- If you’re looking for a relaxing honeymoon, the Maldives is a no-brainer. Consisting of more than 1,000 islands across 26 atolls, there is a lot to choose from – too much, in fact.
- The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is unique from many other resorts in the Maldives because it’s on two islands instead of one, resulting in lots of room options, privacy, and amenities.
- It also has the world’s first underwater restaurant and underwater residence, plus tours to see whale sharks, and a unique coral regeneration program to help rebuild its damaged house reef.
- The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is part of the Hilton family so you can use and earn points during your stay. Nightly rates for one-room overwater villas can start as low as $570 and go up to $830 during low and shoulder seasons, and range between $2,200 and max out at around $2,800 during high season.
When searching for honeymoon spots, my husband and I decided on the Maldives because it would be the one time in our lives where we could do absolutely nothing without any responsibilities. Well, except sleep, snorkel, and get to our dinner reservation on time.
Many late nights and spreadsheets later, we chose to stay at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. Uniquely located on two islands in the South Ari Atoll, we thought there’d be more to do and see than other resorts we looked at. But even after 10 days, we felt like we barely saw anything. Or anyone for that matter. Since everything is spread out between the main island known as Rangalifinolhu, and the second, more private Rangali Island, we only encountered other guests at restaurants or on tours.
As most of our trips tend to be pretty active and include some combination of hiking, swimming, diving, or snorkeling, we were initially hesitant about going to the Maldives where you’re more limited. But we really just wanted to relax and the resort has everything we needed – restaurants, bars, tennis courts, shops, water sports, house reef, and more – and we surprisingly didn’t feel bored even after 10 days.
My husband and I stayed on both islands in two different types of rooms – a Superior Water Villa on Rangali Island and a refurbished Beach Villa on Rangali Island. We went in August, which is considered part of the shoulder season for the Maldives, so our room rates were a lot cheaper than the high season. Nightly rates for one-room overwater villas in August can start as low as $570 and go up to $830, and range between $2,200 and max out at around $2,800 during high season.
As we'd come to expect though, everything in the Maldives comes with a justified premium.
- The first impression
- The room
- On-site amenities
- What's nearby
- What others say
- What you need to know
- The bottom line
- Book the Conrad Maldives starting at $522
Keep reading to see why I was so impressed by the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.
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Arriving at the Conrad Maldives isn't as easy as walking into a resort lobby.
If you arrive at Malé airport before 3:30 pm., you can take a 30-minute seaplane to the island, otherwise, you'll have to take a short flight and then a speedboat as the seaplane can't operate safely in the evening when it starts to get dark. You can arrange this with the Conrad Maldives team, the price for either option is $526 plus 12% tax.
The seaplane fits around 15 people including luggage, which had to be under 20 kg for a checked bag and under 5 kg for a carry-on - the same for our flights to the Maldives.
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My husband and I coordinated with the Conrad team and Trans Maldivian Airways a day or two before our flight to make arrangements. We gave the Conrad our flight information and were told a team member would meet us at the arrivals gate and escort us to the seaplane. As planners, this was slightly nerve-wracking because it felt so last-minute. Fortunately, Trip Advisor reviews confirmed this was how the process worked, and our worries turned out to be unwarranted. Getting to the seaplane was seamless.
The seaplane itself is cramped, rickety, and loud; the cockpit is open and there's no air-conditioning, just fans clipped onto the corners of the plane. It wasn't the luxury I expected going to the Maldives, but I forgot about that as soon as we took off over crystal clear lagoons, otherworldly blue waters, and tiny islands we assumed were owned by mega-billionaires. We're probably not wrong.
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Within 30 or so minutes, we arrived at the docking area along a bridge that connects the two islands at the Conrad Maldives. We were greeted by resort staff and shuffled into a lounge where our dedicated team member, Betty, gave us cold towels, sorbet drinks, and water (a refreshing treat after a long 20+ flight and rickety seaplane) as she checked us in and personally escorted us to our room.
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To get to our room from the dock, we walked along a bridge just slightly wider than the golf carts staffers used to shuttle guests toward the main Rangalifinolhu Island. Next, we took a five-minute ferry boat ride to the more private Rangali Island, where we would be staying for the first part of our trip.
We used this time to learn more about the resort, its sustainability efforts, the difference between the two islands, and more importantly, which restaurants to go to. Spoiler - after having tried all of them twice, they're all great, but I'd suggest the underwater Ithaa for the coolest experience, and the champagne and lobster buffet for pure gluttony. And don't skip the breakfast buffet at Atoll Market either - it's free with the all-inclusive rate and will fill you up until dinner.
The seaplane staffers brought our luggage to the lounge and then the Conrad team shuttled everything to our room via golf cart. We didn't have to lift a thing. We soon learned this would become the norm throughout our stay.
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We wanted to get two different room experiences during our honeymoon, so my husband and I stayed in a Superior Water Villa on Rangali Island at $500 a night for the first seven nights and then moved into a renovated Deluxe Beach Villa for $400 a night for the last three. These were slightly discounted media rates, but if I were to look at August 2020, nightly rates for one-room overwater villas in August can start as low as $570 and go up to $830, and range between $2,200 and around $2,800 during high season.
