Unless you are a local, you cannot get legally married in the Maldives.
But thousands of couples from around the world enjoy a wedding-style or commitment blessing in Maldives – invariably on a beach, in bright sunshine, surrounded by friends & family. Most opt for ceremonies between December to April as the weather is wonderful. And of course, Maldives is the ideal honeymoon location which can be enjoyed with or without children! For those couples who are looking for an adult-only luxury experience in Maldives, there are not many to choose from but the ones available are amazing! All the family resorts do have options for couples – secluded island or indeed overwater villas.
The BusinessClass.com guide to the best couples/honeymoon resorts in Maldives:
Hurawahli Island Resort:
Hurawalhi Island Resort, Maldives is an ultra-chic, adults only five-star resort designed with a modern, minimalist take on traditional Maldivian architecture. The quintessential Maldivian retreat, this island property is surrounded by pristine, palm fringed white sandy beaches and a deep turquoise ocean, offering 90 villas in total split between the beach and the ocean.
There are seven bars and restaurants ranging from the all-day Canneli for both buffet and à la carte dining, Kashibo for a taste of Asian street food, JFK (Junk Food Kitchen) for an alternative take on fast food classics to the spectacular 5.8 Undersea Restaurant, the world’s largest all-glass undersea restaurant. For shoreline lazing, cocktail in hand there is Coco Bar, with the bar at Kashibo offering Shochu cocktails over water and the Champagne Pavilion for the ultimate sunset champagne cocktail with canapés.
Facilities wise, there is the Duniye Spa offering a natural, holistic and personalised approach to wellbeing; a fully equipped Fitness Centre; a Medical Clinic; a Games Room with table tennis, billiards and so forth; the Thari Boutique for branded merchandise, clothing and more plus Fine Jewels offering gemstones and jewellery at reasonable prices. Activities include sunset dolphin cruises, private sailing, deep sea fishing and a wide range of watersports. There is also The Manta Trust Marine Biology Centre run by the resort’s resident marine biologist; Prodivers offering regular scheduled guided diving and snorkelling trips; a freshwater infinity swimming pool, artificial courts for football, tennis and badminton and a deep-sea sport fishing boat.
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Kudadoo Maldives Private Island:
Designed to escape from the monotony of everyday life, Kudadoo Maldives Private Island offers a world of possibilities to enjoy any time of the day or night. As an ultra-luxury fully-inclusive resort, there is nothing to sign for but everything to experience. Even better, it is sustainable luxury too –The Maldives’ only fully solar powered private island – and has been stunningly designed by Japanese master architect Yoji Yamazaki.
There are just 15 over water residences at this secluded little Eden offering an open plan layout with plenty of natural light and airflow and a 44 square metre private pool. As all the accommodation is of a similar size (apart from the two-bedroom ones of course), the only difficult decision to make before you arrive is whether to opt for a Maldivian sunrise surprise or a sunset one. You will be met by a private butler who will attend to every whim, 24/7, whilst your residence offers state of the art electronics, 137-centimetre flatscreen television with Bang & Olufsen surround sound.
A sister island to the adult-only nearby Hurawalhi, also designed by Yamazaki, where guests may enjoy both the facilities and restaurants, this all-inclusive is style personified, designed for an A-list clientele. Dining is available 24/7 anywhere you want to sit on the island, in your residence, on Dream Island, the beach or of course, in the resort’s restaurant located in the island’s hub, The Retreat. There is also access to the owner’s own Wine Cellar for a Cheese and Wine tasting with a difference, together with unlimited consumption of seven different premium Champagnes and a wine list of over 80 wine marques. For pampering, head to the Sulha Spa, a private sanctuary at The Retreat overlooking the ocean, featuring its own Lonu Cave, The Maldives’ first Himalayan Salt Chamber. You can also enjoy a sauna and steam room, work out in the well-equipped Fitness Centre, exercise with a personal trainer or simply find your inner Zen with Yoga and Meditation.
