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Maldives Holiday - Which island should you choose?
The marketing pictures do not lie. The sea has not been digitally enhanced it really is varying shades of crystal turquoise. Looking out of the plane window I was transported straight towards the aqua imagining myself lying on my own island under dappled palm tree shade, soft white sand sifting between my toes.
The question is which island should become yours? The Maldives used to be a small fishing community. Now it is home to 87 different island resorts. And once the sea plane roars away it is difficult to escape. If the feel of an island meets your expectations then without doubt the Maldives will be one of your best beach holidays. Seclusion, pure white coral sand, warm clear water, sea views at every turn.
Holidays for me will not be the same for 17 years. James and I have a one year old. With both of us working for Imagine Africa this was a work/holiday trip. Find out about the Maldives, take Baby L and take some time out. We visited a range of resorts, staying at five resorts and visiting four more. Each was different due to size, ethos, staff, quality, food and cost.
In summary, you get what you pay for. We went without knowing the exact price for each resort. At the end we ranked them based on what we thought they should cost and were spot-on. Beware that five star in the Maldives is not a category on its own. There is top-end five star and bottom-end five star. All Inclusive deals are not offered in many resorts although this is changing. Budget to pay a considerable amount for any extra meals or drinks. Standard $20-25 for burger, $7 for a bottle for beer. Dives cost the same on every island. Activities differed. Snorkelling equipment is sometimes included in your stay.
Five star luxury: Conrad Rangali
We arrived feeling like frauds – feeling undeserving of such luxury – mere mortal travel workers being spoilt. The true luxury of the island did not jump out at us. In fact it wasn’t until after the standard greeting drink and being politely gestured through the door of our villa that the fake nonchalance started. Instead of screaming jubilantly “oh my goodness is this all ours”, we nodded at each feature and murmured “lovely”. This was a Luxury Beach Villa. It was stunning. Past the calm trickle of our fountain, was a courtyard garden with sunken marble bath and outdoor shower hidden amongst palms. The room was by far the largest that we stayed in and quickly became a favourite for baby L as she crawled the massive bed and sofa like a large play area. There were floor to ceiling glass windows on every side which opened up to an infinity pool tucked into lush green plants - perfect for family days in the luxury of our room. This was the only resort where there wasn’t a sea view. Privacy is clearly seen to be more important. Instead, a sandy path beside the pool ran down to the beach where our sunbeds sat waiting for us to fall onto whenever the need arose. We snorkelled straight off the beach and followed a turtle gliding through the blue. There are two islands with plenty of restaurants to choose from including the world’s only undersea restaurant. One island is exclusively for couples so you can escape our baby throwing food on the sand during mealtimes. There is still a feeling that you are completely secluded even though there are 150 rooms. The dive outfit was very well-run and like all diving in the Maldives was some of the best in the world. Both Conrad Rangali and Diva are in the Ari Atoll – one of only three places in the world where you can spot whale sharks. There was a kids club that a three-year old girl we met could not be dragged away from – much to the delight of her parents who said it was like being on a second honeymoon. Lovely touches all over the island especially the subtle evening lighting in basket lanterns hanging from trees. In comparison to other resorts you can see that the islands are extremely well looked after - adding to the feel and beauty of the island. All in all a very special luxury experience even if the service does feel a little forced into friendliness. Equally lovely for families and couples.
Main meal: $40 (buffet $75)
Drinks: $8 bottled beer (still water was free)
Snorkel equipment: Free
House reef: Yes
Waterski: $55 for 10 mins
Five star: Diva
Diva was one of the only places that we had expectations about. These were negative reports that as a new island, its service needed work. The good thing about bad expectations is that they are easier to beat. And Diva certainly did that. This time the greeting was enough for us to feel that were in a special place and the room continued that feeling. We stayed in a Beach Villa which was well designed with a huge outside bathing area – two showers, one under the sun and stars and a huge bath. The bed faced the sea and the glass doors opened completely onto the wooden veranda creating a lovely space (especially for a crawling baby). Beyond a palm tree the sea twinkled. The island is big and feels big as restaurants, bars and facilities are scattered. There are golf buggies available to take you everywhere which is good for the lazy but can take the magic away if you fancy a quiet wander along the sandy paths. The west side of the island has wide sandy beach whereas the east side is a small strip – this is the sort of thing where Imagine Africa can make a difference and ensure you get the best room for your money. There was a fantastic choice of restaurants and the food was absolutely amazing. Probably the best that we tasted during our stay. The prices were as high as everywhere else though but you have to price that into your holiday before you leave and then the surprise of it won’t affect your enjoyment. The kids club here was the best we saw but there were no three year olds to get feedback from. In peak season they have up to 70 children to keep entertained and babysit for and there is a good space to do this – outside and in air-conditioned rooms. Diva exceeded our expectations; the staff were lovely, naturally friendly, the room was more luxurious than expected. This was James’ surprise favourite.
