After a beautiful wedding ceremony (which you can check out here!) surrounded by family and friends, newlyweds Alyssa & Thomas decided to escape to a tropical paradise for some much-needed rest and relaxation. They chose the Maldives, a stunning island nation in the Indian Ocean known for its crystal-clear waters, white sand beaches, and luxurious resorts. Join us as we explore the highlights of their honeymoon, from their luxurious accommodations to their adventures in the beautiful Maldivian landscape.

We went to the Maldives for one week in January 2023, straight after our wedding in the Hunter Valley. Sadly we could only go for one week as I had my first semester of university starting the last week of January (we got married on the 14th of January), but we would have stayed MUCH longer if we had the time!

My husband and I had seen the picture-perfect brochure photos that always get posted online from the Maldives with their crystal clear blue waters and untouched white sand, and as a result, had been talking about going for years. We had countless recommendations from our family and friends who always spoke highly of the holiday destination, particularly for an event as special as a honeymoon. We both knew it was our ideal honeymoon destination long before we even got engaged! This was a very special trip for us as it was the first time we have ever travelled overseas together. Needless to say, we were beyond excited about our first adventure!

Thomas and I are the type of people whose ideal holiday means relaxing and rejuvenation, not necessarily trying to jam-pack our days abroad with activities from dusk till dawn. So when we wrote down a list of the places we hoped to visit, it came as no surprise that that list was filled with island-like, tropical, beachy destinations, which pretty much sums up both of us in a nutshell! The Maldives seemed to fit this bill perfectly, as it’s a country made up of hundreds of secluded islands which sounded exactly like our kind of paradise, away from the rest of civilisation so we could enjoy maximal time as a married couple without the normal distractions of our busy lives. We knew that the Maldives was up there as one of the pricier options on our list, but given that it was our once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon we decided it was well worth the splurge, and that we should treat ourselves. We had a few other options on our shortlist before deciding on the Maldives which included places like New Caledonia, Santorini, Mauritius, the Cook Islands and Hamilton Island. You can bet that those will be the top destinations we plan to visit for all our wedding anniversaries in the years to come!

If going to the Maldives, or any other tropical destination, definitely pack sunscreen, especially if fair-skinned! My husband got so sunburnt despite wearing sunscreen, simply because he didn’t apply it often enough as we ran out. Make sure you bring plenty of abundant supplies, hats, sunnies, everything!

We also loved buying inflatable doughnuts to float around in the water with. This is something you could save money on if you bring them from home, rather than buy them in the expensive tourist shop (rookie error) but for us, it was worth it because it made me feel more confident in the water too since I’m not the strongest swimmer! They make for fantastic photos as well!

Finally, make sure that you have your passport ready well in advance. This is something that became a real issue for us! We applied for the passport with plenty of time (approximately 2.5 months before) but the passport got sent to the Brisbane passport instead of the Sydney passport office. It was the day of our wedding and my passport had still not arrived in Sydney from Brisbane. I was in ultimate freak-out mode and had accepted that I might not make it on the flight and my husband may have a solo honeymoon on his own! It was the saddest thing when I dropped him off at the airport without me, already having accepted my sad fate. I had already booked a whole new flight for the following day, with plans to meet my husband in the Maldives. Within 5 minutes of me getting home, the postman came with my passport! I thought it was too late, but I told my husband and somehow by a miracle, the staff at Singapore Airlines were able to change my flight back to the original day and said if I got there in the next 30 minutes, I would make it on the flight! I have never rushed so much in my life, but I already had my suitcase packed and all ready to go, so my superhero parents got me there in good time and before I knew it I was one of the last passengers to board the plane! What an incredible turn of events!!

My favourite moment would have to be making it to the airport in Sydney just in time for the plane to depart. Fortunately, I live close to the airport so my parents could get me there in sub 10 minutes! My prayers were answered, and it was honestly a miracle that it happened and I was able to make it on time! Shout out to Singapore Airlines for their amazing work in getting me to my honeymoon destination to be with my husband on time!

