Vakkaru Maldives

Ringed by more than 2,300 coconut palms, Vakkaru sits inside Baa Atoll's UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where the house reef starts just beyond the shoreline and the sand stays pale and fine underfoot. Getting there takes about 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé, tracking over coral atolls, lagoons and sandbanks before the aircraft sets down at the island's jetty; a domestic flight to Dharavandhoo followed by a speedboat transfer offers an alternative route in. Villas run along the beach or stand on stilts above the lagoon, built with natural materials and touches drawn from Maldivian design. The Overwater Pool Villa opens onto a private infinity pool and a bathroom with a freestanding tub facing the water. Larger groups take the four-bedroom Beach Pool Residence, which joins two plunge-pool villas to a two-bedroom residence around a shared pool and dining terrace. Six restaurants and two bars cover the day, from a grill by the beach to a bamboo-walled pavilion serving Asian dishes, and the Vakkaru Reserve wine cellar has picked up five Wine Spectator awards. Diving and snorkelling run out of the island's watersports centre, with manta rays gathering at nearby Hanifaru Bay between May and November. Check-in details follow at booking. The island keeps its own clock, an hour ahead of the rest of the Maldives.