Top places to go · Maldives
One resort per island, reached by seaplane from Male.
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Open the offersThe Maldives is a chain of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean where nearly every luxury resort occupies its own island, reached from Velana International Airport by speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight. Baa Atoll was inscribed as the country’s only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in June 2011, and South Ari Atoll is one of the few places in the world with whale shark sightings year round.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since June 2011, about 120 km north of Male, with nine core conservation zones including Hanifaru Bay. Reached by seaplane in roughly 30 to 35 minutes, daylight only.
Stay nearby: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa GiraavaruA small enclosed reef in Baa Atoll where manta rays and whale sharks mass-feed during the southwest monsoon (roughly May/June to November). Diving is banned; snorkelling is supervised, quota-controlled and booked through permitted resorts.
Stay nearby: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa GiraavaruOne of the rare places on earth with year-round whale shark sightings; research shows a persistent aggregation of mostly immature males. Sightings shift west December to April and east May to November.
A northern atoll about 40 minutes by seaplane from Male, home to Cheval Blanc Randheli (LVMH), whose spa sits on its own separate island.
Stay nearby: Cheval Blanc RandheliThe atoll closest to the airport, reached by speedboat rather than seaplane; home to One&Only Reethi Rah and the surf breaks around Thulusdhoo.
Stay nearby: One&Only Reethi RahLocal island in North Male Atoll anchoring the country’s best-known surf: Cokes, a fast hollow right-hander named after the island’s Coca-Cola bottling plant, and Chickens across the channel. Season March to October, peaking June to September.
A single-island atoll in the deep south, a 70-minute flight from Male, with its own airport and what a 2024 Scientific Reports study describes as the world’s largest tiger shark aggregation.
Known for bioluminescent plankton that lights the shoreline blue when the water is disturbed; best seen on a moonless night. The island’s official name is Mudhdhoo.
Northern atoll about 35 to 40 minutes by seaplane from Male; Kuredu island here has more than 3 km of beach, the Maldives’ first golf course and a nearby site where giant rays gather.
The capital island sits next to the airport island of Hulhule and is linked to it by local dhoni boats that run every few minutes; it is the transfer hub for every resort.
Planning the days? Top things to do in the Maldives →
Booked through us as a Virtuoso advisor: the same rate as booking direct, with the Virtuoso amenities confirmed in writing.
Best months are December to April (northeast monsoon, driest); May to November for Hanifaru Bay mantas. Tell us your dates and we will say honestly whether they work.
MLE Velana International Airport (Hulhule Island, North Male Atoll). We arrange transfers to the hotel as part of the booking.
It depends on the trip. The hotels listed above are the top tier; we match the property to your dates, group and style and confirm the Virtuoso amenities in writing.
