Aside from Male, the Maldives has no hotels but only resorts. Most of the resorts will take up each of their own islands (250 m x 250 m to 1500 m x 1500 m). This means that the ratios of guests to beaches could possibly be the best worldwide. It will therefore be quite easy for a visitor to find their own private section of beach for relaxing on. There are ‘no shoes’ policies at many of the beaches which is pretty easy to accept as the sand is very soft.
Maldives Stunning Accommodations
The theme and range of resorts is quite impressive and are usually grouped into 3 kinds of resorts:
- Luxury Resorts are designed mainly for jet setters and honeymooners. If a visitor wants designer furniture, plasma TV and gourmet food in a beautiful overwater villa that can only be reached by a rowboat and willing to pay for this privilege, then this is where to be.
- Holiday Resorts are mainly designed for families. These resorts are large with many facilities such as daycare centres and multiple restaurants, but there is less privacy and they are not as luxurious as the luxury resort. Many holiday resorts are found on Kaafu.
- Dive Resorts are mainly designed for divers. They are geared specifically for wanting to spend most of their holiday underwater. Amenities on land will usually be limited; however, the house reef will normally be excellent. Dive resorts will often be located in the more far-off parts of the islands.
The Maldives is known for its overwater bungalows. These are erected on stilts that are directly over a lagoon. Although they sound appealing and look fabulous, there are some downsides to them:
- The sound of the waves lapping can be romantic on calm days, but with a storm blowing through it could make it impossible to fall asleep.
- The resort facilities can be quite far away from each bungalow.
- When it is low tide, water levels might be a bit too low for snorkelling or swimming.
- The bungalows are packed quite tightly together and often share a wall. This could mean little privacy is enjoyed.
These factors will vary with each resort, so a visitor should do some careful research. The bungalows are certainly worth trying though, but many visitors prefer bungalows with private beaches.
Many resorts, in particular the smaller dive resorts, cater to single nationalities. This leads to ‘German’ resorts, ‘Dutch’ resorts, ‘Italian’ resorts and so on. Most, of course, will welcome any nationality and do have staff on hand who speak English, but a visitor might have problems with diving if they do not understand the local lingo.
Low budget accommodation can be found. They will not be the island resorts but will be bed and breakfasts and inns found on the larger atolls with the local population, including South and North Male Atoll, Kaafu Atoll, Dhaalu Atoll, and Vaavu Atoll. Some of these budget accommodations will have a pool. A visitor should always ask if bikinis are allowed to be worn on the local beaches. Even though the distance to the beach from the accommodations is normally close a visitor must dress appropriately within the Maldives customs.
