Who said the Maldives is a destination only for couples or is boring?
A trip to the Maldives offers a variety of experiences and activities to suit all tastes, many of which are unique and hard to find in other destinations. During a vacation in the Maldives, you won’t get bored, whether you are traveling as a couple, with family, or with friends.
Not only can you relax on white sandy beaches while admiring the infinite shades of blue of the sea; at most resorts, you can choose from yoga classes, a sunset cruise, a snorkeling outing, spa treatments with stunning views of the Indian Ocean, all sorts of water sports, a private dinner on a sandbank, various children’s activities, fishing excursions… not to mention the chance to enjoy culinary experiences that will allow you to taste flavors from around the world.
But beyond all these experiences, there are others that only a few (or very few) resorts in the Maldivian archipelago can offer. Here we propose 5 unique experiences to choose from to make your next vacation in the Maldives even more unforgettable.
1. Eat or Dine in an Underwater Restaurant
Here’s the translation into English for the text about the Maldives experiences:
Maldives: 5 Experiences You Can’t Miss
Who said the Maldives is a destination only for couples or is boring?
A trip to the Maldives offers a variety of experiences and activities to suit all tastes, many of which are unique and hard to find in other destinations. During a vacation in the Maldives, you won’t get bored, whether you are traveling as a couple, with family, or with friends.
Not only can you relax on white sandy beaches while admiring the infinite shades of blue of the sea; at most resorts, you can choose from yoga classes, a sunset cruise, a snorkeling outing, spa treatments with stunning views of the Indian Ocean, all sorts of water sports, a private dinner on a sandbank, various children’s activities, fishing excursions… not to mention the chance to enjoy culinary experiences that will allow you to taste flavors from around the world.
But beyond all these experiences, there are others that only a few (or very few) resorts in the Maldivian archipelago can offer. Here we propose 5 unique experiences to choose from to make your next vacation in the Maldives even more unforgettable.
1. Eat or Dine in an Underwater Restaurant
Whether you want to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary, or simply desire a culinary experience in a unique setting, few places in the world can offer the chance to do so in an underwater restaurant.
At lunchtime, the sun’s rays filtering through the water allow you to enjoy the turquoise blue of the sea and admire the underwater life around you. During dinner, however, the dim nighttime lights make the atmosphere more mysterious and the experience more romantic.
Where:
Opened in July 2022, Only Blu at Oblu Select Lobigili (North Malé Atoll), is the latest underwater restaurant to emerge in the Maldives. With a minimum stay of four nights at the resort, an experience at Only Blu is included in the All-Inclusive package.
In the South Malé Atoll, Ozen Life Maadhoo presents M6m, Minus Six Metres, a restaurant located 6 meters below the sea, which is also accessible to children on certain days.
At the same depth, you can also find Subsix at Niyama Private Island, in the Dhaalu Atoll, and SEA at Anantara Kihavah (Baa Atoll), whose award-winning wine cellar offers wine lovers a selection of over 400 bottles from various countries and appellations.
Hurawalhi Maldives (Lhaviyani Atoll) boasts the world’s largest underwater restaurant, 5.8 Undersea Restaurant, while You & Me by Cocoon offers the opportunity to taste dishes from Michelin-starred chef Andrea Berton at the H2O restaurant.
Finally, if an underwater dinner is not enough, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers a truly unique and exclusive opportunity: in addition to dining at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, the first underwater restaurant in the world, at Conrad you can stay at the Muraka Residence, a villa with a panoramic underwater bedroom.
2. Stay in a Villa with a Slide
Those who think that villas with slides are only for families with children are mistaken. There are no age limits to having fun and sliding into the sea directly from your villa. Make your first slide, and it will be the first of many!
Where:
Revert to being a kid by choosing from various types of villas with slides at Siyam World (Noonu Atoll) or by staying in an Ocean Pool Suite with Slide at Ozen Reserve Bolifushi (a Two-Bedroom Ocean Pool Reserve with Slide is also available).
At Cora Cora Maldives (Raa Atoll), opt for the Two Bedroom Lagoon Pool Villa with Slide, a 234 m2 villa that can accommodate up to six people.
The incredible Private Reserve at Gili Lankanfushi (North Malé) is the largest over-water villa in the world, with 1700 m2 that includes all sorts of facilities, such as a gym, sauna, and private cinema. And, of course, a slide.
Among the most exclusive resorts in the Maldives, Soneva Jani also offers villas with slides: the Water Retreat with Slide (available with 1 or 2 bedrooms).
3. Swim with Manta Rays
It goes without saying that the Maldives is one of the best places in the world for snorkeling and diving. Whichever resort you choose, you can swim in the nearest reef, accessible by swimming or a short boat ride.
For more special experiences, the South Ari Atoll is known as one of the best places in the world to spot whale sharks (best time between May and November), while the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Hanifaru Bay, in the Baa Atoll, is undoubtedly the place to choose for swimming with manta rays (again, the period between May and November offers the best chances).
Where:
The newly renovated Kihaa Maldives is the closest resort to Hanifaru Bay, just 4 km away. A bit further, Amilla, a member of Small Luxury Hotels, and Dusit Thani also offer guided snorkeling excursions to live the unique experience of swimming surrounded by these magnificent and elegant marine creatures.
4. Play Paddle Tennis with Views of the Indian Ocean
Paddle tennis is the second most practiced sport in Spain and the fastest-growing in the world. True paddle tennis fans cannot miss playing even on vacation, but there are (for now) very few resorts in the Maldives that offer the chance to do so.
Where:
Don’t forget to pack your paddles if you’re heading to Emerald Maldives or the brand-new Emerald Faarufushi (opening scheduled for October 1, 2022), both in the Raa Atoll.
In the Lhaviyani Atoll, you can choose to play at Kuredu Island Resort (the first paddle tennis court in the Maldives, inaugurated in 2018) or the nearby Kudadoo Maldives Private Island and Hurawalhi Island Resort, which in 2021 hosted an exhibition featuring some of the world’s best players, like Paquito Navarro, Marta Ortega, and Marta Marrero.
As of August 2022, Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa also offers a paddle tennis court for all those who can’t do without playing during their vacation.
And if you’ve never played paddle tennis, what better occasion to do it than in the Maldives?
5. Practice Surfing
We’re used to seeing wonderful images of the calm seas of the Maldives, but surfers can also find their corner of paradise and the perfect wave here. The best time for surfing is summer, between April and October, although in some atolls the season can also extend to March and November.
Where:
Kuda Villingili, a new resort opened in June 2021, in the North Malé Atoll, offers direct access to the renowned reef break of Chickens, while Adaaran Hudhuranfushi, in the same atoll, has exclusive (and limited) access to the wave known as Lohi’s.
In the South Malé Atoll, both Anantara Veli and Anantara Dhigu allow surfing fantastic Maldivian waves a short distance from the resorts.
Whatever your level, you won’t go wrong if you decide to stay at Ayada Maldives, in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, at the southern end of the Maldivian archipelago. From here, you will have access to no fewer than eight different waves from which you can choose your favorite.