The Maldives is what I like to call a “pinch me” destination. The islands and water and entire setting are all just so beautiful that you need to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not in a dream (true story, I did this!). When people think of the Maldives, they think honeymoons. Well, duh! They have all the amazing over-the-water bungalows!! Let’s talk about the best resorts in the Maldives for honeymoons.
Where is the Maldives?
The Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, just Southeast of India and Sri Lanka. The country is made up of about 1,200 islands, only 200 of which are inhabited.
The country is made up of 26 atolls. Atolls, otherwise known as coral atolls, are ring-shaped coral reefs with a lagoon in the center. There can be multiple islands that make up a single atoll, hence the reason why the 1,200 Maldivian islands exist in only 26 atolls.
The Maldives is actually a fairly strict Muslim country. On local islands, this means alcohol is forbidden and swimsuits like bikinis are limited to specific bikini beaches. HOWEVER, don’t fret, these rules are only applicable to the local islands, NOT the resort islands. You’ll be able to drink your pina colada while lounging by the pool in your bikini all you want.
When to Visit the Maldives
The high season in the Maldives is from November-April. You’ll definitely see increased hotel prices around this time. May-October is considered the rainy season in the Maldives, although I think it’s worthwhile noting that the average rainfall in May and September is just as high as it is in December. January-March is when the Maldives experiences the least amount of rain overall.
Don’t be fooled by the rainy season though. The prices are lower and it can be perfect for some people. Because of the tiny islands of the Maldives, rain in one atoll doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be raining everywhere. On the flip side, you could get several days of nothing but rain. You do take a bit of a gamble, but you could always use those rainy days to enjoy the resort’s spa. I went in October and it was definitely more overcast than bright blue and sunny, but we didn’t experience any rain.
Getting to the Maldives
To put it lightly, the Maldives is in the middle of nowhere. It’s not quite South Pacific middle of nowhere, but the closest country is Sri Lanka, which is just shy of 500 miles away.
The main international airport in the Maldives is the Velana International Airport (MLE) in the capital city of Male. Technically the country has 4 international airports, but generally speaking you’ll only fly into Male. The Maldives provides a free visa-on-arrival to citizens of every country with some requirements like a flight out of the country and 6 months validity on your passport. You can check out more information here.
To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend spending much time in Male. Most people who end up in Male are only there to spend a night there before or after their stay on one of the resort islands due to the time of their flight.
Getting to Your Resort in the Maldives
Now that you’ve gotten to the Maldives, you’re not quite there yet. Unless you’re spending that first night in Male, now you have to get to your resort! Once you arrive at the Male airport and go through customs and immigration, you’ll follow almost everybody else towards the waiting area where all the resort representatives are waiting to whisk you away to your beautiful island escape. There are 3 ways of getting to resorts from Male: a speedboat, a domestic flight, or a seaplane.
Spoiler alert – the transfers to your resort in the Maldives are all kind of expensive, but you don’t have a choice. You’ll see a lot of resorts that look really cheap, but don’t forget to factor in the transportation expense. Sometimes the transfer to the resort can be equivalent to several room nights.
If your resort is reachable by speedboat, you’ll likely pay the least amount of money. Resorts in North & South Male Atoll are often reachable by speedboat. The rides could be anywhere from 30 minutes to maybe two hours.
If your transportation is by domestic flight, you’ll be taken by the resort representative to the domestic section of the airport. Keep in mind, you may have to wait in the airport for a few hours to catch your domestic flight. I’d highly consider inquiring with your resort about purchasing a lounge pass to make the waiting time a little easier. Upon arrival to the local island, you’ll get on a short boat ride to head to your resort.
The third and final option is to get to your resort via seaplane. I find this to be the most exciting way to get there – how many times can you say you’ve flown in a seaplane?! Sometimes these will fly right to resorts, but you also may have to get on a short boat ride to your resort.
What to Do in the Maldives
All the resorts in the Maldives are on their own little private islands. Yes, you read that right. You’ll be eating, sleeping, and breathing on the same little spit of land for your entire stay.
I actually cut down the amount of time I was going to be in the Maldives because I was afraid I was going to be bored. Unless you hate all activities, you will never be bored. I did so many different activities while I was in the Maldives. The staff at the resorts are super helpful with booking different activities and excursions during your stay.
Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
You can’t leave the Maldives without going snorkeling or scuba diving. Most resorts have their own dive centers where you can sign up for a bunch of different types or snorkeling and scuba diving. The resort I stayed at offered a bunch of different snorkeling options: turtle snorkeling, day snorkeling, night snorkeling, manta ray snorkeling, you name it!
If you haven’t ever been diving before, stop by the dive shop! They’ll likely offer a Discover Scuba Diving class to allow you to check it out. I saw so much incredible marine life in the Maldives and you really get to see them up close by scuba diving.
Note: Don’t choose where you want to stay based on seeing manta rays or whale sharks. There are some atolls where whale sharks and manta rays are supposed to be more common. I stayed on one of these atolls during the right time of year, and they eluded us the entire time.
Go to the Spa
You’re on your honeymoon, it’s time to relax! The spas in the Maldives are absolutely incredible and if you’re lucky, your massage might even have a view. So many of the spas in the Maldives have a glass window to see down to the ocean below you as you’re relaxing in your massage. Definitely carve out some time during your stay to hit the spa for a massage or a facial. A couples massage would be the perfect romantic honeymoon experience.
Visit a Local Island
One of my favorite things I did in the Maldives was visit a local island. The locals live a very different life than you will be experiencing on the resorts, so it’s nice to see both sides of this beautiful country. We walked around the local island for a few hours and got to interact with some of the locals. We ran into a group of kids playing and riding their bikes and they were so excited to see us!
After we walked around, we got an opportunity to do a little souvenir shopping at a local shop. We were able to get local souvenirs instead of resort gift shop finds which was a relief!
Visit an Uninhabited Island
Something that a lot of resorts will offer is a visit to one of the Maldives’ several uninhabited islands. To be honest, they’re more like sandbanks. It’s just you and your thoughts on this uninhabited spit of land. Oftentimes resorts can set up a romantic dinner on one of these islands, which is a perfect addition to an already perfect honeymoon!
Meal Plans & All-Inclusive in the Maldives
Staying on a resort that occupies the entire island, you’re basically forced to eat and drink only at the resort, so I highly recommend looking into the meal plans offered at your resort. The Maldives does have all-inclusive options, as well as full and half board options. To clarify, let’s go over the differences.
All-Inclusive: unlimited food and alcohol are included
Full board: breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included, no alcohol is included
Half board: breakfast and dinner are included, no alcohol is included
Be sure to check with your specific resort regarding what restaurants are part of the included meals. Especially with full board and half board options, there may be some specialty restaurants that have an up-charge.
The Best Resorts in the Maldives for a Honeymoon
When I say there are a lot of resorts in the Maldives, I mean a lot. Don’t worry, you’re reading this blog post in order to narrow it down and I won’t leave you hanging!
Over the next few sections, I’ll go over the best resorts in the Maldives based on budget. Budgets in the Maldives can be all over the place. As I mentioned before, the cost of transportation to the resort can be a big ticket item in the price, so please be mindful of this.
Budget Resorts in the Maldives
Keep in mind, when I say budget, I mean relative budget. This is not really going to be budget. The Maldives can be a true budget destination, but you’ll have to stay on a local island to do that. You will not find that information here, but rather you will find the best resorts on a budget for a honeymoon. The resorts featured in this section will have average pricing that’s no higher than $500/night.
Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa ($) – Vilamendhoo Island is located in the Ari Atoll, only a 25-minute seaplane flight away from Male. Honeymoon guests will receive a complimentary fruit plate, a bottle of sparkling wine, and a flower decorated bed.
Meal plans offered: full board, all-inclusive
Transfer cost: $450 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Summer Island Maldives Resort ($) – Summer Island is located in the North Male Atoll, only a 45-minute speedboat or a 20-minute seaplane flight away from Male. Honeymoon guests will receive a complimentary fruit basket and bottle of wine.
Meal plans offered: full board, all-inclusive
Transfer cost: $150 per person (speedboat) / $375 per person (seaplane)
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Meeru Island Resort & Spa ($) – Meeru Island is located in Kaafu Atoll, only a 45-minute speedboat away from Male. Honeymoon guests will receive a complimentary fruit basket, a bottle of sparkling wine, and a flower decorated bed.
