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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

Room Type: Water Villa (Half Board)
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.

Visiting Tokyo? This is the ultimate Tokyo travel guide for food lovers. There are zillions of awesome food in Tokyo. I have only tried a friction of it. Everything listed here is from my own experience. For the rating system explanation, click here.

*updated as per 28 January 2018.

Ramen

ICHIRAN

Location: all around Japan except Hokkaido

Last Visit: Jan-23 (>10x)

Order: strong flavour, ultra-rich richness, regular garlic, green onion, with sliced pork, regular secret sauce, medium noodle texture.
TL;DR: best tonkatsu ramen

Rating: ★★★★★ Personal Favourite (100%)

NAGI

Location: Shinjuku

Last Visit: Jan-23 (>5x)

Notes: my 2nd favourite ramen | anchovies broth | 24 hours.

Rating: ★★★★★ Personal Favourite (100%)

ROKURINSHA

Location: Tokyo Ramen Street under Tokyo Station

Last Visit: Nov-22 (4x)

Notes: claimed the best tsukemen in the world | 45 mins+ queue | lighter broth in the morning.

Rating: ★★★★★ Personal Favourite (100%)

FU-UNJI

Location: 7 mins walking from JR Shinjuku Station South entrance

Last Visit: Oct-15

Notes: rated the best ramen for few times | famous for its tsukemen | biggest competitor of Rokurinsha | restaurant fits about 12 people | open 11:00-15:00 and 17:00-21:00 or until soups run out
Review: I ordered special ramen with extra noodle, extra egg, extra chasiew. I got 2 eggs, around 20 pieces of chasiew, big portion of noodle. It was too much as per picture. I suggest to order the regular ramen. It doesn't come with egg, but already with chasiew. When you're hungry, order the special, but don't add any extra. I came at 12:30, the restaurant already closed. Tried again few days later at 18:30, We were waiting for 30 mins+.
TL;DR - I prefer Rokurinsha to Fu-unji.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

RAMEN JIRO

Location: Shinjuky

Last Visit: May-15

Notes: opens 11am | order on vending machine | no english menu | super big portion

Review: This is recommended by my local Japanese friend. This is his favourite ramen and popular amongst locals because of its portion and value.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Ordinary (50-69%)

Sushi

SUKIYABASHI JIRO

Location: Ginza | Roppongi

Price: ¥30,000

Last Visit: Jan-18
Notes: order 1 month in advance
Tips: Roppongi for better English service and 1 hour dining experience rather than 30 minutes in Ginza main branch.
Rating: ★★★★☆ Superb (90-99%)

OKAME SUSHI

Location: Tsukiji Fish Market - same alley as Sushi Dai and Sushi Daiwa (probably has closed)

Price: ¥2700 for 12 pcs set.

Last Visit: May-15

Notes: recommended alternative if you don't want to queue for the famous sushi dai and sushi daiwa.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

SUSHI MIDORI

Location: 4th floor of Shibuya Mark City - shopping mall behind Hachiko statue

Last Visit: May-15

Review: This place is very famous for both locals and tourist for its fresh sushi and great value. We queued for 1.5 hours. I ate the ¥2140 set sushi. The quality was exceptional and for its price, it might be the best value high quality sushi that you can find, but I feel that it was not worth the wait. I rather pay a little bit more somewhere else and save 2 hours for extra sightseeing time. Heard that these days, the queue can be up to 3 or 4 hours.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

SUSHI ZANMAI

Location: All around Japan

Last Visit: Nov-22 (>5x)

Notes: famous cheap sushi chain restaurant | good value

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Ordinary (50-69%)

Wishlist: Seamon Ginza, Sushi Kyubey (edo style), Sushi Sho Masha, Sushi Kanesaka (famous for uni with baby shrimp and maguro cheek), Sushi Iwa (6 seats only).

Katsu

TONKATSU MAISEN

Location: Omotesando

Last Visit: Nov-16 (3x)

Review: It is the most juicy and moist Tonkatsu I have ever eaten. But comes with a price, I ordered the most expensive Okita Loin set for ¥3900. We also ordered the Tokyu X cut which is limited to 6 serve per day. Cost us ¥15,000 in total for 6 people. Combination of ¥3900 (okita loin set), ¥3700 (tokyu x cut), ¥2700, ¥2100, ¥1200 (mince), ¥1700 (shrimp). Actually, it's quite hard to differentiate between the cuts. In my opinion, everything tastes the same since they are all fried and use the same sauce. TL;DR everything tastes awesome! Maisen opens at 11 am. We waited for 30 mins at 12 pm.

