IMAGES: MILAIDHOO MALDIVES; GILI LANKANFUSHI MALDIVES; CHRISTOPHER CYPERT


Best for romance £ £ £ MILAIDHOO MALDIVES


Milaidhoo is a relaxed, intimate island in the Baa Atoll with cottony beaches, softly swaying palms and luminous lagoons. The resort’s oversized villas, on the beach or stilted over the water, are set around a house reef within swimming distance of the shore. Interiors were created using local materials and have soaring thatched ceilings, blonde-wood flooring and decks with swinging sofas and swimming pools. After an afternoon snorkelling with spotted eagle rays, pink sea stars and hawksbill turtles, unwind at the spa with a couples massage. Then book a Champagne tasting in the wine cellar and eat lobster by candlelight at Ba’theli by the Reef, a Maldivian fine-dining restaurant set in a collection of decommissioned dhoni fishing boats. ROOMS: From US$1,409 (£1,090), B&B. milaidhoo.com


Best for barefoot luxury £ £ £ GILI LANKANFUSHI


When this place opened in 2000, its back- to-nature aesthetic was considered quirky. Today, it stands out as a sustainability pioneer, proving that unsexy subjects like waste-management and composting can go hand-in-hand with a luxury experience. Set in a lagoon a 20-minute speedboat ride from the main airport, all 45 villas are set over the water, preserving the pristine beach. A few are anchored at sea, accessible only by motorboat. Multilevel wooden villas are ‘luxed-up Robinson Crusoe’ in style with driftwood bed canopies and sea-view bathtubs. Expect food sustainably sourced from the hotel’s organic gardens or from local fisherfolk, plus an overwater spa and unfailingly warm and professional service. ROOMS: From US$1,450 (£1,121), B&B. gili-lankanfushi.com


Best for wellness £ £ ANANTARA VELI


MALDIVES RESORT Anantara Veli Maldives Resort strikes an ideal balance if you want to stay active and healthy while you’re away but also fancy sundowners and chilled DJ sets. Set in a blue lagoon in the South Malé Atoll, a 45-minute speedboat ride from the capital, the adults-only resort offers various free daily activities, including yoga, Pilates and sound healing. A recent refurbishment means the overwater and beach villas now have vaulted ceilings, dark-wood floors and pops of turquoise. The resort’s four restaurants have also been revamped, while the spa has introduced Balance Wellness by Anantara, combining nutrition, treatments and holisitic exercises. ROOMS: From US$675 (£521), B&B. anantara.com


62 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL


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