Meal plans offered: full board, all-inclusive
Transfer cost: $160 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | TripAdvisor
Bandos Maldives ($) – Bandos is located on North Male Atoll, only a very quick 15-minute speedboat away from Male. Honeymoon guests will receive a complimentary fruit basket and bottle of wine.
Meal plans offered: half board, full board, all-inclusive
Transfer cost: $94 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Mid-Range Resorts in the Maldives
Unless you’re looking for super luxury hotels, these hotels are a real sweet spot in the Maldives. The ones labeled with $$ are on the lower end of the price range and have a wider variety of meal plans offered. The ones with $$$ are on the upper end of the price range and have fewer meal plan options. Each of these resorts prices out an average somewhere between $500-1200/night. In reality, if these resorts were anywhere besides the Maldives these would be labeled with a luxury tag. But because the Maldives has such a wide price range, these resorts are the sweet spot because they are absolutely gorgeous, luxury resorts, but have a relatively mid-range price tag.
Hurawalhi Island Resort ($$) – Hurawalhi is located on Lhaviyani Atoll, only a 40-minute seaplane flight away from Male. This resort is famous for having the largest all glass underwater restaurant – talk about a romantic setting! To top it off, the resort is adults only. Honeymoon guests will receive a complimentary fruit plate, a bottle of champagne, flowers upon arrival, and a voucher for a 15-minute head and shoulders massage.
Meal plans offered: full board, all-inclusive
Transfer cost: $560 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | TripAdvisor
Anantara Veli Maldives Resort ($$) – Anantara Veli is located on South Male Atoll, only a 35-minute speedboat away from Male. This resort really knocks it out of the park for the price point and I think you’ll be shocked at the value this resort has. Every single room at this resort is an overwater bungalow, so you won’t miss out on that experience here! To top it off, this resort is adults only, so you can truly escape. Honeymoon guests will receive a complimentary bottle of champagne and celebration cake.
Meal plans offered: half board
Transfer cost: $259 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island ($$$) – The Conrad is located on South Ari Atoll, only a 30-minute seaplane flight or 40-minute domestic flight away from Male. The shining star of this resort is their one-of-a-kind Muraka, an underwater two-level residence (this is an ULTRA LUXURY experience and must be booked directly with the hotel). Honeymoon guests with a minimum 4-night stay will receive a complimentary fruit basket, a bottle of champagne, and a 3-course candlelight dinner at Mandhoo Spa Restaurant. If you stay a minimum of 8 nights, you’ll also receive a $100 excursion credit.
Meal plans offered: half board
Transfer cost: $560 per person (domestic flight) / $590 per person (seaplane)
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
W Maldives ($$$) – The W is located on North Ari Atoll, only a 30-minute seaplane flight away from Male. The W is more of a contemporary, fun luxury brand, so you’ll definitely get that vibe from this resort. Honeymoon guests will receive a complimentary bed design, bottle of bubbly, and welcome amenities.
Meal plans offered: half board
Transfer cost: $505 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | TripAdvisor
Luxury Resorts in the Maldives
Now that we’re getting into luxury resorts, these will really start to blow you away. Luxury resorts tend to shy away from meal plans, especially all-inclusive, because the caliber of what they offer ranges a lot. You’ll start to see the meal plans become more scarce at this point, so be mindful of that. The resorts in this category average from $1200-2000/night for the lowest category of room.
St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort ($$$$) – The St. Regis is located on Dhaalu Atoll, only a 45-minute seaplane flight away from Male. The St. Regis is one of my absolute favorite hotel brands and you’ll be absolutely blown away by the level of service and attention to detail here. Honeymoon guests will receive a shared champagne sabering session and a shared Blue Hole experience.
Meal plans offered: half board
Transfer cost: $745 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | TripAdvisor
Six Senses Laamu ($$$$) – Six Senses is located on Laamu Atoll, only a 50-minute domestic flight away from Male. Six Senses is one of my favorite hotel brands, as they promote and focus on wellness and sustainability. Staying here would result in the ultimate relaxation honeymoon. This resort is on the cusp of a mid-range and luxury price point, so keep that in mind. Honeymoon guests staying at least 4 nights will receive a welcome amenity, personalized bike tags, a special bed runner on day of arrival, a wedding cake, a bottle of sparkling wine, a choice between a 60-minute couples massage or a sunset dolphin cruise, and a departure gift.
