Some Like It Hot - The Maldives

With nearly 1,200 islands, the Maldives is in no danger of being overcrowded — unless you count the celebrities, influencers and beauty addicts flocking to its shores...

- Keith Gordon

In 2019 alone there were 20 new resorts planned in the Maldives, a minute archipelagic nation some 370 miles off the coast of India. Made up of nearly 1,200 islands that barely register on a map, it has nonetheless has become the season’s hottest exotic getaway, what the Wall Street Journal calls “a destination for the 1%” that has attracted flocks of celebrities, influencers, and well-heeled travellers thanks to its exotic appeal, luxe resorts, and Instagram-worthy scenery (7.4 million #maldives posts and counting).

Though it ranks as the smallest country in Asia, the Maldives has outsized appeal. Perched in the Indian Ocean and comprised of 26 natural atolls surrounded by a protective coral reef system, it has attracted the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Joe Jonas (who honeymooned there) and Prince William and Kate Middleton. The island nation is famous for the overwater villas that extend over its shallow waters as if to further invite visitors to become part of their spectacular natural surroundings. Perhaps the only thing that can attempt to match the sheer natural wonder of the islands is the level of luxury and privacy that many of the world’s top hospitality brands have brought to the A-list archipelago. In the Maldives guests can experience the beauty and tranquility of one of nature’s most stunning environments, while enjoying the five-star level of service that one might expect only in the heart of the world’s great cities. And with a relatively consistent temperature in the ’70s and ’80s, it’s a reliable escape any season of the year.