Maldives guide

Know before you choose

Three things decide what a Maldives stay is like and what it costs: the villa, the meal plan and the way you get there.

Villa types

The resorts in our catalogue list four kinds of villa. Two questions decide which is yours: sand or water, and pool or no pool.

On stilts over the lagoon, with steps down into the water.

40 of 68 resorts in our catalogue list a water villa.

On a resort island there is nowhere else to eat, so the meal plan changes the real cost of a stay more than almost anything else.

Meals and drinks are covered. Exactly which drinks and restaurants varies by resort, so we spell it out in your quote.

Every resort is its own island, so there is always one more leg after Malé airport. Which one depends on how far out the resort is.

Airport transfers are included in the prices on this site.

Speedboat
15 to 60 min
29 resorts. Not limited to daylight the way seaplanes are.
Seaplane
20 to 80 min
32 resorts. Flies in daylight only, about 6am to 4pm. A late arrival can mean a night in Malé first.
Domestic flight and speedboat
90 min
7 resorts. For the far atolls: a scheduled flight to a local airport, then a short boat.