A spacious resort suitable for couples and families alike, this is a fun option for those who fear they might be bored on a small island. There are 8 restaurants including an underwater option, a dive and water sports centre and a kids’ club. Snorkelling is superb, with the area known for whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins and turtles.

This award-winning luxury resort in the South Ari Atoll is actually made up of two islands connected by a bridge: a small, adults-only island with just 50 over-water villas, and a larger, family friendly island with a combination of beach villas and over-water villas.

Designed with a combination of crisp, modern architecture alongside Maldivian touches such as thatched roofs, there are facilities galore, with 12 restaurants and a wide variety of water and bars to choose from, a fantastic spa with over-water treatment rooms, and butler service in the higher category villas.

Couples and honeymooners can ensure they get a romantic, peaceful stay by choosing a villa on the adult-only Rangali island, and there’s also a quiet zone and adult-only pool. Families will find plenty of accommodation that works for them on the larger Rangalifinolhu Island – some of the Deluxe Beach Villas have a small second bedroom with twin beds for the kids, and there are two bedroom water villas too. There’s a dedicated kids pool and the excellent Majaa kids club is complimentary for children aged 3-12.

With so many amazing five star luxury resorts in the Maldives it can be difficult to work out which one is right for you, but there are two stand-out features of this resort aside from its wider than usual range of restaurants and activities, and the livelier atmosphere on the larger island, which give it the edge.

Firstly, its location in the South Ari Atol is one of the very best in the Maldives for snorkelling with Whale-sharks, which are present here year-round, unlike other parts of the country where they are only seen seasonally. From October to May, Manta Rays are also frequently seen, along with ever-present turtles and dolphins.

Secondly, Conrad Rangali is one of only a handful of resorts to offer an underwater restaurant and the only in the country with an underwater bedroom. The Ithaa Undersea Restaurant serves an innovative degustation menu for lunch and dinner, with matched wines, five metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean, and with 180-degree views of the surrounding coral and tropical fish. The undersea bedroom, submerged 15 feet under the ocean, is part of the resort’s ultra-luxurious two-story ‘Muraka’ villa which cost $15 million to build, and comes with an infinity pool, its own private chef and butler, and a private speedboat for exploring.