Fleewinter

Lux Maldives South Ari Atoll - SLM018

A luxury resort in Maldives with 4km of beaches, charming water villas and a world-class diving centre.

193 Bedrooms, Sleeps 386

11 bars, restaurants and cafes
Kids club
Teenagers' club
Two pools
Dive centre
Complimentary water sports
Beach volleyball
Tennis and table tennis
Air conditioning and ceiling fans
Satellite television and DVD player
Wi-Fi Internet access

This 5* resort on the private island of Dhidhoofinolhu offers beautiful stretches of beach, with stunning reef and marine life. In fact this is one of the few islands where whale sharks can be spotted all year round.

It has plenty of facilities to keep you entertained including a dive centre, two pools and a spa, and has some lovely quirky features like impromptu cinema screenings on the beach, pop-up musical performances, an honesty bar, sending a message in a bottle and the resort even makes its own ice cream.

There are eight different types of villas to choose from,each fitted with air conditioning and ceiling fans, bathrooms, with a tub and separate shower, satellite television and DVD player, Wi-if and a sun deck. The Beach Pavilion feature lofty thatched roofs, luxurious bathrooms and a private garden with an outdoor shower while the Sunset Junior Suites have sunset views across the ocean, shaded by sprawling Badamier trees and palms. The Water Villas are suspended on stilts over the water with direct access to the beach and a generously sized bathtub, while the Prestige Water Villas, which are also on stilts, have a private terrace - and the Family Water Villas on stilts have two bedrooms and a private terrace. The Beach Villas have outdoor bathrooms and have enough room for two adults and one teenager or child, while the Beach Pool Villas have private gardens with a sunken swimming pool, wooden deck, sun loungers and outdoor showers. Finally the LUX Villa offs a private infinity plunge pool, a master bedroom, guest bedroom and a 24 hour private butler.

There is a good selection of bars and restaurants at the resort including the Island Kitchen, which offers a buffet selection for breakfast and dinner on the beach with live cooking stations offering everything from wood-fired pizzas and grills to stir-fries. The Senses restaurant is inspired by North African, Lebanese, Indian and Indian Ocean cuisine, and also has a bar and lounge selling light snacks, lunches and cocktails. Suspended above the water, the menu at East features the best of Cambodian, Indonesian, Thai, Sri Lankan, Hong Kong and Chinese-style buffets. It also has an adjacent bar. Allegria Restaurant and Bar provides Italian fare, Umami offers a Japanese selection, The Beach restaurant specialises in Pizza, the Veli Pool Bar offers casual dining, while the Island Bar is the place to head for a sunset cocktail. The resort even has its own coffee bar with freshly ground coffee, and a sunrise bar called Lagoon Bar.

The facilities are very good here. The diving centre offers 37 different sites that will suit everyone from beginners to the advanced. The island also has two spacious swimming pools located on the sunset side of the island and provides complimentary reef snorkelling, kayaking and pedal boats. There's also a wide range of water sports available at the boathouse, such as windsurfing, rubber ring and banana rides, water-skiing, wakeboarding and jet-skiing for an additional fee. Guests can also enjoy a game of beach table tennis, volleyball and tennis on floodlit courts, or if that all sounds too much take a trip to the spa.

In the evening, there is a lively island nightclub, where an eclectic mix of rock, salsa and techno mixed by our in-house DJ will have you dancing until the sun comes up.

But for families there are two clubs for children that are open every day from 9am to 9pm, with meal options available. PLAY offers children between the ages of 3 and 12 an opportunity to enjoy everything from art classes and treasure hunts to engaging and educational Teddy Tennis lessons, while Studio 17 is the resort's complimentary teens' club, where guests between 12 and 17 can get together, explore the island or just hang out. Run by trained supervisors, teens can make the most of their island holiday with loads of activities including local dance and language classes, beach sports activities and exciting adventure trips around the island.

The island can be reached by seaplane transfer from Male Airport.