The most spectacular dining locations in the Maldives

The restaurants and destination dining experiences available in the Maldives are beyond compare, taking you from the serenity of a beach at sunset to the lush greenery of the jungle to the glittering turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Feast your way around the world’s most romantic archipelago with these 7 spectacular dining locations where delicious gourmet meals come served in stylish, surreal surroundings.

The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi

Sometimes a romantic dinner by the ocean is all you need to escape reality for a while and just be in the moment. And when this happens to be a multi-course gourmet feast accompanied by the sea breeze and chilled champagne at The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, then the moment is as perfect as it can be.

Muraka at Mirihi Island Resort

Dinners on Muraka’s over-water decked terrace come with sublime sunsets and a soundtrack of lapping waves. There are only eight tables, but the delicious food is worth fighting for a seat. Specialties include Maldivian lobster and Angus beef, all paired with carefully selected international wines.

Olive at Kandolhu

Olive, the laid-back open-air restaurant at Kandolhu, serves tantalizing Mediterranean cuisine on a breezy circular deck with panoramic views of the dazzling blue ocean.

Sunset Pool Café at Hideaway Beach Resort

True to its name, the Sunset Pool Café at Hideaway invites patrons to sample a fusion of Asian and European cuisines in a stunning alfresco poolside setting. Come sunset, the view over the glistening infinity pool blending seamlessly into the mesmerizing ocean gets even better.

Ocean Pavilion at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa

Nestled in the heart of a shimmering lagoon, the Ocean Pavilion at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa makes for a fabulous Maldives dining location. Built out of antique wood, this thatch-roofed over-water structure is the place to be for sunset cocktails and intimate, atmospheric dinners with a view.

Gourmet Picnic at Niyama

Enhance your Maldivian vacation with a private gourmet picnic at Niyama. The experience comes complete with dreamy lantern lights, dazzling ocean views, and a private chef who will take care of everything.

Nooma Dinner at Baros Maldives

Make your tropical holiday in the Maldives one to remember with a romantic dinner cruise for two in a traditional, wooden sailing dhoni. Nooma Dinner, one of Baros Maldives’s most unique epicurean experiences, offers you the opportunity to feast on gourmet specialties and delicious cocktails while sailing into the sunset.'

Read more: How to eat like a local in Maldives

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5 best luxury hotels in Maldives

Dreaming of a picture perfect island vacation? Maldives hotels are undoubtedly among the most beautiful in the world. Think isolated private islands, seemingly illusory over-water villas, and sparkling pristine lagoons.

Velaa Private Island

Ever wondered what you'd do if you were rich enough to afford your own island? Velaa Private Island is the 'beyond luxury' boutique hideaway owned and created by a Czech billionaire. Word has it that he invested $220 million to realize his dream.

The name Velaa comes from the sea turtles that inhabit the island, and they feature prominently in the hotel's contemporary design.

Privacy and comfort are the focus at Velaa Private Island. You'll find it hard to choose between the beachfront and over-water accommodations, as they're both sumptuous and subtlety classy in muted colors. All come with butlers, and alluring outdoor spaces with alfresco dining areas, bathrooms, day beds, and private swimming pools. However, those above the water also have glass viewing panels in the floors of their living rooms, and face either the sunrise or the sunset. For the ultimate honeymoon, look no further than the exclusive one-bedroom Romantic Pool Residence. It's only accessible by boat.

Rooms: 47 villas, houses, and residences, 18 of which are over-water. The largest has four bedrooms, spread over two levels on a private stretch of beach.

Rates: Expect to pay around $2,750 USD upwards per night, during peak season. This includes breakfast and taxes/service charges. Rates drop to around $1,800 USD upwards per night during the low season.

Facilities: Spa, yoga, golf course, tennis court, dive center, fleet of marine vessels (including a submarine and luxury yacht), kid's club, swimming pool, boutiques, library, three restaurants, two bars (including one by the poolside with DJ), and the largest wine and champagne collection in the Maldives.

Cheval Blanc Randheli

You'd expect a hotel owned by luxury fashion group Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy to be spectacular, and Cheval Blanc Randheli certainly doesn't disappoint. It was conceptualized by architect Jean-Michel Gathy, who's widely known for his decadent hotel designs.

