15 Maldives resorts for a family holiday: all inclusive, kids club and transfer

A long flight, and you're on an island with no cars and no asphalt. The Maldives with kids means a warm lagoon, white sand, and not a single car.

But not every resort is set up for children: some hotels cater to couples. We've rounded up 15 resorts where a child has plenty to do, and checked what's included in the all-inclusive package and how you'll get from the airport.

Lily Beach in South Ari is a 25-minute seaplane flight, Veligandu in North Ari is just 20 minutes (as of 09/2026, official Lily Beach website). Getting to the outer atolls takes longer: Kandima is 45 minutes by seaplane or 30 minutes by domestic flight plus another 20 minutes by speedboat (as of 09/2026, Kandima).

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How to choose a hotel in the Maldives with kids

💡 In short:

• Kids' clubs and activity staff aren't everywhere: Diamonds Athuruga and Velassaru Maldives don't have them.
• Seaplanes only fly during daylight hours, so a late flight means a speedboat or domestic flight transfer.

The transfer matters more than the star rating. A resort on a nearby atoll is reached by speedboat, and you're there an hour after landing. A distant island requires a seaplane or domestic flight, and you'll lose half a day on connections.

Check what's included in the all-inclusive package. Kids' meals, ice cream, and some drinks are often charged separately. Ask about the kids' club, nanny, and crib in advance so you don't have to sort it out at the front desk.

Age matters too. With toddlers, pick a resort with a shallow lagoon and a kids' club; with teenagers, diving and water sports are a good fit.

Comparing 15 hotels: atoll, dining, kids' club

1. Lily beach resort and spa

© lienyuan lee · CC BYPhoto: lienyuan lee, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

The resort occupies Huvahendhoo Island in South Ari, 80 km from Male. A seaplane gets you there in 25 minutes, and the all-inclusive rate covers accommodation, dining, and drinks (as of 09/2026, official website).

The island has five restaurants. Lily Maa serves a buffet, Tamarind prepares Asian dishes and offers an a la carte dinner once a week, The Wave specializes in fresh lobster, and the Vibes and AQUA Pool bars operate by the pool. South Ari dive routes pass near the island.

• Who it's for: families who want drinks and wine included in the rate.
• Location: South Ari, Huvahendhoo Island, seaplane from Male.
• Dining: five restaurants and two bars on an all-inclusive basis.

See Lily Beach prices on Trip.com

2. Veligandu island resort & spa

© Ashley Columbus · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ashley Columbus, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

The resort sits on Rasdhoo Island in North Ari. Some villas are raised on stilts over the water, others stand on the beach, just a few steps from the ocean.

Dining is in two restaurants: Dhonveli, with a sand floor and thatched roof, serves a buffet, while Madivaru serves you a la carte right on the beach with seafood and grilled beef. The Athiri bar welcomes children aged 12 and up, and Thundi shows sports broadcasts.

Duniye Spa offers yoga and Asian massage, the Ocean center handles diving and motorized water sports, and there are PADI programs for beginners. An air-conditioned playroom and activity staff are available for children.

• Location: North Ari, 20 minutes by seaplane from Velana International (as of 09/2026, official website).
• Who it's for: families with children and active couples.
• Transfer: seaplane, speedboat, or yacht, your choice.

See Veligandu prices on Trip.com

3. Komandoo island resort & spa

© eNil from Portsmouth, UK · CC BYPhoto: eNil from Portsmouth, UK, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

The small island of Neyfaru suits those who want quiet and diving. The resort organizes dives to the channels, dolphin and manta ray watching, and shark study programs.

Guests stay in overwater or beach villas. Meal plans are mostly all-inclusive, with two restaurants offering buffets and a la carte ordering. The Aqua restaurant specializes in fish and seafood.

• Dietary options on request: vegetarian, gluten-free, halal, and dairy-free menus.
• Who it's for: divers and families who value quiet without loud shows.
• Location: Neyfaru island, seaplane from Male airport.

