Maldives Travel Guide: Best Things to Do in the Maldives
The Maldives are the ultimate paradise for me! As an ocean and beach lover, I immediately fell in love with the white sandy beaches, the endless blues, and the remote island feelings. I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Maldives multiple times already and I will definitely visit them again in the future. In this blog post, I’m sharing the best things to do in the Maldives with you as well as some of the incredible Maldives island resorts we stayed at.
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Here we go with a list of the best things to do in the Maldives…
Take a Beach Stroll Around the Island
The perfect way to start your Maldives vacation is to explore the island you’re staying on. So why not take a beach stroll around the island. This way, you can get to know the island and its amenities and start to unwind right away. We actually took long beach strolls almost every day (preferably at sunset) – it was one of our favorite activities.
You may also be interested in: 10 Best Local Islands in the Maldives
Go Snorkeling
If you are an ocean lover like me, this will be your favorite activity. We went snorkeling every day in the house reefs of the islands we stayed on. We saw lots of colorful fish, reef sharks, stingrays, mantas, turtles, and so much more. It was such an incredible experience! The water in the Maldives is crystal clear, so you don’t have to go deep to experience marine life up close. It feels like swimming in a giant aquarium!
Go Diving / Take Diving Lessons
If you want to explore the ocean a bit deeper, Maldives is the perfect place to go diving if you are a certified diver or to take some diving lessons if you are a newbie. The Maldives are definitely one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world. If you are lucky, you might even spot some rare whale sharks on your diving adventure.
Dip into the Pool
Most of the resorts in the Maldives have incredible pools. So why not take a refreshing dip in the pool? The Maldives seriously feature some of the most amazing infinity pools I’ve ever seen! Some resorts even offer private pools that belong to your villa. How amazing is that?
Enjoy the Privacy of your Overwater Villa
If it’s one thing the Maldives are famous for, it’s the stunning overwater villas. During our first visit to the Maldives, we stayed 5 days in a beach villa and 5 days in an overwater bungalow to be able to compare both experiences. We genuinely loved both experiences for different reasons but the water villa experience was definitely more memorable for us. Therefore, on our next visit we decided to stay in an overwater villa for the whole time. It’s so amazing to be able to jump right into the water from your private deck and to enjoy the surrounding ocean views all day long.
Where we stayed:
Fushifaru Maldives
Fushifaru Maldives is a 5-star boutique luxury resort that combines authentic Maldivian charm with modern luxury and a laid-back island vibe. The resort offers luxurious beach and water villas and is home to a unique underwater playground. Fushifaru belongs to my absolute favorite resorts in the Maldives. Click here, to read my detailed hotel review of Fushifaru Maldives.
Velassaru maldives
Velassaru Maldives is one of the very few Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) in the Maldives, which offer secluded locations with the highest luxury standards. The resort has 10 different room categories which can be divided into water villas and island villas. Moreover, Velassaru Maldives features an overwater spa and excellent dining options.
To read my full hotel review about our stay at Velassaru Maldives, click here.
Coco bodu Hithi
Coco Bodu Hithi is a great choice if you are looking for a luxurious Maldives vacation in a lush tropical setting focusing on physical and culinary wellbeing. The resort offers delicious food experiences as well as a sizeable overwater spa & wellness area. Coco Bodu Hithi features water villas as well as island villas which are both aesthetically designed.
To read my detailed hotel review about Coco Bodu Hithi, click here.
Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu
If you are looking for authentic Maldivian charm with rustic luxury at a reasonable price, Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu is the right choice. The resort offers beach villas as well as water villas. In addition, Coco Plam Dhuni Kolhu offers many water sports and recreation activities as well as unforgettable excursions. The island is also home to a rescue center for injured turtles.
To read my hotel review about our stay at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, click here.
Kuramathi
Kuramathi Maldives offers a slightly different Maldives experience due to the resort island’s large size and endless options when it comes to villa types, restaurants, and things to do. Therefore, it’s a great resort for first-timers in the Maldives that are afraid of getting bored and don’t look for an intimate island experience. Next to countless amenities, Kuramathi features a mile-long sandbank at the tip of the island.
To read my full hotel review about Kuramathi, click here.
Sun Siyam Olhuveli
The 4-star Sun Siyam Olhuveli resort is a good choice if you are looking for a luxurious vacation that comes at a reasonable price. The resort offers different types of overwater and beach villas. I really loved the infinity pools on the island and the various dining options in the many restaurants. If you love snorkeling, this resort also has an amazing house reef (we saw turtles, sharks, rays, and lots of colorful fish). In addition, the resort offers many water-sports activities.
To read my detailed hotel review about our stay at Sun Siyam Olhuveli, click here.
Adaaran Prestige OCean Villas
Adaaran Prestige Ocean Villas offers an excellent service and a personal butler with your ocean villa. I loved the luxurious interior design of the overwater villas and the great a-la-carte breakfast. The resort also offers many water-sports activities and even a surf spot.
In the meantime we also visited many other incredible hotels & resorts in the Maldives. Check out my blog category Hotels in the Maldives to explore all the hotels we visited including detailed hotel reviews.
To search for other amazing hotels in the Maldives on Booking.com, click here.
Sip Cocktails at the Beach and Relax
The Maldives are the perfect place for relaxed days with a cocktail in one hand and a good book in the other. So make sure to take some time to relax to the fullest and soak up some sun. There is no other place like the Maldives that makes unwinding so easy, believe me! Most of the islands offer different areas to relax, so it’s your choice whether you want to relax in a beach chair, by the pool, in your own villa, or in a hammock between two palm trees. Tough choice, right!?
Water-Sports Activities
All resorts in the Maldives offer several water-sports activities like stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, wind/kite surfing, jet-skiing, parasailing, or even hoverboarding. I really loved kayaking and jet-skiing but my favorite activity was stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). The Maldives are the perfect place for SUP because the lagoons are really calm and the waters are incredibly clear. So, you can observe the underwater life right below your stand-up paddleboard.
Have a Relaxed Spa Day
Most resorts offer a variety of spa treatments, so why not spend a day at the spa? We try to include a spa day whenever we can when we are on vacation. Some vacation packages of the resorts already include a spa treatment – if not be prepared that the prices are usually higher than in the rest of Asia.
Dolphin Spotting on a Sunset Cruise
Doing a sunset cruise including dolphin spotting was one of my absolute highlights of our Maldives trips. It’s such an unforgettable experience! We were really lucky and discovered some big pods of dolphins swimming into the sunset. They were very playful and kept flipping and twirling all the time. I think they were as happy to see us as we were to see them. It was a truly magical moment that I will never forget!
Excursions & Special Activities
Most of the resorts in the Maldives offer different excursions and special activities. From adventurous excursions like escaping to a sandbank or remote island, to destination dining experiences at the beach or pool, to guided snorkeling tours or day trips to a local island, to unique activities like a cinema under the stars – the Maldives have it all!
Sunrise and Sunset Watching
Something that you can do every day in the Maldives, and you won’t get tired of, is sunrise or sunset watching. I’ve seen some of the most incredible sunrises and sunsets I’ve ever experienced in the Maldives. Especially the sunsets are on fire!! The Maldives are probably one of the most dreamy and romantic destinations on earth.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post about the best things to do in the Maldives. If you have any questions about the Maldives, just leave a comment below.
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