This is the Ultimate and most complete Guide for a Family Holiday in Maldives. Since 2007, we’ve stayed in more than 20 resorts with our son. I share here with you our most memorable experiences and information you may need to help you find your dream resort for you and your family in the beautiful Maldives.
ENJOY !
Are you Dreaming of Family Holiday in Maldives ?
YOU’RE AT THE VERY RIGHT PLACE !
Table of Contents
La Version Française est ici !
The Ultimate Guide for a Family Holiday in Maldives
PART 1. INTRO. The story.
( The part 2 is now separated in another post )
Our son has always come to the Maldives with us since he was 2,5 years old .
He is now a teenager...
I’ve put you some photos from my personal album at the end of the second part of this article.
They are simple yet great moments of happiness we had along the years with our “little one“.
Remark : You can now discover all the featured Family friendly Resorts here. I had to create a separate article dedicated to the resorts and their Kids Clubs.
This year, besides the usual kids club programs and activities, I’ve also added more photos of the listed resorts, some kids menus, photos of family Villas and everything I estimated important to chose the best resort for you and your family.
You will find in this essential list the following Resorts :
. Update . May 2020
This post was getting too long after so many years.
You can now discover all the featured
Family friendly Resorts here
- Kandima
- OZEN at Maadhoo
- Centara Grand Resort
- Sun Aqua Vilu Reef
- Six Senses Laamu
- Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives
- Sheraton Full Moon | Kuramathi
- Shangri-La’s Villingili
- Lily Beach Resort and Spa
- The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives
- Dusit Thani Maldives
- Soneva Fushi
- Four Seasons Kuda Huraa
- Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru
- One & Only Reethi Rah
- …the list constantly evolves
Spend a family holiday in Maldives. Summary
Photos & Souvenirs of our various stays…
I’ve added some more photos from my personal album at the end of the second part of this article 🙂
Here is Everything You Need To Know for a Family Holiday in Maldives.
It all started in 2007, here on Dreaming of Maldives…
….
I was receiving a lot of requests from parents asking where to stay with children in Maldives…and what are the (most) child-friendly Resorts.
So, instead of answering individually, I thought it would be a good idea ( for me and for you 🙂 ) to give you on Dreaming of Maldives blog an updated list of all the child-friendly Resorts of the archipelago.
I wish to say, before sharing the “Graal” with you, that we have visited many of them, but most important, that our son who stayed many months with us in Maldives since he was 2,5 years old has been pampered and entertained in most of them.
We keep on discovering new Kids Clubs each time !
______________________________
Which Resort should you choose with your children and according to your budget ?
Important note to our readers: Choosing the perfect holidays is a very personal affair.
I am dedicated to helping you find the best Maldives resort for you and your children, but I am not able to present you a list of resorts as everything depends first on your budget, you and your personal requirements ( apart from the kids club of course )
Here is how I can help you :
I suggest you to first submit our list online or to your favorite travel agent and see where and when you could stay with your budget.
– Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
– Once you’ve got a first “selection”, come back to me via the comments and I will guide you to make it really perfect. This said, enjoy !
If you are an independent traveller and wish to organise your family trip by yourself, you will find some Selected Maldives Family Holiday Packages.
______________________________
Parents, read carefully what follows as today I will guide you through an idyllic journey into the romantic but still family-friendly Maldives !
After all, isn’t it a Dream ?
Kids Clubs in Maldives ? Wait, no too fast. It deserves a bit of history first…
There was a time, not so long ago, when we use to go to the Maldives with no children…at all….
The destination was far to be family-friendly for various reasons : the absolute Romantic atmosphere, the strong Equatorial Sun, the distance from Europe, but the main one was the complete lack of activities ( excepted for snorkeling ) for the little ones.
The structures and leisure choice of the Maldives resorts were dissuading most of us to travel with our children, leaving us with an exciting feeling of real intimacy but sometimes tainted with bitterness and nostalgia.
The perfect balance
For years, Maldives Resorts have received many unsolvable requests from their guests who wanted more than a Baby sitting – a service that was not always available, outrageously expensive or had to be booked days in advance -.
As traveller’s exigencies were continuously increasing, Resort Managements had to face an inevitable challenge : combine and maintain the tranquillity, the intimacy and the Romanticism of the Resort with the presence of children.
The challenge was not that easy, considering the legendary concept of the destination.
How to satisfy everybody ?
Honeymooners, couples, families and children themselves ?
How to preserve the Magic ?
The answer lies in a creative and thoughtful idea : to make stylish, fun and surprising Kids-Clubs.
The challenge is nowadays accomplished.
Today, our children can also enjoy the Maldives dream, parents can finally enjoy some romantic holidays and Honeymooners and couples still embrace the complete feeling of being on a private Hideaway.
It is important mentioning that even though these kids clubs are magnets to many holidaying parents, none of the resorts will ever look nor feel like a kindergarten.
Kids-clubs and Kids activities are always managed separately and discretely so that they do not interfere with the serenity and ambiance of the island.
The first Kids Club were first introduced by 5 Stars Luxury Resorts, around 2009, which is relatively new for a tourist destination of 40 years !
Luckily, today, many 4 Stars Resorts also provide their guests with this cool service.
Perfect Places for our kids
Kids Activities in Maldives
Unlike many kids clubs available around the world, the small structures of the kids clubs of the Maldives Resorts allow your children to have access to extraordinary activities :
The TOP 10 Things To DO that Maldives Kids Clubs have to offer
- Cooking with a Chef
- Being a Marine Biologist
- Private excursions on board of dhonis
- Learning Maldivian Nature with adventures and discovery of the island in small groups
- Learning Maldivian Culture with songs and dances
- Art and crafts made from local items (sand,coconuts) to develop children’s creativity
- Yoga
- Spa treatments
- Treasure Hunts
- Theater
- & so much more…
Besides usual kid’s activities, kids clubs also offer great fun : treasure hunts, outdoor and indoor sports and games, playgrounds, sand castle building, shell finding, crab races, PlayStations, TV, books, films etc…
Some Kids-clubs also propose lunches and/ or diners to the children, giving the parents the opportunity for a Tête-à-Tête.
More and more, in a constant search for Guest satisfaction, Resorts keep their Kids-Clubs open until 9.00 pm or even 10.00 pm. How late it can appear, this opportunity can be very useful in case of a night-diving or snorkeling…
The ideal time will be at around 7.00 pm, giving couples the pleasure to enjoy the dreamy Sunset time starting around 6.00 pm.
Family Holiday in Maldives The Best Kids Clubs – THE LIST
You can now discover all the featured Family friendly Resorts here
I had to create a separate article for all the Kids Clubs.
Family time. My Personal Photo Album
My Personal Album. 12 years in Maldives in a few photos 🙂
Personal Photos
First A Photo from my personal Album in answer to Emna, Sarah, Prasad, Martha… and to all parents who wish to spend a holiday in Maldives with their little ones… Maldives are great for them too.
Maldives open their mind and awakens their senses. It’s also wonderful time to discover Nature.
Happiness in Maldives along the years…
These photos were shot during various stays in Maldives. Along the years, our son has learnt to enjoy any moment. From a very special bike ride to cruises on my beloved Dhonis, time is fun, time is unforgettable but always close to nature.
Last note : some resorts do not have Kids Clubs, but they are still a great place to stay with our kids 😉
A VERY COOL BIKE RIDE AT GILI LANKANFUSHI MALDIVES ! there is no Kids Club BUT, it’s a fantastic resort for kids and family time ! Mr or Mrs friday can take care of your child with many activities like snorkeling, watersports, cooking lessons, sport, spa, marine biology…you name it 🙂
PS : YOU WILL NOTE THE COOKIE IN HIS HAND…
OUR BIKES AT SIX SENSES LAAMU. EACH BIKE HAS OUR INITIALS !
Some resorts provide everything for our kids like bathrobes, shower and beach slippers…
They look super classy !
