South of India, stretching all the way to below the equator, the Maldives is home to over 80 resorts with “water villas”, as they are usually called there. Each resort, by law, is on its own private island, and they range from tiny boutique resorts to large family resorts with many hundreds of rooms.
All of the islands in the Maldives chain is completely flat, so there are no mountain views like you get in the South Pacific, but each island is surrounded by its own clear lagoon with great snorkeling and diving, so it feels like paradise just the same.
The Maldives resorts range from all-inclusive package hotels that have one large buffet restaurant serving every meal for a week, all the way up to super-luxury islands where there are as many as 10 restaurants and bars for 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 spread out, but all holidays to the country will start by flying into the Malé International Airport, 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), arriving in Malé in the morning.
One 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
Great information! The wife and I are accumulating Hilton Honors points for a stay when she retires in the spring of 2026. Never too early to learn about how things work.
Scott