EliteVoyage CEO Petr Udavský created his own island hopping holiday in the Maldives, with his children aged four and almost two.
Later in his trip report you’ll find the latest inspections of Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Soneva Fushi, JOALI Maldives and JOALI BEING.
This was Petr’s first big intercontinental holiday with his family. First he explains how and why he decided to go island hopping, including his fears, considerations and challenges to overcome.
Why Island Hopping in the Maldives?
Some people say kids can enjoy themselves anywhere, so it doesn’t matter where you go. I disagree. Our kids become bored when they spend too long in one place. Me and my wife do too.
We are all very active and this was the main reason we chose island hopping. Staying on multiple islands meant we could enjoy more experiences together.
I know from previous trips that every Maldivian island and hotel is different. The change in atmosphere, activities, location and accommodation can feel like you’re visiting a different country. It’s another advantage when choosing island hopping.
We also wanted to introduce the kids to some style of exploration, when they are still very young. In future years we’d like to visit adventurous destinations together, so this was a good starting point.
Of course we had some concerns. Would we still have a feeling of complete relaxation? How will the children handle travelling between islands? Was our holiday too ambitious with toddlers?
Flying to the Maldives with Young Children
Last year I flew back from Mauritius with my older son Edward, who was three at the time. It was challenging to change planes in Dubai at night, with hand luggage and a very sleepy child.
For this trip we preferred a direct flight. We drove to Vienna, spent a day enjoying the city, then took the night flight to Malé.
The disadvantage is that the return flight is during the day and our boys can be quite wild. So we were a little scared about the return leg, although in the end it was completely fine.
I strongly recommend using the CIP Lounge in Malé, for both arrival and departure. It’s a must with kids.
Weather in the Maldives
We hardly witnessed a cloud for 12 days in April! It was very hot, unseasonably so according to the locals I met.
Everybody told me that the weather in the Maldives is unpredictable now. There are many microclimates among the atolls and it’s rained at different times of year for the last few years.
Most people said it’s nice to come in summer, just avoid late May, October and November. Others said you can visit Maldives any time of year, as the changing climate makes the weather impossible to predict.
Planning an Island Hopping Itinerary
At EliteVoyage we have two key considerations when planning island hopping, anywhere.
Firstly, the logistics between islands. We didn’t want to transfer through Malé every time, so we prioritised islands easily connected by short yacht charters.
Secondly, the diversity between destinations. We wanted to enjoy a different holiday experience on each island.
Every island is so different. The best islands for my family won’t be the best options for yours. We will give you personal recommendations, based on your family and interests.
In the Maldives I recommend at least three nights on each island. You could stay longer, but every resort has enough for at least three days. It means you can comfortably try three resorts in a nine to twelve-day holiday.
The Reality? Island Hopping in the Maldives with Young Children
Our two boys loved travelling between islands. They felt like explorers and every journey was a fun part of the holiday experience.
We were moving, going on boats and arriving at new places, where we met new people. The kids found it very exciting and it wasn’t at all stressful for us.
You don’t need to handle any of your luggage, as resort staff take care of it. You don’t even need to pack if you don’t want to, as your villa butler can do this for you.
Every journey was a holiday activity. We travelled by boat between some of the islands, which is very similar to a boat trip excursion.
The longest transfer was between the Fari Islands and Soneva Fushi. A one-hour speed boat back to Malé (lots of fun!), one hour waiting in the Soneva Lounge (really nice with a special kids corner), then a 45-minute seaplane flight (memorable family experience).
Just under three hours total travel time and the children enjoyed every moment!
Holidays in the Maldives can be very active when you’re island hopping. You can have a full schedule in every resort, every day.
We did snorkelling with sharks, tried paddle tennis, made cups in an art workshop, went fishing, enjoyed massages and spa treatments. Every day we did something new.
It’s not for everybody. Some people prefer long days doing nothing at all. But if you think the Maldives is a boring destination, I encourage you to explore the possibilities of island hopping.
The best thing about island hopping is that it feels like you are on holiday for much longer than you are.
We were away for 12 days. It felt like we were on holiday for 28 days, because we had so many new experiences and impressions.
We returned home feeling so relaxed, like we really had been on a four-week holiday. Ultimately, island hopping with toddlers was the opposite of being stressful!
Latest Maldives Resort Inspections
Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Opened in 2021, this stylish resort really surprised me, in a good way. It’s on the same level as the best Maldives resorts.
Our travel designer Filip Pačes visited last year and wasn’t happy with the service. Whereas this year, it was the best resort service I’ve experienced in a long time.
They were so well prepared for us, with a changing table and diaper bin in our villa. The staff are well educated and communicate well with each other. They know how to entertain kids in restaurants and keep the resort spotlessly clean.
The strong impression started with the 45-minute speedboat transfer from Malé, on a new, near silent speedboat with air conditioning.
Everything about the resort is modern and elegant, including the other guests, who are both couples and families. It’s a resort where everybody has their own private space, so I can recommend it with or without kids.
My kids loved the kids club, one of the best I’ve seen. It’s almost Montessori style, with no plastic toys (everything wooden instead), lots of interesting activities, plus a kids pool and climbing wall.
The sea is very shallow and the entrance is ideal for young kids, another important advantage for us. We went fishing together for two hours and my youngest son Emanuel caught his first fish – a lot of fun!
