MaldivesHoneymoon Guide Maldives is synonymous with luxury, romance and tropical bliss. Home to pristine beaches, turquoise waters, vibrant sunsets, stunning reefs, diverse marine life, and a plethora of award-winning resorts that are ever so eager to deliver the best luxury experience to you, Maldives has everything you wanted in a tropical island paradise. With almost every resort having its own private island offering you unparalled hospitality and barefoot luxury, it comes as no surprise that this destination is one of the top honeymoon spots in the world. We ourselves have visited it 3 times! Welcome to Maldives Landscape Maldives landscape is unique. This island country located in the Indian ocean is the smallest country in Asia. Consisting of ~1,192 islands grouped into 26 atolls, it spreads over an area of 90,000 sq km, making it one of the most disparate contries in the world. Culture & Language Maldivian culture is rich and varied, influenced by the people of different ethnicities who have settled on these islands over the years. The state religion is Islam, and you can find influences from India, Sri Lanka and even African culture. The official language is Maldivian/Dhivehi, and the country has several dilects (Mulaku, Huvadhu, Maliku and Addu). As Maldives is booming in tourism, most people in the tourist industry are able to speak English. Food & Drink The cuisine of Maldives largely involves fish as its main source of protein. Second to tourism, fishing is the second biggest industry in the country. Traditional Maldivian cuisine (also known as Dhivehi cuisine) richly assembles traditional flavours with strong influences from Indian & Sri Lankan cuisine. That being said, the resorts tend to offer a variety of international cuisines, from Japanese to Italian. Nature Being an island paradise, most of Maldive’s wildlife lies underwater. There are over 2,000 species of fish found in the waters surrounding the islands. Also watch out for manta rays, stingrays, sharks, dolpins, whales, turtles. Best Time to Visit Maldives Maldives is mostly hot and sunny all year round, averaging temperatures of 23ºC-31ºC. The best time to visit is from November to April, to avoid the monsoon season which runs from May to October and peaks around June. However, the high season in Maldives is between December to March. This means busier resorts and higher prices, though weather would be perfect for being outdoors. We love to visit places during their shoulder season for decent weather and prices. I’d suggest visiting Maldives in November or March. Top Things to Do in Maldives 1) Go SnorkelingMost resorts in Maldives have their own house reef, and will offer you free rental for snorkeling gear. Grab them, put on some sunscreen and wade out to the crystal clear waters to explore! Resorts that have beautiful house reefs include Robinson Club Maldives, Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon, and Anantara Kihavan Maldives Villas. You can also take a excursion out to snorkeling sites to discover more marine life. 2) Learn Scuba DivingMaldives is one of the best places to learn diving. You can take up a discovery dive if you are not certified at the PADI dive centres. Many resorts also have their own dive centre and certified divers. Maldives is best known for sea turtles, stingrays and whale sharks. Getting up close and personal with these creatures sure makes for an incredible experience. 3) Dolphin CruiseOn our first trip to Maldives, we took a boat out to see wild dolphins. It was amazing as we saw so many of them! These active and playful dolphins will swim really close to your boat, and some even twirl and flip out of the water! 4) Spot Whale SharksThe South Ari Atoll is frequently visited by Whale Sharks throughout the year, and here you can not only spot whale sharks but even swim with them if you are lucky! Resorts to stay at include LUX* South Ari Atoll, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, and Vilamednhoo Island Rsort & Spa. 5) Surf the WavesMaldives has plenty of world-class surf spots. Though waves are not super powerful (the swell normally reaches shoulder to head high), there are plenty of chances for barrels and long fun waves. Cinnamon Dhonveli is one of the resorts where many top surfers flock to for a surf break. 6) Head to the SpaWhen it comes to relaxing, a good spa is hard to beat. Most resorts have their own in-house spa offering therapeutic treatments, body scrubs and more. Resorts with great spas include COMO Maalifushi, Huvafen Fushi and Jumeirah Vittaveli. 7) Experience Underwater DiningLevel up your gastronomic journey by dining underwater at some of these stunning underwater restaurants. Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort, SEA restaurant at the Anantara Kihavah, and 5.8 at Hurawalhi Island Resort. 8) Partake in eco-tourismLately, slowly but surely, sustainable tourism has been of increasing focus. Many resorts are embarking on go-green intiatives, with some taking the extra step to sustain, preserve and enrich the natural environment around them. Do your part and support these resorts, or take an extra step and get involved in some of their intiatives, for it can be really fun. You can take part in rescuing baby turtles at Four Seasons Kuda Haraa. Click here for our full guide on Things to Do in Maldives > Top Resorts in Maldives Six Senses Resort Laamu Located on the remote Laamu Atoll, Six Senses features a rustic-chic lifestyle that masterfully combines a secluded remote location, eco-living and unrivalled luxury. Check rates Soneva Fushi Hailing barefoot luxury combined with the Robinson Crusoe simplicity, Soneva Fushi aims to draw you in with their “no news, no shoes” philosophy. This down-to-earth, eco-friendly destination is altogether relaxing and comfortable. Check rates W Maldives Picturesque blue waters combined with stylish design brings you a contemporary, sophisticated vacation at W Maldives. What lies in store include 3 gourmet eateries, 2 vibrant lounge bars and a blissful Away Spa. Check rates One&Only Reethi Rah Unprecedented privacy. Transcendent