Rating: ★★★★☆ Superb (90-99%)

KATSUKURA

Location: Takashimaya 14F Shinjuku | Kyoto Station and more

Last Visit: Nov-22 (>3x)

Review: For me, I can't tell if Maisen is better than this. Both are very good but Katsukura is not as expensive as maisen

Rating: ★★★★☆ Superb (90-99%)

GYUKATSU MOTOMURA

Location: Shinjuku (22 seatings) | Shibuya (8 seatings), Osaka and more

Last Visit: Nov-22 (>3x)
Review: This restaurant is one of the most hype restaurant in Tokyo 2016. Gyukatsu is deep fried beef cutlet. It is like tonkatsu but it is beef instead of pork. What interesting is, you put each slice on the hot stone before you eat it, so it's not that raw anymore. The restaurant opens at 11am. I started queueing at 10.30 and I was already the 20th person and got the last table. I came to Shinjuku branch as it has more seats.
Tips: Start queuing 30 minutes to 1 hour before the restaurant opens.

Rating: ★★★★★ Personal Favourite (100%)

BUTAGUMI

Location: Shibuya

Last Visit: Nov-22

Review: This place focuses on pork tonkatsu only. They have over 50 different varieties of pork. Tenderloin cut is nice. But Sirloin is way too fat, don't enjoy this one at all. It's been on my wishlist since 2015. After I got to try Butagumi, to be honest I'm a bit dissappointed. I'm expected to get mindblowned. It doesn't meet my expectation. It's good but not spectacular. Happy that I've finally tried this. Next time, will come back to Maisen or Katsukura, whichever has less queue.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

Tempura

TSUNAHACHI

Location: across Uniqlo Shinjuku
Price: ¥5200 for the best set tempura menu available and draft beer

Last Visit: May-15

Notes: one of the most famous tempura restaurant at the heart of Shinjuku.

Rating: ★★★★☆ Superb (90-99%)

DAIKOKUYA

Location: Asakusa

Last Visit: May-15

Review: Well known for its Tendon. Tendon is Tempura Prawn served on top of Rice Bowl. They have special seasoning on the tempura, like special soy sauce. Many bloggers rated this restaurant quite high. But not for me.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Ordinary (50-69%)

AOI MARUSHIN

Location: right of Kaminari Gate at Sensoji Temple Asakusa

Last Visit: Nov-16

Notes: 60 years old famous tempura restaurant
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

TEMPURA KONDO

7-CHOME KYOBOSHI

Price: $300
Notes: most expensive tempura in the world

Curry

CURRY HOUSE COCO

Location: All around Japan

Last Visit: Jan-23 (>5x)
Notes: curry chain restaurant

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

GO!GO!CURRY

Location: All around Japan

Last Visit: May-15

Notes: curry chain restaurant with gorilla sign | the curry sauce is dark and more to the sweet side | huge portion

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Ordinary (50-69%)

Udon

TOKYO MENTSU-DAN

Location: Nishi-Shinjuku

Last Visit: May-15

Review: Once you enter the restaurant, you have to choose your noodle type and how the soup is served: hot or cold. Then you take your own toppings. It is very cheap, It costed me ¥570.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

UDON HANAMARU

HAKATA MIZUTAKI

Others

JUMBO YAKINIKU

Location: Shirogane

Last Visit: Nov-16

Review: My top 3 best beef I've ever eaten in my life. For your reference I've tried many different high grade wagyu A5 like Tajima Beef, Hida Beef, Matsusaka Beef, Kobe Beef, etc. They are all superb. But Jumbo Yakiniku is just on a different level. Almost every bite is mind blowing. You have to book in advance to eat here. I called 2 weeks before. I got 5pm slot (2 hours) for dinner on Saturday. They only use A5 Kuroge Wagyu which is the highest rank of Japanese beef. They have prime cuts and traditional cuts. Traditional cuts taste awesome like any other high grade wagyu beef that I tried before. But the prime cut is just superb. There's 1 very special cut. It costs 2500 yen per slice!! We spent about $100-$150 per person. The picture above is Zabuton. One of the best prime cut. There is Nohara-yaki that costs ¥2500 per slice. It is served with raw egg.

