Maldives Romance

Newlywed Indagare members Will Menkes and Laura Holder spent their honeymoon in the Maldives. Here they recount the highlights of two beloved—but very different—properties.

We really had a great time on our honeymoon. The trip was basically perfect, and we lucked out with the weather.

Our first hotel in the Maldives was the One & Only Reethi Rah, a fantastic hotel through and through. Our over-water villa was very spacious and had incredible views. The room's décor and finishes were perfect, very tasteful, comfortable and felt new and up-to-date. The resort did not feel crowded despite being over 90 percent occupied during our stay.

The pool and little beach near the Reethi Restaurant is a fun place to spend the day lying out with full service and private huts. There was also a great selection of watersports, and we had a great time paddle boarding, snorkeling and exploring the island.

The amenities at the resort are fantastic: we paid several visits to the fitness center, which also offers a roster of group classes, and the 6km walking/running loop on the sandy path throughout the island. The food was also fantastic, and our favorite meal was a private dinner on the beach, where we chose the Arabic menu. We even joined the wine tasting course with the sommelier in the wine cellar before our dinner—a must for oenophiles.

The second stop on our trip was the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, which we loved for several reasons. We had a beautiful one-bedroom overwater villa that was huge and featured an outdoor shower overlooking the water. I would recommend the sunrise side of the resort–it has more of an untouched vibe.

They clearly pride themselves on very personal service here. Each employee made a strong effort to remember our names and greet us. They always remembered our last activity, and made sure to ask us how we enjoyed it. We really liked this, and made us feel like we were part of a community–the friendliness of the staff really went a very long way.

The amenities of the Four Seasons were also great, including kayaking, snorkeling trips and sunset fishing. The food was quite good, especially the romantic Reef Club. A real highlight for us was the cooking class; after you’re done, the staff serves you the food you just cooked at a table overlooking the ocean. There is also an amazing marine education center, which further emphasizes that the resort is committed to preserving the environment and caring for the indigenous species of the islands. On our snorkeling trip, the marine center employees brought along a sea turtle they had founded stranded on the beach 10 days earlier.

Overall, both resorts were great. For true luxury, I would say head to One&Only. This is probably the best resort either of us has ever been to. All aspects of the resort are impeccably done, and there is never a shortage of staff. However, we really did love the extremely personalized service at the Four Seasons. This is a terrific property and was definitely worth our time. We could not have had a better time on our honeymoon and are looking forward to our next adventure!