luxury. One&Only is a superb all-villa resort in the Maldives. Be prepare to be blown away by this secluded oasis of serenity, beauty and transcendent luxury. Check rates Holiday Types Depending on the type of honeymoon you’d like, here are the best resorts in Maldives to go to. Romance Lux* North Male Atoll Baros Maldives COMO Cocoa Island Gili Lankanfushi Luxury Soneva Jani One&Only Reethi Rah Velaa Private Island Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Amilla Fushi Diving COMO Maalfushi Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Oblu Helengeli Adaaran Club Ranaalhi Komandoo Surfing Six Senses Laamu Cinnamon Dhonveli Kandima Maldives COMO Maalfushi Spa Huvafen Fushi Niyama Shangri-la’s Villingili Resort & Spa Six Senses Laamu Adults-only Komandoo Island Resort & Spa Meeru Island Resort & Spa Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Huvafen Fushi Hurawalhi Island Resort Family friendly Soneva Fushi Kandima Hard Rock Hotel Maldives Joali Maldives Eco-friendly Soneva Fushi Gili Lankanfushi Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu Baros Maldives Kudadoo Maldives Private Island Stylish W Retreat & Spa Maldives The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi New Kudadoo Maldives Private Island Baglioni Resort Maldives Joali Maldives Muravandhoo Island Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi Click here for more hotels in Maldives > Maldives Travel FAQ How do I get to the Maldives? Malé is the capital of Maldives. Malé International Airport / Velana International (MLE), is the gateway to Maldives. The airport located on Huhule Island in the North Male Atoll. Airlines like Silkair, Singapore Airlines and Airasia fly direct to Malé International Airport. Scoot no longer flies to Malé as of Oct 2019. To get to Malé from Huhule Island, you can take a 16-minute car ride. There is a new bridge that connects the airport to Malé, making it very convenient. Alternatively, you can take a 10-min ferry ride. From Malé, you can transfer to your resort island, either by ferry, speedboat or sea plane. Please note that seaplane transfers to resorts are expensive and are usually not included in the resort room rate. Hence, do check the rates before you book your stay. While there are a few seaplane operators, Trans-Maldivian Airways is the largest. How long should I visit Maldives for? If you’re staying at one resort, 5 days is sufficient. But I’d say one week is perfect for a relaxing vacation. Cater more time if you are into specific activities like fishing, deep sea diving or resort-hopping (I will share more about resort-hopping later!). If you plan to stay at more than one resort, do cater an extra few days. That being said, if you plan to visit more than one resort, make sure they are located decently near to each other, otherwise transfer will be tedious and expensive. What is the best way to experience Maldives? There are two ways to enjoy Maldives, depending on your budget and activities. You can splurge to stay at a private resort island and indulge in their offerings, or stay on a local island and explore the areas around it. Both ways are equally fun in their own way. We have been to Maldives 3 times, and experienced both types. If it is your honeymoon, I would suggest splurging a bit more to stay at a private resort island. After all, that is what Maldives is well-known for – luxury accommodation, full-board packages and personalised service. Most resorts will offer various types of accommodation, such as beach villas and overwater bungalows iconic to Maldives. On our latest visit, we stayed at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi in one of their Sunset Horizon Water Villas. The atmosphere was private, making it very ideal for an intimate vacation. This is a more relaxing and indulgent type of vacation, though you can also sign up for excursions via the resort. The alternative way of experiencing Maldives can be done on a budget. You can opt to stay on one of their local islands (I suggest Maafushi at Kaafu Atoll) and book a room at one of the hotels. The experience will be vastly different from that of a private resort island (no butler service for sure), but you can find decent rooms at decent prices. Maafushi is increasingly catering to tourism, so you will find many tour vendors offering excursions such as fishing trips, dolphin cruises and island hopping. Water-sports are also aplenty here. At Maafushi, you can also do resort-hopping – a day excursion to visit a resort and spend the day there. It costs about ~$150 – $200 depending on the resort and how many sign up and usually includes a meal. It’s a cheaper way to experience 5-star resorts. How much does it cost for a trip to Maldives? Many put off visiting the Maldives thinking that it is insanely expensive to get to. While this might be true, there are increasingly more ways of visiting Maldives on a budget. It’s possible to budget $300/day or $1,000 a day in Maldives. 1. Flights: You can find flights from ~$300 – $500 per person during low season. This will double during high season. 2. Accommodation: This depends on the type of place you book. – Budget hotels average ~$150 – $200 per night. Guesthouses are cheaper at~$70 – $100. – Midrange resorts start from $300 – $500 per night. – At the top-end, 5 or 6 star luxury resorts will start from $700 onwards. 3. Transport: This depends on the type of transfer you need and where you are going. For speedboats within the Male atoll, a return journey is ~$90 per person. For transfer to other atolls will cost about $150+ return per person. Seaplane transfers usually range ~$300 – $500 return per person. A cheaper alternative to local islands would be to take the public ferry. It is only US$2 one-way but you are restricted to the ferry schedule and the duration will be much longer as compared to speedboat. It takes about 90 minutes from Male (Villingili Ferry Terminal) to Maafushi. You can see ferry routes and timings here. I took this route my first time, and would highly encourage you to take the speedboat…
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