Travel expert Tom Chesshyre has revealed a glut of last-minute Maldives holiday deals starting from £162 per day including return flights.
The price drop follows the resumption of flight services through Middle East transit hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, creating widespread availability across the Indian Ocean nation.
Although visiting the archipelago requires a 5,300-mile flight from the United Kingdom, package rates now start at £1,207 per person for a seven-night stay or £1,621 per person for ten days. Out of 1,192 islands in the Maldives, roughly 160 are adapted for tourism. Chesshyre, author of Gatecrashing Paradise: Misadventures In The Real Maldives, has visited about a fifth of the resort islands along with numerous local settlements.
Southern atolls and surfing getaways
On the island of Gan in Addu Atoll, the most southerly spot in the Maldives located south of the Equator, Equator Village Maldives offers ten-day B&B stays from £1,625 per person including Manchester flights with TUI, working out to £162 per day, or £1,449 for a week. Parts of the hotel comprise lodgings connected to a Royal Air Force base that closed in 1976, complete with a former officers' snooker table in a sideroom beside the bar. A bridge connects Gan to other islands on the Addu archipelago, allowing guests to explore local villages outside a tourist bubble and dive near a sunken British Second World War ship.
Located just north-east of the capital of Malé on North Malé Atoll, Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi Maldives is recognized as one of the best surfing locations on the archipelago. The resort features beach and overwater villas, a spa, diving, snorkelling and paddleboarding. Guests can book day trips to Malé, sunset and dolphin-watching cruises, and fishing excursions where the catch is cooked on board. Seven-night all-inclusive packages including Heathrow flights start from £1,689 per person with Tropical Sky, costing £241 per day.
Historic resorts and multi-island retreats
Niva Kurumba Maldives, situated close to Malé on an oval-shaped island, opened on October 3, 1972, as the first private island hotel in the country. The date is now observed as National Tourism Day in the Maldives. The resort features palm tree interiors with hammocks, two tennis courts, a gym, a yoga zone and a spa utilizing Aromatherapy Associates oils. Dining options include Thai, Indian and Japanese restaurants, while snorkelling takes place on a house reef protected by sea break barriers. Seven-night B&B packages with return flights start from £1,249 per person through Trailfinders, equivalent to £178 per day.
Sun Siyam Olhuveli on South Malé Atoll consists of three islands linked by walkways. The property houses seven bars including swim-up cocktail venues, alongside Asian, Italian, Indian and Thai dining, burger joints and pizzerias. It features the longest pool in the Maldives, as well as gyms, spas and dive centres on each island. Facilities include adults-only sections, a kids' club and a Moonlight Cinema. Seven-night full-board packages in overwater villas start from £1,929 per person with return flights via Trailfinders, working out at £275 per day.
All-inclusive options and sports facilities
Situated in Raa Atoll, 90 miles north of Malé, Adaaran Select Meedhupparu offers an all-inclusive setup with beach villas set in tropical vegetation alongside overwater accommodation. Available watersports include parasailing, snorkelling, diving, paddleboarding, windsurfing, jet skiing and flyboarding with waterjets propelling users up to 20 metres high. Drinks are served at a beach bar and the Albino Bar, which features a menu of 101 cocktails. Seven-night all-inclusive stays with flights start at £2,189 per person via Tropical Sky, costing £312 per day.
Kandima Maldives holds a Tripadvisor rating of 4.7 out of 5 and provides a modern atmosphere with DJs, cocktail bars and overwater or beach villas. Its sports complex features tennis courts, a five-a-side pitch and a 500-metre electric cart racing circuit. The Beach Club includes a swimming pool with cabanas and twin jetties leading to circular decks for watching the sunset. Seven-night B&B packages with flights start from £1,721 per person through TUI, equivalent to £245 per day.
Island transfers and active holidays
Bandos Maldives is located on a private island reached via a ten-minute speedboat transfer from the airport. The resort features beach and overwater villas, tennis courts, a spa, a gym and a dive centre providing PADI qualifications. Excursions include night fishing trips, whale shark spotting expeditions, dolphin cruises and visits to a traditional Maldivian settlement on Huraa island. Seven-night half-board packages with flights start from £1,539 per person via TUI, costing £219 per day.
Kuredu offers an upbeat sports environment featuring a six-hole golf course, tennis and padel courts, boot camp classes, pilates instruction and sunset yoga sessions. The island contains two main restaurants, eight bars, a dive centre, a large spa, paddleboarding, kayaking and nightly live music. Seven-night half-board stays including seaplane transfers start from £1,207 per person with Travel Republic, working out to £172 per day.
Underwater dining and entertainment experiences
Oblu Xperience Ailafushi, situated near Malé and accessible by a short speedboat transfer, features the largest underwater restaurant in the Maldives, where diners view tropical fish through window walls. The all-inclusive resort offers free in-room minibars stocked with beer and soft drinks, as well as complimentary evening cocktails, wine, beer and spirits at the X360 Bar. Villa interiors display modern art accents. Seven-night all-inclusive stays with flights start from £1,846 per person through Travel Republic, costing £263 per day.
Meeru Maldives Resort Island features six dining venues offering Asian, Italian, Maldivian and seafood dishes, along with five bars, including two adults-only venues positioned next to infinity pools. Accommodation consists of villas set among palm trees or built on overwater platforms. The resort runs themed experience days celebrating events like world chess day, cheesecake day and tequila day, alongside evening DJ sets. Seven-night full-board packages with flights start from £1,639 per person via TUI, working out to £234 per day.
Romantic breaks and marine wildlife tours
Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon in North Ari Atoll caters to romantic travel with a Lovers' Deck for dining at the end of a jetty and sandbank picnic trips. The resort features slick minimalist overwater and beachside villas, Balinese massages at the Chavana Spa, sunset fishing, dolphin cruises and island excursions. Seven-night all-inclusive deals with flights start from £1,419 per person via Tropical Sky, costing £202 per day.
LUX* South Ari Atoll is located in South Ari Atoll, a destination famous for year-round congregations of whale sharks. The resort arranges marine biologist-led excursions to viewing areas. Facilities include refurbished villas, infinity pools, a sushi restaurant, a lagoon beach bar serving cocktails and a beach club preparing grilled seafood such as mussels with lemon slices. Seven-night B&B packages with flights start from £1,295 per person via Away Holidays, equivalent to £185 per day, with an optional all-inclusive upgrade available for an additional £870 per person. All listed prices were correct at the time of publication.