Rating: ★★★★★ Personal Favourite (100%)

SHIMA STEAK

Location: near Tokyo Station

Last Visit: Jan-18

Review: I saw this resturant from Nihongo Mantappu Youtube. Shima Steak is French cuisine restaurant that specializes in wagyu steak. My wife and I both had fillet and sirloin wagyu steak. We al so ordered some appetizers and a bootle of wine. Dinner experience was average. It was good but nothing really memorable. However, what makes this restaurant special is the Wagyu Sandwich. Shima Steak sells this special sandwich that can be only ordered for takeaway. Yes, you read it correctly, take-away only. This sandwich is divine! In total, I spent ¥46,475 for the dinner including ¥7,500 Steak Sandwich for takeaway.

Rating: ★★★★☆ Superb (90-99%)

ASAKUSAIMAHAN
Location: Asakusa
Notes: sukiyaki

OMOIDE YOKOCHO

Location: Shinjuku

Last Visit: Nov-22 (3x)

Review: Omoide Yokocho, which means Memory Lane, is a small alley crammed with around sixty small izakaya type restaurants and bars. I usually come here for supper. Most restaurants close around 2 am. Note that people smoke inside the restaurant
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

SHIRUBEE SHIBUYATEN
Location: Shibuya | Harajuku | Ebisu
Notes: cheap

HACHIBEI
Location: Roppongi Hills
Notes: fukuoka-styled yakitori

ROBOT RESTAURANT

Location: Kabukichou

Last Visit: May-15 (closed)

Review: Rated #1 Trip Advisor attractions in Shinjuku and I think so too. Crazy! Unique! Bizarre! Extraordinary! It is Japan! You cannot see this anywhere else. For me going here once is enough.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

MAID CAFE

Location: Akihabara
Price: ¥2000 set for 1 drink and Polaroid photo with 1 of the maid.

Last Visit: May-15
Notes: no picture is allowed | english friendly

Review: We went to Home Cafe in Akihabara. It is one of the biggest Maid Cafe in Akihabara and well-known for its service towards foreigners.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

LUKE'S LOBSTER

Location: Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku and more

Last Visit: Nov-22 (3x)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

ZAUO

Location: Nishi-Shinjuku

Last Visit: May-15

Review: Catch you own fish restaurant. Taste wise, average. But we come for the experience.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Ordinary (50-69%)

GYOZA LOU

Location: Harajuku

Last Visit: Nov-16 (2x)

Notes: cheap | long queue

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Ordinary (50-69%)

YOSHINOYA

Location: all around Japan
Last Visit: Jan-23 (>10x)

Notes: fast food chain of gyoudon (slices of beef on rice) | my go to if don't know what to eat or when in a rush before getting on train

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

GINZA AKEBONO MOCHI

Location: Ginza

Notes: the most famous mochi in Tokyo

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

HARAJUKU CREPES

Location: Takeshite Dori - Harajuku

Last Visit: Jan-23 (>5x)

Notes: must have in harajuku | 3 most famous shops: Angel's Heart and Marion Crepes since 1970s and Santa Monica Crepes

Review: Marion Crepes usually have the longest line. Probably, because it is the oldest crepe shop in this area. I have tried all three shops and I couldn't decide which one is the best. For me, they all taste the same.

TL;DR: Go for the shortest queue. You can’t really go wrong with any of these three crepe shops

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Ordinary (50-69%)

GREEN TEA ICE CREAM

Location: Asakusa

Last Visit: Nov-22 (>3x)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good (70-89%)

NARISAWA
Notes: 2 michelin stars

Leave a comment below if you know other awesome restaurants in Tokyo that I haven't tried before and share this to your family and friends if you like it. Cheers!

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My Japan Itinerary

My Honeymoon

How to choose the right resort in Maldives + FAQs

What to See & Eat in Hakodate

24 hours in Hiroshima and Miyajima

DAY 1

What to eat in Otaru

What to eat in Osaka

Things to know before going to Japan

What to eat in Tokyo

Sushi

Katsu

Tempura

Curry

Udon

Others