Luxury Maldives Holidays

Here’s some of the essential info that you’ll need before you plan your holiday to The Maldives, including details on the visas needed for British travellers, the best time to visit, and how long you should expect to spend on the plane.

Time Difference: The Maldives is 5 hours ahead of the UK

Flight Duration: Direct flights from the UK take between 10 and 11 hours. Flights with a connection are likely to take 12 or 13 hours, depending on your transfer time.

Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa

Capital: Malé

Language: Dhivehi

Visa Info: A 30-day visa will be issued to British visitors on arrival in The Maldives, providing that there’s evidence of an onward journey out of the country (for example a return ticket) and that you can fund yourself whilst you’re there.

Voltage: 230 V

Best time to travel: Although The Maldives are warm and sunny almost all year round, the best time to visit is between November and April, with peak season between December and March. The monsoon season runs from May to October, peaking in June, so avoid visiting during this period if you can.

Location: The Maldives is a small South Asian nation, made up of a string of islands in the Indian Ocean. The islands are found approximately 1000km from the continent of Asia, southwest of India and Sri Lanka.

International flights come into Velana International Airport (also known as Malé Airport) in the capital of Malé, on Hulhulé Island in the North Malé Atoll. Onward travel from the airport to your resort will be either by boat, seaplane or domestic flight, depending on the distance. Transfers will be organised before you leave the UK.

Multi-centre holidays are incredibly popular amongst those visiting this stunning part of the world. Many visitors choose to pair their relaxing holiday amongst the rolling atolls with a week somewhere more adventurous: bustling India, bling Dubai or sleek Singapore are all popular choices.

Here’s some information on the most popular destinations, if you want to pair your Maldives holiday with a different destination completely.

Dubai

Want to twin your relaxing Maldives holiday with a stop-off in glamorous Dubai? You’re not alone - it’s a choice that many of our customers make every year. Luxury hotels in Dubai’s most sought-after spots make a thrilling contrast to the laidback island life you’ll find during the Maldivian part of your trip. Best of both worlds? It certainly is.

Taking just over four hours, the flight from The Maldives to Dubai (or vice versa) can be completed in an afternoon. You’ll be ready to continue your holiday by cocktail hour… ours is a negroni.

Oman

Want to soak up the culture of beautiful Oman? Just a four-hour flight away, Oman offers a very different vibe to the one that you’ll find in The Maldives. You’ll certainly be glad you opted for this unique and fascinating Middle Eastern destination, though. Expect the pure luxury that you’ve come to expect from ITC, with hotels from the world’s most exclusive brands as standard and historic sights just a stone’s throw away.

Singapore

The jewel in the heart of south-east Asia, Singapore makes a wonderful option if you’re pairing your Maldives holiday with another destination. Singapore offers all the luxury and amenities that you’d expect from your ITC holiday, with the excitement and culture of a truly international city. The flight between Singapore and The Maldives takes four hours and 45 minutes.

Sri Lanka

Choosing Sri Lanka as the second option for your multi-centre holiday is a decision you definitely won’t regret. The tiny country just off the southern tip of India is packed to the brim with cultural sights, and has hundreds of great beaches to boot.

Luxury resorts abound, giving you a trip that will delight at every turn. Want another plus? It’s a highly efficient two-hour flight away.

India

For something completely different, pair your Maldives break with a stop-off in massive, bustling India. There’s a lot to choose from here: the huge country has an almost unlimited number of resorts, many of which vary hugely from each other.

Why not try the calming waters of Kerala, in the south? Or what about the vibrant beach resorts of Goa? Wherever you choose, you’ll be guaranteed the luxury that you’ll have come to expect from every aspect of your trip.

The Maldives isn’t just a honeymoon destination.

Yes, it’s likely to bring to mind idyllic stretches of beach and peacefully lapping waves… but actually, it’s a great destination for families with children as well as for loved-up newly-weds.

Multi-bedroom villas with up to nine bedrooms mean that there’s ample room for every member of the family to find their relaxed happy place. Many of the villas have their own pools, specially designed with family safety in mind, to keep the kids entertained. Some even come with their own slides that allow you to slip from your own private oasis directly into the sea.

The Maldives is well-equipped with its own kid’s clubs within the resorts, too. Think rooms packed with Lego in The Den at Soneva Fushi on Kunfunadhoo Island in the Baa Atoll, inflatable over-water obstacle courses and a beachside climbing wall at One&Only Reethi Rah, and a trampoline park at the Anantara Kihavah resort. They’ll never want to leave (and neither will you).

Got a child who would be thrilled to find Nemo in an underwater paradise? Look no further: OZEN allows children into its underwater seafood restaurant, M6m, for lunch twice a week. From your table six metres under the waves, you can watch the kids marvel as an underwater world unfolds just feet away. It’s an experience that they’ll never forget. After all, why should the adults have all the fun?

The world’s best-known wellness brands know that The Maldives is the ultimate destination for those that want to get away from it all and really unwind. As a result, many of them have chosen to open spas in the region.

The choice of spas for holiday-makers in The Maldives is abundant. The private island of Velaa uses exclusive My Blend by Clarins facial products (one of the only resorts in the world to do so) and has the area’s first “snow room” - a geographically surprising anti-sauna that makes a refreshing change from the sunshine outside.

Velaa Private Island is also home to Wolke 7 Cloud 9 (again, one of only a handful in the world), a therapy system that can help you to rejuvenate and maybe even banish your jet lag. The holistic spa treatment is designed to counter daily stresses and strains and has been designed by Viennese artist and perception researcher, Sha. Guests enter a world where boundaries disappear, where they find themselves embedded in clouds and beginning a journey that ends in deep relaxation. Cloud-shaped reclining treatment pods are featured, slowly swaying and cradling guests into deep relaxation.

Meanwhile, over at Javvu Spa in the Amilla Fushi resort, a range of CBD oils have been incorporated into the treatments. The spa features Sensora, a soothing and stimulating experience that uses an advanced colour light system to calm and balance both mental and physical health, achieving deep levels of relaxation.

The Four Seasons on Landaa Giraavaru has a dedicated Ayurvedic retreat, with a week to 21-day immersion packages. The retreat is completely committed to its theme: menus in all the restaurants are Ayurvedic-coded. There are also yoga spots dotted around the island.

Already tried the M6m restaurant and want to get back under the water? You’ll find the world’s first underwater spa at Huvafen Fushi, a private island resort in the North Malé atoll. Get ready for a truly surreal, ethereal experience.

Over at the Six Senses on Laamu, you’ll find a range of visiting wellness practitioners offering everything from Reiki, singing bowls and meditation to watsu, yoga and energy healing.