I loved the spa, very beautiful and modern, located over the water between the overwater villas. When you have massages regularly you can really feel when the staff are top professionals, certainly the case at Ritz-Carlton Maldives.
Overall it’s a very stylish and elegant top-end resort, with lovely villas, great facilities and a serene vibe. It could make a nice island hopping combination with Patina Maldives, which is also located in the Fari Islands with very different highlights.
Soneva Fushi
Soneva Fushi is a very special place and a huge contrast to Ritz-Carlton. It’s not for everyone.
Upon arrival we placed our shoes into bags, where they stayed for the entire stay. Yes, this is a footwear-free island.
Convenience for young kids is the main reason I loved our stay. And not only because of the kids club with its water slides, lego room, music room and other activities.
This is a huge island. Massive trees provide shade, rabbits and chickens roam the pathways, and there are many trails to explore. My kids revelled in it, as they had so much space to run around and nobody cared if they made noise.
Whereas Ritz-Carlton is a perfectly manufactured world, Soneva Fushi is more natural and rustic, more of a Robinson Crusoe feeling. Even some of the restaurants are completely out in nature and overall, the food quality is exceptional.
A large natural island makes a perfect addition to an island hopping itinerary. Soneva Fushi wasn’t as good for snorkelling or swimming with young kids (the sea was quite rough), but we had many other things to do, in the forest and beyond.
Nature is complemented by sustainability and witnessing some of Soneva’s innovations was another highlight of my stay.
Our two-bedroom overwater villa measured 800 square metres! We really felt like we were on an island, rather than at a resort, like we were in the movie Waterworld, gazing out at the endless blue ocean.
It was our first overwater villa experience with kids and surprisingly it was absolutely fine with Emanuel (aged almost two). We didn’t waste much energy worrying about him.
Generally I think beach villas are more convenient with young kids. They like playing in the sand and enjoy the open space to run about. You actually spend more time in the sea than in an overwater villa, where you’re mostly in the pool. And while many of us have pools at home, we don’t have a turquoise Indian Ocean at home.
But why pick one or the other? Another advantage of island hopping is you can try both overwater and beach villas during your holiday.
JOALI Maldives
A 45-minute transfer by speedboat and we were in another world entirely. By this point in the holiday it felt we’d been away for two weeks, not only one.
JOALI Maldives is more similar to Ritz-Carlton in terms of the focus on design, style of service, quality of the accommodation and gastronomy.
These are some of the best villas I’ve experienced anywhere in the world. Soon after arriving my wife said, “it feels like this resort was created by women.”
And it is. We interviewed owner Esin Güral Argat in Explorer magazine, when she opened her BIJAL property in Antalya last year.
Everything is really beautiful, functional and easy to use. Nothing disturbs you. Of all the four resorts we experienced, JOALI Maldives most made us feel like being at home.
It is a much smaller island than Soneva Fushi and the design focus is specific: like every Maldives resort, it’s not for everyone. JOALI Maldives is for very highly demanding clients, with superb gastronomy, a stunning beach, on-point service and the villas.
For snorkelling it’s not the best choice because there is no house reef, although there are reachable options by boat. I did go snorkelling with a marine biologist who showed me an area where they are growing new corals.
JOALI BEING
JOALI BEING opened as a wellness island, with no alcohol being served and no children allowed. This has changed substantially since their 2021 opening.
It’s only 15 minutes by boat from JOALI Maldives so it’s a nice combination to make.
JOALI BEING is a very relaxing resort, a place for detoxification from modern life. For example, there is no television in the room nor charging stations around your bed.
The restaurants are designed around people on diets and healthy food, with almost all the meals gluten free. My wife is allergic to gluten so she really appreciated this.
It’s not an island for anyone who wants lots of indulgent cuisine, nor anyone who will drink a lot of alcohol.
Still, I had a great Wagyu steak and the food was perfect. You can drink a wine or a beer, it’s just definitely not a party place – the tea menu is more impressive than the cocktail menu!
JOALI BEING has always offered excellent health programs and these remain a highlight. They’ve introduced some shorter programs now and I’m sure every adult on the island will try some of the treatments.
A new wellness program with specific procedures for children has been added. There’s a new kids club as well. The villas offer space and privacy, so we didn’t feel uncomfortable with loud toddler boys, even though it’s such a relaxed and quiet resort.
The gym and sports equipment is among the best I’ve experienced anywhere. And as you’d expect from a wellness property, all the spa and wellness facilities are outstanding.
I think JOALI BEING is a nice option for a family where at least one person wants to have a wellness program. Instead of travelling solo to do wellness, they can do it as part of a holiday with their loved ones.
Everybody else enjoys the island at their own pace, while one or more have a multi-day wellness program. With island hopping you can combine this type of experience, with an island where everybody in the group does activities together.
Your Island Hopping Holiday in the Maldives?
My 12-day holiday to the Maldives seemed to last for a month, because every day was different from the last.
I returned home feeling like I’d been away from the normal world for weeks and weeks. For me it was more relaxing than spending two weeks on the same island.
Everybody is different. Everybody has different tastes and interests, different reasons for picking one resort over another.
With island hopping you don’t need to choose one. You can choose three or more. Our travel designers will create an itinerary for you, matching your interests with the Maldivian diversity.
Ready to try island hopping?
