Gili Lankanfushi

Built from eco-friendly teak and bamboo, and topped with sun-baked palm fronds, Gili has a number of eateries and bars. For a seafood dinner or cocktails at sunset, the Over Water Bar is your go-to, and for a more casual meal of Maldivian cuisine, visit Kashiveli for toes-in-the-sand dining. By The Sea offers an array of Japanese dishes in teppanyaki style and the Underground Wine Cellar has quite the selection of vino paired with gourmet meals, of course. Soak in the pool with a homemade ice cream and enjoy delicious treatments at the Meera Spa - seaweed mud wrap anyone?

Suspended over the see-through lagoon, Gili has 45 villas - each is bright an airy and air-conditioned. Expect large beds (some with a hanging canopy), an en-suite bathroom with a deep open-air tub and a spacious sun deck. Amenities vary from room to room but stand-out features include an infinity pool, rooftop terrace with a jacuzzi and bamboo bicycles for getting around. If you're looking for something really special, the palatial, multi-storey Private Reserve is for you - with a secluded setting, spa pavilion, cinema and water slide!

From Gili Lankanfushi, the North Malé Atoll is your oyster and there are plenty of ways to explore its coral-ringed waters. Visit one of the many diving sites to swim amongst butterfly fish, eagle rays and the endangered green sea turtle. Cruise the waters in search of whale sharks, picnic on a deserted island and hit the waves with watersports of every kind - from windsurfing to wakeboarding. Learn about the resort's conservation efforts at the marine biology shack, catch a movie at the jungle cinema or soar above the islands in a seaplane.