Three Maldives Islands, Three Completely Different Experiences
From barefoot island life and luxury butler service to turtles, dolphins and world-class surf, my first-hand experience of three very different sides of the Maldives.
When you picture the Maldives, chances are you imagine powder-white sand, crystal-clear turquoise water and an overwater villa. And yes, there was plenty of that! But after spending 10 days exploring three very different islands, I discovered there is so much more to the Maldives than the picture-perfect images we all know. I stayed at Adaaran Select Meedhupparu, Heritance Aarah and Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi, and each offered a completely different experience. Along the way I swam with turtles and manta rays, watched dolphins play, cooked with Sri Lankan chefs, experienced incredible food and service, discovered the wilder surfing side of the Maldives and, of course, sampled a cocktail or two in the name of research! Here’s what I discovered, what made each island different and, most importantly, who I think each one would be perfect for.
When you picture the Maldives, chances are you imagine powder-white sand, crystal-clear turquoise water, overwater villas and maybe a cocktail or two And yes, there was plenty of all of that!
But after spending 10 days travelling around the Maldives and staying on three very different islands, one of the biggest things I came home with was just how different a Maldives holiday can actually be.
I stayed at Adaaran Select Meedhupparu, Heritance Aarah and Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi, and although they are all in the Maldives, they offered three completely different experiences. There were manta rays, turtles, dolphins and sharks. I cooked Sri Lankan food alongside the chefs, drank champagne at sunset, attempted to work my way through a 101-cocktail menu and discovered a side of the Maldives that looked nothing like the calm turquoise lagoons you usually see on Instagram. And apparently, this is my job!
First stop: Adaaran Select Meedhupparu. Meedhupparu was exactly the sort of island many of us imagine when we think of the Maldives. Beautiful beaches, turquoise water, tropical greenery and that lovely barefoot feeling where life seems to slow down almost immediately. What I really loved about Meedhupparu was its atmosphere. It wasn't trying too hard to be ultra-luxurious or overly formal. It just felt relaxed, friendly and incredibly easy to settle into. Very quickly, I understood why it has so many repeat guests.There is something about the island that makes you feel at home, and I can absolutely imagine clients returning year after year because they simply know they'll be happy there. We also had some incredible wildlife encounters, including Dolphins and stingrays, and there was always something happening beneath that ridiculously blue water. And then there was the 101 Cocktails menu. Obviously, as a dedicated travel professional, I felt obliged to investigate. It's important to be thorough with these things!
For clients looking for a relaxed, good-quality Maldives experience with beautiful surroundings and a real island feel, Meedhupparu is one I would happily recommend.
Next stop: Heritance Aarah, From Meedhupparu we moved on to Heritance Aarah, and despite the two resorts being relatively close to one another, the experience felt completely different. This was where the luxury level stepped up. We spent four nights at Aarah and I was hugely impressed by the food, service and overall Premium All Inclusive experience. Our two butlers looked after us throughout our stay and were just incredible. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and they became such a big part of our experience that, yes, I actually cried when we had to say goodbye! It's always the people who make a great hotel that little bit more special. Premium All Inclusive that's about more than food and drink. One of the things that really stood out at Aarah was how much was included. Premium All Inclusive can sometimes simply mean better drinks and more dining options, but here there were so many experiences to enjoy too. One of my favourites involved swapping the snorkel for an apron and chef's hat and heading into the kitchen. We cooked Sri Lankan food alongside some of the resort's Sri Lankan chefs, who were incredibly proud to share their skills with us. They showed us the ingredients they use, talked us through the flavours and taught us how they prepare the dishes themselves. They were so enthusiastic about sharing their food with us that they even offered to send us the recipes so we could recreate everything when we got home. Whether I actually manage to recreate it quite as successfully in my kitchen in Rugby remains to be seen!
The wildlife moments I'll never forget Of course, I couldn't possibly visit the Maldives without spending a considerable amount of time in the water. At Aarah I finally got to experience something I'd wanted to do for years: swim alongside a turtle. There are some travel experiences that you build up in your head so much that you wonder whether the reality can possibly live up to them. This one did. Watching this beautiful turtle glide through the water next to me, completely unbothered by my presence while I was internally screaming, “I'm swimming with a turtle!”, was genuinely one of my favourite moments of the entire trip. We also went out looking for dolphins and were lucky enough to find them, paddleboarded across the lagoon and experienced some absolutely beautiful sunsets. It was the Maldives I'd dreamed about.
