Caralyn’s Guide to the perfect Maldives honeymoon

Our Head of Operations, Caralyn, recently visited paradise on earth known as the Maldives and below she gives us her 7-day low-down on 8 different Maldives island resorts, all of which offer unique characteristics to suit the needs of different couples looking for an utterly romantic honeymoon in paradise. Read on to learn more about her time on the island and what she thought of each resort! If you would like to know more about Maldives honeymoon packages please get in touch with us here or call 0121 440 6268.

Caralyn’s day-by-day experience of the Maldives

Day 1 – Cinnamon Dhonveli

Cinnamon Dhonveli is a relatively small island with just 148 rooms, this island is a great value introduction to the Maldives, with a warm welcome, great food and fantastic house reef. Situated in the North Male Atoll, you are just a short 30-minute speedboat ride to the island, where you’re greeted with a cold towel and refreshing drink during your check in. The island has a dramatic surf break on one side of the island and a calmer lagoon on the other, which is perfect for snorkelling and swimming. They have a variety of room types to suit all budgets, including superior rooms and beach bungalows. My personal favourite here was the overwater suites, which have already been refurbished to a lovely standard and include access to an additional bar, pool and you’ll dine in the refurbished Rehendhi buffet restaurant. Each of the buffet restaurants offer a nightly theme, with different cuisines from around the world each night. Our stay fell on the German evening, so it was all about schnitzel and meatballs on the themed section, as well as the regular favourite dishes. The breakfast also offered a fabulous variety including fresh juices, pastries and breads, cereals, fruits an egg station and much more! If you opt for the premium all-inclusive you’ll have added extras such as premium brand drinks and two excursions thrown in.

Day 2 – Kuramathi

Kuramathi Island Resort is a larger island with 360 rooms and offers great value for money and something for every taste! Lush greenery pathways keeps the island feeling intimate, which combines with stunning turquoise seas and powder white sand to give the true Maldivian feel. The island was originally two separate resorts and has been combined into one, meaning it offers a blend of very modern and more traditional Maldivian styles depending on your taste. There is a great range of room options here, so that we can work within most budgets and the island will often run offers such as complimentary upgrade to the next available room type, or if you’re in one of the higher room categories then a complimentary upgrade to the Select All Inclusive – these really represent great value so worth asking your consultant about these! The size of the island also means more facilities, you will find 3 pools, 9 a la carte restaurants, 3 buffet restaurants and 7 bars to name a few of them. The buffet restaurants are all themed differently each evening and offer very high quality food, this will be included if you opt for full board or all inclusive. When we ate at the buffet restaurant, we experienced a French evening and had a choice of roast lamb leg, beef bourguignon, dauphinoise potatoes, some beautiful French desserts and much more… it was delicious! Included in your all-inclusive is also high tea, a sunset cruise, windsurfing equipment and snorkelling equipment, which is great value.

Honeymoon Villa at Kuramathi

Over water dining options

If you opt for the Select All inclusive, the main benefit is unlimited access to the 9 a la carte restaurants with waitress service offering one of the most incredible dine-around options in the Maldives. You’ll find everything from seafood, to Teppanyaki, Thai, Mediterranean, Indian and more, be able to order bottled wines and have the inclusions of the standard all-inclusive like the snorkelling equipment etc. When it comes to evening entertainment, each bar has its own entertainment ranging from DJ music, to live bands/singers to karaoke and you’ll find different atmosphere in each one… the Champagne Bar is a swanky spot with funky décor and background music, while the sand bar is all about chilling on giant beanbags with a cocktail and a band playing. If you’re keen snorkelers/divers then again, Kuramathi ticks the box with its own house reef which you can snorkel to straight off the beach, and access to 20 dive sites within a 5-45 minute speedboat journey. If you are a diver, it’s worth noting that the island is one of only 6 in the Maldives to have a decompression chamber on site. In terms of getting to Kuramathi, the standard transfers are a 90-minute speedboat ride from Male. Seaplanes are available at an upgrade cost of approximately £180-200 per person each way and take 20 minutes. Kuramathi is Exclusive to Kuoni in the UK, and as a Kuoni Partner we are able to secure great deals on this island. It also means that you will have the service of two on site Kuoni reps to help you make the most of your holiday.

