Maldives… now a family affair: The Indian Ocean paradise islands used to be reserved for honeymooners, but not anymore

We cruise bumpy Route 66 in a Mini Moke, bouncing through sandy potholes as we pass a sign for the Golden Gate Bridge.

This is just one of many bridges to tick off as we travel through lush, tropical vegetation. There is also Rialto, Tower and Sydney Harbour.

No, my geography wasn’t wrong – this is Siyam World in the Maldives, and these “bridges” are actually long pontoons topped with villas that span the blue Indian Ocean.

Siyam World is one of the largest resorts in the Maldives, located on a 133-hectare island in the Noonu Atoll, where the sandy edge surrounds a fertile interior. Having experienced more than a dozen islands in the Indian Ocean archipelago, I’d say this is the most fun, with its huge inflatable water obstacle course, fleet of motorized sea toys and huge soccer field, not to mention the cheeky humor.

If you thought the Maldives was just a honeymoon idyll made up of islands of speckled white sand in an enchanting aquamarine sea, it’s time to think again. Resorts like Siyam World and Sun Siyam Iru Fushi on a neighboring island are a dream destination for families looking to share the vacation of a lifetime.

Sea links at the world’s most romantic holiday destination received a boost when British Airways introduced direct flights from the UK in 2009. At the time, I took my four-year-old son Christian, now 17, to resorts that catered to the family market with kids’ clubs, water sports and kids’ menus.

Now hotels are seriously raising the bar for activities, bringing in both the teenage market and the toddler market.

Leading the way is Siyam World, the newest of five Sun Siyam resorts in the Maldives, opening in late 2021 and offering a list of activities as long as your arm’s length.

The villas are ideal for family groups. On these “bridges”, the three-bedroom overwater bungalows consist of three separate units connected by terraces, with a large swimming pool and a slide in the crystal clear water. There are also some two and three bedroom beachfront villas. One of the latter has a spacious room with double and bunk beds, while sofa beds can be placed for extra people. They’re pretty chic, but you can go even chicer at one of the 24 exclusive Beach House Collection properties. A two-bedroom villa here with a living room, hot tubs, an outdoor bathroom, and not one but two swimming pools sleeps eight.

“We were only supposed to have multi-generational villas in the Beach House collection, but when we couldn’t open due to Covid, we took time to evaluate the idea and add more,” says creative director Sara Siam.

It was a good move. “About 40 percent of our guests are friends or family,” says her husband, resort manager Ausy Waseem.

One of 24 exclusive properties in Siyam World’s Beach House Collection. A two-bedroom villa with hot tubs and not one but two swimming pools can easily sleep eight people

But how do you make everyone happy? As Sara says, “We take experiences to another level.” She’s not kidding. There is so much to do here that one guest recently extended their stay to 48 days.

The sea is the obvious starting point. Feet away from an eagle ray fluttering gracefully through the water, my son tries out an underwater jetpack. Worn on your back, it propels you through the water so you can show off your barrel rolls in front of the terrified sea creatures. From above, Christian looks like an oversized fish flashing by. From the ground up “it was the best activity I’ve ever done,” he says.

I try the seabob, a kind of motorized float that you hold on to as it propels you above and below the water, and opt for the electric surfboard, which manages to stand triumphantly for a split second.

For quieter partygoers there is a coral planting session with Thuhu, the resort’s marine biologist. “The sand here is so soft because it is 70 percent parrotfish poo,” she says. “Everybody likes that fact.”

After attaching the corals to frames, guests take them to the flats. The coral will grow an inch or two in six months, so by the time you return in five years, you should have a thriving garden.

After planting ours, which we call Sweet Coraline, we snorkel past a rainbow fish. On one side of us, a hawksbill turtle swims gracefully while a giant moray eel weaves its way through a rocky channel on the other side.

Iru Fushi, pictured, “offers activities for all ages – with a kids’ club, boat rides, diving and water sports”

The resort is all-inclusive, but like the motorized water sports, coral planting comes at an extra cost. However, there are plenty of offerings that are part of the all-inclusive plan, including windsurfing, kayaking, yoga, tennis, and a free kids’ club. Not that they want to go there when they see the inflatable obstacle course, the largest in the Maldives. There’s a lot of slipping, sliding and, in my case, splashing in the water as we try to cross impossible bridges, avoid dangerous ledges, jump off cliffs and slide down slides.

Young and old enjoy it: we see grandparents trying on water shoes for extra grip.

Afterwards, you need a drink and the water sports beach bar, with its rocking chairs and a selection of mocktails and cocktails, is just a stone’s throw away – there are more than 100 options in the all-inclusive offering from the resort’s seven bars. In the evening you can eat in the various restaurants on different culinary continents: Spanish, Japanese, Thai, Indian and Maldivian, as well as a pizzeria and two buffets. Only the Japanese charge extra for those not staying at The Beach Collection.

The food is amazing, the steak was voted “best ever” by our group’s foodies, and the sushi is so good we booked a cooking class to make it ourselves. Unfortunately, most specialty restaurants aren’t open for lunch, which turns out to be more of a burger-and-fries-by-the-pool affair.

Upstairs is The Cube restaurant in Siyam World. Jane says the food at the resort is “amazing”.

Jane says that Maldivian hotels are seriously raising the bar for activities, catering to both the teenage market and toddlers. Pictured above are Sun Siyam Resorts Kidz Club staff with a young guest

And yes, there are unoccupied lounge chairs by the pool, although the resort has capacity for 1,200 guests and was nearly full when we visited. As we wander through alleys full of tropical plants, we can’t believe it feels so wonderfully peaceful.

Not that you have to walk anywhere – a “golf cart” bus service called World Express runs day and night, with stops named after cities from Marrakech to Munich.

And so the days pass like in a dream. While I treat myself to a spa treatment, Christian goes to the gym. I’ll meet you later at the farm – yes, there is horse riding on this island, with five and more horses for all ages and abilities. Noor may be a thoroughbred and love to gallop through the sand, but if you’d rather take a leisurely stroll on the beach, she’ll respond gracefully.

And the fun won’t end anytime soon. A section of the island marked as “Area 51” on the map will soon be announced as the location for a new land activity. Three more restaurants will open in November. So is a cat cafe, modeled after the Japanese idea that visitors enjoy petting animals while gathering for a drink.

Like the rest of this magical island, the idea is whimsical, fun… and a little crazy.