Which resort to choose

To find out if your hotel is on a local island or if it is a resort on a private island, the best is to check on Google maps. Typically the name of the resort would be that of the island and there would be only facilities of the hotel such as restaurants, sports courts and pools, in contrast with a local island that would have a number of hotels, schools, mosques, shops, etc.

If ultimately you prefer to visit a resort in the Maldives rather than the country itself - reference here to my previous post about which type of holiday you are seeking - there are a number of criteria to take into consideration. 

- How to get there 

In my opinion, and according to my criteria, this is the most important. Some resorts are located in the atolls that are far from the international airpot island and are reachable only by plane or seaplane. Once your flight arrives to the Maldives you will then have to wait and check in to another flight in the domestic terminal. Although local planes and domestic flights tend to be on time, seaplanes are almost never on time. The seaplanes are typically chartered by the resort and they receive guests from multiple flights, so chances are, if you are lucky, you are waiting for other international arrivals (if they are on time); if you are unlucky, you may also have to wait for the weather to clear so that the seaplane can depart. 

If you factor in the number of hours on the plane to get to the Maldives, then the wait and time spent (not to mention the money) on yet another flight, it may seem like, to get to paradise, you have to go through hell. Given the wide variety of resorts, there will always be one that fits your requirements, and can be reachable by speedboat.

Of course, if you dream of taking a seaplane, by all means choose a far away resort reachable by seaplane. When the skies are clear the views from the air are breathtaking.

Typically the atolls that are reacheable by speedboat are North Male Atoll, South Male Atoll, Ari atoll, Vaavu Atoll. When you go via speedboat, this may still involve a wait for other passengers but typically not more than 30 minutes.

- Budget

Resorts prices are very much linked to the number of stars of the hotel itself, but also the facilities. Read the reviews. If the prices are ridiculously cheap it's more likely to be a hotel on a local island. If it's outrageously expensive, it's definitely a resort. There are plenty of reasonably priced 4 and 5 star hotels. One thing to navigate and understand is the package you are paying for.

These can be the typical bed and breakfast you can get anywhere else. If you choose this option, bear in mind that once there, all you can get on the island also comes with an additional pricetag, including drinks, a pizza and a snorkeling trip. There would be no other independent service providers on the resort island. 

Some resorts offer half board, and full board options. Here the trick is to find out if that includes drinks, more importantly alcoholic drinks during meals. 

The best option is All-inclusive which most of the times includes 3 meals with possible snacks, alcoholic drinks and some activities/ excursions and entertainment options.

Other versions can be Premium all-inclusive or Ultra all-inclusive meaning you would probably have nothing else to pay except the occasional souvenir or your spa treatment.

- When to travel

You will notice that there might be huge differences in prices depending on the time of your travel. Note that the weather can be rainy or really bad during the rainy season, except from January to March where you're almost guaranteed good weather. So if you're willing to pay big bucks, check the weather. It is low season for a reason. Watch out though, December has high season prices, but the weather can be stormy. 

- Facilities and services

For those who are not on a honeymoon and have trouble staying still in the sun with a good book by the beach, a secluded island can become a nightmare, especially if you're easily bored. It might surprise you, and very few people will tell you that, but beyond the pristine beaches, fancy hotel rooms and plush buffets, there may be nothing else to do.

To avoid this, better is to figure out what type of entertainment your resort offers and many of the all inclusive hotels offer a myriad of activities to keep you busy and fit: yoga, a fitness room, snorkeling trips once or twice a day, pool games, a catamaran you can take sailing, some have tennis or golf courts, most have volleyball on the beach. 

If you are coming with family, the best all inclusive resorts also have kids club to keep your young ones entertained; Club Med Kani and Kuramathi are among the best value for money if you want to enjoy the beach, have time for yourself and keep fit.