Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Set across two islands in the South Ari Atoll, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island joins Rangali and Rangali-Finolhu with a bridge that runs 500 metres over the lagoon. Beach villas sit on the larger island among palms and white sand; water villas stand on stilts off the smaller one, reached along a jetty that opens onto open ocean. The atoll waters draw whale sharks and manta rays year-round, and the house reef sits close enough for guests to snorkel straight from their villa steps. It is a working reef, too: the resort runs a PADI Eco Center focused on coral regeneration. Ithaa, five metres below the surface, was the first undersea restaurant in the world, its curved glass walls giving a 180-degree view of the coral below. A second landmark, the Wine Cellar, sits two metres underground and holds thousands of bottles. Villas range from a beach room with a plunge pool to two- and three-bedroom family suites, and on to sunrise- and sunset-facing water villas with private pools or whirlpools. Two spas work above the lagoon, one with glass floors set over the water. Rangali Island itself is adults-only, kept quiet for couples, while Rangali-Finolhu carries the resort's family life and its wider run of restaurants. The nearest airport connection is by seaplane.