The Maldives is usually sold as a beach and a hammock, and plenty of people come for exactly that. But beneath the surface is one of the richest marine environments anywhere, and above it a culture with its own food, music and boatbuilding tradition.
What follows is what is actually worth doing, and what is worth booking before you arrive rather than after. A good deal of it depends on which island you choose, so read this before you pick the resort, not after.
One of the world's great dive destinations, with visibility commonly in the 20 to 30 metre range and a genuine density of large marine life — manta rays, whale sharks, reef sharks and turtles across hundreds of sites.
Certified divers can join liveaboards across the atolls. First-timers can do a PADI Discover Scuba session in the lagoon. Night diving is the one people talk about afterwards, when the coral opens and the nocturnal species come out.
Where you stay decides what you dive. Ask us which atoll suits your certification level before you book.
You do not need to dive. Many resorts have a house reef within swimming distance of the beach, and gear is usually included for the stay.
The catch is that house reefs vary enormously. Some are a few strokes from your villa; some are a fifteen-minute paddle to the far side of the island; a few big-name resorts have effectively none. We will tell you which is which before you book, because the photographs never do.
A private picnic on a bare sandbank reachable only by boat. Staff set up, then leave. As the light goes, you are a long way from any city glow and the sky is remarkable.
Book it early in the stay rather than on the last night — it is weather-dependent and gets moved. Leave yourself a spare evening.
Around twenty species of whale and dolphin live in Maldivian waters, and sightings on a sunset dhoni cruise are common — common, not guaranteed, and any resort promising otherwise is overselling.
Evening line fishing on a dhoni is the quieter pleasure. Most resorts will cook whatever you land for dinner that night.
Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel gear are free at most resorts. Anything with an engine — jet ski, parasail, wakeboard, flyboard — is charged, and it adds up faster than people expect on a week's stay.
If motorised sports matter to you, tell us. Not every island has a full centre, and a few of the quieter ones deliberately have none.
A strong family destination, with the caveat that resorts differ sharply. Most have a supervised kids' club, and the better ones run marine biology sessions, glass-bottom boat trips and cooking workshops rather than just a screen room.
Two things to check before booking: the age range the club accepts, and whether your villa category actually sleeps two children. Several entry-level villas take two adults and one child only, which catches families out at the worst moment.
A day on an inhabited island shows you a side of the country the resorts do not. Two rules before you go: dress modestly away from the designated bikini beach, and expect no alcohol — it is not served on inhabited islands at all.
Maldivian food leans on coconut, tuna and tropical spice. Many resorts run a weekly cooking class, and it is one of the few souvenirs worth having.
Beach volleyball, tennis, padel, table tennis and gyms are standard at the larger resorts, and a handful have short golf courses. Padel in particular has spread fast across the newer islands.
Useful on a longer stay, and worth checking if you are travelling with teenagers who will run out of lagoon by day four.
Most of what is on this page depends on the island you choose. Diving, wellness, family, romance — tell us which of those matters most and we will match it to an atoll and a resort that genuinely delivers it, rather than one that lists it.
We have sold the Maldives and nothing else since 2004. No obligation, and we reply within 24 hours.
