We’ve all had those office-bound daydreams about crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches, sipping on cocktails with your feet up, gazing up at the palm trees, wondering how any moment could be anything else but bliss.
Luckily, such an earthly paradise exists! That’s why we have put together a guide to the best islands in the Maldives, to help these office dreams manifest into reality.
What are the Maldives?
The Maldives are comprised of about 2000 coral islands that are grouped in 26 atolls. This is a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral, with a surrounding body of water known as a lagoon.
These nutrient-dense waters host a number of breathtaking species and attract many tourists to their turquoise lagoons, extensive coral reefs and picture-perfect palmed beaches with numerous luxury resorts scattered amongst them.
Where are the Maldives?
These 1,190 Maldivian Islands are found scattered on a submarine ridge measuring up to 960km’s in length in the Indian Ocean, just below India and Sri Lanka and halfway between Indonesia and Africa. They are the remnants of a submerged ancient volcanic mountain range and they peak no higher than 1.8m (6 feet) above sea level.
How do you get to the Maldives?
Within each of the island chain’s atolls, there are groups of islands typically anchored by a small airport. Velana International airport – located in the capital city Male – is the main entry point for all travelers, from which you would need to arrange a separate flight or speedboat transfer to get to your individual hotel. Most resorts or hotels should inform you of the easiest way to get there upon booking.
When to visit the Maldives?
Although our white-sandy-beaches daydreams are a year-round occurrence, we recommend visiting the Maldives in the dry season, which runs from December to the end of April and guarantees those idyllic monsoon-free days for you to experience life at it’s most relaxed and beautiful.
This means more time for island hopping over coral reefs in glass-bottomed boats and snorkeling or scuba diving with the crystal clear waters and all the inhabitants that are drawn to its beauty, or dozing off in your own private bungalow sipping on a coconut and watching the palm trees sway without a care in the world.
What are the best Maldives islands:
So you’ve got the dream, you know where you’re going, and you know when to look at planning your trip. The only question remaining is, which is the best Maldives island to choose out of the numerous, highly competitive and enthralling options? Let’s take a look at the best of the Maldives Islands:
Baros Maldives
If you are looking for luxury, this is the island to go to. There is a well-justified reason for it being the small luxury hotel of the world, where understated elegance meets timeless simplicity.
This luxurious island offers hands-on hosting services day and night, so all you have to do is sit back and relax, enjoying the sandy white beaches, crystal blue lagoons, and water pool villas. Indulge in private dinners on secluded sandbanks or complete privacy on the piano deck – a great spot for romance.
Biyadhoo Maldives
Found on the South Male Atoll, Biyadhoo is a lush wonderland for romance and snorkeling or scuba-diving. It boasts a world-class PADI scuba school and it’s very own house reef with multiple access points.
Discover the opportunity to snorkel alongside reef sharks and turtles on our favorite island for underwater enthusiasts! There are diving sites for all levels and the likelihood of seeing Manta rays, white-tip sharks, coral reefs and other underwater gems.
The island itself has an abundance of vegetation including bananas, coconuts, mangoes, cucumbers, cabbage, and tomatoes. It is also a honeymooner’s paradise catered to romancing the senses.
Vaadhoo Maldives
The enchanting bioluminescence of the Vaadhoo waters surrounding the island is more than enough reason to visit this mystical island. Located in the Raa Atoll of Maldives, the sea of stars on the Vaadhoo island offers the most unique experiences to honeymooners and adventure seekers.
Witness the mystical surprise of the sparkling waters or simply relax on the beaches, taking in the fresh air and unwinding atmosphere.
Kandolhu Maldives
If you are after pure romance where crystal-clear coral reefs are bountiful and velvety white sands carpet your paths, this intimate island is the place to go. The biodiverse reefs are rich in marine life and the island is lush and tropical.
Find exquisite villas offering maximum privacy for your romantic getaway, with distinct designs that combine local style with contemporary interiors overlooking the aquamarine waters. Kandohlu makes the perfect honeymooners vacation.
Kurumba Maldives
The original Maldives island found just a 10-minute speedboat from the airport is a familiar favorite for families. With its easy access and great-value luxury, there’s fun here for the whole family.
The blue lagoons offer perfect snorkeling spots and the island offers a variety of facilities to keep the kids entertained, such as painting classes, snorkeling adventures, water-skiing, and guided diving lessons. All this while you lounge on the snow-white sands making the most of the fantastic hospitality.
Finolhu Maldives
This is where the untouched fine white sands merge into aquamarine lagoons on the outstretched sandbank that lengthens out into the Maldivian sea. Photo opportunities are endless for Insta-perfect pictures with quirky retro touches scattered over the sandbank.
Step into the gentle slopes of the blue waters to find the island’s coral riches and marvel at the colorful sea-life. Finohlu is the perfect location for luxury and play.
Mirihi Maldives
This tropical island dream is one of the smallest islands of the Maldives and your perfect paradise retreat. If you’re looking for nothing but a laid back tropical vacation, don’t look any further.
Although the island of Mirihi is small, there is still lots to do here – hop on a boat to see sharks and dolphins, explore the house reef with hopeful sightings of Whale shark and sail and snorkel until the sun goes down.
Mirihi is also popular among divers for the wreck of ‘Made-Ge’ which is home to many attractive fishes such as Glassfish, batfish, and jacks.
Male Maldives
Male Island is the main island and capital city of the Maldives! It’s the best place to experience a piece of the real Maldivian culture. Luxurious resorts, magnificent buildings and restaurants, and many sightseeing options and local markets. A stopover in Male is a culture trip that many miss when visiting the Maldives.
If you are into culture and Glitz and Glam, be sure to make the most of your time here, with the option to take trips to the islands or use it as a base before joining a week-long diving tour to get an all-round experience of the Maldives from this compact lap of luxury.
When visiting the Maldives, you are guaranteed crystal blue azure waters and fine white sand no matter what island you choose to visit.
The lagoons are teaming with sea life in the nutrient-dense tropical ocean and the resorts create the perfect concoction for your most relaxing beach getaway. We hope this guide has helped in your day-dreaming office-planning next retreat to the sand and the sea!
Last updated on October 13th, 2023 at 02:50 pm
