The Maldives: A Personal Guide
There are places that remain in the imagination long after you've unpacked your suitcase. The Maldives, a constellation of emerald isles scattered across an impossibly blue sea, holds that rare quality. A place that seems not entirely real until you are there. And once you’ve been, nothing else quite compares.
We’ve had the privilege of visiting this gem in the Indian Ocean for eight consecutive years, often returning to some of the regions most revered retreats: Gili Lankanfushi, Six Senses Laamu, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani. All are luxury in its purest form: barefoot elegance, abundant space and a deep respect for nature. But each offers its own unique rhythm, its own pace, and perhaps most importantly, its own feeling.
We often get asked which is our favourite and why and whether it’s worth the expense as a holiday destination. Here's how they differ, what unites them and which might be the perfect fit for your island escape.
Gili Lankanfushi: A Place for Stillness
Gili Lankanfushi is the closest of the four to Malé, and the ease of arrival sets the tone for everything that follows. Within moments of leaving the airport, you are skimming across the water towards a place that feels removed from time. There are no shoes, no clocks, no urgency. The villas float above the lagoon, each built with an effortless grace. Some are accessible only by boat, adding a sense of gentle seclusion that is hard to find elsewhere. Dining here is elegant and exceptional but never overcomplicated, with Chef Hari at the helm, it’s some of the best the Maldives has to offer. Menus change with the day’s catch, with themed evenings from Tandoori Night to Asian Street Market keeping every meal exciting. Their Japanese fusion dishes at By The Sea are particularly memorable, but it is the garden dinners lit by lanterns that linger longest in the mind.
What stands out most is the discretion and warmth of the service. Every guest is looked after by a Mr or Ms Friday, but titles aside, it is the intuitive attentiveness that defines the experience. The team become a second family, warm and welcoming, they make you feel at home with no request too great. For those looking to reconnect, to recharge, or to find quiet in beauty, Gili offers a sanctuary that is both refined and entirely unforced. The villas are intentionally rustic, embracing a stripped-back simplicity that feels both remote and refreshingly understated. They transport you back in time, and after a long flight, you immediately feel more relaxed and life becomes simplified. Linen’s, no shoes, the feeling of smooth wood underfoot, and the sound of the ocean surrounding you. One of our favourite things about Gili apart from the beautifully orchestrated food schedules and variety, is the lagoon. For us, it’s the best beach in the Maldives. It’s almost impossible to explain why until you see it, and more importantly, experience it. A pool in proximity, an ice cream parlour in situ, the restaurant over the ocean, just a short walk away. We always feel the most relaxed in the Maldives here.
It sounds silly, but Gili also manage to capture a sense of community with their themed dinners. You start to recognise other guests from breakfast to lunch and dinner. Everyone is on their own schedule but having touch points without it being overbearing is a quality we appreciate when staying at a resort. The energy and ambience is magic. Whilst there isn’t a traditional kids club, the daily organised activities keep little ones happily entertained. It’s genuinely the warmth and friendliness of the staff that makes Gili feel like home.
So what are the negatives? As with any unspoiled destinations, the Maldives has received huge investment in recent years and it’s a well-oiled machine. This of course has its advantages, with airport transfers etc. However, Gili is very close to Male, which to some is a huge advantage in terms of convenience, but you can feel it. There is a local island nearby that somewhat taints the feeling of remoteness, something that’s these days is hard to come by in the Maldives. To relax, you almost don’t want to recognise the rotation of guests and the busy hive of staff ‘working’. Gili is small, so you can feel that somewhat. However, this may not be a problem if you don’t mind a more vibrant atmosphere, which Gili has in abundance and in our opinion the best lagoon, beach and food in the Maldives. For the best rooms, book either the Lagoon Sunset villas or the Pool Villas looking out over the Crusoe Residences.
Six Senses Laamu: Where Nature Leads
Six Senses Laamu requires a longer journey, with a short domestic flight followed by a boat ride. But the arrival is worth every extra step. Here, the landscape feels untamed and remote. The turquoise lagoon stretches endlessly and marine life teems below the surface. Dolphins appear most evenings as if on cue, and there is a tangible sense of being somewhere truly alive.
Upon arrival the warm and legendary general manager Marteyne Van Well always greets guests personally and introduces you to the team, immediately making you feel at home and part of the community. She shares their ethos, and energy, which sets the tone for your stay. Think ‘The Beach’, you have arrived. The design is rustic in the most thoughtful sense. Villas are built from reclaimed timber and local materials. Nothing feels packaged or over-produced. There are personalised bicycles waiting outside your door, sandy paths through tropical palms and a laid-back rhythm that encourages movement and exploration.
The food has real soul. Maldivian dishes made with ingredients from the island’s own gardens, impossibly fresh sushi and an ice cream parlour that seems to exist solely for moments of childlike joy. There is a strong sense of purpose here too. Sustainability is not a concept but a foundation. The resort’s eco centre is a hub of innovation and children are invited to learn through play, through cooking and through activities.
Six Senses Laamu has a natural energy that appeals to families who want a balance of comfort and curiosity. It is joyful, grounded and generous in spirit. The pool is beautiful, one of our favourites and just off a stunning beach that’s perfect for kids to play. The lunch at Sip Sip is simple, but exceptional. If you want to swim up to the bar, you can enjoy happy hour from 4.00pm, sink a few cocktails with the sun on your back and catch up with the other guests. There is a brilliant kids club with plenty of activities for little ones and the warmest team so you know they are in good hands.
Our main walkaway from our most recent stay was the exceptional service! Our Mr Friday Riq went above and beyond to accommodate our schedule, our needs with a toddler and a hands on friendly approach that didn’t feel overbearing. It was the epitome of five star. In terms of criticism, we’d say Six senses is quite a long way, so you will need to muster up the energy to get there. For some, that’s part of the adventure, for others it might be too far. But other than that, it’s very hard to fault.
Soneva Fushi: The Island That Started It All
Soneva Fushi is something of a legend. This is where Sonu and Eva Shivdasani’s vision first took shape, and that founding energy still hums through every corner of the island. There is a sense of permanence here. The villas, many nestled deep within lush forest, feel like private homes rather than hotel suites. No two are alike, and each one opens onto a world of private beaches, hidden pools and views that change with the light.
Time moves differently here. Mornings stretch slowly over fresh juices and home-baked breads. Children race off to the Den, which is less a kids’ club and more an imaginative wonderland. Adults wander the organic gardens, settle into long lunches beneath trees or stargaze from the open-air observatory. This was a particular highlight, we took our daughter to see the stars and planets using a giant telescope nestled in the tree-tops.
Theres a sense of magic on Fushi, and a distinctly less sleek and polished version of the Maldives. Fushi feels like you have landed in a jungle in the middle of the Indian ocean. Purposefully overgrown and much less pruned than the likes of Six Senses, it has a more rustic edge. Dining is generous and considered. Menus are ever-evolving, with regular residencies from world-class chefs. But breakfast may well be the highlight, the kind of long, delicious beginning that sets the tone for a day with no demands.
Soneva Fushi is ideal for those travelling as a family or with a sense of home in mind. It is where you come not to be entertained, but to live well and slowly. There is a sincerity to the luxury here that is rare and deeply comforting.
Soneva Jani: A Vision in the Lagoon
Soneva Jani is a place that stops you in your tracks. It is extraordinary in every way, from the vast overwater villas with their iconic slides into the sea, to the soft sweep of white sand that frames the lagoon. Everything here is built with imagination, and yet the experience never feels showy. It is joyful, surprising, and perfectly choreographed.
The villas are architectural poems, retractable roofs above your bed for stargazing, glass panels in the floor, outdoor bathrooms with views of the horizon. They are designed for privacy and for play. Even families with very young children will find everything they need for comfort, ease and space to breathe. Dining is theatrical and thrilling, from the floating restaurants to the planetarium-style experience of So Starstruck. There are plant-based tasting menus that feel incredibly forward-thinking, as well as more indulgent pleasures like the cheese and chocolate rooms.
The service is warm, attentive and detail-driven, however not as strong as Six Senses and Gili. Children are not just welcomed but delighted. The Den here floats above the water and is designed as a miniature adventure park with creativity at its heart.
Jani is for those looking to mark something meaningful. A big birthday. A family reunion. A decision to embrace joy without apology. It is imaginative but rooted in care, luxury with a soul. It’s expensive, but special and one of a kind, so if you want to indulge and want a more luxurious polished experience, Jani is incredible. The rooms in our opinion are the best in the Maldives, beautifully designed, with luxury and comfort at the forefront. Plus sweeping infinity pools looking out over the turquoise lagoon. We’d recommend booking South Beach rooms for the best location and restaurants, plus newer and larger rooms.
All four resorts share a deeper philosophy, one seeded in the vision of Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, whose commitment to sustainability, wellness and authentic luxury reshaped the Maldivian landscape. There is a belief running through each property that luxury does not need to be loud, and that care, for guests, for the environment, for experience, is the most important currency. There is also a shared sense of effortlessness. These are places that work hard to help you slow down. To move without schedules. To delight in the natural world. They are places that show families, couples and solo travellers alike that true luxury is spacious, soulful and sustainable, with beautiful beaches and healthy delicious food to match.
Gili Lankanfushi offers a rare stillness mixed with vibrancy. It is contemplative and social. Six Senses Laamu brings you closer to nature’s raw beauty and invites a sense of pure relaxation and mindfulness. Soneva Fushi is an island to call home, where families reconnect in the quiet luxury of time. Soneva Jani is a dream made real — bold, imaginative and unforgettable.
Whichever you choose, you will not simply visit. You will feel something. And long after the sand has been washed from your suitcase, that feeling will remain. Trust us, you’ll want to go back, there really is no place on earth like it.