Here, our son contemplates the Dreamy view from his deck thinking about the busy program that awaits for him at the kids club. Life can be so difficult sometimes …
Learning to Dive at 8 years old . Even saw reef sharks ! How cool is that ??
FASCINATED BY SEAPLANES…
UNTIL ONE DAY…
Continue reading
In the second part of this Family Friendly Resorts you will find most of the Maldives Resorts that offer a Kids Club with all essential information.
More and more resorts offer a kids club and facilities for kids.
I’ve added them hereunder for your reference.
Click on a resort to explore more.
- Kanuhura
- Lux* Maldives
- Hideaway Maldives
- Velaa Private Island
- Kihaad Maldives
- Holiday Inn Kandooma
- Cheval Blanc Randheli
- Bandos
- Angsana Velavaru
- Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
- JA Manafaru
- Constance Halaveli
- Anantara Dhigu
- Anantara Kihavah
- Niyama
- Amilla Fushi
- Maafushi
- Finolhu
- Furaveri
- St Regis Vommuli
- Outrigger
- Konotta
- Loama
- Olhuveli
- Cocoon
© Dreaming of Maldives 2007 – 2022
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132 comments
Hello, thanks for the great effort.
This was really useful.
My baby girl is 18 months and I was wondering where will the babysitter stay with my kid. Is it possible to stay with her at the Kids Club ? as I think it’ll be much more fun to her than staying in our room.
and one more question, I know babysitters are paid per hour, what about the kids club ?
Hello Danya !
Yes you can stay in your baby kids clubs in most of the resorts.
Ideally you should always contact your chosen Hotel to reconfirm 🙂 and be sure that nothing changed.
Kids clubs are free. Sometimes with extra charges at certain times of the day ( evenings late for example ) but that is rare.
Dreamfully yours
Rozenn
We’ve recently returned from an amazing 12 days with our boys age 4.5 and almost 2 years old, we spent a wonderful week at Angsana Velavaru on [URL hidden] and thereafter 5 days with friends at Vilu Reef – beautiful of course but less positive about the second hotel. Greetings from London!
Maldives is a little Island but it is fill with natural beauty. Those who love beaches and water travel should visit Maldives once. This is also very good for kids. I have a very gentle feeling about this Island.
Hello, Thanks for all the detailed information. We are traveling with our kids 13 year old daughter and 11 year old son. They would love to make new friends in their respective clubs. They prefers all water activities like snorkeling, banana boat,etc.. Any recommendations. Thanks
Us too with our 13yr old daughter and 11 year old son – where did you book and any feedback please?
Hello, thank you so much for those incredible information. I have been to the Maldives for my honeymoon back in 2011 and stayed at the Kurumba resort. I was great but it was not mind blowing. I now have a 4 year old son and we are planning to go back to Maldives for our anniversary, however I want to try a different resort this time around. Could you please tell me the top all inclusive resorts that also has decent options for my son? I just don’t want him to be bored but he won’t be staying at the kids club all the time so it’s not a priority.
Thank you.
Comment…Hello
we would prefer all inclusive/half board family resort in Maldives. I have looked at several option and I am on the verge of a mental meltdown
This will be our first time in Maldives, so we looking for the WOW factor.
We will be travelling with a 12 year old boy -no siblings. Prefer water sport (banana boats/kayak/wakeboarding/diving/snorkelling/parasailing etc), other fun activities, good seafood and having fun.
Most resorts have a kids club for young ones – 11 yrs. So we looking for a pre-teen /teen club with loads of activities.
Kindly advise further
Thank You
Regards
Dear Ani,
Please send me a request via email or contact your local travel agent.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Rozenn
Hello,
I’m looking for recommendations for 4 days/3 nights in January for my family of four with a 3.5 yr old and a 1 yr old. I’m looking for a family friendly resort with a great kids club especially for the 3.5 yr old plus somewhere that will allow for the 1 yr old to visit with one of the parents. Also of importance is a great snorkeling location at the resort for adults and kid. I need a location that has a wonderful beach with activities that will keep them entertained.I would prefer a resort that only requires a speed boat transfer or quick sea plane. The budget would probably be around $1000 per night if possible.
Dear Arti,
Please send me a request via email or contact your local travel agent.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Rozenn
Hello,
Congratulation on your web-site and the information you have put together. I have searched the Net a lot and yours seems to be the most informed and neutral at the same time.
You don’t mention the Hideaway Beach resort ? is it because you don’ t think it should be included in your list or because you don’t have any info or opinion on it ?
I am taking my wife and 4 kids ( 12, 10, 6, 2 ) in October. Initially I was going to go to the LUX as there seems to be a consensus on their children activities although the snorkeling doesn’t seem to be the best. But I was proposed a deal on Hideaway’s ” palace villa” and I am now hesitating.
Thank you very much for your help,
Olivier
Dear Olivier,
I do not recommend Hideaway anymore as management and concept have radically changed.
I am sorry.
All the best,
Rozenn
Hello,
First of all, let me congratulate you on putting all that list together. Not only is it extremely comprehensive, but it is also very useful!
I plan to travel to Maldives in October/November, with a group of 3 couples + 3 children (3,5,7 years old). All adults are divers and would like to dive a lot, so I wonder whether you could recommend, within your list, resorts which have the best diving sites around as well as shore diving (which really helps when traveling with children…)
Thanks a lot!
Hello dear Sanji !
Thank you SO much for your comment 🙂
I would be happy to help you but I cannot properly advise you without more details about your budget & wishes.
Feel free to Contact me directly via email so I can properly guide you,
Rozenn.
Hi.
Thank you so much sharing infomations… I absolutely admire you.
I would like to have advice from someone like you…
We are coming to Maldive family for 4. 2adult 2kids, 5yo and 2yo. trying to find a kids club for my younger one.. but from my reserch I could not find one.Do you know any resort where there is 2yo can use kids club facility without nanny or parents supervise? I think 2yo is not easy age so perhaps there isn’t. but if you know, please share with me.
Also, in my mind, there is three resort for us,, Per Aquum Niyama or Soneva Fushi.. or Atomospher Kanifushi,
Last time when we visited to maldive that was 10years ago and we stayed one and only Kanufura… I wish the hotel renovation has completed by this time…
Could you kindly tell me your personal feeling of these three hotel?
we are coming for celebrating our 10th anniversary and my big age birthday.
I look forward your advice..
Thank you
Hello dear Wakako!
Thank you SO much for your comment 🙂
I’ve replied to you via email
Warmly
Rozenn.
Hi,
We’ve booked our flights to the Maldives for 4 nights in July with our 4 year old daughter. Ideally I would like a resort that we can get to by boat and that has an in-house reef (+ lagoon would be a bonus). There’s Kurumba and Sheraton but doesn’t grab me. We are looking a spending for 4 nights so can you please recommend a few resorts that I may have overlooked. There are just too many to contemplate! 🙂
Thanks!
Hi there,
We have twin boys @5years old. We want to stay in water villa and want to see sea turtles and fishes under water. We are planning to go on December.
May I please have your advise on where to stay and what activities we can have for the kids
Thanks,
Acco
Hi,
Firstly, thanks for all the great info. We are travelling in Nov this year with a toddler (2 years) and an older kid (4.8 years). I have short listed the below – Lily Beach, Atmosphere Kanifushi, Sheraton and Kurumba. Is there any other great kid friendly place I am missing? I definitely want us to do some snorkelling to see the reef, and also the dolphins (my elder one is coming here just to see dolphins!!).
Thank you and appreciate your response!
Hello dear Soumaya !
I would see 1st : Lily Beach. My absolute favorite due to the All inclusive PLUS one of the most amazing House Reef among Maldives Resorts.
Your kids will be able to explore too ! And very easily. !
Please read this : Lily Beach Maldives Dreamy Resort.
This is a unique and most complete presentation and review you’ll find around.
Then I would go for Sheraton Full Moon for the reef too and the service and finally Kurumba.
