Itinerary for a 6-day visit to the Maldives

This is the only cultural stopover on your Maldives itinerary, in the capital and only city worthy of the name, in a country made up mainly of island hotels and villages lost in their atolls. The dhoni, a traditional Maldivian boat, runs between the island airport and Malé every 15 minutes, taking around ten minutes.

On the programme: Muleeage Palace, the presidential residence; Theemuge Palace, which was briefly the presidential palace from 1994 to 2009 and now houses the Supreme Court; the gardens of Sultan's Park, home to the national museum, and the tomb of Mohammed Thakurufaanu, Maldivia's national hero, not forgetting a shopping break at the market and Singapore Bazaar.

The Muleeage Palace, an imposing colonial-style residence built in the early 20th century, served as the presidential residence until 1994. It was then replaced by the Theemuge Palace on Orchid Magu, before returning to the Muleeage Palace!

Outside prayer times, you can visit the Islamic centre and the great mosque, with its golden dome and minaret.

There's no need to stray too far from Malé after your first big day exploring the capital of the Maldives. Just 20 minutes by boat from Malé, the Saii Lagoon Maldives Curio Collection by Hilton is the perfect place to start your stay in the Maldives. It is an integral part of the Crossroads Maldives complex, with its marina, Cafe del Mar, Hard Rock Café, shops, restaurants, spa... as well as a second hotel, the Hard Rock Maldives.

Enjoy lunch floating in your villa's swimming pool. Then, having recovered from your emotions, the day will end on a high note with a sunset from your villa on stilts.

Getting to Crossroads Maldives from the SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection By Hilton, is easy. Just cross the small bridge over the lagoon, which links the artificial island of Ehmma Fushi, literally Ehmma Island, to Crossroads Maldives, also an artificial island. We start by visiting the Maldives Discovery Centre, at the far end of the complex, a fascinating little museum on the Maldives, its traditions, its history and of course the underwater fauna, with lots of explanations.

You then go to the other end of the complex, where you'll find the coral protection centre. On foot, if you want to do a bit of sport, or by buggy, which passes regularly to connect the various points of Crossroads Maldives. Here, you can take part in coral conservation by cutting off bits of coral and sticking them with glue onto large stones, which will then be put back into the water.

At lunchtime, head to Miss Olive Oyl's, between the reception and the swimming pool, for a wide choice of dishes from the à la carte menu with Moroccan (tajine), Lebanese (mezze, kebab...) and Mediterranean influences (fish of the day à la provençale, octopus a la plancha...) not forgetting the classics, pasta, pizza, hamburger...

In the afternoon, a traditional dhoni will take you swimming with sea turtles or manta rays. The day ends with a sunset catamaran cruise to watch for dolphins. If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of them from the pool at Saii Lagon Maldives, which overlooks an offshore dolphin spot. Before sitting down to dinner, enjoy the music and lazer show at the impressive, perfectly circular marina, home to huge yachts and catamarans, as well as a yellow submarine, just like in the famous Beatles song.

For dinner, in addition to your hotel's restaurants, you can choose one of the seven marina restaurants at Crossroads Maldives, giving you the chance to try Japanese, Chinese, Indian (tried and tested, excellent!) and Thai cuisine, as well as renowned and award-winning restaurants for crab or steakhouse.

For your second night, we're staying at Crossroads Maldives, but we're changing hotels to try out the original Hard Rock Maldives concept! A huge pontoon overlooking a heavenly lagoon links it to Crossroads Maldives.

We're taking advantage of the morning to try out the Hard Rock musical concept. It starts with the huge infinity pool, complete with underwater bar, waterslide and underwater music!

While the kids have fun at the superb, well-equipped music-themed mini-club, parents can relax at the spa with "Rhythm and Motion" massages, to the beat of the music on headphones! Here, you don't need an excursion to swim with the sea turtles - they pass right in front of your villa on stilts...

There's no need to set off on an excursion - sea turtles are swimming right in front of your villa on stilts. As soon as you spot them from your terrace, put on your snorkelling gear and dive in to join them!

After savouring a carpaccio of reef fish, it's time to catch the boat that will take you to Malé airport in 20 minutes, where a seaplane is waiting. Head for the south of the archipelago, to Ari Sud atoll, one of the few spots in the world where you can almost be sure of swimming with a whale shark!