Cheval Blanc Randheli is sleek, stylish and glamorous -- and it has what are possibly the best villas in the Maldives. They're modern, with natural materials and textures effortlessly blended in. Can't decide if you'd prefer an island or water villa? The Garden Water Villas are built on stilts over the lagoon and open to a lush private garden in the back, so you get the best of both.

Art is a feature at the hotel, with many pieces that have been especially commissioned by Vincent Beaurin. Don't expect to see the flashy showcasing of Louis Vuitton logos and labels though. The hotel goes beyond that!

Rooms: 46 villas, all with private swimming pools. The four bedroom Owner's Villa is situated on its own private island.

Rates: Expect to pay around $3,500 USD upwards per night, during peak season. This includes breakfast and taxes/service charges. Rates drop to around $2,300 USD upwards per night during the low season.

Facilities: Spa, yoga, dive center, kids club and teens club, Turkish hammam, swimming pool, boutique stocking exclusive products, five restaurants, thee bars, wine and cigar cellars. Bespoke experiences and activities are offered.

Soneva Jani

When intimacy is essential, head Soneva Jani. Opened in late 2016, this new hotel has only 25 villas, making it one of the smallest in the Maldives. It's low on density and big on privacy.

Like its predecessor Soneva Fushi, the hotel was designed by Eva Shivdasani, one of Soneva’s co-founders. The highlight of some of the villas are undoubtedly its retractable roofs in the master bedroom, so you can stargaze in bed at the touch of a button. Some of the water villas also feature slides from the top deck directly into the sea.

Medhufaru Island used to be a farming island, and guests can follow walking trails through the organic gardens that supply the hotel's kitchen.

Rooms: 25 villas (24 water villas and one island villa). Each has its own saltwater pool.

Rates: Expect to pay around $3,200 USD upwards per night, during peak season. This includes taxes/service charges. Rates drop to around $2,000 USD upwards per night during the low season.

Facilities: Spa, yoga, dive center, dolphin cruises, tennis court, kids club, observatory with high powered telescope, outdoor cinema, library, boutique, swimming pool, several restaurants, wine cellar.

St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

Not only can you stay over the water at the new St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, you can dine and drink over the water as well, for the ultimate sea experience. The hotel's tapas Whale Bar juts out into the ocean and is the perfect sunset spot!

If that's not enough, the hotel also has a massive signature over-water Iridium Spa. Focused on wellness, it comes with an Ayurvedic specialist, acupuncturist, hydrotherapy pool, private steam rooms, and spa cuisine.

This stunning new luxury Maldives hotel opened in late 2016, on a leafy 22 acre private island, and it's certainly been set up to facilitate relaxation and rejuvenation.

Rooms: 77 villas, all with their own pools.

Rates: Expect to pay around $2,500 USD upwards per night, during peak season. This includes breakfast and taxes/service charges. Rates drop to around $1,300 USD upwards per night during the low season.

Facilities: Spa, dive center, water sports center, tennis court, fitness center, kids club, recreation area, four restaurants plus a pop-up dining experience, two bars, swimming pool, library, underground wine cellar.

Six Senses Laamu

The Six Senses Laamu resort has perfected the art of eco chic, with a Robinson Crusoe castaway feel. The rustic yet hip villas and their furniture have been made from timber grown in sustainable forests. Cushions in vibrantly colored fabric add a modern twist. Highlights in the Water Villas include glass sunken bathtubs and glass-bottomed dining areas.

Much of the resort is situated over the water as well, including lobby, restaurants and bars, wine cellar, dive center, library, and gift shop. The spa, on the island, is just as striking. Its cocoon shaped treatment rooms are made from twigs and branches twined together!

What's more, Six Senses Laamu is the only luxury resort in Laamu Atoll, where dolphins swim. Outstanding surfing is also to be had there, with the world-class Yin Yang surf break nearby.

Rooms: 72 over-water villas, 25 beach villas. Some have private pools.

Rates: Expect to pay around $2,100 USD upwards per night, during peak season. This includes breakfast and taxes/service charges. Rates drop to around $800 USD upwards per night during the low season.

