How to book the perfect Christmas holiday in The Maldives

Our pick of Maldivian resorts for festive getaways for families, couples and solo travellers

The Maldives is a gorgeous place to get away – but it’s even better at Christmas, when the elves and reindeer come out to play. December brings good weather and less rainfall, while Maldivian resorts lay on a breadth of festive events, from child-friendly craft sessions to sophisticated cocktail parties. 

Resorts have their Christmas offers up and running already – including gala dinners, champagne toasts, booking discounts, solo deals and upgraded rooms. Many of these won’t be around for long, and with the big day just a couple of months away, now is the prime time to sell a sunny winter escape in the Indian Ocean.

Here are some recommended Maldives resorts for different categories of traveller.

Best Maldives resorts for families with young children
Kuramathi Island Resort is a great choice for families with children under 10, offering a huge kids’ club with soft toys and development-focused games for babies and toddlers, plus a splash pad, colourful treehouse and range of sports and food-related fun for older kids. From Christmas Eve to New Year, sketches of Christmassy characters such as Santa, his elves and gingerbread men appear along the resort’s sandy footpaths. The man in red makes an entrance on 25 December, giving out presents and Christmas cheer to all the children. A programme of festive activities offers kids the chance to help decorate the Christmas tree and play festive games. If they’d prefer to bring back local handicrafts for their friends, a visiting festive market sells Maldivian trinkets. 

 Kuramathi Island Resort 

Family favourite Kandima Maldives (where kids under six can stay and eat for free) has one of the largest kids’ clubs in The Maldives, a Christmas tree made from painted coconuts and Santa arriving on a sleigh pulled by two jetskis. The hotel has a Christmas offer with savings of up to 45% for holidays between 27 December 2024 and 10 January 2025.

Best Maldives resorts for families with teens
The Hard Rock Hotel Maldives is a solid choice for clients travelling with a notoriously tricky-to-please demographic: kids aged 13 to 17. The aptly named Teen Spirit zone is an exclusive space for teenagers, where they can meet others their age, learn how to rock out on the guitar or simply play on a games console. 

The hotel runs an annual ‘Pink Festive’ celebration, which sees the multi-island resort twinkling under the warm glow of fuschia fairy lights. Teenagers can expect an enticing array of daytime performances to keep them entertained, from aerial artists to Maldivian traditional dancers, then join their parents at afternoon DJ sessions and tie-dye parties once the sun goes down. 

The Den at Soneva Jani has a dedicated rooftop area for teenagers that’ll help them detox from devices and escape school pressures: think a telescope deck, music room, foosball and table tennis. From 10 to 26 December this year, champion freestyle footballer Marcel Gurk will be holding workshops teaching teens how to perform some impressive ball tricks.

Best Maldives resorts for couples
Each of the Maldives’ five Sun Siyam resorts picks a different theme for its Christmas celebrations, and this year, the plush 125-suite Iru Veli has chosen ‘metamorphosis’, to symbolise growth and renewal for the new year. Wellness treatments in the sea-facing spa with its Christmassy aromas will ease couples into the festive spirit, while the elevated gala dinner on Christmas Eve promises to be a classy and elegant affair. The Chemistry cocktail bar (which is open until midnight every night) plays host to the Christmas tree lighting ceremony and serves themed cocktails. 

Adult-only resort the Oblu Select Lobigili typically puts on a festive show to remember. Previous years have seen chilled-out Christmas movies and cocktails on the beach, plus gingerbread house-building sessions and romantic mulled wine and cheese-pairing workshops.

 Oblu Select Lobigili

Best Maldives resorts for solo travellers
Nova Maldives could be the perfect ‘treat yourself’ Christmas gift for a solo traveller. Activities at the resort are designed to help solos discover this idyllic archipelago in the company of fellow travellers, from communal teppanyaki restaurants to boat trips and art classes. 

The ‘Supernova’ festive season is the highlight of the resort’s calendar, encouraging guests to connect with nature (and each other) via celestial-inspired experiences, night-time snorkelling and tea ceremonies. This year’s programme, which runs from December 26-31, will include solo-friendly stargazing tours for the first time, either on a sunset cruise or from the sand – but always with free-flowing prosecco.

Nova Maldives

Coco Collection’s new Solo Adventure package reduces the usual cost of a Maldivian villa by up to 50%. Plus, the resort activities are especially sociable, from group snorkelling and fishing trips to Christmas Day beach volleyball with the staff, and a yoga session to see in the new year.

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