Most reports on the perfect honeymoon destination include two destinations – Bora Bora and the Maldives. And I couldn’t agree more. Both are beautiful beach destinations that make the perfect place for a romantic getaway. The Maldives has some of the most amazing beaches and lagoons and has managed to develop and maintain a great degree of exclusivity, making it a much photographed and desired destination.
The Maldives are an island nation in the Indian ocean, consisting of more than 1,192 islands spread out over 26 atolls in an area 90,000 square km. 90% of that is water and only 192 islands are inhabited. It’s a very dispersed and thinly populated country, making it the perfect place for romantic getaways. Add in the green-blue lagoons of the atolls with amazing corals and marine life and the white sand beaches and you can understand it’s popularity.
Most of the islands are just a speck of sand in a great ocean, with reefs around it and beautiful warm water around it, making them seem like paradise. With only one hotel per island – and some hotels even spread over multiple islands, you have a feel of remoteness and privacy that is hard to find at other beach destinations! I have heard people say “a beach is a beach” – but the experience you have couldn’t be more different.
That feeling of a remote, private paradise builds as you make your way there: When you approach Male airport, you see mostly water as your plane descends onto the runway surrounded by a lagoon! From there, our trip continued by seaplane, which was a dream of mine and a very special experience of its own. We flew low over a number of islands and could see other resorts with their overwater villas along the way, before spotting our own and landing on the water near our resort island with its private plane pier! The Conrad Rangali (read my review here) is spread over three islands and arriving at your private island getaway by plane was certainly about as special a romantic getaway as you can find! Beautiful beaches, the green-blue lagoon in front of you with little sharks and huge manta rays visible from the beach, wooden piers or the underwater restaurant provide images I will never forgot!
Your experience of the Maldives will very much depend on the resort you choose. Fortunately, when you start with a small resort on its private island, you’ll have a paradise in the making regardless of how much luxury you pile on! Even hotels in the “bottom half” of the Tripadvisor rankings still get 4.5 (out of 5) stars, providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences to their guests. We enjoyed our getaway to the Conrad Maldives Rangali. The prices, there and at other luxury resorts, can be steep, so select your hotel wisely and learn about hotel reward points as a way to reduce the cost of your trip – the Maldives are a dream destination and if you are looking for the perfect romantic getaway, you should have them on your list!