Maldives

Scattered across the Indian Ocean, the Maldives transformed the idea of tropical escape through the private island resort. Lagoons, reefs and overwater architecture have created a destination where privacy, ocean life and barefoot simplicity define the entire travel experience.

The Maldives is a chain of twenty-six natural atolls stretching some 800 kilometres across the Indian Ocean, south-west of Sri Lanka. Its roughly 1,190 islands are low coral formations, few rising more than a couple of metres above the sea. Fewer than two hundred are inhabited by Maldivians; many others are given over to tourism, under a model in which each island holds a single resort.

Arrival is through Velana International Airport near the capital, Malé, from where resorts are reached by speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight. The reefs are the real attraction: house reefs a few steps from the villas, manta rays at Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and whale sharks in South Ari Atoll. Distance from Malé shapes the experience — nearby atolls offer ease, outer ones solitude.

The north-east monsoon brings the dry season from December to April, with calm seas, low humidity and the clearest water for diving; this is the high season, with Christmas, New Year and Easter the busiest periods. The south-west monsoon, from May to November, brings more wind, cloud and showers, usually short and followed by sun, along with quieter resorts.

The seasons also move the marine life. Manta rays gather on the western side of the atolls during the south-west monsoon, and Hanifaru Bay sees its largest gatherings between about June and November; whale sharks can be seen in South Ari Atoll throughout the year. Air and water temperatures barely change across the year, staying close to thirty degrees.

The leading resorts are spread across the atolls. In Baa Atoll, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru lies within a UNESCO biosphere reserve and Soneva Fushi pioneered the barefoot style; Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is a short boat ride from Malé. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort stands in Dhaalu Atoll, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi in South Malé Atoll, and Six Senses Laamu alone in the far south.

LVXVRY books the Four Seasons resorts through Four Seasons Preferred Partner, The St. Regis through Marriott STARS & Luminous, Waldorf Astoria through Hilton for Luxury and Six Senses through IHG Destined — at the official hotel rate, with the privileges each programme attaches to the stay. For Soneva Fushi, LVXVRY advises on and arranges the stay, and on the seaplane or domestic flight each island requires.