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Name a dream honeymoon destination better than the Maldives. I’ll wait. The truth is, I’m not someone who grew up imagining a princess wedding dress or the perfect place setting, but I did picture two weeks spent lazing around one of those water villas on stilts in the middle of a crystal clear lagoon. (And the perfect partner to spend it with… obvs.) And Conrad Maldives Rangali Island lived up to every dream I’ve ever had.

Picking a resort to stay at in the Maldives is actually way more difficult than I’d imagined. I know, the struggle is so real (ahem). There are surprisingly few adults-only Maldives resorts that legitimately cater to honeymoon holidays. As more and more resorts have spring up, competition has grown, and the majority of Maldives islands are now family-friendly stays boasting kids clubs and poolside activities in order to attract the widest clientele possible. Idyllic if you’re a millionaire looking for a boujee child-friendly holiday destination, but not what I had in mind when I pictured romantic candlelit dinners staring lovingly into my new husband’s eyes.

Where we stayed

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers the best of both worlds, with two islands - one that’s fully adults-only, and one that’s open to everyone. This means you get all the bonuses of a big resort (more on that later), but also the ability to stay in a completely kid-free environment if you wish. I was sold.

A bridge connects the two islands

The resort is approximately 30 mins away from Malé's Velana International Airport via seaplane, and you land at the resort’s private jetty, where you’re greeted with cold flannels, fresh coconuts and the friendliest welcome imaginable. It’s then a hop, skip and a golf buggy away to your new island home. Which for us, was a Sunset Water Villa with Pool on the adults-only island.

I cannot sing the praises enough of these rooms and how absolutely perfect they are. There’s a kitchenette area with a fully-stocked mini bar, with pay-on-demand snacks and cocktails, but also house spirits and mixers that are included in the room rate and fresh bottled water re-stocked daily. There’s a walk-in wardrobe with a safety deposit box, full-length mirror and buckets of storage. The bathroom is bigger than my first flat in London (okay, not hard), with Byredo toiletries, two sinks, a bath, walk-in rain shower, and a separate toilet. The bedroom features a sofa area and giant super-king-sized bed that both face out to the best room view imaginable.

Your water villa’s private deck

Which brings us to your private outdoor decking area, complete with two sun loungers and umbrella, table and chairs, outdoor shower, a generously-sized plunge pool, and steps down into the lagoon below. Tip: depending on how you feel about the open ocean, do enquire about the sea surrounding your room beforehand - some villa’s steps would lead into much deeper water than others, with the water choppier on some sides of the island than others. In hindsight, I’m glad ours was into waist-height, crystal clear lagoon water as far as the eye could see, rather than the open ocean.

Where we ate

I am not joking when I say this is probably the best hotel food I have ever eaten. I’m used to big resorts with multiple restaurants serving mediocre fare. But every single restaurant was like eating at one of the best restaurants you’ve been to. And one of Conrad’s big selling points is that it has an impressive 12 restaurants, the majority of which are also open for lunch, plus beach dining options, as well as two bars serving light lunches and snacks.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Sunset Grill

There’s Sunset Grill perched over the water where you can see reef sharks swimming below you as you dine on fresh fish and delicious cuts of meat. Mandhoo Spa Restaurant, which also has incredible views over the water, serving slightly lighter but equally delicious dishes like sage roasted chicken breast with pumpkin risotto. And Ufaa by Chef Jereme Leung has got to be some of the best Chinese food I’ve ever had - the dim sum and stir-fried beef tenderloin with almond & black pepper sauce still live rent free in my mind.

Then there’s undersea restaurant Ithaa. Undoubtedly the priciest option (let’s just say there are no wines by the glass and bottles start at around $100), it will be a night you will never forget. The seven-course tasting menu is phenomenal, and to be surrounded by the rainbow of local fish and sharks swimming overhead is breathtaking. Budget doesn’t quite stretch to that? Book in for the day-time 'open hours', where you can enjoy a glass of champagne, canapes and an endless stream of photo opportunities.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Ithaa undersea restaurant

What we did

Absolutely sweet FA most of the time. Grab your snorkel and explore the lagoon by your room, or enjoy the sunset over the water with a glass of wine as golden hour settles in. Marvel at the night-time local sea life after dark, either around your villa or across the hotel bridge that connects the two islands - from rainbow-coloured fish to nurse sharks and mind blowing manta rays.

There are a whole host of day trips on offer, ranging in length, but my top pick would be the turtle safari. A short boat trip takes you to two turtle hot-spots, where we were lucky enough to see multiple turtles going about their daily lives and surfacing for air, as well as all manner of multicoloured fish, and even an octopus. Group sizes are small, the guides are incredible, and soft drinks and snacks are provided.

The hotel’s over-water spa is a must, with treatment rooms set in stunning over-water villas. I will never forget the divine hour-long massage I had spent gazing down through the glass floor at the reef below, teeming with fish. Spa goals. There’s also daily yoga and fitness classes, tennis courts, fitness centre and complimentary beach volleyball, table tennis, and watersports. Speaking of which…

…you don’t even need to leave the resort to build a packed schedule of activities. There’s inflatables, kayaks and sea-bob rides; jet skiing and water skiing; paddle boarding and wakeboarding; windsurfing and, of course, snorkeling around the hotel’s house reef. You can also book diver certification course, day and night snorkelling and scuba experiences, and catamaran and glass-floored boat trips.

The need to know

I’m lucky enough to have stayed in some truly incredible hostels, hotels and resorts in my time as a journalist and Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is legitimately up there with one of the best. If not, dare I say it, the best. It’s not exactly at the budget end, but it’s certainly not on the multi-millionaire either, and certainly offers truly incredible value for money.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island rates start from $560 / £461 for a Beach Villa.

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Claire Hodgson is Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan UK. Formerly the brand's Digital Director, she has worked in the media industry for over fifteen years, specialising in cross-platform content, from print and digital, to social and video. Originally working as an entertainment journalist, Claire is a film fanatic, box-set binger and music-lover, having interviewed the likes of and , with her going viral in 2015. You're most likely to find Claire writing random op-eds on her love for and , or lusting after dreamy holiday destinations in our .

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