First time traveling to Maldives?
You’re in for an absolute dream of a trip
First of all
You’re in for an absolute dream of a trip, we dare promise as much. And not the kind that every travel agency promises, where the dreams and reality don’t exactly line up either; no, this is as close as you’re gonna get to those blue seas and skies, white sand and maybe a dolphin or two.
Vacationing in the Maldives is an experience that differs quite a bit from what you might otherwise find in other countries (in the best way possible!), which naturally also makes it difficult for first-time travelers to know how or what to look for. On “normal” hotel selection websites, you’ll see parameters such as “how many restaurants are nearby?”, “distance to nearest beach” and “do you want to rent a car?”, and questions like that hardly make sense on Maldives (when you’ve been, you’ll know why). But fear not! On this page, we have tried to collect as much information as possible that will hopefully let you learn a bit more about the destination, and what matters when choosing an island/resort to stay on in Maldives.
Do note, that of course certain things vary both from island to island, but also from traveler to traveler. We have tried to keep this page as non-island-specific as possible, and be more of a general “before you book” for Maldives in general.
Alright, let’s dive into it!
“Island” and “resort” is often one and the same
In Maldives, there is only one resort per island. Therefore, when you choose where to go, you’re choosing both the island and the resort at the same time.
Exceptions apply for local islands or Male/Hulhumale (the capital of Maldives), where several hotels or “homestays” may exist on one island. However, these are not resort-islands, and are not included/search-able on this website.
When traveling to Maldives, we’ll assume (for simplicity's sake), that you’re choosing to stay on an island resort. There are about 180 to choose from, so don’t feel limited!
The resort has everything you need
So, as there is only one resort per island, the resort will also provide you with everything you need. From airport transfers (by boat or by seaplane), to the restaurants and bars, to dive-center and excursions from the island - it will most likely all be managed by the resort, which makes it very easy for you to navigate as a tourist. For example, in many cases, several (if not all) of bars and restaurants on an island will be included in a meal-plan (say, “all inclusive”), so you don’t have to worry about accidentally stumbling into a non-resort-included bar or restaurant (or worse yet, a restaurant that doesn’t meet the resorts’ standards!).
Similarly, extra charges for excursions or other add-ons can often just be put to your room, and you can pay at the end of the visit and don’t have to bother with - well, pretty much any worries for the duration of your stay.
That really sums up well what makes Maldives so appealing: As you are already on just one island/resort, there’s absolutely no need to worry about where to go for dinner (it’ll be the resort), how to get around (you can walk around the island), how to get there from the airport (the resort will arrange that for you), and there is also no hagglers/hecklers on the beach trying to sell you souvenirs or sunbeds or get you in a taxi.
So, what DO you look for, then?
Right, so by now we’ve covered that you only need to look for a resort/island, choose one, and then you’re pretty much good to go.
... That of course begs the question: Which island resort? Because, as I mentioned, the “usual” parameters of searching for a hotel for a beach-vacation often don’t really apply to the Maldives. Location? On the beach. How far from city center? There’s no city. Restaurants nearby? Yes. How far from the airport? .. Okay this CAN matter, but likely it won’t. And you certainly won’t need to rent a car.
Instead, you may need to ask yourselves questions like:
What size of island/resort might I prefer?
Is it important to me that there are meal-plans such as all inclusive available?
Do I want an adult-only area available, or perhaps an entire adult-only island?
Do I want a diving center available?
Do you want to stay in an overwater villa or a beach bungalow?