Who Doesn't Adore The Maldives?

The Maldives has been on Lindsay Yap’s bucket list for the longest time, so it’s no wonder she made the most of her recent five-day getaway to the tropical island nation.

Niyama Private Islands is located on Dhaalu Atoll, about a 45-minute seaplane ride away from the Maldivian capital Malé; you can also choose to take a 30-minute domestic flight to Dhaalu Airport and a 10-minute speedboat ride to the resort. Despite the heftier price tag, I recommend taking the seaplane as it’s a huge part of the whole Niyama experience. Seeing the islands and reefs from above is amazing, and that famed turquoise shade of Maldivian water is exactly as intense as you imagine.

We visited in late November, which is the end of the monsoon season. Though we experienced some cloudy skies and passing showers, it was nothing too drastic to affect our plans. The weather in the Maldives can be erratic, so a longer stay allows for more hits than misses – the perfect excuse for stretching out your trip!

The resort is spread across two islands – dubbed “Play” and “Chill” – with over 100 rooms made up of a mix of overwater, beach and pool villas and pavilions. Despite being at almost full occupancy while we were there, it didn’t feel crowded. That was something we really appreciated; looking out to the beach from our villa, we almost felt like we had the island to ourselves.

Villa and butler

During our stay, my sister and I were put up in a Beach Pool Villa on Chill. We especially loved the privacy of our own pool, while having direct access to the beach. The villa has a spacious patio with a swing and loungers for enjoying the sea views, while the room itself is perfect for two: a comfy king-sized bed, a day lounger and a TV with a decent movie selection (with an inroom popcorn machine to boot!). The pretty bathroom boasted an open-air shower with a water feature and pathway leading to it; note that, since it’s half outdoors, you’ll likely share the space with some insects.