The best hotels in the Maldives for a family adventure
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As we began our descent towards a paradisiacal island, I pressed my face against the cool glass of the seaplane window to get a closer look at the hundreds of turquoise-ringed sandbanks emerging from the deep blue of the Indian Ocean. While Maldivian shores are often described as the most romantic in the world, the increasing diversity of resorts and new direct flights have opened up this dream destination to families, too. This was my fourth time visiting the Maldives, but it was the first time I had shared a flight with so many toddlers, teenagers and children of every age in between.
The challenge with many beach holidays is being stuck in one place and dealing with bored children. With 26 atolls and over 1,000 islands, nearly 200 of which are run as hotels, the Maldives are ideal for a trip split between destinations to get a feel for varied locations.
Depending on the age of your children, you may well want to choose one atoll and stick to it, to avoid back and forth seaplane flights or long speedboat journeys. The most popular are the North Malé atoll, close to the airport and ideal for families with younger children, and the South Ari and Unesco-protected Baa atolls, both of which have some of the best snorkelling and diving. We split our trip between the grand dame of the Maldives, One&Only Reethi Rah, said to be a favourite of the Beckhams, and Huvafen Fushi, which is at the other end of the spectrum in terms of scale and feel.
The first is everything you would expect of a One&Only resort: impeccably luxurious, with six themed restaurants, a Missoni beach club decked out with the fashion house’s signature striped fabrics, a full-scale spa for the adults, and an impressive kids’ club. Villas are spacious and modern, and retain their features by Jean-Michel Gathy from the hotel’s inception in 2005. The Belgian designer is behind many Aman and Four Seasons addresses worldwide. Reethi Rah’s villas are spread on the island within the gardens and along the many beaches, as well as some over water, for those after the postcard Maldives experience. The island is huge, with bicycles or golf buggies on hand to help guests travel from top to bottom.
For families, I’d recommend a beach villa. Everyone can roam round the gardens or pool, or jump directly into the sea. Lunches are centred at the beach club or at Rabarbaro restaurant. For dinners, Fanditha serves up Lebanese, Persian and Indian fusion dishes in a low-key setting with tables directly on the sand. Botanica is hidden in the gardens inland and has a menu of staples like grilled fish and meats, while Japanese restaurant Tapasake, the newest addition, is the most inventive, offering children a chance to engage with new flavours.
There are a number of family outings that might appeal after you have been lying on the beach all day. We took a dhoni (a traditional fishing boat) out to sea for handline fishing at sunset, returning with a bag full of our catch for the chef to cook up for dinner. Days in, we still found ourself getting lost in the labyrinth of sandy lanes around Reethi Rah – the scale of the island lends itself to longer stays, with a new beach or corner of the garden left to explore each day.
Huvafen Fushi is a different affair, where everything feels dramatically scaled down in contrast. The island is 350 metres by 150 metres, so it takes just 15 minutes to walk round it. At one end, decked pathways extend out from the beach over the water like tree branches bare of leaves. Having had a beach villa at Reethi Rah, we switched to a two-bedroom over-water villa to get the classic Maldives experience. Our days unfolded on the outdoor decked living areas, hovering over the water, with nothing interrupting our views across the horizon. Various nooks for dining and lounging on different levels ensure that you don’t feel as if you’re climbing over each other on long, lazy days. Steps lead down straight into the water for snorkelling. Inside, glass sections of the floor reveal glimpses of colourful fish, mantas and reef sharks crossing below the living room, and an indoor-outdoor pool is the centrepiece of the design.
There are 46 villas compared to Reethi Rah’s 122. The dining is also more streamlined, with Fogliani’s serving up Italian lunches on the sandy beach. Salt, the over-water Japanese restaurant, takes advantage of local fresh fish. For something different, book a Cardamom dining experience, in which a private chef produces a menu of dishes using an outdoor tandoor oven.
Having opened in 2004, Huvafen Fushi is a much loved old timer in the Maldives, which has seen a brace of shiny new resorts opening in the past 10 years. According to the Ministry of Tourism, between 2018 and 2022, 33 new resorts opened, and having stayed in some of them on previous visits, there is a distinct difference in attitude. Originals like Huvafen Fushi and Reethi Rah have stood the test of time with good reason.
Ways and means
Turquoise Holidays (turquoiseholidays.co.uk) offers four nights in a Two Bedroom Beach House with Pool at Huvafen Fushi, half board, and three nights in a Water Villa at One&Only Reethi Rah, B&B, from £29,995 for two adults and two children under 12 years old travelling together in August 2026, including return SriLankan Airlines flights from London Heathrow and speedboat transfers.
Andrew Urwin1/8Fine dining at Reethi Rah’s new Japanese restaurant Tapasake.
Andrew Urwin2/8The beachfront family pool at Reethi Rah.
Andrew Urwin3/8A beach villa at the One&Only resort.
Andrew Urwin4/8The Maldives is ideal for diving and snorkelling, with the chance to spot clownfish, hermit crabs, reef sharks and manta rays.
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Andrew Urwin8/8Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy to capitalise on the breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean, Reethi Rah’s Tapasake restaurant serves contemporary Japanese cuisine with Mediterranean influence.
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