Once the preserve of honeymooners, the Maldives is now a favourite with families and an excellent choice for an Easter holiday, whether you’re bringing babies, toddlers or teenagers.
Easter is a splendid time to visit the Maldives since April is the last month of the dry season. You might experience the occasional light shower, and there’s sometimes a cooling breeze and a little cloud, but on the whole, the weather is excellent, and the water visibility is exceptional, so you can still enjoy the Indian Ocean’s fantastic diving and snorkelling.
While a few resorts on the 200 or so inhabited islands are exclusively adult-only, many resorts cater fantastically well for children. We’re talking large villas or hotels with inter-connecting bedrooms, children’s pools, kids’ clubs and fun activities such as cooking classes and a wide range of sports. Plus, of course, there’s world-class snorkelling and, for older children, awesome scuba diving.
The Joali Maldives is hard to beat for a chilled family holiday.
Its spacious, high-ceilinged over-water or beachside villas are to die for. They all come with private infinity pools and an outdoor bath or shower, and children are looked after in the kids’ club up to 8pm with activities including treasure hunts and cookery. There’s an array of watersports, including waterskiing and paddleboarding, tennis courts, a dive centre and a spa, which even has treatments for little ones!
At the divine Olhuveli resort, all the rooms can accommodate two adults and two children, and if you need more space, it has Grand Beach Suites with pools. Facilities include three communal swimming pools plus a children’s pool, a play area, a kids’ club, diving courses in the watersports centre, tennis and badminton courts, and, for the singers in the family, a private karaoke room. There’s also a lovely spa with over-water treatment rooms for the ultimate relaxation.
The OZEN Residence at OZEN by Atmosphere is one of our favourite choices for family accommodation in the Maldives, being located on the tip of a pier and featuring three bedrooms, a stunning over-water pool and a dining pavilion.
It also comes with a private butler. Alternatively, opt for a spacious two-bedroom Earth Villa with an infinity pool and the best sunset views. The resort is sumptuous, with lots of activities, divine food, an underwater fine-dining restaurant and a spa.
There’s no shortage of entertainment for the family at the LUX South Ari Atoll, which also has some of the best scuba diving in the Maldives. Alternatively, you can try windsurfing, wakeboarding, hoverboarding or even flyboarding. There are separate kids clubs for little ones and teenagers, with a range of daily activities from 9am to 7pm, plus an award-winning spa for the grownups. Its beach pavilions interconnect, or you can opt for a two-bedroom Family Lagoon Pavilion, which sleeps up to six. Tumble straight from your villa onto the fine, white sand and into the turquoise water, or upgrade for your own private plunge pool.
Huvafen Fushi, one of the Maldives’ most stylish resorts, has luxury two-bedroom Beach and Ocean Pavilions for families, both of which are stunning. Little ones can snorkel straight from the beach in the shallow lagoon, while mum and dad can see exotic fish while being pampered in the unique underwater spa treatment rooms. As you’d expect, the resort offers lots of watersports, or you can take a trip on a private dhoni (traditional sailing boat) complete with a captain and crew.
Larger families are well-taken care of at the all-inclusive JA Manafaru, which has one-bedroom Beach Suites with separate living rooms, a two-bedroom Grand Water Suite, a Royal Island Suite and a three-bedroom Royal Residence. Each has a private pool. Family facilities include a kids’ club and a ChillZone, plus the resort offers complimentary fat bikes for exploring the island. Of the seven restaurants, Andiamo’s pizzas and pastas are a big hit with the kids, as is the Infinity Bar’s selection of snacks and desserts.
As you can see, there are endless possibilities for a family holiday in the Maldives, contact My Travel PA for a private appointment and let us plan your perfect Easter break.
Email hello@mytravelpa.co.uk or call 0121 820 8444.