Who would I recommend Heritance Aarah to? For me, Aarah is a fantastic option for honeymoons, anniversaries and special occasions, particularly for clients who really value food, service and having plenty to experience during their stay. It is family-friendly, but there's also an adults-only Ocean Suites area for couples wanting something more exclusive. If someone said to me, “The Maldives looks beautiful, but I'm worried I'll get bored”, Aarah would absolutely be one of the resorts I'd consider. There is plenty to do, but equally, if your idea of a busy afternoon is moving from your sunbed to the pool, nobody is going to judge you!
And then we found the wild side of the Maldives...Our final stop was Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi, and this was where everything changed again. If you've followed my Maldives photos, you'll have seen an awful lot of calm turquoise water. Then we arrived here. Waves. Proper waves! Hudhuran Fushi is known for its surfing, with surfers travelling from around the world to experience the waves around the island. It has a much wilder feel than the other two resorts we visited and a more relaxed, sociable surf atmosphere. It isn't what I would personally choose if I were looking for that quintessential luxury Maldives holiday. It didn't have the same polished feel as Aarah or the classic island atmosphere that I'd loved at Meedhupparu. But that's exactly why experiencing it was so valuable. Not every Maldives island is right for every person Hudhuran Fushi showed me why choosing the right Maldives island matters so much. For a surfer, this could be paradise. For someone expecting glass-like water, complete seclusion and a high-end luxury resort, it might not be. The island is also much closer to Malé, so you are more aware of the surrounding development than you would be on a more remote island. But that location has a huge advantage too. I can really see Hudhuran Fushi working as a two or three-night Maldives add-on, particularly after touring somewhere such as Sri Lanka. You could have all the adventure and sightseeing of a tour, then finish with a few nights on a tropical island without adding another lengthy journey before your flight home. Behind the scenes at Hudhuran Fushi, One of my favourite experiences here wasn't organised at all. Our room attendant had worked on the island for nine years and took us for a walk through the gardens. He proudly showed us where they grow their own fruit and vegetables, including the banana garden, and I absolutely loved getting to see this completely different side of resort life. These are often the moments I remember most when I travel. They're not necessarily in the brochure or on an itinerary, they just happen because someone is proud of where they work and wants to share it with you. And then, after dark, the island's other residents appeared. Four sharks casually patrolling the shallows! Naturally, my immediate response was to FaceTime my son Morgan to show him. The following day we had dolphins playing in the waves too. The Maldives really does have a habit of producing those “is this actually happening?” moments.
Three islands, but which would I choose? This trip really reinforced something I already knew from arranging Maldives holidays for my clients: choosing your island is everything. At Meedhupparu, I loved the relaxed, barefoot atmosphere and completely understood why so many guests return. At Heritance Aarah, I experienced a much more luxurious Maldives, with exceptional service, fantastic food and so many experiences included within the Premium All Inclusive. And Hudhuran Fushi showed me the wilder side. Surfing, waves and a much more casual and sociable atmosphere, with the added benefit of being conveniently close to Malé.
Three resorts. Three very different holidays. And that's why simply saying, “I'd like to go to the Maldives”, is really only the beginning of the conversation. Why experiencing it myself matters I've worked in travel for many years, and trips like this are such an important part of what I do. Of course I'm incredibly lucky to get opportunities like this. Swimming with turtles and manta rays, watching dolphins, staying in beautiful hotels and drinking champagne at sunset doesn't exactly look like a hard day at the office!
But there's a serious side to it too. I can read hotel descriptions, look at photographs and compare facilities, but nothing replaces actually being there. I've walked these islands. I've stayed in the rooms, eaten in the restaurants, met the staff, experienced the transfers, swum in the lagoons and seen first-hand what makes each resort different. I've also seen the things that might make me decide a particular island isn't right for one of my clients. And that's just as important. So when someone asks me, “Which Maldives island is right for us?”, I'm not simply choosing the hotel with the prettiest photographs. I'm thinking about you. Do you want complete relaxation or lots to do? A honeymoon hideaway or somewhere suitable for a family? Incredible dining? Snorkelling? Surfing? A short speedboat transfer? An adults-only area? A traditional island feel or full-on luxury? Because there really isn't one perfect Maldives island. There's the right Maldives island for you. And after this trip, I feel even luckier that I can help my clients find it from first-hand experience. Although I still maintain that sampling cocktails, swimming with turtles and drinking champagne at sunset was all absolutely essential research!
Thinking about the Maldives? Get in touch and tell me what your perfect holiday looks like. I'll help you find the island to match.