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We stayed in a Superior Water Villa, which was a wooden bungalow perched on top of reinforced stilts with a thatched roof.
I knew "an overwater villa in the Maldives" would be nothing short of impressive, but I wasn't prepared for how spacious and clean our room was; if you close your eyes and picture an overwater bungalow, you'd see our room. The AC was already on, making it nice and cool for our arrival. It was a nice touch since the Maldivian sun is no joke.
The Superior Water Villa included a main room that doubled as the living room and bedroom; a huge bathroom with a shower, bathtub, and large window overlooking the balcony. The balcony itself included a hot tub and stairs leading right into the Indian Ocean, you know, in case we didn't want to walk 50 feet out of our villa to go to the beach.
The room was generous and the bathroom large - bigger than the living room in our apartment at home. The resort prides itself on its sustainability efforts so there were no plastic bottles or straws in the room, and amenities like shampoo and body wash were housed in refillable glass containers. We thought this was cool until we dropped one and it shattered all over the shower floor.
The wooden floors and furniture corners were worn out in some places, and some of the tech accessories were old. But we noticed upgrades like Bose surround sound speakers, so it was clear the resort was doing what it could to modernize villas.
None of it was bad per se, and didn't negatively affect our stay, but Trip Advisor reviews echo the general outdatedness of the room.
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On the balcony, there were two recliners and an umbrella so you'd never have to leave the room to get some sun. They were joined by a table and two chairs in another corner in case you wanted to eat outside, pus a hot tub, and staircase that led directly into the ocean. Having your own personal piece of the ocean was a dream, though we didn't get to take full advantage because of rough, choppy waters that are common in transitional shoulder season.
The water right was only about waist-high once off the stairs. But the ocean floor was covered in small pieces of coral and hard rocks, so be careful when getting into the water.
The balcony offered enough privacy with wooden fences, but not if the villa on the right had any guests or you swam far out. Thankfully, we only saw our neighbors twice when we swam outside our villa.
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After the first seven nights, we moved into a newly renovated Deluxe Beach Villa on the main Rangalifinolhu Island for the last three nights of our honeymoon.
One of the draws of the Conrad Maldives was it was located on two islands with a variety of room types, to offer different experiences. Beach villas are also generally cheaper and bigger than overwater villas, for a better value. In fact, a lot of Trip Advisor reviews and blogs suggest staying in two rooms to help save money.
Resort staff drove a buggy to move our luggage, while we were escorted to our room. The walk was a little less than 10 minutes, and we saw how other beach villas looked, along with glimpses at the renovation being done. Instead of shutting down a part of the island for renovations and room upgrades, the Conrad Maldives decided to keep everything open while renovating at the same time. Thankfully, before we'd arrived, the resort informed us of the planned construction and made sure we were in an area far from construction noise.
Our renovated beach villa showed obvious signs of upgrades and improvements. Everything felt new and modern - the floors were tiled, wooden trim was well-polished, and floor-to-ceiling curtains could be controlled via remote.
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Both king beds were plush yet firm, the showers had great pressure, and there was more than enough space for two people. The housing staff also placed flowers on our bed the first day and gifted us a little lobster plush on our last - both were thoughtful touches that made us feel like family.
The room was considerably more spacious than the water villa, and that's not counting the large outdoor bedroom with its own shower and Zen fountain, or the private backyard with an infinity pool and direct beach access.
The beach villa was arguably a better value than the water villa in terms of room size and price, and many reviews agree. However, you can't come to the Maldives without staying in an overwater room, so again, I'd suggest staying in both for the different experiences.
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For those who can afford it, there's an underwater residence that's separate from the two islands called THE MURAKA. It's a three-bedroom house that starts at $25,000 a night and comes with 24/7 live-in housekeeping, butler, chef, and security team, as well as your own seaplane dock and speedboat to the two islands.
The $25,000 nightly rate also gets you the pièce de resistance - an entirely under-water main bedroom with a 180-degree view of the ocean and nearby house reef. It averages one visitor a month and is open to tours when guests aren't staying there.
It also plays host to a few eco-friendly initiatives at the Conrad Maldives. Guests can adopt a coral farm (more on that in a bit), and this year, the Conrad raised $25,000 in support of Plastic Oceans with a sweepstakes to win a four-night stay at THE MURAKA.
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The only thing my husband and I wanted to do on our honeymoon was relax. So we spent many mornings snorkeling in the house reef just off the shore, and our afternoons and evenings lazily eating and lounging.
There are two spas (one of which is over water), and free amenities like a one-hour reservation to use the private tennis court, a gym overlooking the resort, and a gorgeous beach. There are also a handful of boutiques to browse, though expect to pay sky-high prices.
My husband and I visited the Overwater Spa, which was conveniently located on our island and less than a minute walk from our water villa. We got the couple's Swedish Massage in a large treatment room with glass floors so you can watch fish and rays swim by, though we fell asleep pretty quickly because of jet lag and the masseuses' firm pressure.
