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Congratulations on your marriage! Welcome to a new phase in life, one that you get to share with that special person.
Weddings can be so much fun, right from the moment you get engaged to finally saying those two magical words, “I do.”
At the same time, wedding celebrations are tiring. That is why most people love to fly away to distant lands for their honeymoon.
The Maldives, with its idyllic location in the Indian Ocean, has been a favorite honeymoon destination for a while. From remote islands and luxurious resorts to colorful marine life, beautiful traditions, and stunning untouched wilderness, the archipelago is brimming with an array of excursions and unbelievable sights.
Booking a resort for a honeymoon in the Maldives is undoubtedly the right choice to make. But before you go ahead, it’s worth reading the following nine tips and secrets that will help you plan that perfect romantic escapade.
Pick a resort that is right for you
The Maldives has close to 150 resorts spread out across the archipelago. Hence, you have plenty of accommodation options to choose from. However, deciding on the best private island retreat can be confusing.
Well, let’s make things a little simpler for you. For a honeymoon in the Maldives, it’s typically a good idea to book an adults-only resort. They tend to be more intimate, less noisy, and offer activities and rooms geared towards couples.
However, if you enjoy expansive spaces and a lively atmosphere, go for a bigger retreat that also caters to groups and families. But if you do, pick a resort that at least has some adults-only areas (separate pool, restaurant, beach). This way, you can enjoy the best of both worlds and escape to the quieter nooks for special moments with your loved one.
Choose a romantic villa
Overwater villa or a beach bungalow, which one is better? Ask around, and you will get contradicting replies. In the end, it’s entirely your choice.
Still, for many, a honeymoon in the Maldives is their first time visiting the country. Although it is not possible to see every aspect of the island nation, you can at least enjoy its two topmost accommodation options.
Yes! It is very much possible to divide your stay on a resort between a beach bungalow and an overwater villa. Private retreats are more than happy to shift honeymooners mid-vacation to a different room. But you must inform them of your plans at the time of booking.
Exceptions to the above are the smaller adults-only resorts in the Maldives. They typically only have overwater bungalows. Nevertheless, staying in such a resort is a magical experience in itself.
Ask for a honeymoon package
Many tourists nowadays are savvy enough to make travel bookings themselves. Therefore, you can go through Love the Maldives’ resort booking platform to check the latest Maldives honeymoon packages offered by various resorts across the archipelago.
A simple reason for choosing a deal like this is all the extra perks you will eventually get, leading to some exclusive experiences and some serious money-saving.
There is no doubt whatsoever that Maldivian resorts and the country, as a whole, love to welcome honeymooners. Moreover, resort staff regularly go out of their way to make your special holiday as memorable as possible.
Thus, a Maldives honeymoon package can include benefits such as extra nights, free room upgrades, complimentary spa sessions, and a dhoni sunset cruise. Some resorts also include free island transfers, a romantic beach dinner, and motorized watersports, which otherwise cost extra.
As an example, the honeymoon package at St. Regis Maldives includes champagne sabering, an in-villa bath setup, hydrotherapy in the legendary Blue Hole, and complimentary cake.
Spend a little on transfers
Your honeymoon in the Maldives starts from the very moment you land at the airport in Malé. Resort representatives are ever-present at the departure lounge to guide you further. They also handle your luggage and take you to the speedboat or seaplane jetty.
As for island transfers, one can generally take a shared speedboat to the resort. But for your honeymoon, why not splurge a little and opt for either a private speedboat or a seaplane. Either way, you will reach your resort faster and in a more extravagant fashion.
A seaplane flight over the Maldives is especially a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Watching the archipelago’s beauty together, from high above, is the perfect precursor to a love-filled vacation.
Remember, you have to book transfers to and from the airport through your hotel. Whatever you decide, make sure you let the resort staff know in advance.
Enjoy a spa date
Resorts in the Maldives promise their guests a restful and rejuvenating holiday. Helping in this endeavor are the retreat’s spa centers featuring fantastic treatments and procedures.
A spa date during your honeymoon in the Maldives can be both relaxing and romantic. It’s a chance to enjoy each other’s company in a soothing environment with positive energy that helps build a stronger bond between couples.
With an abundance of treatments offered, your spa experience in the Maldives can be a simple ayurvedic massage or something unique, like time spent in a snow room.
Furthermore, to make this occasion exclusive, plan to have the massage in a stunning location. Ask the resort staff to help organize a couple’s spa break on the beach, a boat, or in your private villa.
Book exclusive excursions
There are plenteous things to do in the Maldives for everyone. More so for couples enjoying a honeymoon.
At the time of planning your holiday, check to see the different excursions offered by the resort you wish to stay at. If you both prefer to be active, even during your honeymoon, choose an island retreat that can cater to your needs.
Although they are quintessential honeymoon activities, romantic dinners, sandbank visits, and sunset cruises are standard offerings across most resorts.
Adventurous honeymooners should thus book a holiday where they can indulge in some of the more thrilling activities. Skydiving, for one, is a brand new attraction in the archipelago. You can also go diving with hammerheads or snorkel with manta rays while staying in the archipelago.
A more couple-centric and eco-friendly experience is adopting and planting a coral. The resort then follows up, sending regular photo updates of your coral over time.
Look at all the food options
Food often leads to romance. Resorts know this and thus help create several culinary-themed moments for couples celebrating their honeymoon in the Maldives.
Common possibilities available on most resorts include a candlelit dinner on the beach, a picnic on a deserted sandbank, a floating breakfast, or a romantic meal during a sunset dhoni cruise.
Couples looking for more should opt for resorts that offer exclusive culinary adventures. For example, there are now six island getaways with underwater restaurants in the Maldives. Even if you stay near one of these retreats, it is possible to pre-book a table at these stunning gastronomic destinations.
An excellent way to save money in the Maldives is to go full-board. But this does limit your dining options, as you cannot eat at every restaurant on the resort.
For your honeymoon in the Maldives, a half-board is more than adequate. It’ll allow you to save on alcoholic drinks while giving you the freedom to try the entire range of island restaurants.
Relish Maldives’ barefoot luxury
A honeymoon is one vacation where everyone likes to splurge on luxury. The Maldives makes that possible through its award-winning resorts.
A significant aspect of a luxury vacation is dressing up for the moment. Be it a dinner or a casual stroll on the beach; you want to be in your best clothes.
While that remains true, the one thing you need not worry about is your footwear.
Staying in a Maldivian resort is all about barefoot luxury. You can comfortably spend your entire Maldivian holiday without shoes. Yes, from the moment you step on a speedboat or a seaplane till the time you return to the airport.
Therefore, when making a packing list for your honeymoon in the Maldives, don’t stress over your footwear. Instead, keep the extra space in your luggage empty to bring back some traditional souvenirs.
Skip the public islands… or not!
An amazing way to completely immerse yourself into the culture and traditions of the Maldives is to spend time on a public island.
During your honeymoon in the Maldives, we certainly recommend that you visit the inhabited islands. It’s an excellent opportunity to observe the pastoral charms of local island life.
But one must remember that the Maldives is a Muslim country and very conservative in its thinking. Therefore, public displays of affection, wearing bikinis, or even men going topless on public beaches is inappropriate behavior, frowned upon by the local communities.
An entire holiday on a public island, staying in a guesthouse, is definitely an experience to have in the Maldives. But to celebrate your honeymoon, it might not be the best choice. Unless that is, you can confidently follow all the local cultural etiquettes.
