There are over 100 resort islands in Maldives and often, it may get difficult to choose which resort to stay at. Nevertheless most resorts in Maldives will give you the same wonderful experience: same water, same weather.
The big question is which resort you should choose. It all depends on your requirements which can be separated into few different categories.
Budget
The number one rule for me is to set your budget and work from there. Maldives can be a very expensive destination. Couple of things to consider are the rate of the room, the cost of food and beverages, activities, spa and the transfer to the resort. So it’s wise to do your research and contact the resort for food and activities price list. Note that there is 22% service taxes to all prices in Maldives.
Board Basis
There are few different room rates in Maldives or in general hotel terms.
All Inclusive
This means all your meals and drinks are covered. It includes breakfast, lunch, dinner plus drinks which usually include both soft and alcoholic drinks as well. Usually, evening tea and snacks are included as well. As pretty much everything is included in the package price, this is more suitable for those who don’t want to worry about carrying cash around and spending more on food and drinks. Sometimes, you may also be entitled to water sports and other activities which you would usually expect to pay for.
Full Board
Full Board includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. But usually, drinks and snacks are not inclusive of this rate. This package is perfect for those who are happy spending the day lounging by the pool at the hotel but don't want to be restricted to what the hotel has to offer.
Half Board
Breakfast and dinner are both included in the price, meaning that any food or drink outside of these will cost you extra. Half Board suits those who plan on venturing out during the day, perhaps you’re planning to do daytime activities or explore the local area. This means you can fill up on breakfast before you leave, grab lunch when you're out, and come back knowing you won't have to worry about dinner when you return as the resort will have it covered.
Bed & Breakfast
For those who like to start the day with a good hearty breakfast but don't want to be fixed to certain prearranged times for the rest of their meals, B&B is a great option.
Room only
It literally means Room Only. No meals will be included in the price you have paid for your accommodation.
Distance from Male
As all resorts in Maldives sit on their own island, it requires further transportation from Male. Depending on how far it is from Male, there are three different ways to get to your resort: speedboat, seaplane and domestic flights.
Speedboat transfer is used when the resort is not too far from Male, usually located in North Male Atoll and South Male Atoll. The pro of using speedboat is that you can ride on the boat as soon as you land at Male Airport. So it will be quicker to reach your resort. However, some resorts might be too close to Male and you could still see the main island of Male which is an issue to some people.
Seaplane transfer is a fun experience and you can enjoy the stunning view from above. It is usually more expensive than speedboat transfer. Seaplane is usually used for a more distant resort from Male Main Island. Resorts that are reached by seaplane will feel more isolated as you stay on the desert island. Though, the main problem is, the flight schedule depends on the people’s arrival time on the day. You could wait from 20 minutes to several hours. Also seaplane can only operate in the daytime. So if your plane arrives or departs late at night, you have to stay at Male Main Island to catch your plane. For example, if you arrive at 7 AM at Male Airport, and there are people that arrive at 9 AM and 11 AM, possibility is all three groups will be combined and you will ride the seaplane at 12 PM. Or it could be, when you arrive at 7 AM, most people that arrive with you also require seaplane transfer, and the capacity that is required to fly has been fulfilled, you could be lucky and fly straight after you arrive. This is just an example to give you an idea, though I’m not sure how it really works.
Domestic Flight Transfer is very similar to seaplane, but you’re flying on a small commercial plane instead of seaplane. Usually, it require another speedboat transfer once you land at the domestic airport.
Room Type
There are usually 2 types of villa at the resort: Water Villa and Beach Villa.
Beach Villa is located on the land and usually offers more privacy and more shades from the sun compared to Water Villa. On the other hand, Water Villa is located over the water and it could be twice more expensive than water villa. Most water villas are laid out next to each other, so it might not have the same privacy as Beach Villa. But definitely worth trying at least one night stay. Water Villa Decks is beautiful and has that ‘wow’ factor. While beautiful, it can get very hot as it is directly exposed to the sun. To save money, some people like to stay in the water villa for one night and beach villa for the remaining nights of their stay. Another feature to consider is if you want private pool or Jacuzzi in the room or if you are a family, perhaps you want a resort that have two or three bedroom villa.
Island Size
You need to ask yourself if you prefer Small Island or Big Island. Small Island usually offers the feel of intimacy and romantic. With Small Island, you can usually walk around the island within 15 to 30 minutes. Some people really enjoy it, but some people might find it boring after couple of days. With Bigger Island, some are big enough that you can ride a bike to explore the island. Big Island usually offers more facilities and attracts larger market of people which leads to the next two points.
Resort Target Market
Find out who the resort target market is. Most resorts target couple as their main target market. Some resorts target families with excellent kids club. This might not be the best choice for your honeymoon. Some resorts have an adult only policy and some sort of age restriction. This might be more suitable for couple who wants that romantic peaceful atmosphere. These will really affect how the resorts position themselves in terms of ambience, facilities they offer and the design of the resort itself. Some resorts have Rustic Maldivian feel with ‘no shoes’ policy and others have more Modern feel with nightlife entertainment.