Kuramathi’s sandbank and infinity pool

Jacuzzi Beach Villa at Kuramathi Island

Day 3 – Coco Bodu Hithi

This intimate island truly feels like you’ve landed in the heart of the Maldives, with just 100 rooms and tunnels of greenery leading you through the island. On this traditional Maldivian island, all rooms come with a private pool whether it’s located on the beach, or overwater and are some of the largest rooms in the Maldives. When it comes to dining, you can opt to stay on breakfast, half board, full board or all-inclusive here giving great flexibility. The all-inclusive allows you to dine-around, and as well as a vast selection of drinks, includes snorkelling equipment and non-motorised water sports. There is a choice of 6 fantastic restaurants with everything from seafood to Asian fusion. We dined open air at Aqua restaurant, which specialises in seafood and had an incredible dinner. Whilst you can snorkel straight from the beach, go to the house reef site for the best marine life… you may even be lucky enough to spot string rays and reef sharks from the jetty. The overwater spa here is very well rated and popular amongst guests, with lovely couple’s treatment rooms for a romantic experience. If it’s romance you’re looking for, Coco Bodu Hithi also have an open-air cinema on the beach for you to watch a classic under the stars!

Day 4 – Oblu by Atmosphere at Helengeli

Fresh and bright, with 148 rooms Oblu by Atmosphere at Helengeli is a mid-sized island ticking the boxes for divers and snorkelers! You’ll arrive at this island after a 50-60 minute speedboat ride from Male airport. The bright reception was coupled with friendly staff and a glass of aqua blue fizz on arrival. You can watch a live cam of the house reef and spot some great marine life from here. Rooms follow-suit and are bright and fresh, with a range of beach and semi-overwater options to suit all budgets. We’re told the west is best on this island to catch the sunset, so always worth requesting a room on this side of the island!

There is a variety of water sports and the house reef and dive school is one of the island’s highlights for a lot of guests on this island as the reef is in great shape, allowing you to spot turtles, sharks, lobsters and more. Dining is all on an all-inclusive basis here with buffet dining at Spice Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a good selection of drinks included. The added bonus on this island is the range of non-motorised watersports including such as paddle boarding, pedalos, kayaks and a sunset fishing excursion. The overwater restaurant Just Grill serving seafood and grilled meats can be dined at with a supplement.

Day 5 – Kanuhura

WOW – I instantly fell in love with Kanuhura the moment I stepped into the seaplane lounge. There’s something calmly sophisticated about this island throughout, recognised by it’s ‘Leading Hotel of the World’ status and high guest repeat rate of 45%. Kanuhura is intimate and personal with just 80 stylish and spacious rooms. A highlight was that regardless of your room category at Kanuhura there was consistency in the décor, and each room has a personalised welcome plaque with the guest name, and bicycles for use during your stay. To reach this delightful haven, is just a 40 minute seaplane from Male which is a must-do experience in itself. On arrival in Male, a short shuttle ride will take you to the seaplane terminal, where you can access the Kanuhura departure lounge and enjoy some light refreshments whilst waiting for your fellow passengers! On landing in the crystal clear waters at Kanuhura, we were greeted by staff with a welcome banner, cold towels and chilled drinks and felt that all staff were genuinely delighted to welcome us. It’s fair to say that we were all blown away immediately, which just continued the more of the island that we discovered.

Whilst there is no house reef at Kanuhura, there are so many other benefits such as uninhabited islands where you can pack up a picnic and visit for the day, water sports, and there’s a powder white beach, which wraps around the island, which can be walked around in 30-45 minutes and the most incredible spa. In terms of dining, guests can opt for half board, half board plus drinks, full board or all inclusive. Whichever you chose, you’ll have the option to dine around with the exception of Drift and Chef’s Herb Garden. The full board or all-inclusive will allow you to dine at Bottega or Cowry Club for lunch as well, and if you have half board plus drinks, or the all inclusive you will have selected wines by the glass included as well as a minibar stocked daily. We were lucky enough to dine in the Veli Asian-fusion restaurant for dinner, which was an incredible restaurant and with fantastic food. In the morning before departing, we ate breakfast at A Mano and I can’t begin to describe the exquisite selection available for breakfast… possibly THE best breakfast set up I’ve ever seen. The whole island was recently refurbished, and the design is immaculate throughout, with stylish décor and modern luxuries such as freestanding outdoor bathtubs.

