Romantic Maldives Honeymoon: Our Insider Tips

Congratulations, you’re getting married! Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life. After All, it’s when you get to say ‘I do’ and marry the love of your life. But almost equally important as an incredible wedding is planning a magical and romantic honeymoon.

A survey by US News Travel ranked the Maldives as the 7th best honeymoon spot in the world, and it’s up there with other tropical favourites such as Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Fiji. It’s easy to see why: with paper-white sands, azure lagoons, and Robinson-Crusoe island vibes, this breathtaking destination appeals to anyone who wants a beachy, tropical getaway of a lifetime.

Yet out of the 1,192 beautiful island in the Maldives, only 122 of these have resorts on them, with even less being honeymoon-worthy. When it comes to booking your Maldives honeymoon, you will need to put in some research, as it’s not just about reading the reviews and finding a romantic resort to relax in. You need to think about when the best time is to go, what to pack, and how to get there.

We’ve done the hard work for you, and compiled this ultimate guide to Maldives honeymoons so that you can jet-off on an amazing honeymoon.

When is the Best Time for a Honeymoon in the Maldives?

When you decide to go should depend on both your honeymoon budget and your weather preferences. The Maldives has two distinct seasons: The low season which runs from May to November and the high season which lasts from December to April. The high season months are the most popular time for a Maldives honeymoon, as this is when the weather is at its best. You can expect sunny days (March is the month that has the most hours of sunshine per day), and balmy temperatures that rarely dip below the high 70s.

If you need the sun, yet your wedding date happens in the Maldives low season, then you may want to consider taking a minimoon to celebrate your marriage and then take your Maldives honeymoon at a later date. However, if you want to save money on your honeymoon, consider booking your trip during the off-peak or low season.

During this time, resorts will often slash their rates and packages by up to 50%, and you can save some decent cash off your airfare too. Just be prepared for more temperamental weather. The days can be overcast during this time (although cloud-cover provides a nice break from the strong midday sun), and rain is expected. On the plus side, the warm rain helps to clear up the high humidity, and it can actually be a lovely experience swimming in those turquoise waters or cuddling up with your loved one in a villa while raindrops fall. Head here to discover how to find the best Maldives Deals.

Things to Do on Your Maldives Honeymoon

The Maldives is most famous for being the ultimate chillout type of holiday, and it truly is the best spot to simply unwind, bask on the beach and decompress from a wedding. However, there are a number of activities to keep adventure-seekers entertained on a honeymoon. You can choose to go on fishing trips, go dolphin spotting, try scuba diving and snorkeling, get your om on in a yoga class, take art classes, and even dance the night away underneath a star-speckled sky.

What to Pack: Maldives Honeymoon Essentials

Pack your best honeymoon-worthy clothing and accessories for your Maldives adventure. Think floaty fabrics and island-chic resort wear. You will be likely to spend a lot of time in your swimwear, so bring a couple of your favorites and perhaps a shawl, kaftan, sarong or cover-up to protect your skin from the sun. Also bring along some eco-friendly sunscreen as normal suncream can contain harsh chemicals that damage the fragile marine ecosystem.

Take along a good book or two, or stock-up that Kindle before you go. The resorts will offer a range of movies and TV channels, and on-demand content to keep you entertained in your room, but you may want to download a few movies or documentaries as back-up.

And of course, don’t forget your camera. While a smartphone camera will suffice, the magic of the Maldives is just waiting to be captured on something a little more pro, so why not add a DSLR camera or waterproof camera to your wedding gift list? Some resorts will also offer photoshoot packages, and provide a photo album that’s filled with snaps for a lovely keepsake that you can show off to friends and family back home.

How to Get to Your Honeymoon in Style

The journey is all part of your honeymoon getaway, so you want to make it as smooth and hassle-free as possible. If you really want to travel in style, then book yourself business or first class seats. Yes, they are pricey, but you will be well looked after and arrive at male international rested and ready for your vacation of a lifetime. Many airlines are competing for business, so you may actually land some includible discounted flights, particularly if you book in advance or go during the off-season. You may also be able to redeem your air miles and put them towards an upgrade.

If first of business class is out of reach, don’t worry! There are a few things that you can do to up the luxury-vibe on your journey. First, book yourself into one of the fancy airport lounges, so you can enjoy food, drink, and other goodies before you depart. Most airlines now allow you to buy day passes to these lounges, even if you aren’t a member of them. Check out Priority Pass for more information. It’s also worth letting the check-in desk assistant know that you are celebrating your honeymoon, you never know, you may get lucky and be offered an upgrade.