Check prices for Komandoo on Trip.com

4. Centara grand island resort & spa

This resort in South Ari is known for its house reef with a shipwreck. The villas are decorated in art deco style, and the lagoon near the shore is clean and calm, so swimming with children is easy.

The UAI plan opens up three restaurants: Reef with international cuisine, Suan Bua with Thai, and Azzure Mare with Italian and seafood. After lunch, children get ice cream and desserts, and two bar areas are open most of the day.

Activities include water sports, windsurfing, snorkeling, fitness, tennis, and five excursions, including swimming with sharks and an evening cruise around the island. Children play indoors and outdoors, watch cartoons, and go to the kids' club.

• Who it's for: families who want a reef, a shipwreck, and a kids' club.
• For children: playrooms, an outdoor playground, a club, cartoons.
• Dining: three restaurants on the UAI plan.

Check prices for Centara Grand on Trip.com

5. Diamonds Thudufushi

© Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SAPhoto: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

This resort in the southwest of Ari is chosen for its compact size and intimate atmosphere. Beach bungalows are furnished with rattan furniture, and there are overwater villas plus a separate line of villas by the lagoon.

Dining is centered in two restaurants: one prepares Italian, Asian, and Maldivian dishes, while the second, in the Water Villas area, serves fresh fish and seafood. Drinks are served at the bar near the complex, at the pier, and on the beach.

Serena Spa offers massage and yoga. On the water there is a dive center, wakeboarding, canoeing, and sailing; on land there is billiards, ping-pong, and a library. Animators work with children.

• Who it's for: families who value a cozy island scale and animator-led childcare.
• Location: southwest of Ari Atoll, seaplane from Male.

Check prices for Diamonds Thudufushi on Trip.com

6. Diamonds Athuruga

A resort for those who come for the cuisine and the reef. The complex is small, the villas are compact, and the house reef is convenient for snorkeling with a marine biologist.

Chefs work in four restaurants: Thari Over Water, Farivalhu with Maldivian dishes, Kakuni with fish, and Thila with Japanese cuisine. The Boli Beach beach bar serves light snacks with drinks.

On excursions you can encounter whale sharks and manta rays, swim with turtles, book a trip to a sandbank, or go fishing with a barbecue from your catch.

• Not for: families with toddlers. There is no kids' club or animators here.
• Who it's for: teenagers and adults who want diving and gastronomy.
• Dining: four restaurants and a beach bar.

Check prices for Diamonds Athuruga on Trip.com

7. Seaside Finolhu

The resort bets on design. The villa interiors were created by Japanese architect Yuji Yamazaki and French designer Meriem Hall, drawing inspiration from nature and aesthetics.

Eco-style villas stand above the lagoon: each has its own bathroom, air conditioning, a terrace with loungers, and a pool. The complex has several ocean-view restaurants serving a dietary menu and fresh lobster separately, plus a self-service restaurant.

• Who it's for: families who want privacy and a pool by the villa.
• Location: lagoon near Finolhu Island, seaplane from Male.
• Dining: several restaurants, dietary menu, fresh lobster.

Check prices for Seaside Finolhu on Trip.com

8. Amari Havodda Maldives

© Khadkaprakriti · CC BY-SAPhoto: Khadkaprakriti, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The resort hides in tropical greenery on the private island of Thinadhoo. The villas are spacious, with a living area, bedroom, and open terrace, and some have their own pool.

The all-inclusive rate covers two restaurants with Asian and European cuisine, a pizzeria, and two bars by the pool and on the beach. One of the restaurants grills seafood.

For underwater enthusiasts, there are reefs with turtles, moray eels, and sharks. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, there are game rooms, and babysitting services can be arranged.

• Who it's for: families who need a nanny and kids' game rooms.
• For kids: game rooms and babysitting on request.

Check prices for Amari Havodda on Trip.com

9. OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo

The resort on South Male Atoll has a private beach and a pool that operates year-round. The rooms offer panoramic ocean views.

