When deciding on the route for our 6 month Asia travel adventure, the Maldives was somewhere I added to our itinerary with both anticipation, and a hint of trepidation. The sun-soaked atolls and striking blue waters are considered the epitome of paradise destinations, the ultimate bucket list for many. However there's always that risk with somewhere so lauded, that it won't quite meet expectations...
As the pilot announced our decent into Male and I looked out of the plane window, all my fears dissipated. Turns out those bold azure ocean blues aren't just a heavy handed Instagram filter - the water really is that blue!
But more so than most destinations, choosing the right hotel or resort is vital in The Maldives. Due to the geography of the region, you're unlikely to venture much further afield than the island which your accommodation is on. In fact, it's the ultimate "drop and flop" destination, where chilling by the pool and watching sunset from the beach are high on the agenda.
The Maldives has such a wealth of accommodation options, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which will be the right fit for you. We spent 8 nights across two Villa Resorts properties, Villa Park and Villa Nautica. Both offer different sides to island life, from luxury experiences, underwater excursions and water sports, to the aforementioned, all-important chilling.
If you're trying to decide between the two, or just looking for some Maldives resort inspiration, I'm sharing a full review of both properties, as well as the key similarities and differences to help plan your dream Maldives getaway...
Location
Villa Park is located in the South Ari Atoll, a short 45 minute plane journey from Male into Velana Airport. From Velana, it's a roughly 15 minute boat ride to Sun Island, on which the resort is located. It's a vast island, allowing for a capacity of around 1000 guests. It would take around an hour to walk from end to end, but luckily you don’t have to, because there are bikes and buggies on hand. We nabbed ourselves a pair of bikes for getting around, and it was actually a really fun way to explore the resort. At our time of visiting the resort was at 90% capacity, however it somehow didn't feel too busy, purely because it’s so big.
Villa Nautica is in the North Male Atoll, on Paradise Island. From Male, it's just a short boat ride to the resort. As such the city is ever so slightly visible in the far distance, as are a couple of other resorts, so if you're looking for that truly remote island experience, it may not be for you. We were worried the planes into Male might be a nuisance, but in fact we barely noticed them. Nautica is the smaller of the two resorts - though still pretty large! It's more walkable, although there are still buggies and bikes available.
Design & Character
Villa Park
My first impression on arriving at Villa Park was that it looked nothing like the images of the Maldives that I had in my head. But I don't mean that negatively! For a start, it's far more green than I had anticipated. The island Villa Park inhabits is covered in dense foliage, with lush gardens and alleys of palm trees to explore.
It's also a lot more colourful than the usual muted tones I associate with the luxury resorts of The Maldives. You'll find pops of colour throughout, from the brightly hued chairs and loungers to the playful stripes of the sunset bar. Now you only need to take one look at my blog or Instagram to appreciate that I love colour! In fact, I found it quite refreshing to stay somewhere so unabashedly vibrant. I understand that the usual beiges and greys that adorn most hotels are safe bets to appease all sorts of travellers. And if you find yourself drawn towards minimal aesthetics, it may not be for you. Personally I love spaces with character, and the design of Villa Park has that in spades.
Villa Nautica
Villa Nautica continues to play with colour. However where Villa Park is playful in rainbow hues, Nautica keeps to a chic navy and white scheme to cement the nautical theme (the hint was rather in the name, no?). Personally I love all things nautical, and Villa Nautica's take is beautifully executed. Blue and white striped beach umbrellas look out over the pool, and playful nods to nautical culture come through in light fittings and are complemented by pops of gold hardware.
Like Villa Park, it doesn’t feel like your usual Maldives luxury resort aesthetic. Villa Nautica has its own distinct style and feel that doesn’t rely solely on azure waters and the novelty of overwater villas. Of the two it's arguably the more refined and pared back, so if you are more into minimal aesthetics, Villa Nautica might be better suited.
Rooms & Suites
I'm going to group the two resorts together here, because the rooms we stayed in, beach pool villas, were fairly similar across both. The room category has been recently renovated as part of a transformation and rebranding across Villa Resorts, and as such the facilities within the spaces felt fresh and new.
At Villa Park, the bright theme continues into the villas, liberally decorated with bold pops of primary hues. Colourful schemes can be overwhelming when executed by the wrong hand, but in our pool villa it felt warm and welcoming. Can a room be happy? It definitely had happy vibes. The space itself in both is more than enough room for two people, with a lounge area and private pool terrace overlooking the beach and water beyond.
Our villa at Villa Nautica was pretty much the same configuration, but instead of rainbow brights the nautical theme is applied throughout. Navy blue panelling sits behind the bed, framing black and white sailing photographs. In the bathroom, gold fisherman lamps flank a sleek navy and marble sink, atop navy and white tiled floors. Speaking of the bathroom, these are equipped with both a tub and a shower, as well as another outside shower area. Oh, and there's another shower to the rear of the room, next to the private pool. So there's no excuse not to be squeaky clean!
Services & Facilities
Araamu Spa
Because it's not a truly indulgent escape without a trip to the spa, right? Both Villa Park and Villa Nautica are home to Araamu Spa, quiet, tranquil retreats within the resorts. I've reviewed a fair few hotel spas in my time, and these are up there are as two of the most beautiful! Treatment rooms are dotted throughout rich greenery and bubbling fountains, a world away from the bustle of the buffet and pool.