Unlimited water sports, excursions, diving and snorkelling are all included and easily arranged via your butler – you just have to choose your adventure. If you want to push the boat out, literally, you can hire the resort’s luxury yacht, Bella, too for private excursions.
You pay once … and everything is fully-inclusive – premium Champagne, spirits, cigars, Spa, watersports and you have access to all the restaurants at Hurawahli – where you only have to pay to dine at the amazing 5.8 underwater restaurant
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JOALI BEING
Joali Being is something a little different for the Maldives – the first dedicated and fully nature immersive wellness sanctuary which celebrates the “joy of living”, offering its guests a personalised transformative wellbeing journey to rejuvenated health and happiness. It is an eco-friendly island as well, caring as much for the guest experience as for maintaining the environment it finds itself in. During June to August 2022, for the first time, this previously adults-only resort will open its doors to children aged between six and twelve with a range of age-appropriate activities based on the property’s ethos.
Located on the secluded island of Bodufushi in Raa Atoll, there are 68 one-, two- and three-bedroom beach and over water villas, with each of the thirteen room categories, split between beach, water, family and ocean residences, offering spacious living spaces, a private pool, outdoor showers and butler service. The premier accommodation is the unique four-bedroom Wellbeing Ocean Residence, an over water villa with panoramic ocean views, a wellbeing room, gym, aerial yoga facilities and a movement zone. The four dining destinations all follow an earth to table initiative, with traceability for every ingredient, and fresh and locally harvested foods supporting sustainable small farms. Plantae focusses on fresh vegetarian and vegan dishes; Su offers ocean to table pescatarian menus, B’Well is inspired by nature whilst Mojo features international cuisine.
With wellbeing at its core, based on the four pillars of mind, skin, microbiome and energy, it will come as no surprise that the Spa offers 39 treatment rooms and a whole host of transformational spaces sited across the island, each offering a unique name and concept, including a hydrotherapy hall, a sensory deprivation room, a Russian banya, a sound therapy hall and Aktar, the resort’s herbology centre. There are also, of course, beautifully cascading swimming pools and palm fringed beaches to discover if you can drag yourself away from the peace and tranquillity of your villa.
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Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
It is just a 45-minute sail on a luxurious yacht from Malé International Airport to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. This is a perfect and relaxed way to make a Maldivian entrance after a long-haul flight. The property’s chic, contemporary and tech savvy guest accommodation stretches over three pristine private islands and a reef and offers a total of 119 generously sized villas, all with private pools, located on the beach, over the reef or over water.
For those who would like more privacy, there are also two stand-alone duplex Stella Maris Ocean Villas accessible only by boat. The ultimate accommodation however has to be Ithaafushi Private Island, a 32,000 square metre private Eden where a three-bedroom beach villa, a two-bedroom overwater villa and a four-bedroom residence are housed alongside five swimming pools, a Jacuzzi, entertainment club house, a spa and a gym.
The resort is served by eleven tempting dining venues, including the internationally renowned Zuma, Terra where there are private dining nests crafted from bamboo up in the treetops, Glow - the garden to table concept, The Ledge by Michelin-starred chef, Dave Pynt and Amber, the signature Champagne bar for a perfect sundowner.
Activities wise, walk from the sandy white beaches onto the private reef and explore the copious marine life waiting to be discovered or choose from a wide range of water sports such as fishing, scuba diving, windsurfing, waterskiing, X-Jets Jetpacks, surfing, diving and sailing. For pampering, there is the Waldorf Astoria Spa, a thatched oasis with ten treatment villas including some over water, offering curated treatments designed to rebalance, relax and enjoy. Complementing the spa’s facilities, there is the Aqua wellness centre, the first of its kind in the Maldives, featuring a purpose-built hydrotherapy pool, ice fountain, steam room and sauna. For yoga lovers, head over to the Ocean Pavilion for Sunset Yoga and for the energetic, there is a well-equipped fitness centre, tennis and Padel courts. Private tutored sessions for both racquet sports are available.
