The last time I visited the Maldives was over 10 years ago and before children, so when my wife suggested we go back with our 5 and 7 year olds, I will admit that I thought twice about it.  Memories of lazy days spent reading, strolling on empty beaches, sundowners, and long lunches didn’t exactly fit with the family lifestyle I had come to know. I also caught myself wondering what the kids would do on a desert island for 10 days. Despite the unknown, the draw of some sun over February half term tipped the scales considerably and off we set.  

Descending into Male airport, excitement grew as the brilliant turquoise waters and scattered islands revealed themselves, removing any fear I had that the kids would not be excited – they were mesmerised and this served as a reminder as to how special this destination really is.  

We chose to stay at the Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Resort which is within the Noonu Atoll, a 40 minute seaplane journey north of the international airport. Within minutes of clearing immigration and collecting our bags, the winddown began as we were greeted with a smile, guided through check-in for the seaplane, and whisked away to the Sun Siyam lounge in the seaplane terminal where we were treated to complimentary massages, a wide selection of food and drink, somewhere to freshen up and change, and great views of the seaplanes coming and going. Before we knew it we were airborne and looking at the smiles and excitement on my children’s faces, I knew we had made the right decision…and we hadn’t even seen the resort yet.  

On landing (which is an experience in itself), we were greeted with fresh coconut drinks, turtle necklaces, and warm smiles from the team at the resort – in 40 short minutes, we had been transported to a different world (a shoeless one) which we all immediately felt at home in.

Shahu introduced himself as our ‘butler’ (buggy driver, reservation maker, child entertainer, mini-bar re-stocker, snorkel equipment provider…) and promptly gave us a brief tour of the island before showing us to our Beach Pool Villa. No need to show the kids where the pool was, they were in it before we stepped foot inside, which was positioned beautifully in ample shade and leading directly on to the pristine and typically empty beach despite the resort being at 95% capacity. Paradise found – surely it doesn’t get better does it, I thought? It turned out that it did.

A typical day would begin with the youngest members of the family rolling out of bed and straight into the pool before going off in search of hermit crabs and new shells on the beach. Getting them to go to breakfast (barefoot in the sand) was made easier once they realised the pancake station made pancake shapes (dolphins, crabs, sharks, and so on) to order, which they could decorate however they chose to. A couple of hours at kids club each morning (at their begging after just one trial morning) meant that we (the adults) had a time to read, relax, snorkel, stroll, or choose from any of the range of water sports available within the lagoon surrounding the island.

Sometimes under protest (such was the fun of kids club), lunch was taken by Fluid, the family pool (other options included the adult pool, beachfront, and buffet) where they would meet up with friends and play whilst parents relaxed, enjoying this new and relatively unexpected experience. Conscious of being where we were however, late afternoons were always reserved for a snorkel (via the ice cream shack) either off the beach by our villa or out to the Nemo reef in the lagoon. Snorkelling hand in hand with my daughter, her eagerly pointing out beautiful fish or all shapes and sizes, reef sharks, and turtles, will be something I will never forget.

Like the daytime, evenings were fun and varied with 7 restaurants to choose from, each with excellent food and in fantastic settings such as on the beach or overwater and all catering equally well for my two fussy little eaters. A kids disco from 8-9pm burned off any remaining energy they had, followed by a drink or two at the Watersedge bar before strolling back barefoot to our villa in readiness for tomorrows adventures and memories. More often than not, their eyes closing as they hit the pillow.   

Would it be dolphin cruises, kayaking, a sunset cruise, paddleboarding, lizard and gecko watching, searching for more marine life..? The options were endless and the fun wholesome - the kids appetite for squeezing as much as they could out of their time on this paradise island was like I’ve never seen them before.

After 10 days, none of us wanted to leave and as the seaplane took off, I glanced back down at what we were leaving, remembering my concerns around this being a suitable family holiday with a 7 and 5 year old and smiled. Any preconceived thoughts I had about the Maldives not being a great place for a family holiday were quashed almost immediately – in fact, it was the best family holiday we have ever had.

For more inspiration, take a look at our Indian Ocean Family Holidays page and our Maldives Holidays page.