I would have gladly advise you Atmosphere KAnifushi but they have no house reef at all.
FOR DOLPHINS : Attention : It is NEVER sure to see them 🙂 They do not comply with our appointments 🙂
NOTE for your 2 years old child : Make sure with each resort that you can come with him/her at the kids club. The minimum age is most generally 3/4 years old and 2 years old kids can not stay alone there.
I hope this will help you.
Best regards
Rozenn
Hello,
I’m planning to travel from August 12 to 17 with my daughter 4 years. Do you think which of Atmosphere or Kurumba is a better choice? Thank you again for this wonderfull website
Hi there!
Would be great if you could help me out.
Which one would u suggest between Lily and Kuramathi
Chked with both resorts and both fit my budget..but which is better n more beautiful in ur opinion for a first time visitor to maldives.Am travelling with my wife and 2.5yr old daughter.
Thanks so much!
Hello dear Sammy,
Both resorts are nice, it will all depends on what you want to do.
If you want a big blue lagoon, go for Kuramathi and if you want to snorkel, go for Lily Beach.
I have here a full review about Lily, please have a look and come back to me if needed.
More information about your wishes and holiday activities and needs would highly help me,
Best regards,
Rozenn
Hi….Love ur site..full of awesome information
Me and my Husband along with our 2.5yr old son are planning a trip to Maldives in Oct
We have narrowed down on a few resorts according to our budgets. Can u pls suggest which one is the best so we can make a final decision.We are looking to stay at the Beach villas and Not Water villas.
1) Lily
2) Kuramathi
3)Lux*
4)Sheraton full moon
I am aware that Sheraton is by speed boat whereas the other 3 by sea plane.But still can u let us knw which is a better resort for kids, the actual Beach villas and the restaurants.
Really looking forward to ur reply, coz i want to get the bookings out of the way and just dream of maldives 🙂
Hello dear Ahmed,
Hard to tell…I would like to help you but I don’t know your wishes.
Please read my answer to Sammy just above, this same questions and needs apply to you too.
Once you set up your wish list, please come back to me,
Best regards,
Rozenn
Hello Rozenn & Sakis
Firstly need to thank you both for doing such a fantastic job, rather on a lighter note , its loaded with so much info that its making tough to decide :-).
We are 2 couples with one kid each ( Boy ) aged 6 years travelling to Maldives for 3 nights starting 3rd October. Have already booked the flights on our own. Having gone through this site and own check we have now shortlisted 2 resorts . One definitely Kuramathi ( due to very good kids club as advised ) and another holiday Inn Kandooma which is coming at very good price. Now for each family of 3 , with Kuramathi @ $ 2750 for entire stay ALL INCLUSIVE + $ 1000 for the sea plane making it to $3750 and on other hand Holiday inn much cheaper @ $ 1100 ( so tempting price for that brand ) INC FREE SEA PLANE TRANSFERS and also havning kids club though the price is only with breakfast and not full board. now the questionis which one sounds more valur for money OR Holiday inn is no comparison to Kuramamthi and we stick to Kuramamthi ? Also if you think none of them will make sense and have anything better for kids in the price range not more than Kuramathi on offer, which one we should go for?
Regards, Ashish
Hello dear Ashish !
I would definitely recommend Kuramathi. This Resort has proven its qualities for so many years and it only gets better. The island is really great.
I am not familiar enough with Kandooma, so I can not telll you more 🙁
Have you read forums ? It would be much better to read about it.
I am sorry I cannot help you much on this one …
In any case, do not hesitate to ask me other questions.
Best regards,
Rozenn
Hello there
I’m feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information available, but, at the same time, not found anything that ticks all the boxes yet. Where would you recommend please?
My family (2 adults, 2 children (will be 9 and 4) and 1 infant (18 mths)) is travelling to the maldives in April. Ideally we’d like a kids club for all three but haven’t found one myself yet so, if this doesn’t exist, we’d like a kids club for older two which allows baby access to the kids club with a babysitter charged at reasonable rates. We’d like accommodation on the beach (not over the water) with 2 (or 3 unless much more) sleeping areas. We’d prefer not too big/developed and like more natural/unspolit. We’d probably go all inclusive but where not all the restaurants are buffet style and would like a medical centre or doctor. Any recommendations would be much appreciated!
Many thanks
Hello dear Harriet,
As indicated in my article, I suggest that you first get advices from your travel agent.
There are too many options and everything depends on your budget. Plus I don’t know all your wishes.
Best regards,
Rozenn
Hi there, thanks a lot for your very informative breakdown of kid friendly resorts. I’m looking to book a trip in December for a week and our children will be 18months and nearly 3. We originally shortlisted Anantara Dhigu and also Kurumba, however recently (and as recommended by a travel agent) we’re also considering The Sun Siyam. Would you have any recommendations between the three please? We have received prices on all three and I think they would be within our budget, and would probably prefer a dining package (full board / all in) to make life easier…
Anyhow, would love to hear your thoughts on the three shortlisted, and happy to hear any further suggestions on others we should consider?
Many thanks
Dear Gavin,
FIRST : be aware that most Kids Clubs do not accept Kids under 3 without one of the parent or relative ( adult).( refer again to my list for more details )
This said, Dhigu is a sure value. Sun Siyam, I unfortunately cannot give you a recommendation as I did not visit it since the management changed ( prev. Hilton).
Please read more about it on forums
Note that reviews should be written by regular Maldives travelers not newcomers.
PLUS check carefully their nationality.(we do not have the same holiday habits and behaviour).
But from the 3 resorts, I would put Kurumba as last choice due to its location and surroundings.
I cannot tell you more than this, as I don’t know anything about your wishes & budget. Your travel agent should be able to guide you properly if he/she knows the Maldives and the resorts.
Best regards & have a beautiful Holiday!
Rozenn.
Many thanks for this. I have, infact after reading your website again, added Lily Beach into the comparison and it is probably between Lily Beach and Anantara Dhigu now.
Budget is not a huge restraint, in truth we like the flexibility that an all inclusive would offer, however Anantara does get excellent reviews. Looking at the kids club activities for both I’m sure me or my wife could take it in turns to take the boys to the selected activities at the kids club.
Hello dear Gavin,
Both resorts are ideal for a family Holiday.
The difference will reside in the environment.
Lily is the PLACE TO BE for snorkeling ( kids included 🙂 )
Dhigu is the PLACE TO BE for sailing and swimming in a HUGE Blue Lagoon.
The Villas offer more privacy and tranqulity at Dhigu. + Lily will be reached by seaplane, Dhigu by speed-boat.
It’s not easy to choose…
Dear Gavin, I think you should read my Specials here 🙁 There are both selected as DREAMY RESORTS)
Anantara Dhigu. D
Lily Beach
Don’t forget to check our Videos here. It’s also a great way to “feel” a Resort.
Hope all this will help you.
Do not hesitate to ask any questions if needed !
Best regards,
Rozenn
Hi Rozenn, first of all, what a super list that you put together here. It’s truly the “Grail” that many family travelers really need.
I’m planning a trip (3-4 nights) for a big family, 6 adults + a 2.5-yr-old kid who will be sharing a bed with the parents. Interconnecting rooms are not that important for us. But I do want a nice kids club to entertain the little one.
I’ve narrowed down the list to 4 resorts. Two are all-inclusive, while the other 2 full-board only. Our budget is quite flexible, but I just have to decide with the others how much we want to spend.
Between Kurumba and Kuramathi, which one would you recommend more?
And for the all-inclusive, between Lily and Club Med Kani, which one is better in your opinion?
Thanks!
Hello dear Vera !
So, I would definitely recommend Kuramathi and Lily Beach.Both top values and part of Maldives Best resorts without doubt.
I speak about both resorts on the site and here on the blog,
Have a beautiful stay in Maldives !!
Cheers,
Rozenn
It seems that none of the featured resorts offer kids activities for 2 yr olds, is that correct?
Hi,
Great website!!! Thank you for all the information and all the work you have put in!
