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Planning for a Maldivian holiday is often as much fun as going on one. From searching for the best airline deals to selecting a resort and choosing all the activities you want to pre-book, there is plenty to consider before you even step foot at an airport.
One might imagine that the Maldives being an island nation, has certain limitations when it comes to booking your holiday. In reality, Maldives has a cornucopia of opportunities. From different islands and modes of transportations to food and water-based activities, you are literally spoilt for choice every single day you spend in the archipelago.
There is one aspect, however, that several first-time travelers to the Maldives overlook, and that is the type of villa they are booking. Unlike other tourist places around the world, where you book a hotel and choose between a standard,deluxe, or suite, the villa options are, to put it simply, mindboggling in the Maldives.
What to look for in a villa?
From the more budget-friendly garden rooms to abodes with private beaches, and the jaw-droppingly beautiful water bungalows, vacationers should spend a reasonable amount of time going through all the amenities and advantages of every villa before finally selecting the perfect one.
Some of the key factors to remember, besides the budget, are whether your accommodation has direct beach access and if it comes with a lap or plunge pool. Also, check if it has fancy add-ons like an open-air bathroom and how much space you will get to move around inside and outside the villa.
Moreover, if you are a couple, it might serve you well to take a water bungalow. Whereas, families are better off staying in a beach villa that is both safer and often has multiple rooms and open spaces for kids to run around.
Different types of resort villas in the Maldives
When searching through countless dwellings across the many island resorts of the Maldives, it helps first to jot down your preferences and then book a room, villa, or water bungalow that serves you the best. Let’s see the different options available.
Garden-view villas
Don’t let the idea of a garden-view room in a Maldivian resort make you think it is any less luxurious. Typically situated inside the island, they have the same amenities as any other villa, including en-suite bathrooms, televisions, air-conditioning, and patios to enjoy the gentle sea breeze that makes its way through the palm trees bordering the beaches.
Moreover, what the garden-view villas lack in location, by not having stunning sea views, they make up in price by being the most economical accommodations on any resort island.
Pro Tip: Many resorts prefer not to advertise their garden villas unless all of their beach-front properties are booked. So, it is worth contacting them and requesting for a garden-view room, even if you don’t see it mentioned on booking platforms.
Beach villas
Beach villas in the Maldives promise the best of both worlds. Not only do they provide direct access to your own stretch of sand, but are also private abodes that separate you from the rest of the resort.
Ranging in price, most beach villas have facilities such as partially open bathrooms with rain showers, outdoor and indoor lounge areas, and jacuzzies. The more luxurious ones tend to be grander and might come with a plunge pool, surrounding gardens, hammocks, and separate dining spaces.
Pro Tip: Check with your resort and book a beach villa closest to its main snorkeling point. This way, you can start exploring the lagoon as soon as you step out of your room.
Family beach villas and houses
Similar to beach villas, except bigger, family beach residences usually have a minimum of two or more bedrooms. The wonderful part about family villas is that they cater equally to children and adults. Large living spaces, pools, garden areas, multiple TVs, and beach access allow kids to play with ease.
For parents, there are outdoor bathtubs, lavish master bedrooms, and lots of intimate nooks and corners strategically placed so they can spend time together while keeping an eye on the children.
However, the ultimate family beach house in the Maldives comes in the form of a private island that consists of only one large residence. Ideal for both couples and families, private islands epitomize the sheer magnificence of a Maldivian luxury vacation as you get to enjoy your own piece of this paradise.
Pro Tip: Maldivian resorts have beach villas around the island, which means you can request the one that either witnesses a spectacular sunrise or a memorable sunset.
Water bungalows
A phenomenal way to experience the natural beauty of the Maldives from close, there is an unmatched uniqueness to the water bungalows one finds at almost all island resorts. The original allure of the villa is its location that permits guests uninterrupted panoramic views of the sea and a chance to be absent from the main island activities.
The variety of water villas in the Maldives is quite wide. At the very least, they are beautiful one-room residences made using natural elements such as wood and straw for thatched roofs with direct access to the water. They include glass-bottom bathtubs, air-conditioning, and patios to lounge on during the day.
If traveling with kids, message the resort, and check their child policy regarding water bungalow stays. Several islands don’t allow children below 12, due to safety reasons.
Now, on the expensive side, there are no limits to water-bungalow extravagance as the Maldives now has residences with individual slides going straight into the sea, underwater bedrooms, swimming pools, jacuzzies, dining rooms, and often multiple bedrooms.
Undoubtedly, the most Instagrammable homes in the world, water bungalows, are a feast for the eyes and a bucket list item that travelers need to tick off when holidaying in the Maldives.
Pro Tip: When choosing a water bungalow, if you are a couple, select the ones at the end of the boardwalk for more privacy. Families should stay closer to the beach as it means less walking, especially with children in tow.
Irrespective of the villa you choose at any of the resorts in the Maldives, you are guaranteed exemplary service. While the more luxurious accommodations come with personal Thakurus or man-Fridays and chefs, the modest ones are equally lavish and offer all the creature comforts to transform your vacation into a pleasant and comfortable island escape.
N.B.: all information is correct as of the post publication date, and prices are subject to change.
