Bandos Maldives

At the Orchid Spa, enjoy relaxing treatments in a private cabana on the beach then sip on a cocktail from the swim-up pool bar, lined with shaded loungers. Head to the Clubhouse for a game of tennis or volleyball - or raid the board game collection. Just across the sand, you'll find the Grill Bar, which has dining in the artsy restaurant or out on the deck. For a laid-back evening, the Huvan lounge is just the place to watch the sunset, visit the Sand Bar for a night of karaoke and enjoy a mean curry at Sea Breeze.

Set on the beach, over the water or in the main hotel, each room at Bandos has a mini bar, air-con and private veranda. Decorated with ocean-inspired artwork, muted tones and light wooden furnishings, the villas have four-poster beds draped in netting, a spacious living area and partly open-air bathrooms with a large jetted tub and walk-in shower. The duplex beach villas are built in a island hut style and some come with an infinity pool, while the water villas have a large deck overlooking the lagoon.

Bandos' dive centre is the longest-running in the Maldives, so you'll be in excellent hands on underwater excursions past coral formations teeming with marine life. If you're a fisherman at heart, enjoy casting your line from a dhoni boat as the sun goes down. Search the seas for whale sharks on a day trip to their watery stomping ground or enjoy a sunset cruise as Spinner dolphins do their nighttime migration out of the Malé Atoll. It wouldn't be the Maldives without a salty jaunt on the water, which can be done by canoe, water ski and catamaran.