The Roof Rolls Back: A Maldives Honeymoon Guide for Every Kind of Couple

Planned the wedding down to the minute? The Maldives has one more deadline for you. Your flight has to land in Malé by 15:30, or the same-day seaplane to Soneva Jani leaves without you and your first night as newlyweds is spent in Malé.

That timetable matters because each of these resorts is its own island. Once the boat or the seaplane pulls away, you stay on that island until it comes back for you.

So choose by what the two of you will do there. At Soneva Jani the roof over your bed rolls back to show you the stars. At Gili Lankanfushi a bed is made up under lanterns on your own rooftop. At Baros a private chef and a waiter serve dinner for two on a deck over the lagoon, and at Diamonds Thudufushi the minibar refills itself every day.

Which resort suits which couple?

Soneva Jani is our pick for most couples, for the roof that opens over the bed and the slide into the sea. The other three each win on something else: rooftop nights at Gili Lankanfushi, a table over the water at Baros, and a bar tab that never arrives at Diamonds Thudufushi. All four take children, but Baros asks that they be at least eight. For more islands than these four, our guide to the best hotels in the Maldives has the longer shortlist.

Soneva Jani, for the slide and the stars

The roof is the reason to come. In the 1 Bedroom Water Reserve with Slide at Soneva Jani, it retracts over the main bedroom so you fall asleep under the stars. In the morning, the slide drops you straight into the sea.

The villa is 555 m², with its own freshwater pool, so order the floating breakfast to it. Book Drift and Dine for a castaway picnic cooked by your private chef. After dark, watch a film over the lagoon at Cinema Paradiso.

Soneva Jani is in Noonu Atoll, a 40-minute shared seaplane flight from Malé. Mind that 15:30 landing time. Miss it and you spend the first night in Malé.

Gili Lankanfushi, for barefoot couples

At Gili Lankanfushi you can sleep on the roof. Book Sleep Under the Stars and the bed is made up on your rooftop terrace, lit by lanterns. The 18 Villa Suites are built for it: 210 m² over two floors, with the rooftop terrace on top and catamaran nets for lying over the water.

There are 45 villas in all, 30 minutes from the airport by speedboat. Sail at sunset on a dhoni with champagne, then eat Japanese fusion and teppanyaki at By the Sea. One thing to know before you book: Gili courts families too, with a Family Time offer for children under 12.

Baros, for dinner over the lagoon

Dinner at Baros can be a table for two on the Piano Deck, out over the lagoon, with a private chef and a waiter serving just the two of you. For lunch, take the gourmet picnic to a sandbank. For sunset, drinks at The Lighthouse.

Baros takes no children under eight. It is 25 minutes from the airport by speedboat, and the boats run at any hour on request, so a late landing doesn’t cost you a night. The Water Pool Villa is 126 m² over the lagoon, with a plunge pool and a stairway down into the water.

Diamonds Thudufushi, for all-inclusive and diving

Whale sharks are found in South Ari Atoll all year round, and Diamonds Thudufushi is a 25- to 30-minute seaplane flight away, in South Ari. The dive centre is a PADI Gold Palm Resort, and the Nitrox is free.

It is also the all-inclusive pick, with meals, wine, cocktails and the minibar covered. Seven of the water villas add a private hydromassage tub. Kakuni serves lobster menus on the beach by reservation, though the lobster beach dinner costs extra.

When should you go?

Go between January and April for sun and clear water, or between May and November for the best chance of seeing mantas and whale sharks.

January to April is the dry northeast monsoon, generally. From May to November the wet southwest monsoon can bring heavy rain, strong winds and storms, and those same months bring the best manta and whale shark sightings. November and December are the changeover, when the weather is variable.

A seven-night honeymoon at Gili Lankanfushi

Here is how we would spend seven nights at Gili Lankanfushi.

• Day 1: Land in Malé, take the 30-minute speedboat and go straight to the Overwater Bar, on stilts over the lagoon, for sunset cocktails.
• Day 2: Breakfast at Kashiveli with your toes in the sand. Dinner is at By the Sea.
• Day 3: Take a picnic basket by boat to a secluded sandbank.
• Day 4: Give the afternoon to the Meera Spa, in one of its treatment rooms over the water.
• Day 5: Sail at sunset on a wooden dhoni, glass of champagne in hand.
• Day 6: Sleep Under the Stars on your rooftop terrace.
• Day 7: Eat the blindfolded four-course Dining for the Senses, then catch a film at the Beach Cinema.

Booking with I Prefer

I Prefer’s Heavenly Honeymoons offer takes money off honeymoon stays at participating member hotels, and Diamonds Thudufushi is an I Prefer member. Luxe Digital’s guide to I Prefer covers how the programme works.

Tips before you book

• Tell the resort it is your honeymoon when you book. Diamonds Thudufushi adds flowers and a fruit basket if you show a wedding certificate issued within the past year.
• Diamonds Thudufushi’s seaplane flies in daylight only, from about 7am to 4pm Malé time, so build your flights around it.
• At Baros, ask about the Romantic Moments package. It includes a candlelit beach dinner, a couples massage and a champagne breakfast in your villa.
• Book the spa on day one. For a spa day on another island, our guide to the best spas in the Maldives has the rest.

Book the villa first and the extras second. A picnic or a massage can be added once you land, but a roof that opens onto the stars cannot.