Having travelled to the Indian Ocean for the past 15 years, Sam Wylie-Harris shares her tips for making the most of your holiday, whether you're after an active break, culinary getaway or fly-and-flop
Excited by wine walls, and a collection of more than 200 labels spanning the globe, I sip champagne and eye up a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal 2004, alongside a rare Petrus Pomerol 1996 Bordeaux our sommelier has proudly pulled from the shelf - illustrating the impressive list.
As a drinks writer, I'm accustomed to glossy tasting rooms and reviewing a flight of fancy wines. As luck would have it though, we're in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
It's our third visit to five-star Velassaru - a beautiful 21-acre coral island in the South Male Atoll, a 25-minute speedboat ride from Velana airport. Tonight, we're sitting down to their award-winning dinner experience at Etesian, with a sophisticated seven-course menu featuring gold medal-winning dishes.
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The menu here is testament to how the evolving food and beverage scene is putting the Maldives firmly on the culinary map. Travellers are seeking gastronomic experiences beyond glorious sunshine, turquoise sea, wonderful marine life and coral sands.
It's one of the many new developments in a destination my husband Giles and I fell in love with 15 years ago and have been back time and time again.
When it comes to designing the perfect holiday to this barefoot paradise, choosing the right resort can be confusing. At the last count, there were 172 properties spread across the 26 atolls - all with very different offerings.
No longer purely a once-in-a-lifetime, honeymoon destination, the island nation is set to attract two million tourists in 2024. And although there are still plenty of "money is no object" options, there's affordable luxury too.
Several top-notch properties now offer all-inclusive packages complete with wines and spirits, buffet or a la carte menus, excursions and complementary snorkelling equipment. Leaving very little not included, it's a win-win with the wow-factor.
For first-timers, I always suggest splitting your holiday with two destinations - the first accessible by speedboat, the second seaplane.
After a long-haul flight, there's nothing like powering across turquoise waters and the thrill of excitement when your ring-shaped island comes into view - and you're living the dream. With another resort to explore, you'll be enjoying the best of both worlds.
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A couple of days into our holiday at Velassaru, the resort throws a special dinner buffet at Vela (one of the resort's five restaurants) to celebrate National Maldives Day.
Later, we join the "Purely White" after party on the beach with a resident DJ spinning an eclectic mix of R&B and club music. Open to requests, he plays one of our favourite country tunes by Jon Pardi. We dance barefoot under the stars and crescent moon.
However, our favourite since day dot is Sand, where we also visit for dinner during our stay. It's an oceanfront grill with private pavilions to wine, dine and sink your feet in the sand.
The happy vibe flows to the next evening with a romantic dinner on the beach. Attention to detail is slick with a garland centrepiece and grilled lobster for mains.
Smiling and laughing, we stroll along the jetty to our water villa perched over the lagoon - the shadow of a stingray our only distraction. To our surprise, the turn down service garnishes our bed with flower petals, palm leaves and a heart-shaped towel.
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With its palm-filled shorelines, fragrant flora and fauna and sandy pathways framed by trailing bougainvillea, we love strolling around the island to chill out and unwind.
Feeling relaxed and refreshed, mornings spent sunbathing and bobbing around in softly rippling waves are followed by long, lazy lunches.
Fen Bar, with its beachfront views overlooking the infinity pool, is where we relax with a gin and tonic. With the promise of a beautiful sunset, we slip into the back seat of a golf buggy and head to Chill - the resort's sundeck bar on the other side of the island. With sweeping panoramic views, our timing couldn't be more perfect.
We order a pina colada and, in tune with shaking of ice cubes, the sound of a bell rings out to announce the ice-cream tricycle cart. Complementary gelato is served.
For the second half of our holiday we transfer by sea plane to Kandolhu - a bijou resort with 30 villas that we first visited 10 years ago.
The first time we visited the Maldives, I thought my "action man" partner would be bored, but there's no time to fly-and-flop here with an enchanting island and house reef to discover.
Moreover, with Kandulhu's dive centre offering complementary GoPro hire, it's possible to film and post pictures of tropical fish and turtles from your dream paradise.
Our Ocean Pool Villa, with its infinite views of the Indian Ocean, features an open bathroom with shower and tub. We pull the sliding doors to sit on the ledge, dangle our legs and gaze at crystal clear waters below.
Another highlight is our plunge pool, which we sink into with a glass of fizz.
You get a lot of bang for your buck, too - our wine fridge is stocked with New and Old World wines, including cava and prosecco, as part of the Ultimate Inclusions package.
Five restaurants offer an array of cuisine - from Mediterranean dishes, to Banzai teppanyaki and Peruvian fusion. The latter becomes a lunchtime hang-out spot on the edge of the jetty, where our chef prepares tacos and ceviche to order, washed down with ice-cold beer.
There's also one the sweetest spas I've ever come across, so we indulge in a 90-minute signature massage together.
The four treatment rooms are named after flowers - Rose, Jasmine, Lavender and Tulip. We rest our heads in "Jasmine", where hot stones relieve my remaining travel tension.
Admittedly, there are cheaper beach destinations to visit, but I'd argue every penny spent in the Maldives is an investment in health and happiness.
More affordable, all-inclusive price packages make the spend increasingly justifiable and have afforded people like me the privilege of living a dream again and again.
Kuoni offers an all-inclusive, seven-night stay at Kandolhu Maldives, including flights, transfers and a la carte meals, from £3,999 per person. Book now.
A seven-night, half-board stay at Velassaru Resort Maldives start at £3,099 per person, including flights and transfers. Book now.
Kuoni also offers "Maldives Twin-Centre" breaks start at £2,499 per person for eight nights. Find out more here.