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Maldives

Out of the ordinary family holiday offers at Atmosphere Resorts, Maldives

Last updated 18th January 2025

Even a well-travelled parent like Jane Anderson was astonished at the creativity that goes into family holidays in the Maldives at Atmosphere Resorts. See for yourself with our February offers.

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Overwater villas, Atmosphere Kanifushi, family holidays in Maldives

Feasting on a lavish tropical breakfast from a floating tray in our private villa pool with my kids marvelling at the decadence of it all, it’s apparent we’re not on an average holiday. But then the Maldives isn’t ever your run-of-the-mill family getaway.

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Scarlett & Finn, Seaplane, Maldives © Jane Anderson

Family holidays in the Maldives are extraordinary, you are not prepared!

Travelling to this vast Indian Ocean archipelago that stretches 822km from north to south across around 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls, there’s a kind of reverence that comes from seeing this level of natural beauty.

Nothing prepares even a well travelled parent, let alone a teenager from London, for the myriad blue waters, turtles swimming towards their snorkel mask, or the fruit bats in the trees at night. Add in a hefty dollop of five-star creativity, and you will literally blow your kids’ minds.

Although traditionally a place for honeymooners and divers, all-inclusive resorts like the Atmosphere group, now positively embrace families and multi-gen arrivals. I recently had the great privilege of taking my daughter Scarlett, aged 19, and son Finlay, aged 16, on a two-centre adventure to Atmosphere Kanifushi and, the more recently opened sister property, VARU by Atmosphere.

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Jetty, Atmosphere Kanifushi, Maldives

Just let the glamour and downright ridiculous luxury sweep you up

From the minute we disembarked our 10-hour direct flight to the main island of Malé, the glamour and downright ridiculous luxury of the Maldives enveloped us. Swiftly escorted to a swanky new seaplane terminal, we’re soon boarding our Trans Maldivian Seaplane for the 35-minute flight north to Kanifushi, looking down on necklaces of tiny islands, some barely above sea level.

As we land, our plane skids gently over the sea and we’re soon on the jetty at Kanifushi in the Lhaviyani Atoll, being greeted with big smiles, bara badu drummers and palm woven necklaces.

We’re staying in a Residence, a vast villa with private circular pool, right on the beach with clear Perspex panels at either end and a multitude of decking and sunken seating areas.

Cute turquoise bikes are soon delivered to our villa door with handy baskets big enough for our complimentary snorkelling gear from the new dive centre, Oceanix Dive and Watersport – which we’re told, looks like a crab from above! Two marine biologists, Luisa and Santiago, have joined the team and are ready and waiting to enthuse us about ocean conservation and take the kids for a try dive around the safety of the hotel jetty with its healthy coral.

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Sandy roads and sweet cycles are the mood on these family holidays in the Maldives

One of my favourite things about being here is cycling the island’s one sandy road, overhung with cooling vegetation, past mighty banyan trees and hanging seats, with handy glass water bottle stations to rehydrate.

Also a highlight of our stay, is a trip to the neighbouring Naifaaru Island by traditional dhoni boat, where real life carries on for 5,000 Maldivians. Passing corrugated iron boat building yards, the pristine school and mosque, we visit the Atoll Marine Conservation Centre, one of only a handful of organisations that rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles which are at risk from entanglement in discarded ‘ghost’ nets, being hit by boats, global warming and humans keeping them as pets or stealing their eggs. Meeting Biscuit, who has lost three fins due to ghost nets and will never make it back to the wild, is a stark reminder that we need to care for our planet.

The days go by in blissful whirl and our skins begin to glow and our shoulders drop. Also, we breathe easier after a visit to Akiri Spa by Mandara where we experience our first sound bath meditation followed by a dreamy 45-minute massage before another phenomenal meal. We dine on crispy quesadillas and rosewater-lychee sorbets at Just Veg, whilst two baby black reef tip sharks frolic in the shallows.

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Overwater pavilion, VARU by Atmosphere

VARU by Atmosphere is a small, welcoming island and love at first sight

All too soon it’s time to take the seaplane back to Malé, where we’re off by speedboat to VARU by Atmosphere. Scarlett and Fin love that this is a welcoming small island, too tiny even to bother with guest bikes.

We’re assigned a butler called Ashraf who we WhatsApp when we need picking up, and we’re soon ensconced in our two-storey Majlis Suite with private inner pool and beachfront that looks like your dream tropical scene.

Heading out on a group snorkelling trip, we’re happy to see a healthy hawksbill turtle chewing determinedly on the coral, and a multitude of reef fish such as parrotfish and black and yellow butterfly fish.

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Floating breakfast, Atmosphere by VARU © Jane Anderson

Any more of this holiday in the Maldives and we’d become superhuman

Another thing we all appreciate, is the focus on Maldivian culture here, nowhere more so than at KAAGÉ restaurant, whose names means ‘family dining room’ in Divehi/Maldivian. As we walk through the gates we’re greeted with a fruity drink and dressed in a local ‘feyli’ or sarong. We’re then taken into a little screening room to watch a film about the history and culture of the Maldives. Once at our table we’re treated to local dishes including ‘garudhiya’, a delicious clear fish broth and ‘mas bai’, a fish and rice dish made with tuna and coconut with chilli, clove and cardamom.

We love the morning meditations with Nayan, the floodlit astroturf tennis in the jungle, and of course, ELENA Spa where the kids appreciate the glass window in the floor for you to watch the ocean when you’re lying face down for your massage. Fin eyes a shark swimming by during his coconut oil massage.

Afterwards we’re all invited to have a dip in the spa infinity pool and brought a heart-shaped floating tray of sweet ginger tea, cashew nuts, almonds and apricots. We feel so good, I think if we stayed here forever we’d become superhuman!

As I said, there’s nothing average about the Maldives.

Family holidays in the Maldives

How to get there

Direct UK flights to the Maldives from 10 hours

Where to stay

Atmosphere Kanifushi, Kanifushi Residence, all-inclusive (2 adults, 2 children) from £2,719 per night

atmosphere-kanifushi.com VARU by Atmosphere, Majlis Suite, all-inclusive (2 adults, 2 children) from £2,250 per night

February family holiday offers

Atmosphere Kanifushi, 16 to 23 February 2025

7-nights, Kanifushi Residence, Kanifushi Island Plan, including return UK flights and seaplane transfers (2 adults, 2 children) from £6,334

VARU by Atmosphere, 16 to 23 February 2025

7-nights, Majlis Suite, VARU Island Plan, including return UK flights and seaplane transfers (2 adults, 2 children) from £5,719

Find out more and book with Virgin Holidays

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