Why are The Maldives such a popular family holiday destination? Well given that kids of any age love warm water to play with, in and on and that grown-ups are rather attracted to stunningly beautiful places, and as The Maldives has both, maybe that’s why. The Maldives is made up of hundreds of those tiny little Coral Islands so beloved by cartoonists. A few literally have just a couple of palm trees on them although the bearded castaway is usually missing. If what you see above the water is just breathtaking, underneath it is even more so. These are genuine Coral Reefs with thousands of different species of tropical fish that can be seen just below the surface. If you have not snorkelled before your holiday, you’ll be absolutely hooked for life. Needless to say, scuba diving is also fantastic here. Younger children do not need to miss out on these wonders as all resorts offer every kind of viewing option including trips out in mini-submarines and glass bottomed boats. While you while away the time between fish buffets on the beach and these underwater miracles, you will be relaxing in a thatched roof beach bungalow right on the beach or maybe one built out on stilts in the water.

The resorts here are built very much with children in mind. Many have Kids Clubs, a few even have fresh water pools and spas, and professional childminding is the norm. The surroundings and the amazing weather would be familiar to Robinson Crusoe but he’d be blown away by all the mod cons. There is even a modest capital ‘City’ Male, where you can pop along and people watch from one of its many sidewalk cafes when the loneliness gets too much. Any kind of family holiday in the Maldives is not cheap but beach holidays rarely come better than this. Just a thought: the highest point in the Maldives is less than 3 metres (yes 8 ft) high and sea levels are slowly rising so it might be an idea to go sooner rather than later! Quick, check out some of the many family holiday packages on Childfriendly!