CHAMPIONTravel
Overwater villas above a Maldives lagoon
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Indian Ocean

Maldives.

Overwater villas and house reefs — barefoot luxury, three hours away.

Best months November–April

Must-see

What people come to Maldives for.

  • An overwater villa

    Steps from your deck straight into the lagoon.

  • The house reef

    Reef fish, turtles and rays a short swim out.

  • A sandbank lunch

    A picnic on a strip of sand in the open sea.

  • Sunset dolphin cruise

    Spinner dolphins at dusk from a dhoni.

  • Malé

    The fish market and the old Friday Mosque in an afternoon.

  • Local islands

    Guesthouses, local life and a lower price than resorts.

  • Dinner under the sea

    Underwater restaurants at the resorts that have one.

  • Glowing beaches

    Bioluminescent plankton on some shores on dark nights.

Journeys

None of these quite right? Tell us the trip you want

Why people go

  • Nothing else delivers this level of privacy this close to India
  • Visa on arrival for Indian passport holders
  • House reef quality varies enormously — and that is the whole trip

What we'll ask you first

  • Speedboat or seaplane: this decides both cost and arrival time
  • Board basis — half board versus all-inclusive changes the real total sharply
  • Beach villa or water villa, and whether the split is worth it

Visa for Indian travellers: fee, stay and documents in our Maldives visa guide

Planning Maldives?

Tell us roughly when and who's going. A specialist replies within 4 working hours.