Island holidays for families
A family holiday has more moving parts than a honeymoon: bedrooms that connect, a lagoon safe enough to paddle in, a meal plan that suits children, and a transfer that does not undo the first day.
We plan these trips for parents with young children, larger and multigenerational families, and family celebrations that need several villas. The resorts below are ones whose own family welcome we have already written about; we confirm the details for your children's ages before anything is booked.
Planning family holidays properly
Villas and rooms
Two-bedroom and multi-bedroom villas, connecting accommodation and how many guests each category genuinely sleeps.
Children's facilities
Kids' clubs, age ranges and opening days, teen spaces and babysitting arrangements.
Water and safety
Calm lagoon swimming, house-reef conditions and pool depths.
Meals and transfers
Children's meal-plan rules, dining times, and whether a seaplane, speedboat or domestic flight suits your family.
Activities by age
What a six-year-old, a teenager and a grandparent will each find to do.
Resorts we already know welcome families
Noonu Atoll, Maldives
Soneva Jani
Soneva Jani: vast private villas, a luminous Noonu Atoll lagoon, imaginative dining, stargazing and playful barefoot luxury.
Baa Atoll, Maldives
Soneva Fushi
Soneva Fushi: secluded jungle and overwater villas, broad Baa Atoll beaches, inspired dining and characterful barefoot luxury.
Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives
Niyama Private Islands Maldives
Niyama's twin-island Maldives escape, balancing surf, adventurous dining and watersports with quiet beaches, private pools and spa time.
South Ari Atoll, Maldives
LUX* South Ari Atoll
LUX* South Ari Atoll: whale-shark waters, a long island to cycle, eight restaurants and light-hearted luxury that suits couples and families.
South Ari Atoll, Maldives
Lily Beach Resort & Spa
Lily Beach Resort & Spa: genuine all-inclusive ease on the Platinum Plan, a celebrated South Ari house reef and an easy seaplane arrival.
Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives
Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa
Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa: design-led villas on a natural Lhaviyani island, a calm lagoon, six dining venues and space for couples and families.
Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives
Jawakara Islands Maldives
Jawakara Islands Maldives: two Lhaviyani islands joined by a reef bridge, generous family villas, quieter Dheru and dining: every evening.
Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives
NH Collection Maldives Havodda Resort
NH Collection Maldives Havodda: remote Gaafu Dhaalu seclusion, a vibrant reef, beach and overwater pool villas and straightforward value.
Haa Alifu Atoll, Maldives
Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa
Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa: remote Haa Alifu privacy, some of the largest villas in the Maldives, pools throughout and an unhurried northern island.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora
Four Seasons Bora Bora: polished overwater living, front-row Mount Otemanu views and a rich programme of lagoon, dining and spa experiences.
Moorea, French Polynesia
Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa
Hilton Moorea: lagoon and mountain scenery, classic overwater access and private garden or beachfront bungalows with plunge pools.
The full collection, across Maldives and French Polynesia, is here.