A world away: jet off to the Maldives for a New Year reset

Planning ahead for your 2025 travels? Booking a blissful Indian Ocean break now is not only sure to lift spirits post-Christmas but is also the ideal way to kick-start your New Year’s resolutions. Jump on a ten-hour flight from the UK to Malé and you could soon be in another, technicolour world: pale aquamarine lagoons blending into inky, indigo depths; colourful corals nibbled by disco-bright parrotfish and clownfish; perpetual sunshine on glossy palms and blinding white coral beaches. The Maldives is also the place to indulge in spa treatments, swimming and yoga – try one of these sanctuary-like resorts for a wellness fix that will transform your year.

OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI

Case in point: make your way to the Maldives’ South Male Atoll for a dose of peace and pampering. OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI is reached by a tranquil, luxurious 35-minute boat ride from Malé, eliminating any more flight time from your long-haul journey. At the private island’s jetty you’ll be welcomed with a traditional Maldivian ceremony.

Smart travellers will book ahead for treatments in the lauded ELE|NA Spa: couples can be pampered together in a 150-minute ritual featuring foot massages, bamboo massage and a scented bath. Solos might clear their head with an Inner Peace Body Treatment, where balancing rose, healing sandalwood and renewing jasmine tackle anxiety and jet lag. While energy healing and cupping treatments tap into centuries-old practices. Or you might work out to the rhythms of the ocean in BOLIFUSHI’s overwater gym and take to the circular yoga pavilion among the palm trees for stretches and sun salutations. Aqua aerobics and guided meditation can also be planned into your restorative island retreat.

Get in touch with your inner child staying in overwater villas with waterslides straight into the crystalline lagoon, or by snorkelling around the island. Each guest is given a snorkel and flippers for the duration of their stay, so you can keep an eye out for manta rays, turtles and reef sharks. Water babies will also adore the complimentary water sports, from kayaking to paddleboarding and windsurfing.

Other highlights include the Maldives’ first skating rink, and one of the destination’s largest kids’ clubs. This is considered to be one of the world’s best all-inclusive resorts, and quality is absolutely guaranteed – with no unwelcome surprises when it comes to settling the bill at checkout.

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OZEN LIFE MAADHOO

Arriving at Malé Airport for OZEN LIFE MAADHOO, you’ll be taken to a private lounge to await your transfer. Reached by a luxury boat trip of just 45 minutes, the resort has 94 villas – some on the beach, some ‘wind’ villas on stilts over the lagoon – to hide away in for a discreet and luxurious retreat.

First stop has to be the island’s ELE|NA Spa, where yoga sessions, guided meditations and sound healing opportunities form the route to balance on your New Year getaway. Treatments in indoor/outdoor rooms (opening image) using organic Maldivian island ingredients can also be factored in, from body scrubs and massages using coconut shells and oil to Ayurvedic advice on diet and lifestyle. A fully equipped gym, saltwater pool and steam room all continue the self-nourishment.

Getting outside and active is easy on this laidback island, thanks to a house dive centre and plenty of activities. Twice-daily, complimentary snorkelling trips help you soothe your soul perhaps catching glimpses of blacktip sharks, turtles, eagle rays and colourful parrotfish. Paddleboarding and water ski rental are available, while a trip on the SUB-ZEN semi-submarine takes you effortlessly closer to sightings of vivid marine life. Flood-lit tennis courts are there for working up a sweat, too, while windsurfing, catamaran and canoeing fun can be had down at the beach.

A bucket-list underwater restaurant continues the tranquil, sun-dappled feel of life in the Maldives: MAADHOO’s M6M (Minus Six Metres) restaurant is the standout here, serving upmarket seafood within touching distance of corals, sharks and stingrays. The resort’s all-inclusive Indulgence plan wraps up seven distinctive restaurants, premium drinks, live Maldivian entertainment and boat excursions all in one appealing rate.

Book your holiday

All holidays with British Airways Holidays are ATOL protected, come with a generous baggage allowance per person and a 24-hour holiday helpline. Secure your holiday now with a low deposit at ba.com/ozenmaadhoo or ba.com/ozenbolifushi and enjoy flexible payments until you fly.*

*Full balance due seven weeks before departure for long-haul holidays. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply. See ba.com/deposits