My baby will be 18 month old when we visit. I am assuming too young for Kids Club. My wife and I would like to have a few free hours a day to do diving. Does that mean a babysitter or are there alternatives I am not thinking of?This is our honeymoon, so budget is not an issue. We are thinking to end resorts.
Thank you for your help! All our best,
Alec
Hello dear Alec,
There are babysitters in almost all resorts, so no worries.
The prices and conditions are also indicated in my list !
Have a beautiful Honeymoon !!
Best regards,
Rozenn
Hi,
thank for for all the informations on this site!
We would like to visit the maledives with our two children (7 and 4 years old)
and have a question: Are there months in which travelling to maledives is cheaper
than in other months?
Thanks, Claudia
Hello dear Claudia,
YES :-),
generally around April/May until September ( attn : not all of them ).
Otherwise there are deals running all year round too. So I advise you to make simulations with your budget/dates. You should find some good deals.
Best regards
Rozenn
Hi there,
We’re looking to have a holiday in April. We’ve short-listed Anantara Dhigu vs Jumeirah Vittaveli. Both are within our price range so that’s not an issue. Will be travelling as a family of four – our kids are 7 & 4. Are the restaurants any good? More importantly, which resort would you recommend?
Thanks in advance.
Hi
we are planning to go in first week of febraury there and we have a 11 month baby with us
please suggest me something, i’m lost
thanks
Hello dear Luca,
As usual :
I can not give you a list of resorts as everything depends on your budget.
. I understand your needs but without price range I cannot do much and it would take a long time for me to guess what suits you.
Please submit your budget to your favorite travel agent or online and see where you could stay ( Agoda has great deals for example, see the link below…)
Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection” come back to me and I will guide you.
I will be very happy to assist you once this first search is done,
Have a lovely Festive Season !
Best regards
Rozenn
Your website is so fantastic – lots of great info!
BTW we just came back from Six Senses Laamu and they have free meals for kids below 6 too, and also free ice cream for everyone (not just kids) the whole day – what’s there not to like? 🙂
For toddlers who don’t yet know how to snorkel we like the resorts that have a lot of marine life around the resort without needing to snorkel, such as the Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru (they say this has the best house reef?) and Club Med Kani where you constantly see tons of fish at the jetties or lagoons. Do you know of any other resorts that have plenty of marine life? It’s been very hard to sight much around Anantara Dhigu, Holiday Inn Kandooma, Six Senses Laamu.
Hello dear Mummy Ed,
There so many resorts with great reefs.
I am very surprised about Laamu, the surroundings on the side of the bar are amazing, but you have to swim.
Dhigu is not known for this, it is the complete opposite with a huge lagoon : pls see here for maps and details.
Vabbinfaru, I cannot say anything as I did not step on the resort for too many years.
Ihuru used to be the special one for snorkeling but the house reef is not anymore what it used to be…too many people who did not care about Nature.
Club Med, I don’t know the Island …
Otherwise think of Lily Beach ( perfect for kids too ! )
I can not give you a all list of resorts, it would take so much time, and some of them ( many ) are not kids-friendly.
.
Do not hesitate to ask me any further question if you have more detail to give me about your exact wishes.
Have a lovely Festive Season !
Best regards
Rozenn
Dear Rozenn,
First of all, I must compliment and thank you and your team for doing such a great social service. There, at least, is one thing about Maldives, i.e. your blog which is free of cost and very helpful. 🙂 Self with my wife and just turned 2 year old daughter are planning a trip to Maldives. After doing extensive research on tripadvisor and your blog and fitting my budget, I homed on to following Resorts : Bandos, Gangehi, Paradise Island, Holiday Inn, Sun Island and Kihaad. I also considered Kurumba and Anantara Dighu but they are beyond my budget. I’m already so exhausted. I need your advice on following. Which of the ones mentioned above are closest to Male? Cause I’ll prefer a speed boat rather than flight to the resort. Which one of them are most kid friendly considering my daughter? Which one of them has best package in terms of All inclusive package and marine life and most pristine beaches? I know I’m asking too much of you but you have to help me. Thanking you in anticipation. Regards Rishabh.
Dear Rishabh,
Bandos, Kurumba, Dhigu and Holiday Inn are very kids Friendly.
Bandos, Kurumba and Paradise Island are located in North Male Atoll and the closest to Male with a short transfer by speedboat ( 5 / 10 minutes ).
Holiday Inn and Dhigu are located in South Male Atoll, thus the transfer by speed boat is longer ( 30 to 40 minutes).
Sun, Gangehi, and Kihaad are reachable by seaplane only.
Prsitine beaches are everywhere. But Sun and Dhigu have amazing beaches and a wide lagoon.
Snorkeling will be better at Bandos and Gangehi in my opinion.
Please search for aerial photos of each resort to have an idea of the surroundings.
For the al inclusive, it all depends on prices and each one wishes. Please refer to your travel agent to see what suits you the best and according to your budget.
I hope this will help you a bit.
Have a nice day,
Best regards
Rozennn
Thanks a ton. I’m still in a state of confusion but I guess I’m finally shortlisting Dighu, Veli and Kurumba. Hope my choices are good.
hello
recommend the hotel to stay with the boy 3 years
important is a good entry into the water – the ocean, the lack of coral underfoot
also desirable good playground
but the beach is more important))
Thank you!
PS surfing is not important))
Hello dear Taisya,
I can not give you a list of resorts as everything depends on your budget.
. I understand your needs but without price range I cannot do much and it would take a long time.
Please submit your budget to your favorite travel agent or online and see where you could stay ( Agoda has great deals for example, see the link below…)
Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection” come back to me and I will guide you.
I will be very happy to assist you once this first search is done,
Best regards
Rozenn
I have a plan to go to Maldives with my wife and 2 girls(8yrs and 2yrs old) on Nov 2013.
Can you recommend some resorts be satisfied of conditions below for me?
1. xxx~xxxUSD per night
2. Kids Club, some program for kids(8yrs girls)
Dear Rained,
Sorry for the delay of my reply, I was travelling.
Here am I finally back !
I cannot give you a list, it is a huge task and I might not answer all your requirements.
So :
My list is an essential start.
Please, Have a look at my list and our website, select some resorts, find prices to see if it suits your budget and eventually come back to me if you need to narrow your search from your first selection.
Some of the resorts featured in my list are also featured on our main website here.
Important : You should have a look at a Resort that features family villas ( have a look again at my Child Friendly resorts list ).
I have 2 questions :
Do you already have offers so I can see what would be the best for you ?
Are you booking a package or do you organize your trip by yourself ? It can make a lot of differences in terms of choice and prices.
I hope this will help you,
Have a beautiful day,
Best regards,
Rozenn
hi ,
am planning to visit Maldives in October . I need to know family friendly resorts as I have 2 kids 9 & 5 . I also need to know about the weather in October does it rain a lot ?
Dear Mohammed,
I dońt understand, This list is all about your question, please have a look at it, it is the best source you can find.
Check rates and always compare offers first !
Your final choice will depend on your budget and special needs. Choose according to your budget ( there are offers going on , you can check with our partners directly from the website or via the links in my article. )
Check also here http://www.dreamingofmaldives.com/maldives-resorts.php
ABOUT THE WEATHER :
It should rain less in october, BUT the weather is unpredictable, so I will not give any forecast. Too risky.
please read all I have to say and more here http://www.dreamingofmaldives.com/maldives-weather-and-climate.php
I hope you will find your Dreamy place !
Best regards,
Rozenn
This is great list of kid-friendly resorts. However, I am trying to book a villa in late Dec 2013 for 4 nights for my family of 4 (2 adults + 14 yr old + 17 yr old) and have been surprised that many resorts are requiring 2 villas. They are considering my kids as adults because they are over 12, even though some have a king bed (which will sleep 3) + extra bed in the room. Since this is peak season I do not want to fork out for 2 villas if possible. Are there any resorts with decent snorkelling that will permit a family of 4 in one villa ?
