The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

The Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands is on Fari Kandu Huraa in North Malé Atoll, about 45 to 50 minutes from Malé by the resort's own speedboat. It shares the Fari Islands with Fari Marina Village, a small hub of shops, galleries and restaurants. Every villa has a private pool, the ring-shaped Ritz-Carlton Spa sits over the lagoon, and the Ritz Kids club for ages 4 to 12 has a pool with slides. Stays are on breakfast, half board or full board; the resort is à la carte rather than all inclusive.

Ocean and Lagoon Pool Villas (150 m²) stand over the water, and Beach Pool Villas and Sunset Beach Pool Villas (155 m²) open onto the sand; all take three adults or a family of four. Two-bedroom villas over the water (350 m²) and on the beach (400 m²) take six, and The Ritz-Carlton Estate (1,500 m²) has four bedrooms for up to twelve.

La Locanda is the Italian all-day restaurant and the resort's living room, with a library and a chef's table. Summer Pavilion serves Cantonese food over the lagoon, Iwau has teppanyaki grills and sushi tables in the pool, Arabesque does Lebanese and North Indian dishes in a sunken, Bedouin-tent-style room, and the Beach Shack serves Mediterranean plates with DJs. EAU Bar marks each sunset with a ritual, and Tum Tum is a food trailer at Fari Marina for bao and dumplings.