Adriaan Bergh and Melinda Bam in The Maldives for their 2022 babymoon | Picture: Instagram
The archipelago known as The Maldives has long been thought to be a destination only for lovers but upon closer inspection, it’s easy to see that the location is the perfect holiday destination for loved ones too.
A recent holiday, booked through South African travel agency Priority Escapes, took us to six different islands hoping to showcase what the Maldives has to offer for everyone.
Whether you’re looking to go on a bae-cation, solo-cation or friend-cation, the Maldives has plenty of options for you. Here are a few of our recommendations for places to check out and stay at in the archipelagic state located in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean.
It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres from the Asian continent’s mainland.
This is a five-star location in an area often described as desirable, the Maldives’ Raa Atol. While a 45-minute seaplane ride after a nine-hour flight to the main Island of Male from South Africa sounds like a lot of work, the amenities at Dhigali make it well worth the journey.
What makes this location perfect for a bae-cation are the island’s restaurants, their sea-facing Haali bar, the fact that they have a limited number of honeymoon suites as well as some other exquisite suites and beach villas as well as their spa.
Although the Maldives is generally considered quite a romantic location, Dhigali and all that it has to offer have captured all there is to love about the destination.
There are activities for those who wish to get out there and experience the various moods of the island, on-island activities for the more child traveler and a range of restaurants for travellers who wish to squeeze a gastronomic experience into their holiday.
All of this can be booked through the resort’s custom app that allows guests to book dinners and activities, discover more about the island as well as its amenities. The best part about the app is that it allows guests to track the island’s buggies in real-time in order to plan their way around the Island in the event that they do not feel like taking s scenic walk.
While we recommend this location for a bae-cation, that is not to say families or solo travellers cannot stay here.
At the time of writing earlier this year, Priority Escapes had a deal priced at R 47 898 per person sharing, down from R 66 300 for an all-inclusive seven-night stay at this location.
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OBLU Select Lobigili
Located just a few minutes from Male International airport, Lobigili is counted among the islands closest to the main island.
This five-star contemporary resort is known as a coveted baecation destination due to its designation as a resort exclusively for adults.
It’s name also speaks to the idea of this as it derives its name from the Dhiveli word for love “Loabi”. “Gili,” on the other hand, means Island.
This particular resort even has what it calls “The Lobi Plan,” – an exclusive, fully-encompassing holiday plan that blends all the elements of an intimate, carefree holiday experience.
At the time of our visit, the venue was constructing the largest underwater restaurant in the Maldives called the Only BLU Under Ocean Restaurant. Under the Lobi Plan, guests receive one complimentary dining experience at Only BLU for a minimum of four days of stay.
What I enjoyed most about my stay – apart from meeting a South African woman who had just began working at the resort – was the fact that this particular resort is staffed mostly by women.
While travel packages to certain locations booked with Priority Escapes may no longer be available, you can expect to budget around R 68 200 for flights, transfer and seven nights at such a location. Additionally, you can budget around R56 522 pps when booking a stay at Lobigili for couples.
Although this resort is geared towards families and couples, it can make for a beautiful solo-cation given just how vast the resort is.
At OBLU Select Sangeli, there is a lot to do and travellers on solo-cations have lots of options to fill their time with when they have not scheduled alone time.
You can sign up for one of the resorts many group activities, like yoga on the beach.
Alternatively, you can try your hand at sunset fishing to watching spinning dolphins, charter your own boat and enjoy a private relaxing cruise around Sangeli island or book yourself to take part in Sangeli’s range of boat excursions.
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Sangeli boasts a calming wellness complex for days you do wish for some quiet downtime, complete with a spa overlooking the ocean.
You can also enjoy the sunset at one of two bars; Beru as well as the poolside bar at Banyan (the island’s adults-only complex).
Booking through this company would set you back about R 52 858 pps for seven nights.
Kuramathi is also known as a family-friendly island, however, the fact that it is one of the biggest islands that we visited makes it a wonderful destination for a solo-cation as you will never be bored. Kuramathi has seven dining options, an on-site ecology centre, watersports options and some fantastic nightlife spots and that’s not even all the island has to offer.
Some of the watersports offered on this island resort include; diving, wind surfing, catamaran and dinghy sailing, stand up paddle boarding and kayaking, speed boat trips, a sunset cruise and big game fishing to name a few.
A trip to this island, depending on what offers are available and when you book may set you back north of R 33 932 pps.
Located on a private island with a gorgeous lagoon, OBLU Ailafushi opened earlier this year and was built to cater to friends, families and what they refer to as “the millennial-minded.”
A stay at this resort comes with complimentary water sports so whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or just looking to try something new while out in the ocean.
This is one of the locations that has an on-island promenade for shopping but beware as items are priced in US dollars. It also features a food truck which is open during set times and boasts live DJ sets at one of the pool-side restaurants. A launch offer for a stay at this resort was priced at R 38 535 pps.
The Standard remains one of the most memorable locations from our trip, not only for it’s quirky decor but also for the ease with which our travel group was able to make friends at the location.
Mealtimes and karaoke nights were far more fun with our new friends than they would have been had we just stuck to our travel group.
Attractions at this particular resort include; disco balls in the bathrooms of the water villas along with a giant, circular tub, in-room diving equipment on the walls as part of the decor, a restaurant that serves traditional Maldivian cuisine, bicycles to get around the island as well as a bar over the water complete with a glass floor.
At the time of writing, you could book a seven-night stay at The Standard for R47 270 pps.
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