At Villa Park, we checked in for their pot tub experience, a private bath in a gently heated tub laden with flowers. It's very photo friendly, but also wonderfully calming. Of course, in the Maldives even a soak in the tub is taken to new levels! At Villa Nautica, we checked in for a couples massage. Obviously much needed to unwind after all that exhausting sunbathing and chilling by the pool. I kid, but it was the perfect thing to mellow out and truly bask in the relaxation of the whole Maldives experience.
Excursions and Water Sports
Something that surprised me about The Maldives is that there's actually quite a lot to do. I'll admit, I'm not usually one to commit weeks to a beach destination, for fear of getting restless. But with plenty of activities and excursions available at both Villa Park and Villa Nautica, there's absolutely no risk of being bored. At both resorts we checked in at their water sports centres, which offer a wide selection of activities to try. There's kayaking, parasailing, stand up paddle-boarding, even semi-submarines!
We started off fairly tame with kayaking at Villa Park. It's one of my very favourite activities, so I'll always jump at the opportunity! And it's a great way to see the landscapes of the island from a new perspective, although you can't venture toooo far from the centre. At Villa Nautica, we tried out jet skiing for the first time. Honestly, we weren't sure we'd like it, but now I totally get the hype. It's so much fun! After I tired out, I sat sipping a beer and watched Adam try out a number of other activities (the seabob was particularly amusing).
We also headed out further afield for half day excursions, exploring local reefs and spotting turtles and stingrays. Adam in particular loves being in the water, and is a big lover of all sea creatures, so these were his favourite days. I'm not the most confident in the water but found the excursions absolutely fine for my abilities, and it was some of the best snorkelling we've experienced. If you're travelling with kids, or just not the type to lie on a lounger all day, the sheer number of things to do is a major bonus at both resorts.
Restaurants & Dining
Dining at Villa Park
The main buffet restaurant is a sprawling space filled with hundreds of tables and an ample spread. It's the kind that gets you (or at least, me) over-excited, over-filling your plate with about 10 different cuisines at once. There's international options, as well as extensive Chinese and Indian dishes. We'd actually just spent the last couple of months in India and Sri Lanka so you'd expect me to have tired of the latter, however Villa Park's rendition was so good I found myself filling up on dhal and curry multiple nights. However if you're not a fan of buffets, the resort is also home to a number of à la carte restaurants. These are a very different affair, hosting an intimate number of tables with a chic, refined menu.
One dining experience worthy of note at Villa Park is ZERO (pictured). Nestled within dense greenery, this hideaway treetop restaurant hosted one of the best meals we had on the island. The menu focuses on ingredients grown on site or caught nearby, and dishes are a vibrant feast of colourful salads and delicately prepared fresh fish. A word of caution though - make sure you remember your mosquito repellent!
We also dined at sunset over the water at the Sun Star restaurant, a Thai focused dining experience. We sipped on chilled wine, watching as stars lit up the night sky, whilst manta rays and basking sharks swam below us. It was in that moment that I really truly understand why everyone raves about the Maldives.
Dining at Villa Nautica
Similarly to Villa Park, Villa Nautica is served by two main buffet restaurants (one for all rooms, one for the over water villas). Again, it is a mix of international, Chinese, and Indian dishes, and we always ate very well! If you're looking for a more elevated luxury dining experience away from the buffet, the resort also has a number of a la carte restaurants that are not included in the all-inclusive packages. These offer a more intimate with a menu of premium quality ingredients such as lobster, prawns and lamb. We indulged in a meal at Hook, the a la carte seafood restaurant. Located at the end of the overwater jetty, it's a stunning spot to tuck in as the sun goes down. A surprising standout for me was the first course of mussel chowder, richly creamy with hints of truffle (just the right amount!). I say surprising, but I have a real soft spot for mussel chowder, so finding such a delicious rendition in the Maldives was a very pleasant surprise.
Pool bars are very much the norm, but a poolside coffee shop? Count me in. A choice of beans, multiple hot and cold coffee options, as well as some seriously gorgeous sweet treats, can be found at Villa Nautica's Press & Pot cafe. Having spent the last two months travelling around South Asia, a decent cup of coffee was something that, for our taste at least, was few and far between. Coffee in South Asia is often incredibly sweet, but also somehow incredibly bitter at the same time. At Villa Nautica, it was a great relief to experience a really good cup of coffee after being deprived for so long. The coffee beans are roasted on site, and it's the ideal spot to cool off with an iced latte and a view.
On our last night we were spoilt with the ultimate Maldives dining experience, a private sunset beach dinner. We gorged on parma ham and melon, a generous portion of buttery lobster, and a wonderfully light passion fruit cheesecake. It was a truly spectacular way to round off our Maldives adventures, and one of those meals I won't forget for quite some time.
The Final Word: Villa Resorts Review
The sheer number of different types of resorts available in the Maldives can make it rather daunting trying to plan a trip. Particularly as for most of us, it's a "once in a lifetime" experience, the pressure is on. Both Villa Park and Villa Nautica offer accessible, laidback luxury with a homegrown, Maldivian feel, that showcase how much more there is to these paradise islands than just chilling by the pool (although of course, that's also a strong option!). With so many activities and dining experiences, they're both resorts you could spend longer stints in with no fear of getting bored. And you can easily tailor the experience to your style, from keeping busy with activities and excursions, to the ultimate in luxury with fine dining and spa trips.
If you're trying to decide between the two? You can't go wrong with either, however in my experience Villa Park is more family friendly with more to explore, whereas if you're travelling as a couple and looking for a more intimate experience, Villa Nautica has a more boutique feel. But if you still can't pick, perhaps island hop like us!
Personally, I can now confidently say I get it. I understand exactly why everyone raves about The Maldives, and I can't wait to return.