Meal plans offered: half board, full board
Transfer cost: $727 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa ($$$$) – Four Seasons Kuda Huraa is located on North Male Atoll, only a 25-minute speedboat away from Male. Four Seasons resorts speak for themselves. The brand has defined luxury, and this resort is nothing short of that. Honeymoon guests at the Four Seasons can expect several complimentary honeymoon surprises during their stay (the resort prefers it to be a surprise!).
Meal plans offered: breakfast only
Transfer cost: $308 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
COMO Cocoa Island ($$$$) – COMO Cocoa Island is located on South Male Atoll, only a 45-minute speedboat away from Male. This resort only features overwater bungalows, so you have no choice but to live that ultimate Maldivian dream honeymoon here! Honeymoon guests staying at least 4 nights will receive a complimentary fruit platter, a bottle of champagne, a honeymoon souvenir, and a $60 credit per person towards selected COMO Shambhala treatments. If you stay a minimum of 7 nights, you’ll also receive a candlelit beach dinner for two with a bottle of wine.
Meal plans offered: half board, full board
Transfer cost: $350 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Ultra Luxury Resorts in the Maldives
The Maldives is one of the only places in the world where there’s something more extravagant than luxury. I like to call this section ultra luxury. Luxury varies pretty greatly in the Maldives. Let’s get something straight, the luxury resorts are mega-luxury resorts. These ultra luxury resorts in the Maldives will offer you an exclusive, super intimate experience. Let’s just say you may or may not see George Clooney while you’re there – that’s the kind of luxury I’m talking about.
Soneva Jani ($$$$$) – Soneva Jani is located on Noonu Atoll, only a 45-minute seaplane flight away from Male. This is truly one of the most unique resorts in the Maldives, if not the world. Every villa is massive and seems like a resort within itself. Lots of the villas have waterslides right into the ocean from your villa. The overwater villas here extend far out into the lagoon, resulting in uninterrupted ocean views. Honeymoon guests staying a minimum of 4 nights will receive a complimentary bottle of champagne, a wedding cake, a Soneva photo frame, and a departure gift.
Meal plans offered: half board, full board
Transfer cost: $1100 per person
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives ($$$$$) – Cheval Blanc is located on Noonu Atoll, only a 40-minute seaplane flight away from Male. The Cheval Blanc’s brand focuses on exclusivity and privacy. If you’re looking to have an ultimate, luxurious, private honeymoon, Cheval Blanc is the place to be! Honeymoon guests staying 3 nights receive a complimentary romantic turndown. If you stay 7 nights, you’ll also get a 60-minute spa treatment. Lastly, honeymoon guests with a 10 night stay will also receive a complimentary private romantic sunset cruise.
Meal plans offered: breakfast only
Transfer cost: $1025-1900 per person
FIND PRICES: TripAdvisor
One&Only Reethi Rah ($$$$$) – One&Only is located on North Male Atoll, only a 20-minute seaplane flight or a 45-minute speedboat away from Male. One&Only resort locations are picked specially for their natural beauty and charm, and there is no exception to that in the Maldives. Honeymoon guests at One&Only will receive complimentary honeymoon benefits, but as is a trend at these ultra luxury resorts, they prefer to keep the benefits a surprise to the guests to add to the excitement of visiting.
Meal plans offered: half board
Transfer cost: $600 per person (speedboat) / $800 per person (seaplane)
FIND PRICES: Hotels.com | Booking.com | Orbitz | TripAdvisor
Happy Honeymooning!!!
Now you’re equipped for everything you need to know about the best resorts in the Maldives for honeymoons. I hope you have a wonderful, romantic time! The Maldives truly is the ultimate honeymoon destination, and I know that you’ll have the most incredible experience there, whether you want to have some adventures or relax by the pool.
If you have any other questions about the Maldives or honeymooning in the Maldives, leave a comment down below and I’ll help out! If you’re interested in other tropical vacations or island destinations click those links to get blog posts on those!
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Maddie is the traveler behind A One Way Ticket. She has been traveling internationally for over 10 years and has visited 75+ countries on 6 continents. In addition to traveling herself, she’s been helping others plan their own travel for 6+ years. Maddie eats, sleeps, and breathes travel and loves to help others discover that same wanderlust!