We stayed at a stunning 5-star resort called Velassaru Maldives on the island of Velassaru! It was only a short 20-minute speedboat trip away from Male airport, and the staff went above and beyond, they were so accommodating and friendly, ready to help with anything we needed. Right from when we were picked up at Male airport right to the end, we were treated with 5-star amazing service that I can’t fault in the slightest. It was lovely to see that the staff were so genuine, that they truly love living and working in the Maldives. They live and work on the island for the majority of the year. They shared so many lovely stories with us about what their lives are like and we both enjoyed hearing about their culture! When we returned by speedboat back to the airport after our stay we even got to see dolphins swimming next to our boat! Our driver stopped so that we were able to basically watch a show that the dolphins put on for us, I captured some of the footage on my phone and it was a memory like no other!

When we arrived in the Maldives we were greeted with a beautiful tray of sweets including dates, macaroons and other delicacies upon entering our room. I think the whole island is set up especially well for couples (even though there were some families there too!) with all the chairs set up in twos, which really makes it so romantic for spending time with a significant other. Even though we went in a peak travel period, it definitely didn’t feel too crowded and we felt like we were basically alone on the island even though there were still other guests around – there was just so much space! While we weren’t able to afford it, I know there was also the option of staying at the water suite, one special exclusive and secluded bungalow which is superior to all the others – I think they get their own private butler there, amongst so many other special services. I think I’ll send my parents there for a holiday when I can afford it in the future!

The accommodation offered a complimentary 30-minute private photo shoot and one printed photo of our choice to take home as a souvenir. Even though we didn’t think it at first, this turned out to be essential, given that since it was just myself and my husband, we could easily take photos of each other but it was difficult to actually get photos together! We now have a beautiful photo as a memory of our honeymoon sitting on our display cabinet at home, one of my favourite photos of all time. I also noticed some couples opted to have a romantic candlelit dinner by the ocean where they sat in the sand, these were something you had to book in advance so unfortunately we didn’t get to experience it but it certainly looked like the most special experience ever!

There were so so many delicious meals we ate while at Velassaru. I could talk about all of them in such intricate detail, but as an overview, some of the ones we enjoyed most were these restaurants: Sand, Etesian, Turquoise and Chill Bar. In particular, the seafood was a standout, I loved the variety of fish that they served and all the food was so insanely fresh. The staff certainly know how to cook well, it was like we were having a fine dining experience with every restaurant we visited. In particular, the lobster exceeded my expectations, never in my life have I tasted lobster that was this delicious before. We had dessert with each meal and these were delectable. Definitely expensive for dinners, but well worth what you pay for! We REALLY wanted to go to the Teppanyaki restaurant, which is located on a little jetty just off the island, but it was so popular and booked out every single night we were there. Definitely recommend booking the restaurants you want in advance!

The room service was also fantastic, we tried some pizzas but the selection is endless, and they bring it fresh to your room. Perfect after a long time out in the sun! The fresh coconuts here were also so refreshing, they are straight off the tree which made them our drink of choice! The Vela restaurant was definitely the main attraction – every morning we looked forward to the abundant breakfast buffet we were spoiled with. It had everything you could possibly imagine – a selection of basically every fruit available, delicious cakes/pastries/muffins, cereal, hot food that changes every day, a waffle and pancake bar, juice station where they make juices for you out of the ingredients you ask for, a barista (they made EXCELLENT coffee), salads, even sushi… the list goes on and on, everything you could ever imagine, seriously! I certainly indulged with every opportunity we had to have breakfast here, my favourite was actually the soft pretzels, they were so soft and so fresh. Since then I’ve never been able to find a pretzel that was as good as the ones in the Maldives, and I don’t think I ever will! I have heard that breakfast buffets in the Maldives are extravagant as a whole, and the one we had the pleasure of visiting every day in Velassaru certainly did not disappoint.

The highlight of our visit to Velassaru was that we arrived at night, around 11 pm in pitch darkness. Even when travelling from Male airport to the island, we couldn’t see a thing, which made it all the more special when we woke up the next morning to PURE PARADISE. It was literally like waking up in a dream. It was perfection, and I feel like we got to experience it in the best way. It actually made our trip all the more special as we got to walk out together and experience it as a newlywed couple, could you think of anything better?!