Facilities
Most resorts offer complementary snorkelling kit and kayak. But I will recommend contacting the resort and asking for the list of facilities they offer. Some points to check:
- Do they have water sport like jet ski, banana boat, windsurfing, catamaran sailing?
- Do they have island swimming pool and gym?
- Do they have water villa that offer private pool?
- Do they have scuba diving centres?
- Do they have kids club?
- Do they have spa?
Ocean Reef
For scuba divers and snorkelers, finding out quality of the house reef is another important factor to consider. House reef is the coral reef around the resort island itself, so you will have access to it. Some can be reached straight from your water villa or the island’s beach and some requires a short boat ride to the ocean reef area.
Food
Some resorts might only have one or two restaurants whereas other might have a number of different restaurants offering different type of cuisine. Some restaurants offer a la carte some offer buffet restaurants. It’s worth contacting the resort for the choices of restaurants they offer in the resort and the menu for each restaurant. For example, some smaller resorts might only have one buffet restaurant. Ask yourself if you mind eating buffet at the same place every time you eat, if you don’t then this shouldn’t be a problem.
Conclusion
So after so many points to cover, it comes to your choice: what you prefer and your personality. You cannot choose everything at the same time. But from my experience, set a budget and work from there and that will give you a better picture of resort choices to choose from.
I am an adventurous and fast-paced traveller. For my holiday to Maldives we chose smaller island with speedboat transfer as it was for our honeymoon and we wanted to have that intimate romantic feeling and we were only staying only 3 nights, so we didn’t want to waste time waiting for the transfer. But in the future, I might choose bigger island cause that fits my personality better. But trust me, any kind of resorts that you choose, I believe you will have a wonderful time in this paradise.
So where did I decide to stay?
Huvafen Fushi
https://www.huvafenfushi.com
Room Type: Beach Villa (Half Board)
Price: USD 1220 per night
Price: USD 1220 per night
Room Type: Water Villa (Half Board)
Price: USD 1557 per night
Stay: January 2018
Price: USD 1557 per night
Stay: January 2018
Highlights: Superb Room, Clear Coral, Underwater Spa, Stingray Feeding
Rating: ★★★★☆ Superb (90-99%)
FAQs
When to go to Maldives
There are 3 main seasons in Maldives. The 'dry' monsoon which is January to about early May. The 'wet' monsoon which is around May to September. The 'inbetween' season which runs from October to December. But the start and end dates of each season is not fixed. There is no pattern. It can rain heavily and continuously for days on end. It could shower heavily then clear up to reveal blue skies and sunshine. It may rain at night only or it may rain during the day. Or it may not rain at all for days.
1. The 'dry' monsoon (January to early May) is when the islands get the least amount of rainfall, the winds are generally lower and the waters are calmer. However, 'dry' is a relative term. The driest month is February which usually sees around 2 inches average rainfall in the month
2. The 'wet' monsoon (May to September) is when it rains. If you've booked your holiday during these months, no one can tell you what's going to happen.
3. The 'inbetween' season (October to December) or often called ‘rainbow’ season. Technically the wet monsoon is over and yet, it still rains a lot. But there's also a lot of sunshine too. Lots of rain plus lots of sunshine equals lots of rainbows. If you've booked your holiday during these months, you need to be aware that there is still a possibility of getting rain, and again, no one can tell you if it'll be heavy continuous rain, rain showers or no rain at all.
How many nights should I stay in Maldives
The recommended minimum night of staying in one resort is 4 nights. I chose 4 nights as a minimum because most resorts offer honeymoon package if you stay at least 4 nights. Obviously, more night you have is better. You could stay in one resort or divide your stay into few different resorts if you have longer trips. But remember that Maldives resort is very expensive, so longer trips might not be a good options as well. In my opinion, if 4 nights are too long for you, I would say 3 nights are the absolute minimum. If you only have one or two nights, I don’t think its worth to go considering the plane ticket to get to Male and the boat or seaplane transfer that you have to pay.
Should I go for speedboat transfer or seaplane transfer?
Seaplane transfer is definitely worth trying at least once. But the length of your trip could be the most important factor when choosing resort with a speedboat or seaplane transfer. If your trip is short (3-5 nights), resort with speedboat transfer is recommended. If you have longer time in Maldives (more than 5 nights), you can choose with either speedboat or seaplane. Though, if you really want to experience riding on the seaplane, you can always choose resort with seaplane transfer even if you only have couple of days in Maldives. Just note that, there is a possibility of long wait in Male Airport before riding on the seaplane.
Which resorts can be reached by speedboat transfer?
Resorts located in North Male Atoll and South Male Atoll. Click for maps.
Do you need visa to enter Maldives?
Yes, ‘Visa on arrival’. There are no documents that need to be prepared. You will get a form to fill and a stamp in your passport. Keep hold of the half of the form as you'll need it to leave the country.
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