Our Honeymoon at Four Seasons Maldives Landaa Giraavaru — Paradise, Pool Villas and a Kayaking Sunburn We’ll Never Forget

Before we became three, we had one trip that set the standard for everything that followed. Our honeymoon at Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. It was our first time in the Maldives, and nothing — not the photos, not the reviews, not the carefully managed expectations — quite prepared us for what it actually felt like to be there. Here’s our honest account.

✈️ Getting There — Male Airport to Paradise

The journey to Landaa Giraavaru begins the moment you land in Male. A Four Seasons representative was waiting for us at the airport, whisked us through the arrivals process, and escorted us to the resort’s private lounge in the seaplane terminal. After a long international flight, stepping into that lounge — cool, calm, with drinks and comfortable seating — felt like the holiday had already begun.

After around an hour in the lounge, we boarded the seaplane for the 30-minute flight north to Baa Atoll. Seeing the Maldives from the air for the first time is something we weren’t prepared for. Dozens of tiny islands surrounded by rings of turquoise reef, the ocean shifting from pale blue to deep navy, all of it impossibly photogenic. The seaplane lands on a floating platform a short distance from the resort, and a speedboat takes you the final stretch to the island jetty — where the Four Seasons team was waiting to welcome us.

✈️ Transfer Info
Male Airport (MLE) → Landaa Giraavaru: 30-min seaplane flight
Four Seasons private seaplane (Flying Triggerfish): approx. $720–960 USD per person one-way
Trans Maldivian standard seaplane: approx. $370 USD per person one-way
Note: Seaplanes only operate during daylight hours — plan your flights accordingly
👉 Official Website

🌊 The Villa — Pool Access Straight into the Ocean

We stayed in an overwater pool villa, and the moment we opened the door and saw the ocean stretching out in every direction — we understood why people come to the Maldives. The villa was enormous: a spacious interior with high thatched ceilings, a large private deck, and a pool that flowed seamlessly into the view of the ocean below. Steps from the deck led directly into the water.

Every morning, we’d wake up, walk out to the deck, and jump straight into the lagoon before breakfast. No shoes. No queue. Just the three of us — well, the two of us at the time — and the Indian Ocean. It never got old.

🌊 Villa Highlights
Private overwater deck with direct ocean access via stairs
12-metre private pool overlooking the ocean
High thatched ceilings with Maldivian and Sri Lankan design influences
55-inch Smart TV, twice-daily housekeeping and turndown service
Welcome champagne and bath decoration on arrival (honeymoon package)

🥂 Honeymoon Welcome — Champagne and a Decorated Bath

The Four Seasons didn’t miss the fact that it was our honeymoon. When we arrived at the villa, a bottle of champagne was waiting on ice, and the bath had been drawn and decorated with flower petals and candles. It’s a gesture that sounds simple written down, but arriving tired after long flights to find that level of thoughtfulness sets the tone for the entire stay. It told us: we know you’re here for something special, and we’re going to treat it that way.

🍽️ Dining — All-Inclusive Done Properly

The resort operates on an all-inclusive basis, with all meals covered across the multiple restaurants on the island. But it’s not the kind of all-inclusive where you’re eating the same buffet three times a day. Landaa Giraavaru has several distinct dining venues — Cafe Landaa for Asian favourites, Al Barakat for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, Blu Beach Club for Italian and seafood, and Fuego Grill for fresh catch of the day.

Everything was excellent. And if we wanted something that wasn’t on the current menu, we could order it. That flexibility — the ability to ask for something specific and have it just appear — is the kind of thing that makes a stay feel genuinely luxurious rather than simply expensive.

Note: This was our 2020 experience — dining arrangements may have changed since. We’d recommend confirming the current all-inclusive inclusions directly with the resort when booking.

🍽️ Dining Options at Landaa Giraavaru
Cafe Landaa — Asian cuisine including Indian tandoor and curries
Al Barakat — overwater restaurant, Lebanese, Moroccan and Armenian
Blu Beach Club — Italian and Mediterranean, beachfront
Fuego Grill — fresh seafood and Asian food
Seabar — cocktails, DJ, tapas-style food in the evenings

🤿 Snorkelling — Straight from the Villa

One of the things we did every single day was snorkel directly from our villa steps. The lagoon around Landaa Giraavaru is part of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world. The underwater life visible from the villa alone was extraordinary: reef fish in every colour, sea turtles moving slowly through the coral, the occasional blacktip reef shark in the distance.

We’d go in before breakfast, sometimes again in the afternoon, and occasionally just float there in the late evening watching the light change underwater. It’s the kind of activity that sounds like a holiday cliché until you’re actually doing it, and then you realise it’s genuinely one of the most peaceful experiences you can have.

🚣 Kayaking — The Sunburn Story

Here’s our honest tip for anyone visiting the Maldives for the first time: the sun is nothing like anything you’ve experienced before. We knew it would be hot. We did not know it would be relentless.

We went kayaking one afternoon — completely confident, reapplied sunscreen before leaving. Two hours later, we came back absolutely burnt. Both of us. Darker than we’d ever been in our lives, and considerably more tender. The Maldives is right on the equator, the water reflects the UV back at you, and there’s no shade on a kayak. It’s a beautiful way to explore — but go early morning, reapply sunscreen constantly, wear a rash guard, and take a hat. We’re telling you this so you don’t have to learn it the way we did.

☀️ Sun Safety Tips for the Maldives
Use SPF 50+ and reapply every 60–90 minutes, especially in water
Wear a rash guard for kayaking, snorkelling, and any water activities
Do outdoor activities early morning or late afternoon — avoid 11am–3pm sun
A wide-brim hat is essential for boat trips and kayaking
The water reflects UV — you’ll burn faster than you expect

✅ Tips for Staying at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

Book the overwater villa on the sunset side — the evening views are dramatically better
Use the Four Seasons private seaplane lounge — it makes the journey part of the experience
Snorkel directly from your villa every morning — don’t just save it for excursions
Confirm all-inclusive inclusions before you arrive — dining arrangements may vary
Mention any special occasion when booking — the team goes above and beyond
Respect the sun — seriously, read the kayaking section above

✅ Final Verdict

The Maldives has been on our list since before we even started traveling together. Landaa Giraavaru was everything we hoped it would be and more. The privacy, the marine life, the food, the service — and the specific, irreplaceable feeling of waking up above the ocean every morning and stepping directly into it.

We came back sunburnt, thoroughly fed, and completely in love with a destination we’d never visited before. The perfect honeymoon.

If you’re considering the Maldives for a honeymoon or a significant trip, we can’t recommend Landaa Giraavaru highly enough. Just bring a rash guard.