Lying on one of the largest islands in the Maldives, the LUX* South Ari Atoll is a benchmark address in the archipelago for a stay of relaxed luxury with a hint of fashion. With top-class cuisine, 4 km of dream beaches, the chance to swim with a whale shark, a spa on stilts, villas on stilts or with private pools, experience the Maldivian dream in all its splendour!

LUX* South Ari Atoll is located on Dhidhoofinolhu, one of the largest islands in the Maldives, in the south of Ari Atoll, approximately 25 minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport. Your stay begins at the seaplane base, where LUX* has a lounge for guests waiting for the seaplane transfer to the hotel. An air-conditioned area with a view over the lagoon, refreshments, delicacies and massages at your discretion, staff on hand to take care of you even before you fly over the atolls for a final hop back to the hotel. No time is wasted, as you can also complete check-in procedures here. As seaplanes do not fly at night, you may have to come by domestic flight and then by speedboat.

LUX* South Ari Atoll is located right next to one of the best spots in the world for swimming with whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world: a unique and unforgettable experience! The traditional dhoni heads out to the spot where they regularly cross, hoping to catch a glimpse of them, which happens very frequently. At the captain's signal, you put on your flippers, mask and snorkels, and off you go into the water - it's hard to describe the sensation of swimming next to these behemoths! This 400-million-year-old species generally measures between 5 and 12 metres, but can reach 30 tonnes and be 20 metres long!

To recover from all these emotions, enjoy a well-deserved meal at the East Market, accessible via a long pontoon on stilts that looks like a whale's pennant. The buffet on the stilts looks like an Asian market, with a plethora of dishes from the Far East. You can sit on the terrace and admire the fish. Once you've digested, why not treat yourself to a massage at the spa, before heading back to the lagoon to have some fun?

Thanks to its crystal-clear waters, the hotel is a diver's nirvana. As well as encountering whale sharks, sea turtles and rays, swimmers can also enjoy water sports galore: jet-skiing, surfboarding, slyboarding, flyboarding, hoverboarding, jetsurfing, banana boating, parasailing...

LUX* hotels also offer ideas and little touches, like the treasure hunt: every morning from 6am, 25 bottles to find with a message inside, to win a spa treatment, a dinner in a restaurant, an excursion, etc... Another great idea is an old-fashioned red telephone box like those you find in London, so you can call anywhere in the world free of charge while enjoying the idyllic setting, so you can tell your friends and family about your adventures!

In the evening, it's time for a beach party at Beach Rouge, a chill-out lounge with a Café del Mar Ibiza feel, with a DJ providing the atmosphere from 5.30pm to midnight. It's the place to be if you want to watch the sun go down, comfortably stretched out on nets suspended over the water!

After a second night at LUX* South Ari Atoll, we take the seaplane back to Malé airport. From here, a speedboat will take you to the Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi

Nicknamed ' Surf Island ' for its world-class waves, the large island of Lhohifushi is home not only to the Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi, but also to the largest football pitch in the Maldives! To top it all off, this resort has been awarded the Travelife eco-label for its environmental conservation initiatives.

The most popular activity for fans is surfing, as the island's location on the outer edge of the reef is conducive to big waves from March to November. Not your thing? Don't worry, you can always swim in the company of turtles, rays, sharks and other tropical fish, unless you'd prefer to swim a few lengths in the beautiful pool?

There's also a bar immersed in the water. At lunchtime, you can enjoy grilled meats on the beach or fish and seafood depending on the catch of the day. In the afternoon, why not visit the inhabited island of Thulusdu? It's only a 20-minute boat ride away, so you can visit a traditional Maldivian village and meet the locals!

To round off this itinerary of the Maldives archipelago in style, head north-west toBaa atoll, made up of around fifty islets, of which only five are inhabited. What makes it special? It is classified as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, in the same way as the Galapagos Islands. So why not make the most of the opportunity to stay in an extraordinary resort!

It will be the Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, 30 minutes by seaplane from the capital Malé. A luxury resort with a telescope on stilts, the largest in the Maldives, and an underwater restaurant!