We woke up refreshed and smelling of sweet coconut oil, and were taken to the spa's overwater lounge where ginger tea and cookies were waiting for us. At $229 a person, it's the least expensive spa treatment but still not cheap. The massages themselves were great and we were still feeling relaxed and loose two days later - well worth the expense.
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The Conrad Maldives also housed a third-party dive center called Ocean Dive, with several daily snorkeling and diving tours to see manta rays and whale sharks, as well as fishing tours to catch big game. We did two tours to see manta rays for $150 and whale sharks for around $300, both of which we saw. The dive center doesn't guarantee sightings, but offers 50% off your next trip should you need a second try.
The dive center plays a big part in the Conrad's sustainability efforts; it has a unique coral regeneration program in which you can "adopt" a coral frame. Guests can buy a cement structure and reattach broken pieces of coral to help promote growth. These frames are brought to an area of the resort by a scuba diver that's been deemed healthy and safe for coral, and then the dive center will send guests photos and updates of how their farm is doing every six months or so. A small coral farm (the size we got) costs $150 and goes up to $350 for a large.
There's also free snorkel gear to find Nemo on your own, and a free photoshoot, both from the dive center.
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The Conrad Maldives has 11 restaurants on-site that specialize in different cuisines, with an international-inspired buffet only open for breakfast and dinner, and an underwater restaurant that's only open for a champagne happy hour and dinner.
We went for the champagne option since it was a better value than dinner and spent most of the time looking up in awe anyway. Though, other guests I talked to said dinner was impeccable and worth the extra money. I'd suggest putting your money towards the Champagne and lobster buffet instead. Now, that was a treat, and I highly suggest going for the bubbles and seafood only - do not fill up your plate with vegetables or sides, you'll have enough time to eat that the next day.
Most menus at the Conrad revolved around seafood, especially Maldivian lobster. In fact, by the time our honeymoon was over, we were 80% lobster.
We didn't have a bad meal during our stay, but we did find ourselves going back to Ufaa, a Chinese restaurant tucked in a far corner of Rangalifinolhu. It never seemed to have a lot of guests, giving it a private VIP vibe with great ocean views. We dined there three times, and after the first, the staff already knew our names and drink orders.
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Geographically, not much. Since the Maldives encompasses more than a thousand islands across 26 atolls, the two islands are the only things around for miles.
Luckily, there's so much to do on-site, in fact, we didn't get a chance to do everything we wanted. If we had more time, I would've wanted to do another tour to see whale sharks again.
As the location is so remote, everything can be quite expensive, but rightfully so. All the furniture and food is imported, and supplemented by what staffers can grow hydroponically (without water) and traditionally in soil, so everything comes with a justified premium.
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The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is a 5-star hotel and has a 4.5 out of 5-star rating on Trip Advisor based on more than 2,700 reviews. The overall sentiment is that it feels like paradise. Many reviews are from couples or families who agree that the rooms are spacious and the food is delicious.
It has a 9.1/10 over on Booking.com with guests saying that they loved the friendly staff and large rooms.
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Who stays here: Honeymooners and couples looking for privacy and relaxation, families interested in all-inclusive holidays.
We like: The secluded vibes of both our rooms, fresh abundance of seafood at every restaurant, easy and free access to snorkeling in the house reef, and sustainability efforts.
We love (don't miss this feature!): Our private balcony in the water villa, and the direct beach access and outdoor bed in the beach villa. These were our own slices of heaven, and we didn't even need to go anywhere else to experience them.
We think you should know: If you're staying for a week or longer, try to plan your trip during the shoulder season for lower rates. August is considered a transitional month in the Maldives but we experienced more sunshine than rain during our stay. It also mostly rained early in the morning or late at night, so we were able to take advantage of great weather in the afternoon.
And bring reef-safe sunscreen only - please. The house reef is very damaged, and while the resort and dive center is doing everything they can to help save and regenerate the coral, each guest can help by using sunscreen that doesn't have reef-damaging oxybenzone.
The souvenir shops on the main Rangalifinolhu island sell reef-safe sunscreen, but at a much higher price than if you'd just bought some on Amazon. I brought 11 different sunscreens with me, including ones from BeautyCounter, Bare Republic, and C'est Moi. If you need more suggestions, here are the best sunscreens we'd suggest.
We'd do this differently next time: Experience the Sunset Water Villa to see how the two top water villas compare, and split our trip more evenly between an overwater villa and a beach villa for a better value.
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If you're looking for an all-inclusive resort in the middle of nowhere with plans only to eat, snorkel, and sleep, I'd recommend staying at the Conrad Maldives. Because the resort is spread out on two islands, it feels like you're staying on your own private island.
It's expensive but justifiably so as everything needs to be grown or imported. There are many free amenities, which help offset the price, but the views from rooms alone are worth it even if you don't take advantage of the perks.
The house reef is disappointing in terms of corals, but extensive, and serves as a great opportunity to see reef sharks, turtles, and tons of fish - including everyone's favorite clown fish. You can also help regenerate corals at the dive center, which was one of the highlights of our trip.