Why a festive trip to the Maldives could be just the ticket to a merry Christmas for everyone
The Maldives is a gorgeous place to get away – but it’s even better at Christmas, when the elves and reindeer come out to play. December brings good weather and less rainfall, while Maldivian resorts lay on a breadth of festive events, from child-friendly craft sessions to sophisticated cocktail parties.
Plenty of resorts have their Christmas offers up and running already – including gala dinners, champagne toasts, booking discounts, solo deals and upgraded rooms – to entice travellers over the festive season.
Many of these won’t be around for long, and with the big day just over three months away, now is the prime time to sell a sunny winter escape in the Indian Ocean.
Best Maldives resorts for families with young children
Kuramathi Island Resort is a great choice for families with children under 10, offering a huge kids’ club with soft toys and development-focused games for babies and toddlers, plus a splash pad, colourful treehouse and range of sports and food-related fun for older kids.
From Christmas Eve to New Year, sketches of Christmassy characters such as Santa, his elves and gingerbread men appear along the resort’s sandy footpaths. The man in red makes an entrance on December 25, giving out presents and Christmas cheer to all the children.
A programme of festive activities offers kids the chance to help decorate the Christmas tree and play festive games. If they’d prefer to bring back local handicrafts for their friends, a visiting festive market sells Maldivian trinkets.
Book it: Kuoni offers seven nights’ all-inclusive in a Beach Bungalow for two adults and two under-10s from £14,915, including flights on December 21 and transfers.
kuoni.co.uk
Or try: Family favourite Kandima Maldives (where kids under six can stay and eat for free) has one of the largest kids’ clubs in the Maldives, a Christmas tree made from painted coconuts and Santa arriving on a sleigh pulled by two jetskis. The hotel has a Christmas offer with savings of up to 45% for holidays between December 27 and January 10, 2025.
Best Maldives resorts for families with teens
The Hard Rock Hotel Maldives is a solid choice for clients travelling with a notoriously tricky-to-please demographic: kids aged 13-17. The aptly named Teen Spirit zone is an exclusive space for teenagers, where they can meet others their age, learn how to rock out on the guitar or simply play on a games console.
The hotel runs an annual ‘Pink Festive’ celebration, which sees the multi-island resort twinkling under the warm glow of fuschia fairy lights. Teenagers can expect an enticing array of daytime performances to keep them entertained, from aerial artists to Maldivian traditional dancers, then join their parents at afternoon DJ sessions and tie-dye parties once the sun goes down.
Book it: Mercury Holidays offers seven nights’ B&B at the Hard Rock Hotel Maldives in a Sky Studio from £3,712 per person, for two adults and two teenagers sharing two rooms. The price is based on a December 20 departure, and includes flights and transfers.
mercuryholidays.co.uk
Or try: The Den at Soneva Jani has a dedicated rooftop area for teenagers that’ll help them detox from devices and escape school pressures: think a telescope deck, music room, foosball and table tennis. From December 10-26 this year, champion freestyle footballer Marcel Gurk will be holding workshops teaching teens how to perform some impressive tricks with the ball.
Best Maldives resorts for couples
Each of the Maldives’ five Sun Siyam resorts picks a different theme for its Christmas celebrations, and this year, the plush 125-suite Iru Veli has chosen ‘metamorphosis’, to symbolise growth and renewal for the new year.
Wellness treatments in the sea-facing spa with its Christmassy aromas will ease couples into the festive spirit, while the elevated gala dinner on Christmas Eve promises to be a classy and elegant affair.
The Chemistry cocktail bar (which is open until midnight every night) plays host to the Christmas tree lighting ceremony and serves themed cocktails.
Book it: Gold Medal offers seven nights’ all-inclusive from £5,549 per person, based on two adults sharing a Beach Villa. The price includes a 20% discount, gala dinner, seaplane transfers and flights on December 19.
goldmedal.co.uk
Or try: Adult-only resort the Oblu Select Lobigili typically puts on a festive show to remember. Previous years have seen chilled-out Christmas movies and cocktails on the beach, plus gingerbread house-building sessions and romantic mulled wine and cheese-pairing workshops.
Best Maldives resorts for solo travellers
Nova Maldives could be the perfect ‘treat yourself’ Christmas gift for a solo traveller. Activities at the resort are designed to help solos discover this idyllic archipelago in the company of fellow travellers, from communal teppanyaki restaurants to boat trips and art classes.
The ‘Supernova’ festive season is the highlight of the resort’s calendar, encouraging guests to connect with nature (and each other) via celestial-inspired experiences, night-time snorkelling and tea ceremonies.
This year’s programme, which runs from December 26-31, will include solo-friendly stargazing tours for the first time, either on a sunset cruise or from the sand – but always with free-flowing prosecco.
Book it: Hummingbird Travel sells a seven-nightfull-board stay in a Sunset Beach Villa, arriving on December 21, from $6,689 net, with typical agent mark-up of 15%-20%. The price includes transfers but excludes international flights.
hummingbird.travel
Or try: Coco Collection’s new Solo Adventure package reduces the usual cost of a Maldivian villa by up to 50%. Plus, the resort activities are especially sociable, from group snorkelling and fishing trips to Christmas Day beach volleyball with the staff, and a yoga session to see in the new year.
Family in focus
Jenny Pettett, who runs personal training business Train with Jenny, and her husband Martin live in Hampshire with their two children, 12-year-old Isabelle and Toby, 10. They tell Travel Weekly what drew them to a festive family stay in the Maldives.
Why did you decide to go away for Christmas?
Jenny: I had just recovered from breast cancer and wanted to do something amazing. We had a health insurance payout to spend – and top of the bucket list has always been the Maldives.
What drew you to the Hotel Riu Atoll?
Martin: I asked for a two-week stay in a beachfront room and Tui found one within our budget.
Jenny: It looked like the perfect balance – a beautiful party island in the middle of nowhere, but with enough for the children to do.
What did you enjoy about the celebrations?
Isabelle: Santa arrived on a jetski with elves and there was a stage where little kids could meet him. On Christmas Day, there was a barbecue by the pool.
Martin: They had a ginormous gingerbread house with a bottom layer made from Christmas cake, and Toby loved the figures carved out of watermelon.
Jenny: There was buck’s fizz at breakfast and an evening carol service. There was such a lovely atmosphere. But the main celebration was on Christmas Eve – the gala dinner was just incredible.
PICTURES: Siyam World/Aksham12; Universal Resorts
