Vilamendhoo Maldives Resort Island

Vilamendhoo Maldives Resort Island is the sort of island resort that makes the sea part of the daily routine rather than a scheduled outing. You have a private beach area, an outdoor swimming pool, a garden, sun terraces and a house reef close enough for a swim from the beach. The diving may be the reason you arrive; the practical layout gives you plenty to do between one saltwater session and the next.

This is an all-inclusive resort, with four restaurants, bars, a snack bar and room service. You can also settle into the spa and wellness centre, book a massage, join a yoga session or use the fitness centre. For evenings, the choice runs from a quiet drink to movie nights, live sports broadcasts, themed dinners and entertainment. There is even a nightclub with a DJ, should your idea of decompression involve something louder than the reef.

The address is Dhangethi, Maldives, on an island resort with its own beachfront and private beach area. You are not booking a mainland hotel and then travelling to the water: the sand and sea are part of the property. Dhangethi Beach is about 1.8 miles away on foot, while Maafushivaru Maldives Beach is about 4.4 miles away and Vakarufalhi Maldives Beach about 5 miles away.

The nearest listed airport is Villa International Airport, about 13 miles away. Velana International Airport is about 54 miles away, and the resort can be reached from Malé International Airport by seaplane. In other words, the final leg is part of the journey, not a quick taxi from the terminal. Once you arrive, the island format keeps the essentials close: beach, restaurants, pool, spa and activities all sit within the resort.

The room choice is mainly about how close you want to be to the beach and how much space you want around the bed. Tropical Villas are the straightforward option for two, while the Beachfront Villas put the sand directly into the equation. If the view and the extra room matter more than simply having somewhere to sleep, the Romantic Ocean Villa is the larger choice for a couple. The Romantic Beachfront Villa gives you the same two-person focus with the beach as the obvious backdrop.

Every room is air-conditioned and has a private bathroom, flat-screen television, tea and coffee-making facilities, a minibar, a seating area and a desk. You also have a terrace, balcony or patio, depending on the accommodation, with outdoor furniture and a view of the garden or sea in selected rooms. After warm dives and a long spell in wet gear, the air conditioning is the useful detail; the drying rack is equally practical for ordinary swimwear and clothing.

Daily housekeeping keeps the return from the water uncomplicated, while a wardrobe, clothes rack, laptop safe and private entrance cover the less glamorous parts of island life. Cots and extra beds can be requested, and children of any age are welcome. Children aged 12 and over are treated as adults for the accommodation policy, so check the selected room carefully if you are travelling as a family.

Four restaurants give the all-inclusive plan some useful range, and breakfast covers continental, Asian and American choices in buffet form. The restaurant attached to your accommodation category matters here: guests in Tropical Villas, Adjacent Beachfront Villas and Beachfront Villas eat at Funama Restaurant, while Romantic Beachfront Villas and Romantic Ocean Villas use Ahima Restaurant. That is worth knowing before choosing a villa, because the room category affects more than the view.

When a full meal is too much ambition, the Bonthi Bar and Sunset Bar have scheduled snack service from late morning through the afternoon and into the early evening. There is also a snack bar, a coffee house, a bar, a minibar and room service. Breakfast can be taken in your room, and special-diet menus are available on request.

The all-inclusive arrangement also includes a bottle of bubbles per room for the stay, a sunset cruise, a Dhangethi excursion, and scheduled group sessions for snorkelling and windsurfing. A bottle of wine or champagne and fresh fruit are also available. After diving, that gives you the sensible choice: eat properly, order something smaller, or take a drink outside and let the day wind down without going anywhere.

The outdoor swimming pool and private beach area cover the basic post-dive requirement: somewhere to cool down without putting on another set of equipment. Sun loungers, beach chairs, pool and beach towels, a sun terrace, garden and an open-air bath give you several places to stop moving. For a quieter recovery, the spa has relaxation facilities and offers full-body, back, neck, head and foot massages, as well as couples massages and wellness packages.

Yoga sessions are included in the group programme, and the fitness centre is there if you still have energy left to spend. Tennis, table tennis, billiards, darts, badminton and mini golf provide more active options, while the games room, board games and movie nights work better when your legs have had enough. Snorkelling, canoeing and windsurfing are also available on site, with kayaks and windsurfers included in the all-inclusive arrangements.

The resort also runs cooking classes, local-culture tours, fishing, themed dinner nights, evening entertainment and live sports broadcasts. Families have a children’s pool, outdoor play equipment, a playground and babysitting. Couples can keep things simple with a massage and a sunset cruise; families can spread the day across the beach, pool and activities without having to organise an expedition.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00. The front desk operates around the clock, with concierge service, luggage storage, a tour desk, currency exchange and a wake-up service. WiFi is available throughout the property, and rooms have air conditioning, a fan, a laptop safe and a private entrance.

Airport transfers are available, with the seaplane journey from Malé International Airport arranged through the resort. You need to share your flight details with the property in advance so the transfer can be organised. The resort also offers a shuttle service. This is an island arrival, so allow the transfer arrangements to dictate the shape of the first and last day rather than assuming a standard airport-to-hotel journey.

Children of all ages are welcome, with cots and extra beds available on request and subject to the selected accommodation. Pets are not allowed, and cash is accepted as a payment method. Laundry and ironing services are available, while a barber and beauty shop, gift shop, safety deposit box and room service cover a few of the practical details that become more useful once you are staying on an island.