Five restaurants cover every request: The Palms serves a buffet, the underwater M6m serves seafood, Peking prepares Chinese and Cantonese dishes, IndoCeylon handles Indian cuisine, and R.A.W offers sushi.

Adults have access to a beauty salon, spa and fitness center, fishing, diving, canoeing and windsurfing, evening shows, a nightclub, karaoke, and tennis. Kids get a game room, an outdoor playground, and a kids' club with books, board games, and cartoons.

• Who it's for: families who want an underwater restaurant and an adult evening program.
• For kids: club, game room, outdoor playground.

Check prices for OZEN at Maadhoo on Trip.com

10. Kandima Maldives

© OceanAnalytica · CC BY-SAPhoto: OceanAnalytica, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Kandima occupies the largest island in Dhaalu Atoll. You can get here by a 45-minute seaplane flight or a 30-minute domestic flight plus a 20-minute speedboat ride (as of 09/2026, official website).

The resort has the largest beach club in the Maldives and the longest infinity pool in the country, plus two more pools. Five restaurants serve dishes from around the world, three bars run the evening program, and there is a cafe with craft coffee.

The sports lineup includes water sports, fitness, Zumba, yoga and aerial yoga, tennis, a spa with a steam room, water and beach volleyball, darts, and billiards. Kids spend the day at the Kandiland club with a cooking studio, trampoline, and a daily program.

• Who it's for: active families with kids of any age.
• Location: Dhaalu, seaplane or domestic flight with speedboat.

View prices for Kandima on Trip.com

11. Paradise island resort & spa

© Renek78 · CC BY-SAPhoto: Renek78, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

A cottage resort on North Male, on Lankanfinolhu Island. Guests note how close it is to nature: rabbits run around the island, birds and fruit bats fly overhead.

The restaurants cover different cuisines: Bageecha, the Italian Al Tramonto, the Japanese Fukuya Teppanyaki, the relaxed The Lagoon, and Farumathi with seafood. Two bars operate around the clock, and the Dhaavani coffee shop is also open every day.

The property has two pools, one for adults and one for kids, a spa with massage and a steam room, and a fitness center with a personal trainer. On the water you can go fishing, windsurfing, diving, and water skiing; on land there is tennis, badminton, squash, billiards, and evening shows. Kids have a playground and an entertainment team.

• Who it's for: families with small children who need a kids' pool.
• For kids: playground, entertainment program, separate pool.

View prices for Paradise Island on Trip.com

12. Hard rock hotel maldives

© Hungryjacks77 · CC BY-SAPhoto: Hungryjacks77, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The hotel sits in the Emboodhoo Lagoon. Rooms face the ocean with a balcony, open directly onto the beach, or are raised above the water.

Dining is built around music: Hard Rock Cafe with an American menu, the Sessions restaurant with an open kitchen, The Elephant and The Butterfly with Mexican dishes and seafood, and a pool bar.

Rock Spa and the Body Rock fitness center handle recovery, and there is a pool with a water slide, a rock shop with souvenirs, and evening concerts. Kids stay busy at the Roxity Kids&Teen Spirit club: they watch movies, play video games, and take lessons in guitar, keyboards, drums, and DJing.

• Who it's for: families with teenagers who want music and water slides.
• For kids: Roxity club, music and DJ lessons.

View prices for Hard Rock Maldives on Trip.com

13. Villa park (sun island)

This South Ari Atoll resort is known for its large island and extensive room inventory: bungalows on the shore, on the beach, and over the water, plus standalone villas and a presidential suite. In 2023, Sun Island changed its name to Villa Park; the island and management stayed the same (as of 09/2026, official Villa Resorts website).

The restaurants serve different cuisines: Maaniyaa and Southern Star with buffets, the Italian Al Pontile, the Thai Sun Star, the Fishmarket seafood grill, and the 24-hour Vani coffee shop. Four bars operate on the beach, by the pool, and on the sandbank.