Main meal: $35
Drinks: $9 bottled beer (free water for your room)
Snorkel equipment: Free
House reef: No
Waterski: $50 for 15 mins
Four star: Kandooma
The Kandooma barnacles greet you as your step off the speedboat – these are giant smooth domes, airy, white, and modern inside. Settled into circular retro-60s chairs, chilled fresh lemon cocktail in one hand, check-in takes place. It is the sort of greeting that makes you look at each other and smile with extreme satisfaction. Kandooma is a new concept for the Maldives, promoting a modern, vibrant, activity and family focused island with hints of luxury. Bean bags, modern sometimes uncomfy furniture, Ikea abounds. Kandooma radio provides background music. Staff are relaxingly friendly. Our favourite idea was that food and drinks were available for take-away at no extra cost if you pick it up yourself. It was so refreshing to be able to enjoy your room and eat alone together looking out to sea. In the mornings, you are encouraged to order you breakfast in – unlike other resorts this does not mean your B&B status is revoked and you have to pay all over again. Instead a $5 charge is added and at the appointed time, hampers of chosen food and drink arrive. Your room has a juicer and oranges to make juice whenever you fancy. We stayed in a Duplex Villa giving us a lovely sandy area with sofa, table, outside shower. These are not pretty rooms from the outside and that is all part of the modern “new concept”. Scattered on the beaches of the island are two storey white concrete blocks. Stairs lead to your room. It is a decent size, smaller than the five star resorts but so well-decorated in clapboard marine style that it immediately feels homely. The bathroom was small in comparison to other islands and lacked a bath. We used the sea anyway! However swimming is not possible at all spots around the island but the pool is undoubtedly one of the best I’ve seen in my travelling life. The food was good – a couple who had been at Kandooma for a week mentioned that it did not vary as much as they’d hoped. We didn’t find this a problem and, amazingly, the food was very reasonably priced (for the Maldives). Activities were also reasonably priced and free snorkel trips are run each day as there is no house reef. You notice other guests on this island, it is not secluded and is the least “idyllic” with other islands very close by and sparse vegetation to offer shade and beauty. It is a great concept and very well-run with a lovely activity feel – we would return with an older child or for a dive holiday (without baby).
Main meal: $20
Drinks: $6 bottled beer (free still water)
Snorkel equipment: Free
House reef: No (but free snorkel trips daily)
Waterski: $25 for 20 mins
Four star: Medhufushi
Although definitely not a five-star resort and much smaller than a lot of places we visited, Medhufushi was a favourite of mine. Due to rain, first impressions were not great but one dip in the crystal clear sea with baby L squeaking and giggling and things started to get better. The beach villa is dark wood, a fair-size with an outside shower and a lovely wooden veranda looking out through shady coconut trees to the sea. There are sister properties in Thailand and you can feel a Thai influence in the design. The beach is a strip of sand that can disappear at high tide but provided plenty of room for sunbeds most of the time. Food is important to me and for a small island, the food here was outstanding. We stuffed ourselves with the full-board buffet. Fresh sushi, fish curries, home-made ice cream, delicious salads and counter after counter of meal options. Dinner turned into a self-styled tapas evening because I found it so hard to miss out on the different dishes. We stayed for six nights and the food never got boring. During meals, Baby L encouraged attention and this gave a great insight into the patience and good-humour of the waiters. She loved them – searching each one out for smiles whenever we sat down. With only one main restaurant you do become familiar with other guests and you do not get a feeling of being in a special exclusive place – more a relaxed beach island style resort. There are plenty of family villas but we found the majority of people were couples and honeymooners – there is no kids club and the pool is a bit cold for young ones. However there are lots of activities – we sampled kite-surfing, water-skiing and diving – all excellent. And the sea was calm, clear and somehow encouraged swimming much more than anywhere else. Overall the staff were the best out of everywhere we visited, the feel of the island was idyllic and very relaxed with no pretensions which perfectly suited what I was looking for.
Main meal: Chose the FB option.
Drinks: $7 pint draught beer (no free water)
Snorkel equipment: $8 per day
House reef: No
Waterski: $35 for 20 mins
About the Author
Jo has been lucky enough to visit over 50 countries. Jo found James in Kenya and joined him leading groups around the continent with a final trip overland from the UK to Cape Town. She loves critically comparing luxury African lodges and beach hotels with the view that one day she will combine all the best little touches to create the perfect African lodge. For more views and opinions, contact Jo on jo@ImagineAfrica.co.uk or 0207 622 5114. Visit http://www.ImagineAfrica.co.uk
