There was a couple at one resort reception who were half-embarrassed and half-delighted that they were unable to say what day it was. Bewildered little laughs exchanged between them. That’s the Maldives doing what the Maldives does best.

It seems like a reasonable concern. What am you going to do for a whole week, let alone two weeks, on a stretch of sand in the middle of the Indian ocean? You’ll be bored by the second day and crazy by the last.

But what actually happens is you just start to unwind. You lie on the beach, you have a snorkel, maybe do the afternoon excursion, maybe watch the crab race in the bar. By the second day, you are losing your grasp of time. By the last day you are fully relaxed, you don’t want to go home and you definitely can’t imagine why you wanted a list of things to do before you came.

If you have a beautiful room it’s a bonus pleasure, but everybody gets to enjoy sunning themselves on perfect beaches, swimming in crystal clear lagoons and snorkelling or diving the immaculate reefs. If your resort also has great cuisine – that’s another bonus – yet even the ordinary mealtimes are what regulate the day, bringing the pleasures of food, drink and the community of the resort.

 

Activities on the resorts

And that is enough for many guests. Excursions are commonly cancelled for lack of interest; sports facilities are underused.

Having said that, there are plenty of things to do for those whose relaxation requires a bit more activity. Quite how much depends on your resort. Beach volleyball in the late afternoon, sunset fishing and a local island visit are the things that just about every resort offers. A dolphin watch at sunset and a weekly dance night are also common but not ubiquitous.

At the other end of the spectrum there are resorts offering shows every night, the full gamut of water sports, and even a golf course (but squash courts!?). The top 7 active resorts will lead you towards those.

I have written a brief listing of what is on offer in the Maldives in terms of sport and entertainment, and excursions. Of course, not all resorts will have all of these things – some pride themselves in offering just peace and quiet – while some offer a much longer list of options, or excel in thinking up exotic variations.