Dear Pradeep,
This policy is standard. You will need 2 rooms or a villa that can accommodate 4 adults.
In my list there many resort which offer such Villas for 4 and up.
Here are some examples to start with ( they are mentioned in “Family Villas and/or Interconnected Villas “):
Medium to medium+ budget :
Lily Beach, Kurumba, Bandos, Sheraton Maldives, Centara Grand Island.
Up market budget
Viceroy, Conrad, Niyama, Dusit Thani,Constance Halaveli, the 2 Four Seasons…
There are more in the list of course.
Btw, It still time to have a look at the offers ( December period is very busy ).
Hope this will help you a bit,
Have a beautiful day,
Best regards
Rozenn
We r planning to visit maldives in june 2nd week .we have two kids which are 14 & 15 yrs old.which is best resort for this age group.either5star or 4star. Please suggest best packages for 6 days & 5 nights . Thanks
Hello
First of all, what an Excellent and informative site, wow, very well done. My question is a little different, I have two little girls, a 4 year old and an 18 month old. We want to go to a resort that is not too far away from the international airport but no ton the main island ie. Male. We will be travelling quite a disatnce and want to get to the resort relatively quickly. Which resorts would you recommend that are easy and convinient to get to once we land at the international airport.
Thank You
Michelle
Hello dear Michelle,
Well there quite a few around the aiport. From simple 3 stars to top Luxurious resorts. So, it is difficult to give you an advice.
Please check my map here in North Male Atoll, I’ve selected some of the best there. Select some of them, see what’s in your budget and then come back to me if you wish and I’ll guide you,
Hope this help
Have a beautiful day,
Best regards
Rozenn
Hi Rozenn
Thank you for the very informative article. We are planning a one week trip to the Maldives with 2 families, each consisting of two adults and two children. Kids ages are 5, 6, 7 & 9. We are looking for a resort with beachfront accomodation, a good house reef for snorkeling and ideally scuba facilities. We have found that the kids are happy as long as there is warm water and sand aplenty, so elaborate kids clubs are not essential. Could you recommend a resort which would not break the bank? We are from South Africa, and with our worthless currency such a trip is quite costly. I would appreciate your feedback.
Hello dear Nils,
I can not give you a list of resorts as everything depends on your budget.
. I understand your needs but without price range I cannot do much and it would take a long time.
Please submit your budget to your favorite travel agent or online and see where you could stay ( Agoda has great deals for example, see the link below…)
Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection” come back to me and I will guide you.
I will be very happy to assist you once this first search is done,
Best regards
Rozenn
Hello,
We are traveling to the Maldives during the 1st week in May for a 4 night/5day stay (husband,
4 yr old daughter and myself).
We’d like to stay at a 5 star resort.
Main activities would be mainly getting some rest and relaxation, having nice villa, beautiful resort with fine beaches & restaurants with a kid club available to us. Other than swimming & snorkeling, we’re not divers.
I’ve seen your list, we’ve narrowed it down to the viceroy, shangrila and niyama
which one of these do you recommend?
my first choice would be viceroy maldives (for the size of the villas),but i’ve heard the beach itself isn’t large and there may be stones on it (on trip advisors).
what feedback have you heard? have you been here yourself? What have you heard about he kids club?
shangrila is large, main pool area is very nice (from the pictures).
Do resorts, in particular, niyama, allow a child in their water studios?
What is a seaplane trip like, do you think 4 year old would be comfortable for 45 mins?
thanks,
Sunita
Dear Sunita,
I’ve answered you by email 🙂
Cheers
Rozenn.
hi there, my family and I consist of my husband and my 3 kids age 2,6,7 would like to make our virgin trip to Maldives this June 2013.
Our budget is roughly around xxx-xxx us$. Can you kindly advise me where would be the best resort to stay.. My husband intends to do a day of fishing(only him) so myself and the kids need some activities to keep ourselves occupied while my husband is out fishing. Thank u very much in advance..
Hello dear Fouziah,
It’s difficult to answer you properly.
The list would be too long for me to make and might not fit your wishes.
Budgets vary with current offers. Have you looked at Agoda ? We have a new search box on the blog ( right column ).
Please check the latest offers available, starting with the Resorts that are in my list for example and once you’ve filtered your first search, come back to me and I will help find your Dreamy Island.
Basically, they all offer fishing and Big Fishing games and plenty of activities…so Budget will now make the difference.
Looking forward reading you,
Best regards,
Rozenn.
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your website! I’m going to organise my trip for end of june 2013. My children will be 2 years and half. What do you think is the best place for us?
I hesitate between the Hideway island and the antara? yuor suggestion is also welcomed.
Thank you so much in advance.
regards
Hello dear Emna,
Sorry for my late reply. We’re currently travelling in Maldives and I do not have much time to answer.
I could help you with pleasure, but I would first need to know about which Anantara you’re thinking of. Is it Dhigu or Kihavah ?
Looking forward reading you,
Have a nice day,
Rozenn
Dear Rozenn,
We decided to go for an all inclusive package for a family of two adults and a 4 years girl . We are now hesitating between Kuramathi and Atmosphere Kanifushi. They almost have the same prices. I would like you to help choosing one of them,
Thank you in advance and I look forward for your response.
Best Regards,
Emna
Dear Emna,
I’ve sent you a personal message !
Best regards,
Rozenn
Thank you for your wonderful website!
We want to go to the Maldives from Perth Australia staying overnight in Singapore or KL on the way. Our son will be under 2 (20 months) so a lot of places won’t have us. Can you recommend a resort for under 2s? He is a gold eater and we wouldn’t need a kids club but would want him to see and experience the marine life. We are adventurous and love snorkeling and boats.
Thank you!
Sarah
Dear Sarah,
I would love to help you, but with no budget indication – one of the most important “detail”, I cannot be very helpful and accurate.
Please feel free to contact me via email if you need to,
Have a great day,
Best regards
Rozenn
Hi,
I’ll be traveling with my 8 month old baby and 10 year old son. I have been doing extensive research to locate the best kids friendly hotels closest to the airport Male. I don’t want to get on seaplanes with the kids. So far I only found the Sheraton which is only a 15 minute boat ride. Can you suggest any other ones. We are looking for 4 and 5 star hotels only.
Thx!
Hello dear Reem,
I need more information to be able to help. Budget is the main one, but also your wishes for activities, type of accomodation etc…
You can write to me via email : rozenn(at)dreamingofmaldives(dot)com, so I can help you further.
Have a nice day,
Cheers,
Rozenn
Hello! We are planning to visit the Maldives in October with our 2 year old and 5 year old. My husband would like to surf. Where would be the best areas to look for resorts that have great kids clubs that we can take the two year old to (under our supervisions) and that have great surf? He is an intermediate standard surfer, so not too big waves, and we would like the children to be able to use the beach too.
Dear Martha,
Have you seen my answer to your question on facebook ?
Have a nice day,
Rozenn
Hi,
Thank you so much for presenting such a comprehensive list of resorts that cater to Kids. I am planning to travel to Maldives this October 2012 with my wife and 2 daughters (1 yr and 7 yrs) for 3 nights/4days. I have kind of shortlisted 2/3 resorts. Would require some suggestions from you . I am considering mid-range resorts. Kids club is not a must, but a good-to-have. However if the resort is good and nice and is welcoming to kids, that is also ok. Another factor we considered was that the resort is close enough to Male to travel by speedboat. Seaplane is expensive.
Also, we are also looking to experience the Maldivian serenity and the peace and tranquility. Added on with some snorkeling /relaxation etc.
1. Kurumba – got a very good package less than 1000 USD B&B (incl. of taxes for 3n/4d) – has kids club
dont know about the beach/snorkelling etc here
2. Bandos – a little more expensive (approx 200-300 USD) than kurumba – has kids club
3. Velassaru – a little more expensive ( approx 1300 USD B&B all incl of taxes) i like the look and feel of the place – no kids club . there is a pool however.
