I’ve been to dozens of Maldives resorts – this is how one can vacation there for simply £162 a day INCLUDING flights… there is a glut of offers however you must transfer quick, reveals journey skilled TOM CHESSHYRE
It’s one of the most desirable holiday destinations, yet many believe it’s simply too expensive as it’s so far away.
Not so. Yes, you may require a 5,300-mile flight, yet prices can be remarkably enticing – from as little as £1,207pp for a week, or £1,621pp for ten days. The latter works out at a mere £162 a day… flights included.
And now that services through the Middle East hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar are back on, there’s a glut of availability for last-minute getaways to the Maldives.
Of its 1,192 islands, around 160 are adapted to tourism and I’ve visited around a fifth of them, plus many local islands without resorts. So here’s our guide to some of the best getaways that won’t break the bank.
Adventure on Addu
Visit the most southerly spot in the Maldives, south of the Equator on Addu Atoll, and stay at the Equator Village Maldives hotel on the tiny, peaceful island of Gan. Parts of this hotel comprise lodgings that were connected to an RAF base which closed in 1976. There’s still the former officers’ snooker table in a sideroom beside the bar.
Unlike on many resort islands, Gan is connected to other islands on the Addu archipelago by a bridge so you can explore local villages and not feel you are in a ‘tourist bubble’. There’s good nearby diving including a chance to visit a sunken British ship from the Second World War.
Addu is a great place to dive, and there is an opportunity to see a sunken British ship from the Second World War
Book it: From £1,625pp B&B for ten days including Manchester flights (tui.co.uk), or £1,449 for a week.
Price per day: £162.
Surfers’ paradise
Just north-east of Malé, the Maldivian capital, on North Malé Atoll, Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi Maldives is one of the best spots on the archipelago for surfing. There’s also diving, snorkelling and paddleboarding. Expect a good spa and a selection of beach or overwater villas.
Excursions can be arranged to local islands including day trips to Malé. Sunset and dolphin-watching cruises can be organised, too. There are also fishing trips during which your catch will be prepared and cooked for the freshest of meals on board.
Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi Maldives is one of the best spots on the archipelago for surfing
Book it: From £1,689pp all-inclusive for a week including Heathrow flights (tropicalsky.co.uk).
Price per day: £241pp.
Oldest hotel
Niva Kurumba Maldives was the first hotel on a private island to open in the Maldives, back on October 3, 1972 (now the country’s National Tourism Day). It’s a charming, oval-shaped island close to Malé, with an interior of palm trees with hammocks, two tennis courts, a gym and yoga zone. There’s also a spa with massage treatments featuring Aromatherapy Associates oils.
The dining options include a Thai restaurant, plus Indian and Japanese. Snorkelling is possible on a sheltered house reef, protected by sea break barriers.
Niva Kurumba Maldives, the island nation’s oldest hotel, opened more than 50 years ago
Book it: From £1,249pp B&B for a week including return flights (trailfinders.com).
Price per day: £178pp.
Overwater villa
Book into an overwater villa at Sun Siyam Olhuveli on South Malé Atoll. It comprises three islands, linked by walkways. You can take your pick of seven bars (including swim-up cocktail bars) and dine at Asian, Italian, Indian and Thai restaurants as well as burger joints and pizzerias.
Sun Siyam Olhuveli is home to the longest pool in the Maldives and has gyms, spas and dive centres on each island. There are adults-only sections but also a kids’ club, plus Moonlight Cinema.
Sun Siyam Olhuveli has three islands, linked by walkways. Each island has gyms, spas and dive centres
Book it: From £1,929pp full-board for a week including return flights (trailfinders.com).
Price per day: £275pp.
All-inclusive bargain
Situated in Raa Atoll, 90 miles north of Malé, Adaaran Select Meedhupparu is a popular all-inclusive resort. Beach villas are dotted amid lush tropical vegetation, creating a feeling of living in a jungle, although there are over-water villas.
Watersports lovers can indulge in parasailing, snorkelling, diving, paddleboarding, windsurfing and jet skiing. It’s also possible to try flyboarding (boards with waterjets that propel you up to 20 metres in the air). Enjoy a sundowner at the beach bar or tuck into a choice of 101 cocktails at the Albino Bar.
Adaaran Select Meedhupparu offers sunbeds, watersports and bars with lots of cocktails
Book it: From £2,189pp all-inclusive for a week including flights (tropicalsky.co.uk).
Price per day: £312pp.
