How to Choose the Best Maldives Resort: A Honeymooner’s Guide to Your Perfect Island Escape

The Maldives is paradise personified—pristine white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant marine life that feels straight out of a dream. Sherry and I chose it for our honeymoon in 2024, after celebrating three weddings (yes, three!). It turned out to be the best decision—we fell so in love with the place that Sherry cried when it was time to leave. If you’re planning your own Maldives getaway, this guide is here to help you choose the perfect resort for your needs. Trust us—we’ve been in your shoes, overwhelmed by the thousands of dreamy options. But with a little guidance, choosing the one can be easier than you think.

With over 160 resorts spread across the Maldives, choosing where to stay can be overwhelming. Some key questions to consider:

• What activities matter to you? Snorkelling, diving, fine dining, or spa treatments?
• What’s your budget? Luxury resorts range from $US500 to over $US5000 per night.
• All-inclusive or pay-as-you-go? Consider meal plans, drink packages, and extra fees.
• How far is the resort from Malé? Speedboat or seaplane transfers impact convenience.

Here we detail our research and analysis on our selection process and why we chose to stay 5 fabulous nights at OZEN Life Maadhoo. We’ve written a full review of our dreamy stay at OZEN so make sure to check it out here 😉

Unlike some resorts where premium drinks and activities cost extra, OZEN’s Indulgence Plan includes the below benefits which really was a big factor in us choosing this Maldives resort:

• Premium alcoholic beverages (including a gin tasting experience!)
• Complimentary dinner at M6m, its underwater restaurant, with matching wine pairings!
• Speedboat transfers (saving extra fees)
• A spa treatment per guest
• Unlimited snorkelling gear and excursions
• Complimentary one dinner and one lunch at their gourmet themed restaurants aside from the all-inclusive meals

As it was our honeymoon, we wanted to be pampered and not have to worry about what the bill was going to amount to at the end of the trip. Read the fine print when choosing your resort, some will charge extra for equipment hire or a premium drinks package. Our friend went to celebrate his partner’s 40th birthday and was shocked to find he had to upgrade to have a nice scotch versus the house version on the standard package – he did end up upgrading but it just diluted his experience. At OZEN, there are no such restrictions, they even do gin tastings.

OZEN is only 45 minutes from Malé by speedboat, offering a smooth arrival experience. It also has a private airport lounge for freshening up before the journey.

Many Maldives resorts require seaplane transfers, which can add some inconvenience:

• Have a strict 20kg luggage limit
• Operate on infrequent schedules
• Be grounded during bad weather
• Cost up to $US1000 per person round-trip

Choosing a resort in the Maldives that can be reached by just a speedboat means we save all of those hassle. By the time we’d reached Male, we’d been travelling for 3 weeks. Our wedding was in Vietnam, and our honeymoon was split between city adventure in Bangkok (and if you are a foodie don’t forget to check out our Bangkok food guide!) and the relaxation of the Maldives. Therefore, you can imagine we had a lot of luggage with us! Taking a seaplane sounds cool, but taking the speedboat ensured our trip was hassle free and we were able to start relaxing asap!

The same can be said when it comes time to depart. Depending on how often the seaplane is scheduled and other departures on the day, you may need to head back to the airport early and wait, sometimes a few hours ahead. They do not operate after dark so be sure to factor that into your schedule. In fact, our friends have said the seaplane was the only negative experience of their trip. They had an 11am flight to Dubai and were booked an 8am seaplane, only for it to arrive 2 hours late. That being said, they loved the access to marine life in their resort (more on this later).

As you may know, food is at the top of our priority when we travel so we had to choose a Maldives resort that satisfied our culinary experience. OZEN has many restaurants with top quality food for you to enjoy, all included in the Indulgence Plan:

• M6m (Minus 6 Metres) – An underwater fine-dining restaurant with wine pairings (for stays of minimum 4 nights)
• The Palms – All-day dining with fresh sushi and live cooking stations
• Lonu – Traditional Maldivian cuisine
• Traditional Peking – Authentic Chinese fine dining
• Traditional Indoceylon – Indian and Sri Lankan specialties
• Joie De Vivre – Poolside pizzas and casual eats
• Hudhu Bay – Beachside dining and bar

Two couples we know have been to the Maldives and have enjoyed dining at underwater restaurants, so this was an experience we didn’t want to miss – it was definitely a highlight. We wanted to take pictures both during the day and at night and were happily accommodated.

The Maldives is a luxury destination, but choosing the season can save money:

• High season (December–April) = Higher prices & best weather
• Monsoon season (May–November) = Lower rates & fewer crowds

Our wedding was toward the end of April so our stay would extend into May, the start of the monsoon season. This helped with the costs as the high season runs from December to March due to optimal weather.

Fortunately, the day we arrived, the weather was clearing from storms experienced the week before. Throughout the remainder of our stay thereafter, temperatures were a lovely mid to late 30 degrees. Don’t let the monsoon season deter you but be prepared to anticipate indoor activities. There’s no better place to watch the rain patter from your lovely villa!

Travelling during this period may also mean a less busier resort and more time to yourself. Luckily, at no stage did it feel like it was crowded – we were able to easily get reservations and we even had the gin tasting session all to ourselves. Our dates were set as we wanted a honeymoon right after the wedding, so these factored into choosing the Maldives, and OZEN resort, as our destination.

Choosing between all-inclusive or pay as you go will also factor into the cost. We were set on an all-inclusive package, although we’re not excessive drinkers, we like our alcoholic beverages so a premium menu was a must and the Indulgence Plan was the perfect fit. In fact, OZEN is listed in the NY Times as best for money saving!

While OZEN does not have a house reef, it offers:

• Free guided snorkelling trips to nearby reefs (twice daily)
• Sunset dolphin-watching cruises
• Snorkelling gear provided at no extra cost, so that you can just jump into the waters whenever you want!

There are schools of fish and reef sharks swimming around the the wind villas. Life jackets are provided in the villa and snorkelling gear is free to hire. Dining at M6m, you can also see the marine life as you become humans in the human tank. If vast marine life is high on your priorities, this resort might not be the one for you but for casual snorkellers like us, it was more than satisfactory.

If you’re planning your honeymoon or a luxury Maldives vacation, we can’t recommend OZEN Life Maadhoo enough. For us, OZEN Life Maadhoo struck the perfect balance of luxury, inclusivity, and effortless comfort—making our honeymoon nothing short of magical. You can check out our full review of our 5-night stay for more inspiration and insider tips.

Would we return? In a heartbeat—we dream about it every day.

No matter which island you choose, a Maldives escape is bound to be unforgettable. We hope this guide helps you choose your dream resort and have the best times in this paradise!