Roger