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COMO Cocoa Island
COMO Cocoa Island is one of the smaller, more discreet island resorts in The Maldives with just 33 overwater villas located within the quietness and privacy of South Malé’s sandy atolls. Designed by award-winning Singapore architect, Cheong Yew Kuan with a subsequent re-imagining in 2019, this is the archetypal resort that one dreams about when thinking of The Maldives. With a sea rich house reef surrounded by palm fringed white sandy beaches and the intensely turquoise waters for which the destination is renowned, COMO Cocoa Island is perfect for those seeking a restful break away from the cares of the everyday.
Resort facilities include the all-day dining Ufaa Restaurant showcasing modern interpretations of Indian and Mediterranean cuisine using only the freshest of local produce and the Faru Bar for that “feet in the sand” cocktail at the end of a busy day relaxing. For the active, there is a 25-metre infinity edge swimming pool; a lounge and internet room; a library with internet and printing facilities and COMO The Shop for those vital necessities. There is also the COMO Shambhala Retreat for spa and wellness offering a menu of Asian-inspired holistic therapies within two double and one single massage pavilions and one couple’s pavilion, each offering an outdoor shower/tub in the lush gardens. The double storey wellness building features an open-air yoga pavilion with a view of the ocean with a gym underneath offering cardio equipment and free weights. There is also a TRX hydrotherapy pool, a steam room with separate male and female facilities and a Cadilla-Reformer Pilates Studio.
For water activities, head to the PADI Dive Centre with options for all levels of scuba diver plus a water sports centre offering snorkelling, catamaran sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and boat charters of the resort’s COMO Princess Yacht for that custom sunset cruise, for watching dolphins frolicking away or for a fishing jaunt.
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Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Where Four Seasons’ resorts land, their legions of fans will faithfully follow, safe in the knowledge that they are guaranteed luxury with a difference. With the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, that is certainly the case as it is located in a natural and remote UNESCO Biosphere Reserve wilderness and is deeply committed to environmental programmes to safeguard its environment.
There are 103 villas designed in the native Maldivian style both on water and on land; four separate swimming pools; an Indian-influenced Spa and Ayurvedic Retreat; eight restaurants and bars for acclaimed sustenance and a whole host of water activities available at the Blu Beach Water Sports Centre on their pristine beaches. Sign up for the Manta on Call service to be whisked away to snorkel with the manta rays when they appear near the resort, swim around the more than 4,500 coral frames or help rehabilitate sea turtles.
Families are welcome here with open arms with everything from Family Friendly Villas to a whole host of kid’s activities with the Kids for all Seasons programme at the Kuda Velaa Club and the Marine Discovery Centre. There are also three on site boutiques as well as a Rossano Ferretti hair Salon for when you need to look your best on your "wedding day".
It is also possible to island hop, combining a stay here with Four Seasons’ other Maldivian property, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, just a short flight or luxury catamaran voyage away, aboard the Four Seasons Explorer.
Six Senses Laamu
A one-hour flight due south from Malé to Kadhdhoo Airport, the gateway to the Laamu Atoll, and a short speedboat journey get you to the Six Senses Laamu where a warm welcome awaits – followed by a holiday of superlatives. The resort features 97 water and beach villas – all constructed from sustainable materials. The island on which the resort sits – Olhuveli – is close to some of the best surfing in the Indian Ocean and the property is popular for lovers of water sports – especially between May and September. The Six Senses is renowned for its spa offerings and the spa at Laamu is the reason why – with nine nests and many treatments from some of the most highly trained aestheticians in the world.
There are two main restaurants at the Six Senses Laamu including LEAF which serves incredible organic dishes with ingredients from local fishermen and growers. Zen is a laid-back live kitchen that offers Japanese fusion food and Sip provides guests cocktails and casual dining – pizza and burgers. Deck-A-Dence has 6 glass-bottomed tables where guests can enjoy a meal over the ocean. Chill Bar serves Vietnamese cuisine, stiff cocktails, and a resident DJ spins tunes to suit the mood. Along with an outdoor cinema, ice cream outlet, daily yoga classes and endless walks on – often deserted – beaches, the resort really does tickle the Six Senses.