Best Honeymoon Packages

Almost all of the larger luxury resorts offer special honeymoon packages. These will often include a whole host of freebies to entice you to book with them. Some perks that they may include are couples massages, private dinners for two on the beach, special excursions, free bottles of bubbly and a rose-petal covered bed for when you arrive. We do recommend going for the honeymoon package if you have the chance, simply because it will be filled with extra touches that will really make a difference to your honeymoon.

You can choose from several board options (depending on what the resort offers). The most popular for a honeymoon is an all-inclusive package, which will include all meals, alcoholic and soft drinks, and snacks.  A half-board option will allow you to enjoy breakfast and dinners, while room-only options are also available if you want the freedom to choose where to dine each day.

Three of the Top Romantic Maldives Honeymoon Resorts

A good place to start for your honeymoon resort research is with these three hotels:

One and Only Reethi Rah: Ultra-Luxury

A true playground for the rich, famous and newly-wed, the One and Only Reethi Rah truly wows with its exclusive spa, 12 beaches, tennis courts, world-class restaurants, and 121  beautifully appointed rooms. Choose the enormous over-water suites if you really want to honeymoon like royalty. The Reethi Rah is best suited to those who want choice and a long list of activities and events to choose from. If you’re looking for something a little more remote, then check out Milaidhoo Island resort.

Milaidhoo Island Resort: Desert-Island Vibes

This teeny-tiny resort has some of the most stunning overwater thatched villas that we have ever seen. These stunning villas come with an Instagram-worthy infinity pool, oversized daybeds, and large doors which open out to uninterrupted views of the glittering Indian Ocean. The resort offers just enough facilities to keep you occupied yet not overwhelmed with the sheer amount of choice (perhaps like Reethi Rah). It’s home to a yoga pavilion, beautiful spa, watersports center and resort pool. They also have a range of green practices in place, making it a good choice if you want to book yourself an eco-conscious honeymoon.

Meeru Island Resort: Affordable Boutique Chic

This pretty little resort offers some affordable deals for those who don’t want to drop big money on their Maldives honeymoon. In fact, it has some of the best value overwater villas in the country. The resort is split into two sides: one which is open for all the family, and another that offers adult-only seclusion, including an adult-only pool and restaurants. The best of the best overwater villas are also in the adults-only section of the resort. It’s an all-inclusive resort that comes with a generous package, so you won’t have to worry about the size of your bill at checkout. Meeru Island Resort has also earned numerous awards and has rave reviews from pasts happy honeymooners.

Another Option: A Liveaboard or Sailing Honeymoon

If you fancy something a little different, and you love the water, then you may want to look into a liveaboard or sailing holiday. These run all year round, and allow you to honeymoon in the Maldives while bobbing on those twinkling waters. Quite often, a liveaboard trip will include snorkeling, scuba diving or surfing packages. Liveaboards are typically shared with other guests, but you can choose to book a private trip if your budget allows for it.

When Should I Book My Maldives Honeymoon?

Simply put, as far in advance as possible. If you are just vacationing there and looking for the best deals, then it can be worth waiting until the last minute to book. However, when it comes to your honeymoon, you want to have everything booked and ready to go as early on as you can. This will enable you to get the first choice on your resort as well as score the best room. You can take a look at the resort reviews on Tripadvisor to work the best accommodation options in your chosen resort, or even email the resort to ask them for their room recommendations.

Milk Your Honeymoon: Tips to Make the Most of Your Trip

As mentioned above, you can choose to book a honeymoon package. However, if you choose to go for a standard resort package, or books flights and a hotel separately, then it’s a good idea to email the hotel and let them know that you are on your honeymoon. They will truly go above and beyond to make things extra special for you, and you may have some lovely surprises waiting for you when you arrive.

The tip to organizing a great Maldives honeymoon is to ask yourself what do you want? There is no point in copying someone else’s itinerary, instead custom-make it exactly to your needs. Also, teamwork makes the dreamwork, so be sure to work together with your partner in order to book the best Maldives honeymoon around.

Top tip: Choose an adults-only resort for a true slice of peaceful heaven. In this article we reveal some of our favorite top adults-only resorts.

It’s becoming increasingly popular to ask for donations to go towards your honeymoon rather than going for the traditional gift list route. There are several trusted websites which allow you to safely collect these donations from your guests so that they can make a contribution towards your getaway. Check out Honeyfund for more information.

Take all of the above tips into consideration, and you’ll be likely to book the best romantic honeymoon for your needs. If planing it all seems like too much work on top of the wedding planning, then you may want to think about hiring a travel specialist to do all of the hard work for you. They often have great links with top Maldives resorts,  so they will be able to book you great deals on honeymoon packages. Happy honeymoon!