Any help to make a choice would be appreciated
thanks
prasad
Dear Prasad,
Sorry for my late reply. I hope this not too late.
The best is to communicate by email, as there are important questions to be answered first in order to advise you what could be best for you and your family.
Please let me know if I shall contact you,
Have a nice day,
Rozenn
Hello – Just found your website and I love it! We are planning our first trip to the Maldives in April 2013 and trying to decide between a few different options. We’re looking for a family friendly place (our kids are aged 6 and 8), and also want great snorkelling off the beach without having to take a boat, plus great food and a pool for the kids. We’re looking for Rustic luxury, nothing too modern/flashy/sleek. We are debating between Dusit Thani, Soneva Fushi and Island Hideaway. Could you comment on the differences in the house reefs, and ambiance for families on these islands? Many thanks!!! Kim
Hi, we are thinking of going to the Maldives in January, our daughter will be 9 months old. Please can you recommend any baby friendly resorts at the top end budgets.
many thanks
Hello dear Jay,
Here is some information to start with…
About Baby Friendly Resorts.
All resorts propose baby-sitting services as you probably read it already on my article.
But a very few of them accept babies in their Kids Clubs ( at least under 1 year).
The only possibility for you to enjoy “parents time” – so precious, particularly in Maldives-, will be to hire a baby-sitter on location.
I don’t know when and how long you need a baby sitter service, but I can already tell you that some resorts do not have evening baby-sitter or have baby sitter services that can be done for a few hours.
Furthermore, I believe that in order to fully enjoy your “free time”, it would be better to be sure about the baby sitting “quality” for your baby who will still be quite young :-).
About the perfect Island…
This is a very personal story.
On this first basis, I can tell already that there are some resorts that could suit you.
But with no indication on your holiday priorities and wishes + your budget, I can not help you further.
The list would be too long and, mostly, my options could be wrong.
You can, if you wish, let me know about this or ask me further questions, here on the comments or by email.
I hope this will help you,
Have a nice day,
Cheers,
Rozenn
We were in the middle of finalizing the resort. We were thinking Four Seasons Kuda Hura. A bit pricey (approx $1,100/nite as per their website) but as per our research it seems like they have a good kids club as well as only a boat ride away from the airport.
We are looking for some place where kids (10 yrs old daughter & 4 yrs old son) can have some fun on their own so that we can have some downtime as well.
We would like to…
1. Scuba
2. Daughter would like to learn surfing
3. Submarine ride
4. Fishing for me (if wife allows 😉
5. Lots of comfort (wife is not at all into roughing in)
6. Visit Male
I would really appreciate it, if you could recommend something (in an email) in the same price range or a bit economical.
Hi there, we are planning to visit Maldives in late August , with our 11yr old daughter and 10yr old son. We would like a resort with an active kids club and an over water villa. All inclusive and kids pool with slides would be a plus. what do you suggest?
Dear Nasser,
My humble task is to help you with choosing and not finding the prefect resort.
The search is too large and depends too much on budget.
As I mention at the beginning of the article :
“We are dedicated to helping you find the best Maldives resort for you and your children, but we are not able to present you a list of resorts as everything depends first on your budget, you and your personal requirements ( apart from the kids club of course 🙂 ).
Here is how we can help you :
We suggest you to first submit our list to your favorite travel agent or online and see where and when you could stay with your budget. Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection”, come back to us and we will guide you to make it really perfect.”
Please have a discussion with your travel agent to find the perfect match with your budget and come back to me -if you need- with this first selection. I will then happily answer you,
Good luck in your search,
And do not hesitate to come back to us when your first list is set !
All the best,
Rozenn
Hello and thanks a lot for your helpfull site !
We plan to stay in the Maldives during a week with our 3 years son. We think about Lux Maldives or Dusit Thani Maldives or Constance Halavelhi Resort (depending offers). Do you know if the fare of kids club are included in the price of a room or how can we find the price for a half a day or a day (I didn’t find on their website) ?
Sincerely,
Hello dear Arnaud, bonjour !
Tous les clubs enfants sont sans supplement 🙂 c’est encore mieux.
Au passge, je vous invite a decouvrir notre blog en Francais ici …si cela vous convient mieux.
Bonne journee a vous,
Rozenn
Merci pour votre réponse si rapide et pour le lien vers la version française (mon pauvre anglais n’a pas fait illusion ! :-))
Je vous enverrai un commentaire si l’on choisit un hôtel avec kid’s club.
Le meilleur pour votre blog !
Arnauld.
Cher Arnauld,
Votre commentaire sera le bienvenu !
Note: pour l’Anglais c’est le email qui m’a mis sur la voie ;-), et franchement, il est pas si mal que ça…très clair même.
Bonne journée.
Bien à vous,
Rozenn
I recived a quote from LUX Maldives and Angsana Velavaru and they are similar so we’re wondering which one you would recommend. The Angsana advertises the kids club on their website and brochures, but in their e-mail they state that they are not child friendly and do not recommend the resort to families with children under 5 years old. I’ve e-mailed them back to query this and am still waiting for their reply.
About the meal options, we have a 2 yo and a 5yo. Is it really necessary to get a meal plan or can we buy meals for them (they usually share one meal between them anyway). How expensive is food at these resorts.
Thanks so much
Hello dear Shams
Well…I find strange that Velavaru has stated that they are not child friendly…how paradoxal is this ?
Their Kids-club accept children from 3 years old. I would be interested in knowing more about their answer to you…
For the meals, It’s difficult to advise you. I don’t know the price for the meal plans that you got offered. In both cases, food is always quite expensive, even snacks and pastas. So, I would consider taking at least one meal plan…
Staying at your disposal if you need more infos.
Cheers,
Rozenn
Hello,
Thank you for this wonderful blog – you have inspired me more than ever to enjoy at holiday with my family to the Maldives. Our families holiday interests are two fold – surfing and relaxing, with our two young children (3yrs and 1yrs).
We are looking at travelling in September 2012. Is this a good time for surf?
After reseraching surfing locations, I have been trying (with great difficulty) to cross reference them with child-friendly resorts. If you have time, are you able to give me any indication of resorts that may have access to surfbreaks (via boat transfer or other) and be child friendly with a little bit of luxury too? Hudhuranfushi Island Resort (Lohifushi Resort) does not excite me – have you any other recomendations?
Thank you for your help.
Kind regards
Alicia Robinson
Dear Alicia,
Sorry for this late reply…may’be you’ve made your choice already…:-(
In any case, I would recommend you Anantara Dhigu which has it all. It is one of the cheapest ( ( I did not say cheap 😉 ) to give you the possibility to surf close by and have your kids well handled.
Whatever you’ve probably chosen already, I wish you a beautiful stay !!!
Cheers,
Rozenn
Hello,
Could you please tell me a bit about Holiday Inn Kandooma Island? I believe they have a kids club – is this correct? I have two children aged 7 and 10.
Kind regards,
Nikki
Hello dear Niki
I would have gladly help you, but I unfortunately do not know Kandooma.
I am sorry,
Cheers
Rozennn
Hello Rozenn,
we are planning to go to the Maldives in july-august with our 2 children (ages 9 and 11). The list of kids-friendly resorts is very helpful.
We are actually looking for a resort that is not only kids-friendly but also has a beautiful housereef that can be reached directly from the beach (so without having to take a boat).
We really love snorkeling so we would like to be able to go snorkeling for a couple of hours every day without having to pay for a snorkeling trip on a boat.
We already snorkeled with whale sharks in Mexico but we would really love to have the opportunity to swim with manta rays too.
To avoid huge extra bills we would also like to have an all inclusive resort.
Can you give us some tips on which resorts are the best for our needs?
Thank you very much!
Dear Babs,
Lily Beach Resort and Spa would be a perfect match.
The resort is one of our favorite for many reasons.
I wrote a lot about Lily Maldives on our main website in the section “Maldives Dreamy Resort”. You will find there E-ve-ry-thing you need to know about the Resort. Read here Lily Beach Resort & Spa.
