I’ve been on holiday to the Maldives eight times – this is the best way to do it

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Excited by wine partitions, and a group of greater than 200 labels spanning the globe, I sip champagne and eye up a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal 2004, alongside a uncommon Petrus Pomerol 1996 Bordeaux our sommelier has proudly pulled from the shelf – illustrating the spectacular listing.

As a drinks author, I’m accustomed to shiny tasting rooms and reviewing a flight of fancy wines. As luck would have it although, we’re in the center of the Indian Ocean.

It’s our third go to to five-star Velassaru – a gorgeous 21-acre coral island in the South Male Atoll, a 25-minute speedboat journey from Velana International Airport. Tonight, we’re sitting down to their award-winning dinner expertise at Etesian, with a classy seven-course menu that includes gold medal-winning dishes.

The Ocean Pool Villa at Kandolhu Maldives

The Ocean Pool Villa at Kandolhu Maldives (Kandolhu Maldives)

The butter-poached lobster tail and trio of pepper crusted beef with herb mousseline are chic, and we’re delighted with the wine pairing – a French chardonnay and Australian shiraz lead the cost.

The menu is testomony to how the evolving meals and beverage scene is placing the Maldives firmly on the culinary map. Travellers are looking for gastronomic experiences past superb sunshine, turquoise sea, great marine life and coral sands.

It’s one among the many new developments in a vacation spot my husband Giles and I fell in love with 15 years in the past and have been again time and time once more.

Sam and Giles on the beach at Velassaru Maldives

Sam and Giles on the seashore at Velassaru Maldives (SWH/PA)

When it comes to designing the excellent holiday to this barefoot paradise, selecting the proper resort could be complicated. At the final rely, there have been 172 properties unfold throughout the 26 atolls – all with very completely different choices.

No longer purely a once-in-a-lifetime, honeymoon vacation spot, the island nation is set to entice two million vacationers in 2024. And though there are nonetheless loads of ‘money is no object’ choices, there’s reasonably priced luxurious too.

Several top-notch properties now supply all-inclusive packages with chosen wines and spirits, alternative of buffet or a la carte menus, excursions and complementary snorkelling tools. Leaving little or no ‘not’ included, it’s a win-win with the wow-factor.

For first-timers, I all the time counsel splitting your holiday with two locations – the first accessible by speedboat, the second seaplane.

After a long-haul flight, there’s nothing like powering throughout turquoise waters and the tickle of pleasure when your ring-shaped island comes into view – and also you’re dwelling the dream. With one other resort to discover, you’ll be having fun with the best of each worlds.

Crystal clear waters The infinity pool at Velassaru Maldives

Crystal clear waters The infinity pool at Velassaru Maldives (Velassaru Maldives/PA)

A few days into our holiday at Velassaru, the resort throws a particular dinner buffet at Vela (one among the resort’s 5 eating places) to have a good time National Maldives Day.

Later, we be part of the ‘Purely White’ after get together on the seashore with a resident DJ spinning an eclectic mixture of R&B and membership music. Open to requests, he performs one among our favorite nation tunes by Jon Pardi. We dance barefoot underneath the stars and crescent moon.

Read extra: Anna Friel on the magic of a mother-daughter journey to the Maldives

However, our favorite since day dot is Sand, the place we additionally go to for dinner throughout our keep. It’s an oceanfront grill with personal pavilions to wine, dine and sink your toes in the sand.

The glad vibe flows to the subsequent night with a romantic dinner on the seashore. Attention to element is slick with a garland centrepiece and grilled lobster for mains.

Smiling and laughing, we stroll alongside the jetty to our water villa perched over the lagoon – the shadow of a stingray our solely distraction. To our shock, flip down service items us with a garnished mattress strewn with bougainvillea, palm leaves, and a heart-shaped towel.

Sands restaurant at Velassaru Maldives

Sands restaurant at Velassaru Maldives (Velassaru Maldives/PA)

Kind and thoughtful with a mild method, the workers turn out to be your mates – and all a part of the journey. Repeat company we chat to share comparable tales of considerate gestures and treasured moments.

