Our Maldives Getaway With a Baby in Tow

When to go: We went in late March and the weather was absolutely stunning. Sun, warmth, clear blue sky and still waters everyday. High season (also known as dry season, with little rain, lower humidity and better visibility for snorkeling and diving) runs from December - April and wet season runs from May - November.

How to get there: We flew from Singapore to the Maldives direct with Silk Air. The flight was about 4.5 hours going and about 5 hours returning. After landing in Male, hotel representatives met us up directly at the airport and after a short wait in their private lounge, it was about a 20 minute speed boat (a lovely, air conditioned catamaran) ride to the island. Sea planes also take off and land from Male Airport so those with connecting sea plan transfers will depart from the main airport. Because we were traveling with a baby, we decided to stay close to Male (sea planes can only operate during daylight and good weather) so we specifically chose a resort which was accessible by boat.

Where to stay: We stayed at the Jumeirah Vittaveli, which is located on Bolifushi Island in the South Male Atoll. The resort occupies the entire island which makes for a peaceful and private experience (we often had the beach entirely to ourselves). The resort offers both beach villas and overwater villas and we chose to stay in a Sunset Beach Villa with a private plunge pool and direct access to the beach (and what gorgeous beaches they were!). The villa was absolutely stunning - a huge outdoor bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, a big bathtub, walk-in closet, a comfy king-size bed with mosquito netting draped elegantly from the ceiling, lot's of comfy pillows, coffee maker, cushy couches, etc. There was also plenty of room for a crib, which was already made up for us upon arrival. The villas also come with bikes (we were even able to request a bike with a baby seat) which you could use to transport yourself around the island if you chose to.

We stayed for 5 nights but I think 6 nights would have been ideal, especially since we were traveling with a baby (meaning nap time was our only real opportunity for relaxation). The villa was the perfect choice for us - we were able to sit outside and relax on the day beds, snorkel just off of the shore and swim in our private pool while the baby napped inside the room. Also, the proximity to the mainland and knowing that there was a doctor on the island gave us the peace of mind we were looking for when we were deciding on where to stay. The island also has a great kids club but N was too young to partake in any of the activities this time around (he was 8 months old at the time).

And now onto my favorite part of every trip - the food! We had opted for the half board which meant that we enjoyed both breakfast and dinner at Samsara, the main restaurant on the island. The food was delicious and there was a great selection of different cuisines to choose from. I especially loved the homemade coconut and tomato chutneys served alongside the Indian and Sri Lankan dishes. The staff at Samsara were fabulous - extremely kind and very accommodating, especially for those traveling with kids! Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to try any of the other restaurants on the property (mainly because baby N went to bed rather early and we were equally as tired after a day in the sun), but the resort does offer babysitting services for those wanting a night out. So, if you are looking for a blissed-out vacation in the Maldives (with or without kids), I highly recommend this resort! I hope to be lucky enough to have the chance to go back someday.

Hotel Website: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/maldives/jumeirah-vittaveli/

What to do: The resort offers snorkeling, diving, water sports, cooking classes, spa, live music in the evenings, feeding the rays, dining options, happy hour drinks, etc. The common pool and bar area were also lovely and we spent quite a bit of time relaxing in the common pool (when we weren't chasing N around) and snorkeling just off of the beach right outside our villa. This was the perfect vacation for us!