Complete Guide to Visiting The Maldives with a baby or toddler

Thinking about visiting the Maldives with baby? Wondering whether the Maldives is a baby friendly vacation destination? These are all great questions to ask if you are thinking about visiting the Maldives with toddler or baby in tow given its reputation as a honeymoon destination. The truth is we loved visiting Maldives with a baby but there are definitely things that you should consider before booking. In this guide we round up the best baby friendly Maldives resorts along with all our tips to make sure you enjoy the Maldives with a toddler or baby

Traveling to the Maldives with a baby – Is the Maldives baby friendly?

In this guide we are going to look into how baby friendly the Maldives is as a holiday destination with a baby. We travelled to the Maldives with 1 year old in tow (talk about a good first birthday!) so this guide is a guaranteed practical guide on travelling to the Maldives with baby!

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How to Get to The Maldives with Baby

Everyone traveling to the Maldives with a baby will arrive at Male International Airport! As tourism is the main industry of the Maldives the airport, despite being small is quite well organized.

Before customs there is a mothers room for feeding and changing. Though once you are through there are less amenities, unless your hotel or resort is transferring you to their own transfer lounge. 

Everyone who is visiting the Maldives with a baby or otherwise will need to transfer to their resort either via boat or seaplane.

For those traveling via boat, the jetty is a short walk away. The boat transfers tend to be for resorts closer to the mainland.

This is good for those who don’t want long transfers and want to be closer to the capital but does mean the water around your resort is likely to have more traffic. 

If you are interested in finding more Maldives resorts reachable by speed boats then check out this post. 

For those traveling via seaplane, you will need to check in at the main airport and then take a ten minute transfer to the local airport. But don’t worry about the extra time, the transfers are very efficient.

Transfers are either organised through your resort or by your agent. But do check the costs before booking as if the transfer is not included it can add a considerable amount onto your cost. 

If you decide to go via seaplane please be aware that the noise from the plane is quite loud and pack some ear protectors for your little one for the transfer!

maldives with baby

Finding a baby friendly resort Maldives 

I think this is fair to say for any holiday as accommodation is key but this is amplified on a small island. Finding a baby friendly resort in the Maldives is key!

But fear not! Even though the Maldives is most commonly associated with honeymooners there are plenty of Maldives baby friendly resorts

When assessing whether you’ve found the best Maldives hotels for families you will want to consider things like  

• if there is a kids club – even if like us you have no intention in using it. Presence of a kids club is a good indicator that children are welcomed! Other considerations you may want to take into account when traveling to the Maldives with a baby include the below:

Things to look for to find a baby friendly Maldives Resort

• Is there onsite medical cover?
  No one wants to have plan for illness on a holiday but it happens especially with kids. Consider how far away medical facilities are? Are they on your island? We stayed on an island with a medical centre so if we had needed it we would not have had to transfer back to Male to get assistance?
• Is there a kids club
  Even if you don’t use the presence of a kids club is a good indicator that there are child friendly facilities.
• Is there accommodation other than Over water bungalows
  The romantic in me loves the thought of staying in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives, but the parent in me is having cold sweats at the thought.If you are travelling with a very small baby it might be possible but if you are travelling to the Maldives with a toddler then you might want to look into some different types of accommodation.We went for a beach front villa and this was definitely the right call for us given we were travelling to the Maldives with a toddler (newly walking).

Do I need All inclusive in the Maldives with baby? 

Everybody knows that The Maldives can be expensive so consider going all inclusive. It means little ones will have plenty of water to drink and you won’t be worried about costs when we got there. We definitely think you need all inclusive in the Maldives.

Should I book an overwater bungalow with a baby? Is there such a thing as a Maldives baby friendly resort?

Though an overwater villa sounds idyllic when you have little ones running around may not be the most practical – consider what types of rooms are available for instance beach view to make for a more relaxed trip for parents.

If your baby won’t be walking, however, this might be the perfect opportunity to get an overwater villa! There are lots of Maldives baby friendly resorts and we will pick out a selection in the next section. 

Where should I stay in the Maldives with a baby aka the best Maldives resort with baby.

There are so many choices of resorts in the Maldives

We stayed at Bandos Maldives when we went. A mid-range (for the Maldives) resort! It has a kids club, medical centre and a boat transfer.

You can check availability and read reviews online HERE  

Another family friendly  but a higher end luxury resort is Soneva Fushi

You can compare prices and check availability online HERE

And our final pick is the beautiful and family friendly resort Constance Haleveli.

You can compare prices and check availability online HERE 

What to Pack for the Maldives with infant

If you are travelling to the Maldives with infant in toddler in tow here is the run down of everything we found useful during our Maldives with a baby stay:

• • Stroller
  • Carrier
  • Usual diaper changing kit plus swim nappies!
  • UV protection swimwear including hat
  • Swimfloat
  • Plenty of Factor 50 sunscreen
  • Hats (Multiples for when they inevitably get wet).
  • Light weight cotton clothing!
  • Koodi or other beach shading for baby

Travelling to Maldives with baby – sun safety tips

• As the temperatures can get very hot in the Maldives try to plan your main outdoor actives first thing in the morning and last thing in the afternoon. We also took our Koodi to make sure she always had shade on the beach!
• Be sure they and you (If you are breastfeeding) stay hydrated
• Be sure to have plenty of sunscreen with you
• Have UV suits for the sun and plenty of hats

FAQS about travelling to the Maldives with toddlers, babies and infants

Should I take a stroller to the Maldives?

Small Island resorts might sound like the place to leave your stroller at home for but we took ours and we were so glad we did! We would use it in the evenings to walk to the restaurant and would use it for naps! I am so glad that we brought it with us!

How Old was your baby when you visited the Maldives?

When we travelled we were in the Maldives with 1 year old! However all our advice would stand for younger babies, and toddlers in the Maldives with 2 year old and up! 

Overall Opinion of doing a Maldives holiday with baby!

Overall we thought that the Maldives with a baby is a brilliant vacation idea. And I know lots of other families agree. We are so glad that we didn’t think it was off limits for anyone but honeymooners and couples.

Have you been to the Maldives with a baby? What are your top tips? 

 

Top tips and recommendations for going to the Maldives with a baby