Araamu Spa offers classic and Ayurvedic treatments, and the sports center has a gym, jacuzzi, hammam, and sauna. The water sports center provides catamarans, windsurfing, water skiing, and jet skis. For kids there is an outdoor playground, a board game room, and entertainment staff.

• Who it's for: families who want a spacious island and plenty of activities.
• Location: South Ari Atoll, Nalaguraidhoo Island.

View prices for Villa Park Sun Island on Trip.com

14. Velassaru Maldives

The resort is set on the small island of Velassaru. Villas and bungalows sit on the shore and over the water, a sandy beach runs around the entire perimeter of the island, and the coral reef comes right up to the shore.

Five restaurants each have their own focus: Vela with international cuisine, Turquoise with Asian, Etesian with Mediterranean, Teppanyaki with Japanese, and the beachfront Sand with grilled meat and seafood. The Chill Bar looks out over the ocean.

The spa center has a hydrotherapy pool over the lagoon, a steam room, and yoga classes. Three centers handle water sports, diving, and reef exploration.

• Not for: families with toddlers. There is no kids' area or entertainment staff here, although the dive center does teach children.
• Who it's for: couples and families with older children.

View prices for Velassaru on Trip.com

15. Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

© Simon_sees · CC BYPhoto: Simon_sees, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), Flickr

The resort on North Male invites you to beachfront and overwater bungalows and villas. The property features a sandy beach, an outdoor pool, and a separate children's pool.

Five restaurants offer a choice: Thai Baan Thai, international Perroquet with Peruvian cuisine, Asian Full Moon, Mediterranean Casa Luna, and beach grill Atoll Grill. Guests praise the buffet and themed dinners.

Shine Spa covers the full range of massage and beauty services, with a jacuzzi and fitness center. On the water, there is a dive center, windsurfing, snorkeling, canoeing, and fishing; on land, billiards, movies, tennis, darts, and cooking classes. Kids have the Adventure club, an outdoor playground, and a game area.

• Who it's for: families who want a kids' club and a calm beach.
• For kids: Adventure club, outdoor playground, children's pool.

View prices for Sheraton Full Moon on Trip.com

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to fly to the Maldives with kids?

The dry northeast monsoon season runs from November through April. During this time the sea is calm, and there is little rain or wind. Keep in mind that December and January are high season with the highest prices. With kids, it's more convenient to go from November through March, when the lagoon is warm and clear.

How do you get to the resort from Male airport?

After that, it all depends on the atoll. Nearby resorts meet you with a speedboat. To reach distant islands, you fly by seaplane or take a domestic flight plus a speedboat. To Lily Beach, for example, the seaplane takes 25 minutes (as of 09/2026, data from Lily Beach resort).

Do you need a kids' club in the Maldives?

If you're traveling with children under seven, a club or activity staff will make your vacation noticeably easier. Veligandu, Kandima, Centara Grand, and Sheraton have children's programs. Diamonds Athuruga and Velassaru don't have a kids' club, and that's worth considering in advance when choosing.

What's included in the all-inclusive rate?

Usually it covers accommodation, meals in the main restaurants, and some drinks. Kids' meals, ice cream, and premium alcohol are often charged separately. Check what the rate includes before booking, because it varies from resort to resort and changes by season.

How much does a Maldives vacation with a child cost?

The price depends on the atoll, the season, and the villa type. Resorts close to the airport and the dry season cost more. The easiest way to compare the exact cost for your dates is by check-in dates, and you can verify what the rate includes on the resort's website.

Hotels on the Maldives map

Below is a map with the islands from this selection. It's a handy way to see which resorts are in the same atoll and which ones require a separate flight.

In short: what's worth booking

Choose based on your family makeup. With little ones, pick resorts with a kids' club: Centara Grand, Kandima, Sheraton Full Moon. With teenagers, take a closer look at diving and water activities at Veligandu and Diamonds Athuruga. If you want all-inclusive with no extra charges for drinks, look at Lily Beach and OZEN. For a quiet getaway, Komandoo and Velassaru are good options.

You can find dates and compare prices across all the hotels in this selection on Trip.com.