With its palm-filled shorelines, aromatic wildlife and sandy pathways framed by trailing bougainvillea, we love strolling round the island to sit back and unwind.

Feeling relaxed and refreshed, mornings spent sunbathing and bobbing round in softly rippling waves are adopted by lengthy, lazy lunches.

Fen Bar with beachfront views overlooking the infinity pool is the place we loosen up with a G&T. With the promise of a gorgeous sundown, we slip into the again seat of a golf buggy and head to Chill – the resort’s sundeck bar on the different aspect of the island. With sweeping panoramic views, our timing couldn’t be extra excellent.

Read extra: The best resorts in the Maldives for luxurious, personal seashores and rest

We order a piña colada and in tune with shaking of ice-cubes, the ding-ding sound of a bell rings out to announce the ice-cream tricycle cart – complementary gelato is served.

For the second half of our holiday we switch by sea aircraft to Kandolhu – a bijou resort with 30 villas we visited 10 years in the past. We journey via a turquoise seascape and 25 minutes later it’s time for our subsequent barefoot journey.

The first time we visited the Maldives, I assumed my ‘action man’ can be bored, however there’s no time to fly-and-flop right here with a fascinating island and home reef to uncover.

The Maldivian aquarium is unsurpassed – and the additional you enterprise into the atolls, north or south from Velana airport, the extra you’ll be rewarded.

Fen Bar at Velassaru Maldives

Fen Bar at Velassaru Maldives (Velassaru Maldives/PA)

Moreover, with Kandulhu’s dive centre providing complementary GoPro rent (with Quick App to obtain and edit your footage), it’s attainable to movie and put up footage of tropical fish and turtles out of your dream paradise.

Our Ocean Pool Villa with infinite views of the Indian Ocean options an open toilet with bathe and tub. We pull the sliding doorways to sit on the ledge, dangle our legs and stare upon crystal clear waters under. Another spotlight is our plunge pool to sink into with a glass of fizz.

With our wine fridge stocked with New World and Old World wines together with cava and prosecco as a part of the Ultimate Inclusions package deal, you get loads of bang in your buck.

Five eating places supply an array of delicacies – from Olive serving Mediterranean dishes, to the Sea Grill, Banzai teppanyaki or Mexican and Peruvian fusion spot Ata Roa. The latter turns into a lunchtime haunt on the fringe of the jetty, the place our chef prepares tacos and ceviche to order, washed down with ice-cold beer.

Ata Roa restaurant at Kandolhu Maldives

Ata Roa restaurant at Kandolhu Maldives (Kandolhu Maldives)

With one the sweetest spas I’ve come throughout, we bask in a {couples} 90-minute signature therapeutic massage at Varu.

The 4 remedy rooms are named after flowers – Rose, Jasmine, Lavender and Tulip. We relaxation our heads in ‘Jasmine,’ the place lemongrass oil scents the air and sizzling stones relieve any journey rigidity.

Admittedly there are cheaper seashore locations to go to, however I’d argue each penny spent in the Maldives is an funding in well being and happiness. More reasonably priced, all-inclusive worth packages make the spend more and more justifiable and have afforded individuals like me the privilege to stay a dream time and again.

How to do it

Kuoni provides three nights at the five-star Velassaru, Maldives in a seashore villa with pool on Full Board, adopted by 4 nights at the five-star Kandolhu, Maldives in a seashore villa on Ultimate Inclusions All Inclusive, together with flights on British Airways and transfers in resort.

The worth for chosen departures in June 2025 based mostly on two adults sharing is from £4,699 per particular person from London Heathrow (£4,799 from Glasgow, through London Heathrow).

Includes complimentary meal plan improve at Kandolhu from FB A La Carte on bookings made by 28.02.25 for journey up to 31.10.25. Upgrade to Velassaru Indulgence All Inclusive from an additional £299 per particular person.

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