I Traveled to the #1 Bucket-Checklist Vacation spot within the World

Boarding a Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane to LUX South Ari Atoll.

A visit to the Maldives is idyllic, however I will not sugarcoat it; getting there is not simple. Depending on the place you are travelling from, you might have to take wherever from two to 4 flights to get to the island the place your resort is positioned. For me, that meant two flights and a ship journey on the best way there and three flights and a ship journey on the best way residence. Keep in thoughts, I flew from New York, a simple flight hub.

Most Maldivian islands have roughly one resort positioned on them, relying on their dimension. However, these islands aren’t a hop, skip, and a soar away from one another. They’re far sufficient away that guests must take a home flight or a multi-hour boat journey to get to their atoll of selection, which means you will must finances a variety of money and time for journey.

Once on the island, transportation will rely on the atoll’s dimension. The island the place the Velassaru Resort was positioned had every part inside strolling distance, whereas Lux South Ari Atoll had its personal shuttle service and bikes for visitors to make use of. Resort dimension and transportation choices are one thing I’d suggest researching earlier than reserving your keep.

Overwater bungalows at LUX South Ari Atoll.

During my go to, I jumped round to 3 completely different resorts, giving me an thought of how they differ and who they’d finest go well with. The first resort I stayed at was Velassaru Maldives. This was the closest of the three resorts to Malé, the nation’s capital, making it a great spot for visitors hoping to get a style of true Maldivian tradition and nightlife. A visit from the island resort to the town is only a 30-minute boat journey. This can be a fantastic resort choice for these seeking to reduce journey time, because it’s near the Malé International Airport.

The second resort I visited was LUX South Ari Atoll, a big resort positioned on a 2 km lengthy island. Because of its huge dimension, outfitted children membership, and enormous number of actions and eating places, this can be a nice choice for households or visitors planning a keep of seven days or extra. LUX South additionally hosts a resort-wide scavenger hunt each morning, the place visitors can seek for hidden bottles close to the foyer, containing coupons free of charge drinks, ice cream, or pizza.

The final resort I stayed at was the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, a property of Hyatt. It’s a small, cozy resort, near the equator, that is superb for {couples} and honeymooners. Thick vegetation and tall, shady bushes present visitors with a way of privateness of their villas. The resort even boasts its personal home reef for visitors to snorkel in, seeing every part from vibrant tropical fish to eels, sea cucumbers, and black-tip sharks. Because of the resort’s small dimension, employees members bear in mind visitors by identify, making for a significant keep.

Drinking white wine sangria on the Dive Bar and Snorkelers Lounge on the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.

Since most inns within the Maldives have their very own personal island, consuming outdoors of your resort is not actually an choice, until you are staying near a metropolis like Malé. Because of this, resorts make a concerted effort to supply quite a lot of eating choices. At LUX South Ari Atoll, as an example, the resort has eight completely different eating places, starting from upscale eating to poolside bites and an in-house cafe. Meaning, you’ll be able to attempt one thing new every single day, relying on the size of your keep.

However, when within the Maldives, I’d encourage you to attempt the nation’s native fare, which blends flavors of India and Southeast Asia with the pure bounty that the ocean offers. Dishes incessantly embrace coconut, tuna, rice, and curry. Most resort eating places label native delicacies both in a piece of the menu or on a desk on the buffet for individuals who need to attempt.

If eating is a crucial a part of your journey, I’d make certain to analysis the meal packages, restaurant choices, and cuisines your resort has to supply—double-checking if drinks are included, if restaurant reservations are mandatory, and if any resort eating choices are unavailable for sure meal packages earlier than you e-book.

Dolphin recognizing tour at Velassaru resort.

While the pristine seashores, vibrant blue water, and tranquil ambiance are definitely worth the draw, the experiences are what make a visit to the Maldives. Depending on the place you keep, visitors can swim with turtles, plant coral reefs, picnic on a non-public island, go dolphin-spotting, and extra. And these are simply the actions I used to be in a position to attempt firsthand.

What you do throughout your journey will rely on the place you keep. Most resorts provide choices for snorkeling, diving, boat excursions, and coral planting, however some actions are tied to location, which can influence the place you resolve to remain. The Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, for instance, provides a cruise to the equator because it’s positioned only a few hours’ boat journey away. Meanwhile, LUX South Ari Atoll provides visitors the chance to snorkel with whale sharks, because the island is positioned close to an aggregation website.

These are the experiences that make the Maldives a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Although the excursions might tack an additional a number of hundred {dollars} onto the ultimate invoice, I feel they’re value saving for, particularly if the Maldives is a spot you’ve got been dreaming of visiting for years.

Kate mendacity in an overwater lounge internet at LUX South Ari Atoll.

If you will have the time, alternative, and means to go to the Maldives, I’d take it. I’ll eternally look again on my 10 days there with admiration, figuring out I noticed and skilled so many distinctive issues for the primary time. But I will not lie, a visit to the Maldives is not low-cost. It’s not a budget-friendly journey vacation spot. If you are set on visiting a seashore however versatile concerning the location, I’d suggest trying out our Good Housekeeping Travel Awards, which have extra budget-friendly waterfront locations.

However, in case you’re prepared to save cash to get the Maldives expertise you’ve got all the time dreamed of, with a beachfront villa, toes-in-the-sand dinners, and snorkeling with native wildlife, you actually will not remorse it.

Kate Franke (she/her) is an editorial assistant within the Hearst Lifestyle Group, masking for Woman’s Day and Good Housekeeping. She loves all issues way of life, residence, and market associated. Kate has a BAJMC in Magazine Media and BA in Writing from Drake University. She is a proud ASME alum whose work has appeared in Food Network Magazine, The Pioneer Woman Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Modern Farmhouse Style, Beautiful Kitchens & Baths, and extra. Next to writing, Kate’s two favourite issues are chai lattes and pumpkin bread!