Day 6 – Gili Lankanfushi

A Top 5 Island on Trip Advisor (once no.1!), we had high expectations for this island, and it certainly did not disappoint! Within just 20 minutes of arriving in Male, you can speedboat your way to this little slice of heaven, with just 45 rooms. Gili Lankanfushi is sister-island to Amila Fushi, which has welcomed A-List Celebs such as the Beckham’s and the Ramsey’s.

A jaw-dropping setting, the island oozes class and sophistication but all in a very Maldivian way. Gentle background music, delightful service coupled with a quiet and peaceful environment make this island the ultimate high-end luxury escape. You will find wonderful touches such as home-produced infused olive oils, bicycles with name plaques for returning guest, home-created ice-lolly’s in mouth-watering flavours such as mango daiquiri and gin n’ tonic. A stonesthrow away via speedboat, ‘One Palm Island’ offers a completely private escape for you and your partner… you can pack up a picnic lunch for the two of you and enjoy even more peace and quiet. The all-overwater rooms here are huge, and all come with a downstairs sun terrace as well as a hidden upper deck! The island runs a Mr Friday butler concept here, who can arrange special touches such as pre-loading your in-room iPod with your favourite music, arranging private dinners, champagne and chocolate tasting evenings, sushi-making classes or private jungle cinema screenings to name a few! For the ultimate ‘Gili’ experience, opt for a Crusoe Residence with has no jetty, and can be reached only by private rowing boat. Whilst I was blown away everything about this island, my favourite standouts were the gigantic overwater spa with ocean viewing windows under your massage beds, and also the stunning wine cellar with tsunami driftwood table offering taster sessions with champagne, wine, cheeses and chocolates… absolute heaven!

Day 6 – Velassaru

Velassaru is a short 20-minute speedboat south of Male airport, ideal after a long flight! Intimate with just 129 rooms and recently refurbished, Velassaru has earned its place in the as a ‘Small Luxury Hotel of the World’. I immediately loved this island for its trendy feel, easy-to-navigate set up, beautiful styling and incredible powdery beach. During dinner I also came to love it for the outstanding cuisine, phenomenal service and cinema on the beach. To be honest, the list of wow factor moments at this island was extensive. There is so much to love about Velassaru! You can choose from breakfast, half board, full board and indulgence a la carte all-inclusive to give lots of flexibility. The all-inclusive gives the option of dining around between all restaurants, 2 hours of kayaking and snorkelling equipment so definitely worthwhile for the experience of different restaurants at this foodie haven.

A recent refurbishment means all the rooms are fresh and modern. I personally loved the beach villa with pool, as we were steps from the ocean but still had a pool, which was kept private by the surrounding greenery. If your dream is an overwater villa with pool then the Water Villa with Pool and Water Suite have large pools to have a tip whilst looking out over the Indian Ocean!A stylish and elegant resort with great dining options!

Day 7 – Seaside Finolhu

A unique experience in the Maldives, this resort is quirky and cool and will challenge any Ibiza Beach Club. The island is set in a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve so is renowned for amazing marine life. The other wow factor here is the mile-long sandbank, which comes complete with The Fish & Crab Shack seafood restaurant, and a ‘bubble’ which you can stay in overnight for an experience of sleeping under the stars! Think retro-cool, stilts, fire dancers, DJ’s and resident mermaid, you will not be bored at Seaside Finolhu! There is an indoor/outdoor gym with an active fitness programme, lots of sports opportunities, nightly entertainment, beach cinema and much more to keep you entertained here. The island has 125 rooms, mainly water villas, which sit along a jetty, reached by golf buggy. They are funky, fresh with huge separate bathroom and large decks, some come complete with record player and a champagne phone as well – what’s not to like about that!

The island is all inclusive, and offers a great dine around within that to allow you to experience different settings and cuisines. The drinks menu on the all-inclusive also gives you a great selection of mixology-style cocktails, wines, spirits and beers. If you’re a couple who enjoy the cool and quirky and are looking for something different in the Maldives, this is a great choice!