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Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
For those craving a pure Robinson Crusoe experience with an endless azure blue horizon and a white sandy beach fringed with palm trees, then this architecturally significant resort on North Huvandhoo, close to the equator, might be an ideal choice. Located far away from the other well-trodden atolls in the Maldives, the small, sleek and sophisticated Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa offers just 51 luxurious villas: 33 land villas and 18 water villas which are built over water.
There are four restaurants and a bar – The Dining Room serving an à la carte international menu, The Island Grill for regionally inspired dishes and The Bar for sipping cocktails or long, iced drinks overlooking the Indian Ocean - with private dining offered in select locations around the island for those who want the ultimate in seclusion. The Chef’s Garden Treehouse is an innovative plant-based culinary adventure and Koi@ The Drift offers Japanese cuisine. For pampering, there is The Vidhun Spa with five couple’s treatment villas, offering Dhivehibeys-inspired massage, skin care and wellness rituals. The Spa also houses a 30-metre pool and bubble pond, the other 44-metre freshwater infinity swimming pool being located near the beach. There is also a Fitness Centre, a yoga studio and Blue Journeys PADI 5 dive and activity centre offering access to some of the best dive sites in the world. The Activity Centre offers a range of tailormade excursions, dolphin spotting, equator trip, traditional fishing and picnic on an uninhabited island.
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Soneva Jani, Noona Atoll
Following on the success of Soneva Fushi, Eva and Sonu Shivdasani opened the ultra-romantic Soneva Jani in the Noona Atoll in 2016. Much was expected – and has been delivered in abundance. The intimate Soneva Jani resort is made up of five islands and has just 24 water retreats and 27 new water reserves. There are private beaches, lagoons, cinema screenings, cruises and a private wine tasting room, yet Soneva Jani is as much for families as it is for escapist couples. Nearly all the villas feature their own water slides – great fun for younger and indeed older guests. The villas offer the best of everything, some even have a retractable roof.
There is a four-room spa, a kid’s centre, gym, dive centre, water sports club and one of the finest observatories in the Indian Ocean. The resort has its own astronomer who is on hand to introduce you to the stars. The Gathering is the main breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant offering but there are a plethora of other dining locations including on any one of the beaches, the resort yacht, in-room and the Crab Shack. Located on the island of Medhufaru in the northern Atoll of Noonu, it takes around 45 minutes to fly by seaplane from Malé to Medhufaru – the main island that Soneva Jani sits atop.
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The Nautilus Maldives
The Nautilus experience begins as soon as your flight lands and you’re met and driven by limousine to a private VIP lounge for immigration, before being ushered onto a seaplane for a seamless transfer to their corner of the Baa Atoll. Elusive and totally total privacy, The Nautilus has only 26 Beach and Ocean Houses lining the shores. Each is a secluded haven with separate living rooms, a freshwater swimming pool and its own private butler. A furnished sundeck and out-of-this-world ocean views. Places to sink in, unwind and enjoy life’s greatest gifts. The glass-bottomed living rooms in the Ocean Houses are a triumph! For a once-in-a-lifetime stay, it has to be the scene-stealing Nautilus Mansion, a literal sandcastle that was personally designed by the resort’s Maldivian owner as his ideal of a beach house.
Indulge in activities that range from the beach, house reef, flotilla of boats, dive centre, yacht, spa, steam room, yoga pavilion with daily yoga, meditation and fitness classes, 24-hour gym, free water sports gear and a kids' club. There’s also a family-friendly pool on the beach at the island’s edge dotted with cosy cabanas and sun lounges – plus, you’re perfectly placed to take advantage of the gourmet canapés served all day at Naiboli pool bar. The Solasta spa is made up of three overwater treatment huts with glass bottoms so you can watch the tropical fish swimming around from your massage chair. Talk about a fully immersive and rejuvenating ocean experience!
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