My husband is the biggest gym junkie so of course he was pleased to see that there was a well-equipped fitness centre on the island. It was actually pretty advanced for a gym at a hotel and had everything he needed to do a proper workout. He was really impressed! They also do a complimentary sunset yoga on the beach which we didn’t participate in as we were having dinner at the time, but it looked incredible. They have a schedule for different activities offered every evening.

My favourite experience of them all was the famous Velassaru spa. The treatments here are incredible, you are certainly pampered!! The highlight for me was the hydro pool that was complimentary after every spa treatment. It was overlooking the ocean, like a smaller version of the bigger infinity pool that all guests can access. The pool was just so stunning, the view so picturesque – it was the icing on the cake for me. Also got to take some incredible photos here, as it had the best backdrop imaginable!!

We did SO many fun activities! A complimentary snorkelling set was included for my husband and me in our accommodation package, which was fantastic as snorkelling was one of the things we were MOST looking forward to. While snorkelling we saw some of the most beautiful, colourful fish, nothing as we have ever seen back home in Australia! A highlight for me was seeing a few baby sharks. There were also massive schools of fish that would come and go, when we timed it right we got to see all of them in action which was breathtaking! Just keep in mind there are some dangerous fish to watch out for, none of them deadly but some of them bite and we heard that if they did it could hurt a lot! We made sure to stay clear of any of these fish if we saw them as they were currently in their mating season, so a little aggressive.

Another water sport we really enjoyed was canoeing in a transparent canoe for 2 people that allowed you to see all the fish and coral beneath. It was so cool, basically like snorkelling out of the water! I loved the glass canoe, it’s something I have never seen before in all my time canoeing and such a splendid addition that was so perfect for the location! We wanted to do paddle boarding, water kite and jetski, but unfortunately, the conditions were too windy for us to do these safely during our stay. I love that the accommodation had such a wide variety of water activities on offer though! All of it was accessible through a special shop on the island that managed the hiring of all the water equipment, new to the place where we picked up our snorkelling gear. Everything on the island is just so well organised!

There were so many tours on offer, many of them complimentary, and some others that you could pay extra for. However, you need to book in advance, so we didn’t end up making it to any of the tours since they booked up so quickly! I remember these included things like sunset tours, dolphin discovery, fishing, snorkelling and more. We just loved spending time together and since our stay was short, found we still had enough activities to do without going on one of the tours. It was something we would have loved to do though!

We loved EVERYTHING, not even an exaggeration. I could honestly talk all day about the hotel, it was sensational. Every single bungalow and villa was well-kept and beautifully presented. Every time a staff member saw us we were greeted with a smile and warm hello. We loved that the island was self-sufficient, having everything we needed! Not only did it have beautiful beaches (with clear blue water and white sand as we dreamed of) but also had a stunning infinity pool available for all guests to use. I thought it was amazing that there aren’t many waves in the water, it’s pretty much completely still which is perfect for a non-swimmer like me. Some of the villas and bungalows also have their own private pools! The room service was also incredible, our villa got serviced twice daily and all supplies were replenished. It all just felt so fresh walking back into a clean room. I particularly loved the outdoor shower in our villa – we had two showers, one inside and the other completely outdoors… it was honestly an experience out of this world! They also use L’Occitane products for their toiletries which was a lovely surprise as it’s one of my favourite brands and smells so amazing. One thing I also have to speak highly about is their medical centre, which was situated on the island and open 24/7. I got some splinters in my fingers from touching the wood near the bungalows (while posing for photos, typical) and the doctor who took care of me had the most kind and caring demeanour, I felt so so well taken care of. This was the ultimate in customer service and we felt so fortunate to have such facilities that were easy to access!

Another highlight was the ice cream cart that went around the island daily, what a lovely surprise! They had a different selection of ice creams daily which is just perfect for the ice cream weather in the Maldives, and for some reason, the ice cream honestly just tastes better there. There were a few days when we missed the cart, as we were probably out swimming at the time, so definitely keep an eye out! It goes around the whole island so you just have to be in the right place at the right time!

We didn’t really have any regrets, aside from not extending our stay beyond a week! Given that you have to book in advance we also should have made arrangements to do so. Other than this, there were so many other activities we would have loved to do, so that would be the only regret! Not really a regret, but there weren’t a lot of negatives to our trip at all!