I
Northern atolls
Private island resorts
Further north, islands are quieter and lagoons wider. A seaplane ride away, many resorts here take one island each.
DXB → MLE · Private atollsCMB → MLE · Private atollsHEL → MLE · Private atolls
Maldives
Twelve hundred islands, and the only sound is water.
- From Dubai
- About 4 h direct
- Time
- 1 h ahead of Dubai
- From Sri Lanka
- About 1½ h direct
- Time
- ½ h behind Sri Lanka
- From Finland
- About 12–14 h, one stop
- Time
- 2–3 h ahead of Finland
- Best season
- November to April
- Currency
- US dollar at resorts
The feeling
An island to yourselves.
The Maldives is one of the closest true escapes from the Gulf and South Asia: a short flight, then a seaplane onto an island with a lagoon for a garden. Days follow the tide and the reef. Nights are for stars and quiet dinners on the sand.
We match each family or couple to the right atoll and the right villa, then fill the days only as much as you want them filled.
When to go
Blue skies, or blue giants
November to April brings dry, calm days. The UAE summer holidays fall in the wetter months, which is also when mantas gather in Baa Atoll.
- JanDry & calm
- FebClearest water
- MarDry & calm
- AprWarm seas
- MaySeason turns
- JunQuiet season
- JulManta season
- AugManta season
- SepQuiet season
- OctShoulder season
- NovDry season returns
- DecFestive season
BestGoodQuiet
Places
Atolls with character
II
Baa Atoll
The UNESCO reef
A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. From June to November, manta rays gather to feed in Hanifaru Bay.
III
South Ari Atoll
Home of the whale shark
One of the few places on earth where whale sharks can be seen all year, gliding along the outer reef.
IV
Malé
The island capital
A compact, lively capital with a 17th-century coral-stone Friday Mosque. Worth a guided hour between flights.
By the second morning, nobody asks what time it is.
Experiences
Moments to collect
Save the ones you love to My Journey. We build your itinerary around them.
01
Seaplane arrival
See the atolls from above before you land on your lagoon.
02
Sandbank dinner
A private table on a strip of sand, just for you.
03
Swim with mantas
Snorkel beside manta rays with a marine biologist.
04
Whale-shark excursion
A private boat to South Ari to meet the gentle giant.
05
Sunset dhoni cruise
Dolphins, a traditional boat and the sun going down.
06
Overwater spa
Treatments with the lagoon under a glass floor.
Taste & culture
Coconut, tuna and the drum
Maldivian cooking is built on tuna, coconut and chilli: mas huni with warm roshi flatbread for breakfast, fragrant garudhiya fish broth, and short eats called hedhikaa with afternoon tea. In the evening, listen for Bodu Beru, the big drum of the islands.
✦ A Muslim nation: halal by default.
Where you'll stay
Villas over the lagoon
We don't publish rates or names. Every stay is chosen for you and confirmed when we design your journey.
Private Island Resorts
One island, one resort, and a lagoon all around you.
Overwater villas
Steps from your deck straight into the lagoon.
Beach pool villas
Private pool and sand at your door, ideal with children.
Family residences
Multi-bedroom residences with a dedicated host.
Moments we can arrange
Your Maldives, your way
No fixed days. Choose what you love and we shape the pace, the order and every detail around you.
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A seaplane timed to daylight
See the atolls from above as you land on your lagoon.
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The house reef with a marine biologist
Snorkel straight from your villa steps.
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Mantas or whale sharks
A private boat to the season's great encounter.
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An overwater spa ritual
Treatments with the lagoon beneath a glass floor.
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Floating breakfast
Served in your private pool as the day begins.
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Sandbank dinner under the stars
A private table on a strip of sand, just for you.
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Sunset dhoni and dolphins
A traditional boat as the sun goes down.
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A marine-biology day for children
Turtles, coral planting and reef stories.
Gallery
The Maldives in pictures
- Honeymoons
- Families
- Private celebrations
- Corporate incentives
- School trips: marine biology
