Overwater Villa Stays

Stay in a villa that stands over the ocean, where you step from your own deck straight into clear turquoise water, with an open view of the horizon on every side. It is the image the Maldives is known for, and it earns its reputation.

Overwater villas are not all alike. Some stand over a shallow, calm lagoon that suits swimming with children; others sit on the reef edge, where deep blue begins a few steps out. Some face the sunrise, some the sunset, and some have two or more bedrooms and a private pool, as at The Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands and Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi. We choose the position with you, by who is travelling and what you like to do.

If privacy comes first, we ask for a villa at the end of the walkway, away from the traffic; for a family we look for neighbouring villas or multi-bedroom residences. We ask the resort in advance about the depth beneath the deck at low and high tide, and how deep the lagoon is for anyone who does not swim well.

Many of our guests combine the two: nights on the beach, then nights over the water at the same resort, so one journey gives you sand at the door and the sea beneath your feet.