One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives

Wherever it is, whether in Mexico or Mauritius or the Maldives, the One&Only experience is sure to be completely over the top. The newest installment, the Reethi Rah on North Male Atoll, is no different. Its location, of course, is blindingly beautiful in itself, impossible white sand beaches and seas and skies in tones of blue that haven’t been named yet.

To arrive via private yacht transfer from the airport, though, and to be dropped at your Water Villa, a sprawling suite on stilts over the waters of the lagoon — this is the sort of thing that takes the experience to another level. Not one or two but twelve picture-perfect beaches await, and along the shore are the Beach Villas, lacking perhaps the drama of the Water Villas but adding an extra measure of seclusion, set amidst dense tropical vegetation, at least twenty yards from the nearest neighbor.

Some island idylls are an exercise in sensory deprivation, forcing guests into some kind of guilty commune with nature. Not so here: villas are equipped with thirty-inch LCD televisions and CD/DVD players, not to mention espresso machines, internet access, and massive decadent terrazzo baths, making the interiors a pleasure to inhabit — the beach and the ocean will still be there when you’re ready for them.

Pools abound, some private and attached to pool villas, and there’s a long list of spa and fitness options. Sailing, big-game fishing and even seaplane excursions are available, as are more traditional pursuits like diving and snorkeling. It may not come cheap, but for a bigger-than-life island getaway, it’s hard to top.

How to get there:
One & Only Reethi Rah is 22 miles from the Malé International Airport. A 75-minute luxury launch aboard the One & Only yacht brings guests directly to the resort.