Facilities: Extensive spa with Ayurvedic therapies, dive center, water sports center, kids club, six restaurants and bars, swimming pool.

See more: The most spectacular dining locations in the Maldives

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Best Asia destinations for your honeymoon

Honeymoon destinations in Asia offer some of the most beautiful scenery and memorable experiences for far less money than Hawaii or Fiji. Whether you prefer quiet beach time or cultural adventures, you won't be disappointed with any of these top five honeymoon destinations in Asia.

Bali, Indonesia

Not much of a surprise that Bali, Indonesia's most touristed island, is also one of the top spots in the world for a honeymoon. Just the mention of Bali conjures exotic images of volcanoes and private beaches. Although the island does get busy in the summer months, you can escape the crowds to romantic beach villas and eco-friendly hideaways surrounded by green rainforests.

More of a party scene, the popular Kuta beach isn't exactly romantic. Instead, head for one of the other beaches in South Bali such as Sanur, Legian, or Seminyak. Once you've had enough beach time, you'll find peace, a great vibe, and plenty of green scenery in Ubud, Bali's cultural center.

The Thai Islands

Thailand boasts some of the most beautiful and accessible islands in the world and with the best tourist infrastructure in Southeast Asia, you won't have to worry about the hassles of travel in Thailand interfering with your time together. The Thai islands, both on the Andaman side of the country and in the Gulf of Thailand, are ​well suited for romantic getaways.​

If you prefer small islands, have a look at tiny Koh Lipe on the Phuket side of Thailand. Otherwise, consider Koh Lanta, Koh Samui, or some of the quiet bays dotted around the north of Koh Phangan, especially the famous Sanctuary health retreat. If things get a little too quiet on the island, you can always take a boat to Haad Rin to dance until sunrise with your partner!

Malaysian Borneo

There is simply no other way to put it: Borneo is a nature lover's paradise. One of only two places left in the world to see wild orangutans, you can divide your time in Borneo between searching for wildlife on rainforest treks, exploring waterfalls in national parks, and lying on undeveloped beaches. Flights to Borneo from Kuala Lumpur are cheap, often even up to the last minute!

Borneo is divided into two states, Sarawak and Sabah, that are separated by the independent country of Brunei. Sarawak is quieter, cheaper, and less busy than the northern state of Sabah, while East Sabah boasts incredible scuba diving and natural attractions. You'll find plenty of wild beauty and friendly local culture in both places.

Sri Lanka

Although Sri Lanka off the southern coast of India doesn't receive nearly as much attention as its neighbor to the north, the islands there rank among the best honeymoon destinations in Asia! Great spicy curry, friendly people, an interesting culture, and a much more relaxed atmosphere lure more and more travelers each year. A honeymoon in Sri Lanka is both an affordable and unique way to start a new life together.

The Maldives

Not far from India, the island nation known as the Maldives is Asia's smallest country, both by population and land mass. A lack of space doesn't stop the Maldives from attracting an estimated 600,000 annual tourists who come to take advantage of the incredible island beauty and world-class scuba diving. Floating bungalows and honeymoon resorts set on some of the bluest water you have ever encountered will make you and your new spouse want to stay forever.

Male is the capital, largest city, and usual port of entry for visiting the Maldives. While the beauty of the islands is breathtaking, a honeymoon in the Maldives will cost significantly more than one in the Thai islands.

See more: 5 best resorts for your honeymoon in Thailand

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The best resorts for honeymoon in Maldives

If romance is the king of emotions, then Maldives is its kingdom. Long spread of beaches covered with sparkling white sand, palm trees lined up across the shores, beautiful cottages and resorts nestled in the most secluded regions known, this island is the perfect place for love birds to rekindle the spark and fall in love. Maldives is known as honeymooner’s paradise and that is for a reason.

COMO Cocoa island

COMO Cocoa Island is a boutique resort located in the South Male Atoll with only 33 overwater suites and villas. Uniquely inspired by dhoni boats, the gently curving wooden vessels used by local fishermen, each room has its own private terrace that directs you to the watery expanse and horizon in a second. Surrounded by spectacularly clear waters, the land itself is made up of live coral reefs and sand bars, making the natural ecosystem truly distinctive.