All the best,
Rozenn,
Hi Rozenn,
thank you very much for the quick reply. I had a look at Lily Beach Resort and it looks really wonderful…but I’m afraid it’s a bit too expensive for our budget.
Do you have any other suggestions for us?
Thanks a lot!
Dear Babs
Sorry for late reply, I take some time to answer you…
My humble task is to help you with choosing and not finding the prefect resort. The search is too large and depends too much on budget.
As I mention at the beginning of the article :
“We are dedicated to helping you find the best Maldives resort for you and your children, but we are not able to present you a list of resorts as everything depends first on your budget, you and your personal requirements ( apart from the kids club of course 🙂 ).
Here is how we can help you :
We suggest you to first submit our list to your favorite travel agent or online and see where and when you could stay with your budget. Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection”, come back to us and we will guide you to make it really perfect.”
Please have a discussion with your travel agent to find the perfect match with your budget and come back to me -if you need- with this first selection. I will then happily answer you,
Good luck in your search,
All the best
Hello again Rozenn,
I have been doing some more investigating on prices and housereefs and these are the resorts I came up with: Bandos and Kuramathi. Lily Beach and Centara Grand look wonderful too but are much more expensive I think.
Which island is the best choice for us in your opinion, Bandos or Kuramathi?
Thank you, all the best to you too
Hello dear Babs,
Kuramathi without any doubt.
The Resort is one of the best in its category. We love this island. Big, beautiful, nice atmosphere, good food, nice rooms, plenty of activities, very nice reef, nice beach, amazing sandbank, super Kids-Club……and recently renovated.
What to say more ?
Go ahead. It is fantastic.
Let me know…
Have a nice day!
Dear Rozenn and Sakis,
Many compliments for this great website, what a fantastic tool for families!!
Together with my husband and 5 y.o. daughter we would like to spend 10 days in Maldives from 31st March.
We are mostly looking for resorts with kids clubs, proper ones, with indoor and outdoor playrooms/playgrounds and lots of activities. Mini-disco would also be a huge plus.
An other mandatory requirement is to have All Inclusive treatment, to avoid huge extra bill.
It would be nice to have a beach bungalow.
It’s difficult to make the right choice, but from what I read here I am thinking of Kanuhura or Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa.
Do you have any idea if any of the resorts you mention are also sold to the Italian market?
Budget is not an issue for us, we just want the best of the best!!
Thanks in advance
Francesca
Dear Francesca,
Thank you very much for your comment.
Indeed the Resorts that you mention are sold in the Italian Market.
You will have to make some research to find your favorite Travel agent.
Enjoy the Amazing Maldives,
Sakis & Rozenn
Hi Rozenn,
Im used to going to beach holiday resorts around south east asia (i.e. phuket, philippines, bali, etc) but would like to give the maldives ago because we always wanted to try. We have 2 kids, a 4 yr and a 2 yr old. We understand that it is more expensive than resorts in the south east, our budget is roughly around 600 to 1000USD (with meals preferably). We are not big on leaving our kids with babysitters for an extended period of time but much prefer organising a babysitter for an hour or two while they are sleeping so we can get a massage or a drink, etc.
Kids club would be great to keep them occupied. The things we would like are:
1. kid friendly beach with lots of fishes
2. nice big rooms – not sure if water villas are same for them?
3. full board or half board so i dont have to worry about the ‘surprise bill’
4. good kids club
5. a spa for massages
6. good food – as there isnt much things to do there
thinking of travel period is around late march to april (is this ok?)
thanks
Dear MC
Everything is possible in all Resorts of my list, but one element will make the difference :
You’ll have to find a resort that can (and accept) to accommodate 2 AD + 3 CHD without having to book 2 villas.
Please pay attention : Water Villas are not always available for Families with young Children for security reasons.- Note : I must admit that it requires a LOT of attention from our side.Personally, I was not a fan when my Son was smaller.
That said, I am thinking of Lily Beach (probably the best bet according to your wishes), Anantara Dhigu(great too, but no snorkeling at close reach), and Kanuhura.(same as Dhigu).
Have a look at Lily Beach and Dhigu on our website ( we have selected them as our favorite Dreamy Resorts of Maldives ) at
Lily Beach AND Dhigu
Once you’ve checked all details ( I have gathered on this pages ALL NECESSARY Information), you wil have then to check if they fit into your budget ( that is always the big question ;-)) and if there are deals going on with your favorite agent or on the web.
Please do not hesitate to come back to me once you’ve done that.
I hope I’ve helped you,
Have a great day,
Rozenn.
Hi Rozenn,
Once again your comment is most informative and helpful. We are close to booking our Maldivian holiday, I took your advise and researched Lily Beach and very much impressed. I found a good deal at Agoda.com for their Beach villa which would accomodate all of us as it has an oversize daybed, so we can just request for a cot and we should be all set. The Agoda website says “All Inclusive” so I have asked them numberous times whether this means the same as Lily Beach’s “Platinum Package”, I must say their responses have all been dissapointing and I feel like its just a massive call centre standard response.
Do you know whether Lily Beach only offers all inclusive? My biggest fear is when I book with Agoda and upon arriving to find out that its not the Platinum Package.
Also, having a look at Diva and sheraton full moon as well, which is better for us in your opinion. if we are into just chilling out, snorkelling and having massages. and which one has better baby sitting facilities?
im planning to visit maldiv in november 2011. my daughter is 8 years old and my son is 5. they realy love the outside activities such as swimming, fishing, tree house. so what 5 stars resorts that you recomed. thanks
rehab
Hello,
First of all, thank you for proving all the links/info on kid friendly resorts ! We are looking at a short vacation in Maldives in December. We are travelling with our two kids (10 & 5yrs). We are tempted to stay in a over water villa, since it would certainly be an experience we havent gotten anywhere so far. Are there any suggestions that are kid friendly for this ? Would you suggest this ?
We looked at Centara Grand, which sounded good and had a price of around $1000/night + sea plane fare etc for an over water villa with kids. Is this a good option ? Is this hotel in a good location ? We love scenic and serene surroundings. Also the Island Hideaway resort sounds lovely (their beach front Rambaa suite – not sure if kids are allowed and the rates). If there are other resorts that you would recommend in similar category I would love to know.
Thank you !
Anu
Dear Anu,
Indeed, Island Hideaway is an excellent choice 🙂
Have a look at Diva Maldives which has Family Water Villas !
I also think about Kanuhura and one of the 2 Four Seasons ( but budget might be an issue).
These Resorts have great value, scenics and options for family accomodations.
I hope this helped you,
Have a great day,
Rozenn
Hi there Rozenn
Thank you for the info. Great help.
We’ve been dreaming of Maldives for a few years now and I think we’re ready to go this year. The only trouble is deciding on which resort to stay.
We have 2 kids aged 2 and 6 so we’ll definitely want a resort that offer Kids Club and other facilities. We’ve stayed in many resorts in Asia offering Kids Club per-say but not actually having that many activities for the kids; nothing like Club Med Kids Club which guarantee a fun and full day of activities for the children.
Can you please help us. We are looking for a resort that has 2 bedroom villa and not connecting, and a good Kids Club.
Many thanks in advance.
hello there…thank you for this info. we have 2 daughters 10 and 12. they do not like kids clubs, but prefer just snorkeling and swimming and relaxing. we want an over water villa where the 4 of us can easily stay together in a king size. we also would like a seaplane arrival as the girls would love that! we are considering the Hilton Maldives/Iru Fushi Resort & Spa. our budget is around 6oo to 700 US dollars a night. maybe closer to 600 if possible. we want 5 star and the highest standard for our money. a few nice pools mostly for the girls. my husband and i just like to relax. your suggestions would be lovely.. cheers!
