Sun Siyam Iru Veli

Sun Siyam Iru Veli is in South Nilandhe Atoll, also called Dhaalu Atoll, 45 minutes from Velana International Airport by seaplane. It is a small island by Maldivian standards, with 125 villas, and every one of them has its own private pool. The house reef runs all the way round the island, so the snorkelling starts from the beach.

Fly into Velana International Airport in Malé and take a 45-minute seaplane. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, so you need to land before 15:30 to reach the island the same afternoon. Sun Siyam has its own lounge at the airport with refreshments and showers, and the resort aims to fly you out within three hours of check-in at the seaplane terminal.

It is one of the better ones we sell. The reef rings the island, so you get in from the beach or straight off an overwater deck rather than taking a boat out to it. Guests report blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, manta rays, turtles and clouds of reef fish, and describe the coral as in good condition and recovering in many places. A lifeguard will take nervous snorkellers out.

It depends which dates you pick, and the price panel says which. Some dates carry a half board offer with several extras already inside. On the rest the price is the resort's 24-hour all-inclusive dine-around. Both have the return seaplane and every Maldivian tax inside. Indian TCS is added separately on the total invoice value, and the current rate is on our Taxes and TCS page.

Meals and drinks across Aqua Orange, the all-day buffet, Grouper Grill for seafood, Roma for Mediterranean cooking overwater, and the bars, running around the clock rather than to set meal times. Teppanyaki, which seats eight, and the overwater Wine Cellar sit outside the plan and are charged.

Half board and return seaplane transfers for two, plus a floating breakfast once during the stay, a sixty-minute massage for two at the Ocean Spa and a candlelit set-menu dinner. Two teenagers under sixteen stay and eat free when they share with two paying adults. The offer runs on set dates and carries a booking deadline, so ask us whether yours qualify.

It works for families but it is not built around them. The Turtle Kidz Club takes children from three to eleven and runs from nine until five, there is a family pool and a separate adults-only pool, and the Family Beach Villa is sized for four. Anyone wanting a water park or a football pitch should look at a bigger island. The overwater villas are not recommended for young children.

A bottle of sparkling wine and a fruit basket on arrival, an in-villa bubble bath, in-villa breakfast for two once during the stay, a turndown with bed decoration on the first night and a celebration cake. You need at least three nights and a marriage certificate dated within the past twelve months at check-in.

Not from the prices on this page: the festive fortnight is not priced here. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve carry compulsory gala dinners, regular menus and in-villa dining are withdrawn on those nights, and no check-out is permitted on 30 or 31 December. Ask us and we will price those dates individually.

Pick your dates and a villa above, then tap Get this villa costed, or Ask about this villa to message us on WhatsApp. Tell us your travel dates, how many adults and children, which villa you have in mind and whether snorkelling matters. We will come back with a price that includes the seaplane. We reply within 24 hours.