Chic and cheap
With a Tripadvisor rating of 4.7 out of 5, Kandima Maldives is another popular choice. It has a chic, hip feel with DJs and cocktail bars, plus a brilliant sports complex with tennis courts and a five-a-side pitch. There’s even a 500-metre racing circuit for electric carts.
The Beach Club has a cool pool with cabanas plus a pair of jetties leading to circular decks with seating for sundowners. Accommodation is in a mix of over-water and beach villas.
The Beach Club has a pair of white-and-blue jetties leading to circular decks with seating
Book it: From £1,721pp B&B for a week including flights (tui.co.uk).
Price per day: £245pp.
Great all-rounder
It’s a mere ten-minute speedboat transfer from the airport to Bandos Maldives private island. Expect tennis courts, a good quality spa, gym, diving centre (where you can learn to dive and gain a PADI qualification) and all sorts of other watersports including paddleboarding, jet skiing and snorkelling.
Night fishing boat trips can be organised as well as whale shark spotting expeditions, dolphin cruises and visits to the local island of Huraa to see a traditional Maldivian settlement. There’s a mix of plush beach villas and over-water villas.
Bandos Maldives private island can organise night fishing boat trips as well as whale shark spotting expeditions
Book it: From £1,539pp half-board for a week including flights (tui.co.uk).
Price per day: £219pp.
Feeling sporty?
There’s a six-hole golf course on Kuredu. You can also play tennis and padel, join boot camp classes, pilates instruction and sunset yoga sessions. There’s a dive centre, too, plus all the main watersports including paddleboarding and kayaking, as well as a large spa with endless treatments.
Kuredu is an upbeat, sporty choice of Maldivian island. Expect two main restaurants and no fewer than eight bars. Live music is played most nights.
Kuredu offers several sports facilities, including a six-hole golf course and tennis courts
Book it: From £1,207pp half-board for a week including seaplane transfer (travelrepublic.co.uk).
Price per day: £172pp.
Underwater dining
Watch colourful tropical fish swim by while eating at the largest underwater restaurant in the Maldives at Oblu Xperience Ailafushi, close to Malé and an easy speedboat transfer from the airport.
This all-inclusive resort has free in-room minibars with beers and soft drinks, while every evening, alongside complimentary beers, wines and spirits, there are free cocktails at the lively X360 Bar. Decor in the villas is bright with splashes of modern art.
Visitors watch colourful tropical fish swim by as they tuck in to a meal at Oblu Xperience Ailafushi
Book it: From £1,846pp all-inclusive for a week with flights (travelrepublic.co.uk).
Price per day: £263pp.
Good-value fun
On beautiful Meeru Maldives Resort Island guests have a choice of six restaurants including Asian, Italian and Maldivian culinary offerings – with excellent seafood. There are five bars, two of which are adult-only beside infinity pools.
Villas are smart and either tucked away amid palm trees or on over-water platforms. The resort holds regular ‘experiences’ with themed events on certain days such as ‘world chess day’, ‘cheesecake day’ and ‘tequila day’ – as well as nights with DJ sets.
Meeru Maldives Resort has five bars, two of which are adult-only beside infinity pools
Book it: From £1,639pp full-board for a week with flights (tui.co.uk).
Price per day: £234pp.
Romance for less
Within the North Ari Atoll, Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon is great for romantic getaways, featuring a Lovers’ Deck for dining at the end of a jetty, plus picnics on a sandbank. Balinese massages are available at the Chavana Spa.
Trips on offer include sunset fishing, visits to local islands and dolphin-watching cruises. There are over-water and beachside villas, all decorated in a slick, minimalist style.
Dine on the Lovers’ Deck at the end of a jetty at Ellaidhoo Maldives for a romantic night out
Book it: From £1,419pp all-inclusive for a week with flights (tropicalsky.co.uk).
Price per day: £202pp.
Whale of a time
You are almost guaranteed to see whale sharks when staying at LUX* South Ari Atoll, as the waters are famous for being a year-round congregation spot for the graceful (and perfectly safe) enormous creatures. The resort organises trips to their favourite spots led by marine biologists.
The retreat itself is stylish with recently refurbished villas, infinity pools, a sushi restaurant, a fantastic lagoon-side beach bar serving cocktails and a beach club dishing up grilled seafood.
LUX* South Ari Atoll dishes up tasty grilled seafood, such as mussels with lemon slices
Book it: From £1,295pp B&B for a week with flights (awayholidays.co.uk); add £870pp to make it all-inclusive.
Price per day: £185pp.
Prices correct as we went to press.
Tom Chesshyre is the author of Gatecrashing Paradise: Misadventures In The Real Maldives