Dear Robin,
Here are a few suggestion …
Diva Maldives ( family water Villas !!) NUMBER 1
Angsana Velavaru ( big water Vila for families ! )
Iru Fushi ( indeed a good choice)
Kanuhura : Interconnected rooms
The Fours Seasons ( 2 resorts : Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaru ). Pls check with your favorite agent or on Internet reference your budget
This is a first list of suggestions that I hope will help you to make your choice 🙂
If you need more infos about them or have other ideas, let me know. We’ll see together.
Have a great day,
Rozenn
hi. i wish to go maldives with my husband and two child 11 and14 years old. which resort u suggest.
Dear Alpa,
As we said to Travelmonk ( see comment above dated : March 10th 2011 ) :
We would be happy to help you chose your best Maldives resort. But we are not able to give you a list of resorts as everything depends first on your budget ! Without mentioning your personal requirements (apart from the kids club of course ;-)).
We suggest you to first submit our list to your favorite travel agent or online and see where you could stay with your budget. Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection”, come back to us and we will guide you to make it really perfect.
Looking forward reading you,
Have a great day,
Rozenn
Thanks a lot :-))
Hello,
we have booked our holiday in Kuramathi and we are travelling at the end of April with our 2 years old daughter. I know that the kids club there only takes children from 3 but is it free to use for us? I mean if I can come and play in playroom or in the playground with my daughter there? Thanks for your answer.
Hi Erika,
You can surely play with your daughter free of charge in the playground and playroom of Kuramathi Resort.
There is a big playground outside the kids club with many games.
Enjoy your holidays in the amazing Maldives
hi there
i want to go to the maldives with my wife and 2 boys(ages 12 & 6 years). which hotel / resort would you recommend that would have activities that both the boys would enjoy…
cheers
Suraj
Hi Rozenn & Sakis,
First up, would really like to thank you for putting up such informative details regarding child friendly holidays. It really shows how much you care for kids and think that holidays without kids is not complete….
We are planning to visit the Maldives for the first time in the Mid May and planning to stay for 6/7 nights is a very child friendly resort with a very good location.
I have a 9 year old daughter who simply loves the Kids-Clubs and all the activity associated with it and also she is very adventurous with water activities. I also have 3 year old boy who loves as you described earlier ”
bathing with Dad and Mum, playing with the sand, watching the fishes…”
My first question would is Mid – May the ideal time visit Maldives, can i see the blue waters, go for snorkelling, enjoy the beach, we are not sun loungers but dont like the whole day raining……
The second one will be which resort offers the maximum for a 9 year old…
Thanks for your time..
Regards
Hello Travelmonk !
We would be happy to help you chose your best Maldives resort. But we are not able to give you a list of resorts as everything depends first on your budget ! Without mentioning that personal requirements ( apart from the kids club of course 😉 ) have to be taken in consideration.
We suggest you to first submit our list to your favorite travel agent or online and see where you could stay with your budget. Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection”, come back to us and we will guide you to make it really perfect.
For the weather. May looks already tricky. But you can imagine how impossible it is to predict how days will exactly go on. You may have sunshine non-stop, or a few days between rainy ones…
Please use our list , submit it together with your budget and come back to us.
We will be very happy to assist you once this essential search is done,
Looking forward reading you,
Have a great day !
Rozenn & Sakis
We are planning a trip to the Maldives in late July 2011 travelling from Singapore. We have three children, 10, 8 and 6 years old. What is the best resort to take three kids to for the money? Trying to get a great experience without busting the bank. My kids love snorkeling. Please let us know. Thank you.
Hi – how about resorts which cater for teens (15/16), especially teens who enjoy windsurfing and prefer to be active on holiday ? Any suggestions would help.
Hello Eddy
We would recommend you the Anantara’s hotels which provide a fantastic spot for windsurf, surf and kitesurf. ( one of the best among all resorts )
On the other hand, Centara Grand Island Resort is the only one to offer a teens club where they can enjoy gaming stations. But as your kids are active ( and that’s the point in Maldives ! ) Water activities and lagoon usability for water sports might be an issue as the resort does not have the same assets as Anantara on this matter.
Please do not hesitate for any other question,
Hi!
We are planning to visit the Maldives for the first time end of February. We have an 8 year old who is very active and quite demanding. At this age, they are not interested in the “arts and crafts” or hang around some toys at the kids club! I need somewhere that would cater to his craving for adventure and experimentation without dragging me with him on every excursion! I also need a sort of busy resort where he won’t be the only kid there at this time of year. It’s not Easter nor X-mas so I’m not sure what the situation is like there, but I do like a place where he can meet other kids where they can play and run together. Also, I’ve noticed that prices do vary, which one would you consider the best priced in terms of kids friendliness? We will be there for 4 nights 5 days and do not want to come back home broke 🙂
Help Please!!
Hello Reem,
Indeed prices vary, so we will not be able to give you a list of resorts as everything depends on your budget ! Without mentioning that personal requirements ( apart from the kids club of course 😉 ) have to be taken in consideration.
We suggest you to first submit our list to your favorite travel agent or online and see where you could stay with your budget. Be aware that some agents and/or websites have different prices, so do not hesitate to compare.
Once you’ve got a first “selection” come back to us and we will guide you to make it really perfect.
Just a word about the number of kids that will be there at the same period. There should be kids too, but we can not guarantee this point, this will depend on the bookings ! So we will not be able to take this point in our final suggestions.
We will be very happy to assist you once this first search will be done,
Looking forward reading you,
Have a great day !
Rozenn & Sakis
Hello,
We are planning to go to Maldives with our 1.5 year daugther. Could you recommmend a nice resort that would be suitable and would offer some of activities for a child of such age? thanks indeed.
Hello Mazika,
First I can tell you that holidaying in Maldives with a 1,5 year child is not a problem as our boy went there twice at the same age. I just overprotected him from the sun. Super high protective cream, hat, short and tee shirt…all together 🙂 + I avoided the hotest burning hours ( 10h30 / 15h30 ). Never had a single problem.
This important matter said…Quite none of the resorts will offer activities for our very small ones.
Kids clubs ( excepted Bandos – but please get information with your favorite travel agent on this resort or/and check reviews) do not accept 1.5 years old children.
Activities will remain simple,…bathing with Dad and Mum, playing with the sand, watching the fishes…
If you feel to have a moment for two with your beloved one, you will find, in most of the resorts, a baby-sitting service generally assured by some members of the staff. Prices vary between 6/10 euro ( rare) to 20/25 euro according to the resort category.
Here are some first main information that might help you.
Please do not hesitate to ask me more question,
Have a nice day,
Please recheck if this service is currently provided when you book your resort.
HI there,
We are also planning a trip to the Maldives with our 16 month old and are wondering what resort this couple chose? We are looking for a beach villa/cottage, that offers babysitting and is quite toddler friendly.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Natasha
Dear Natasha
I don’t know your budget, which is essential to advise you on the right resort.
Almost all resorts offer Baby Sitting. Prices vary between 7 USD to 20 USD per hour ( :-O ) according to the category.
Please note that Baby sitters are not “official ” Baby sitters, but quite always member of the staff who provide the service, or sometimes a girls from the neighboring island. So, as far as I am concerned, I would not say that it is the ideal for a small one like yours.
We had our son under the care of some staff ( men and women ) or girls from the islands and everything ran smooth and I have nothing to say. Everybody was sweet. And I’ll surely do it again 🙂
BUT.
Yes there is a but.
My son was app. 2 years old.
Before this age, he was constantly with us.
This is a very delicate question, involving the different sensibilities that we both might have.
Plus, Baby sitting is not always guaranteed in the evening for example and as to be booked much in advance, sometimes 1 day.
Et voila…this is what I could tell you for a start.
Please let me know if you need to know anything else.
Have a great Day !
What a beautiful resort! I am also planning to bring my wife and kids to this resort in Maldives. Is there an affordable package for the family of 3?
I need the best resorts for kids and more activities for my kids 4,6,7 years old
thanx
Dear Marzouq,
we just sent you an email giving you a few ideas to start with…