Private-Island Indulgence — 7 Nights

A low flight out over the atolls to a far-flung island, and the transfer is genuinely one of the better parts of the trip — a seaplane at a few thousand feet shows the reef structure in a way nothing at sea level does, rings of coral in every shade from white to deep blue. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, so the timing is set by your international arrival. Nothing is scheduled once you land.

The house reef, which is what a far-atoll island is for. Here the reef edge is close enough to swim to directly from the beach, so snorkelling is a matter of walking into the water rather than booking a boat — and at first light, before the day's excursions have been over it, is when it is most active. Turtles, reef sharks and several hundred fish species. The rest of the day resists planning, which is the intention.

The spa, in overwater treatment rooms with a glass panel in the floor and the lagoon moving underneath it. Maldivian resort spas draw on Ayurvedic and Balinese traditions and most run a serious programme rather than a single massage menu; a longer treatment is worth the time on a seven-night stay. The afternoon asks nothing at all, which after two days is starting to feel normal rather than strange.

Out by dhoni to a sandbank — a spit of sand above water only at certain tides, set up for lunch with an umbrella and nothing else on it, and no land visible in any direction. The tide dictates the timing rather than the clock, and it is arranged a day or two ahead. Snorkelling off the bank is often exceptional because the surrounding water is undisturbed by any island.

The sunset cruise, which in the Maldives means a dhoni out into open water in the last two hours of light. Spinner dolphins are resident across the atolls and travel in large groups, riding the bow wave and making the corkscrew leap they are named for. They are seen on most trips through the year. Afterwards, night fishing by hand-line from the same boat — no rods, just line over the side, and the kitchen cooks whatever comes up.

Deeper water. For certified divers this is the day for a channel drift, where the current runs between atolls and brings grey reef sharks, eagle rays and schooling jacks past the wall — quite different from a lagoon snorkel. For non-divers, an introductory dive under instructor supervision, or a manta or whale shark excursion where the atoll and the season support one. All of it is booked through the resort's own dive centre.

A private dinner, arranged rather than assembled — a table set on the beach at the far end of the island, or on a jetty, with the resort out of sight and its own service. It is the sort of thing that can be gimmicky and is not when it is done properly, which is largely a matter of choosing the location and letting the kitchen do the rest. Booked several days ahead rather than on the night.

The seaplane back to Malé, scheduled around your international departure and therefore sometimes earlier in the day than you would choose — daylight-only operation is the constraint. Most resorts hold a departure lounge with showers for guests with a long wait at the other end. The flight back over the atolls is the same view as the arrival and is worth the window seat again.