All-inclusive done properly, with whale sharks and mantas off South Ari and a reef right off the beach.
Lily Beach sits on a long, narrow island in South Ari Atoll, ringed by a lagoon and a house reef that is among the best for snorkelling straight from the beach. South Ari is also known for its resident whale sharks and manta rays, and the dive centre goes out to both.
Every stay is on the all-inclusive Platinum Plan, which takes the arithmetic out of the holiday: meals across the restaurants, drinks at the bars, a stocked minibar and many activities are included. That makes it one of the most predictable bills in the Maldives.
Villas run from compact Beach Villas a few steps from the sand to Deluxe Water Villas with jacuzzi plunge pools and glass floors, and four Sunset Water Suites with butlers. Families get the Turtle Kids Club, interconnecting villas and a lively pool bar.
The all-inclusive is the only option, so it's worth it if you'll use it. Entry Beach Villas are small (68 m²), and the fine-dining restaurant and some premium drinks cost extra even on the Platinum Plan.
Forty-six villas among the trees a few steps from the sea, with a shaded private deck and an outdoor bathroom with a jacuzzi tub.
Queen bed and daybed
Two interconnecting Beach Villas close to the lagoon and the facilities; five sets on the island.
Queen bed in one villa, twin beds in the other
Sixteen villas with a private terrace stepping straight into the lagoon.
Queen bed and daybed
Twelve newer, contemporary suites on the beach, interconnecting for families: two plain, four with a private jacuzzi and six with a private pool.
Queen bed and daybed
Thirty-six overwater villas with a 7 m² jacuzzi plunge pool on the deck, a glass floor panel and the reef a few metres away.
Queen bed and oversized daybed
Four suites at the end of the jetty facing the sunset, with a 14 m² jacuzzi pool and a 24-hour butler for stays of four nights or more.
King bed, oversized daybed and sofa bed
The island's one Residence, secluded on the beach, with a large pool, a separate living room and a 24-hour butler.
Queen bed and daybed, plus a living room
The same resort and the same villa, booked through people who live here.
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Main restaurant with buffets and themed nights
À la carte dining over the water
Japanese teppanyaki cooked at the table
Contemporary fine dining
Lively pool bar for families by day and entertainment at night
Quiet chill-out bar and pool
Cocktails, cigars and a wine cellar
Holistic treatments over the water, with glass floors
Hermit-crab races, crafts, treasure hunts and water sports
Diving with whale sharks and mantas around South Ari
The shape comes from OpenStreetMap, simplified: a guide to the layout, not a survey. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A 20–25 minute seaplane flight with Trans Maldivian Airways, or a domestic flight to Maamigili and a short speedboat ride. Seaplanes fly in daylight only.
Dates, budget, who is coming. We will come back with three resorts that fit, and why.