For a private dining with your partner, the resort offers several private dining experiences across the island. Activities such as shark adventure snorkeling, catamaran snorkeling, to sunset cruise can be done near the island. For quieter moment, COMO Shambhala Retreat, offers full range of holistic Asian base therapies.

Mirihi Island Resort

Perfect for those looking for a water villa honeymoon on a modest budget, the Mihiri Island Resort offers excellent value in addition to high quality and excellent service. This is a 4-star resort with only 30 water villas and 6 island villas, and almost nothing of interest to families and no nightlife to speak of, making it very much of a romantic couples resort, which is very fitting for a lot of visitors.

The water villas are not huge, and they do not have TVs, but otherwise they are very nicely appointed, making them ideal for honeymooners. The spa features Adam and Eve treatments, but there is also great diving and snorkelling here and other water sport options. Especially in the off-season, the Mihiri Island Resort is a fantastic bargain for a honeymoon resort.

Shangri-la Villingili Resort and Spa

Number three on our list of top 10 resorts in Maldives for honeymoon is Shangri-La Villingili Resort built on one of the largest islands in the archipelago. The villas range from vast ocean retreats to tropical tree houses, and the CHI spa offers a holistic remedy. It is hands down one of the top resorts in Maldives for honeymoon.

One & Only Reethi Rah

One & Only Reethi Rah is still the king best resorts in Maldives for honeymoon. The rooms are built enormously and luxuriously with high ceilings and beautifully furnished with private pools, overlooking the sea.

Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru

The blue relaxing waters at the Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru will give you a spirit to enjoy life. The resort is surrounded with swaying coconut trees, pure white sand, coral reef and the blue clear waters. An ideal destination for couples, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru is amongst the best resorts in Maldives for honeymoon.

Read more: How I Fell in Love with the Maldives

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Admire the beautiful Sea of Stars in Maldives

The Maldives has a reputation for world-class resorts, incredible beaches and landscapes that look even better in person than the photographs. But something even more spectacular, mysterious and romantic takes place on these islands in the Indian Ocean, the glowing and sparkling Sea of Stars.

Where?

On Vaadhoo Island, one of the islands of Raa Atoll in the Maldives. It is a tiny island with just over 500 inhabitants, but its Sea of Stars phenomenon has firmly planted it on the global map.

When?

The Sea of Stars in the Maldives depends on several factors, including the year’s climate and the growth of the bioluminescent plankton. Nobody can predict when and where the event will occur. Vaadhoo Island in the Raa Atoll is the most well-known spot. But it can also be viewed on one of the 1200 other islands in the Maldives in the right conditions too. According to locals, the spectacular event is more prevalent from late summer to the end of the year.

What causes the incredible Sea of Stars?

Among the tropical fish, sharks and coral in the Maldives’s Indian Ocean live billions and billions of micro-organisms, including dinoflagellates, which are a type of phytoplankton. But what differentiates the Lingulodinium polyedrum from other organisms is their unique ability to generate light. Stress, caused by the movement of the sea and waves, leads the plankton to emit light, or bioluminescence as a defence mechanism in a similar way to some fireflies. The bioluminescent light has an electric blue-neon colour, radiating further as each wave breaks. The speculator phenomena is one of nature’s rarest events. It is so remarkable, Hollywood decided to feature the Sea of Stars in Ang Lee’s award–winning Life of Pi to illuminate the sea for the lost protagonist.

Don’t set your hopes too high

As nature is unpredictable, nothing is for sure. Planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the world’s most beautiful islands in the hope of experiencing the Sea of Stars might not be a wise decision. Nature does as nature pleases and an element of luck helps. Plan a holiday to the Maldives for the luxury, beaches, snorkelling and diving. Seeing the Sea of Stars should be a bonus, not a given.

Is there anywhere else in the world quite like it?

Dinoflagellates — the ultra specific type of phytoplankton at Sea of Stars — are not the only ones to produce this beautiful bioluminescence. Other marine animals like krill, deep-sea squids, and anglerfish are also able to produce light. Within the Maldives you can see something similar on the islands of Mudhdhoo and Rangali. Similarly, bioluminescence has been seen on the shores of the Lakshadweep Islands in India, Mosquito Bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and on the coast of Leucadia in California.

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