Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa

Set on its own coral island, this resort is arranged like a traditional Maldivian village, with paths winding through tropical flowers rather than corridors leading to identical doors. You get a proper island setting here, but with the practical comforts expected from a large resort: air-conditioned accommodation, room service, free WiFi throughout the property and a 24-hour front desk.

The choice suits divers who want the sea close at hand without making the entire holiday about boats, briefings and damp kit. Couples can settle into a private pool villa with an ocean outlook, while families have larger beach and water accommodation, a kids' club and babysitting available. It is polished, certainly, but the village-style layout keeps the place from feeling like a tower block with palm trees attached.

You are in North Male Atoll, at Huraa in the Maldives, on an island reached by speedboat rather than by road. Velana International Airport is 17.1 km away, and the transfer from the airport takes about 25 minutes. Shared and private boat options are available through the resort, so your arrival is planned around the sea from the start.

The resort has direct access to the beach, with loungers and parasols waiting on the sand. Male City is about 12 miles away, while the nearest listed cafés and restaurants are around 8 miles away. In practical terms, this is an island stay: you come for the resort, the beach and the water, not for an evening stroll between unrelated restaurants. The National Museum and Sultan Park are in Male, should you decide to add a city visit before or after the diving.

The accommodation divides neatly between beach and water. A beach villa puts you close to the sand and gives you a private pool, terrace, outdoor furniture and garden surroundings; choose a sunrise or sunset position according to whether you prefer the first light with your coffee or the last light with something colder. The smaller pavilions work for couples who want the private-pool arrangement without needing a large family layout.

Water villas are the more obvious choice if the view matters most. Several include a private pool and open the day towards the lagoon, while twin-bed versions make sense when two divers would rather not negotiate a super-king bed after a long day. Larger two- and three-bedroom suites give families or groups room to spread out, with separate sleeping arrangements and space that does not require everyone to live around the suitcase.

Inside, the practical details are well judged for hot, salty days: air conditioning, a ceiling fan, a mosquito net, a fridge or minibar, coffee and tea facilities, a seating area and a desk. Bathrooms combine an indoor bath and shower with a Maldivian open-air shower set within a walled garden. Daily housekeeping keeps the return from the water pleasantly uncomplicated, and the private entrance means you can come and go without crossing a lobby in a towel.

Four restaurants and two bars give you enough choice to stay on the island for the whole holiday without treating every meal as a logistical exercise. Cafe Huraa covers breakfast, lunch and dinner with local cuisine, so the table is not limited to familiar international resort fare. Breakfast is served as a buffet, useful when your appetite has returned before your watch has quite caught up with the morning.

There is also a lounge bar serving a range of refined drinks, alongside a second bar and a snack bar. Room service, a minibar and outdoor dining areas give you quieter alternatives when the sensible plan is food first, shower second and conversation later. Private dining can be arranged in a sandbank barbecue setting or in a private over-water gazebo; both are better suited to a special evening than to the post-dive hunger emergency, for which a proper meal remains the safer bet.

The resort gives you several ways to spend a non-diving afternoon without turning relaxation into a competitive sport. The direct beach has loungers and parasols, while the private pools attached to many villas let you cool down without going anywhere at all. The spa offers massages, facials, body treatments, wraps and scrubs, as well as a steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and relaxation area. A couples massage is available when both of you have had enough of discussing who forgot to replace the memory card.

For something more active, you can use the fitness centre, join yoga classes, play tennis, try table tennis or billiards, and take part in canoeing, windsurfing or fishing. Snorkelling and other water sports are also available on site. Cooking classes, live music, themed dinner evenings and a games room provide options for the hours when the sun is still high but your enthusiasm for another excursion has sensibly gone missing.

Families have a kids' club, babysitting, cots, pushchairs and child-safety equipment. That makes the larger family beach and water accommodation easier to use as a base, while the adults can still reach the spa, the beach or a quiet drink without having to organise the entire island around one bored child.

Your arrival is by speedboat from Velana International Airport, with the resort arranging shared or private transfers once you provide your flight details. The journey takes about 25 minutes. There is no road-based arrival to organise, which is one less transfer to think about and one more reason to keep your travel details close at hand.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out runs until 12:00. Private and express check-in and check-out are available, alongside luggage storage, a tour desk, currency exchange and concierge assistance. Free WiFi works throughout the resort, and laundry and dry-cleaning services are available when saltwater has made a more permanent impression than intended.

Children of all ages are welcome. Children aged 13 and over are treated as adults, cots can be requested for younger children, and extra beds are not available, so the selected accommodation matters if you are travelling as a family. Pets are not allowed. Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted.