I Spend More Than a Month in the Maldives Every Year-and This Is My No. 1 Travel Tip for Anyone Visiting

"The airport in the Maldives presents a funny contrast. Bleary-eyed arrivals fresh off their third flight grin with anticipation as those on their way out, sporting a tan, look on in envy. Travelers already fortunate enough to spend a few days in the epitome of paradise know what these excited resort-goers are in for-the trip of a lifetime. Most visitors to this tropical island nation, especially Americans on the other side of the globe, will only venture here once."

"Splurge on that resort-the one you daydream about from your desk, suspended overwater with rainbow-colored fish flitting across the glass-bottom floor. The private island oasis that comes with a 24-hour ice cream room stocked with freshly made cones and buffets beside the beach, where Champagne is on free-flow and omelets come with a dollop of caviar. White-sand retreats that have butler service so warm that you tear up as they wave goodbye to you from the wooden jetty."

Most visitors to the Maldives visit only once because of distance, cost, and time off work. The main advice is to splurge on a high-end resort with overwater villas, glass-bottom floors, private-island amenities, and exceptional service. Luxury features can include 24-hour ice cream rooms, free-flow Champagne, caviar-topped omelets, and warm butler service. Roughly 180 resorts span the atolls, with many five-star options and notable properties such as Patina Maldives, Six Senses Laamu, Joali Maldives, Soneva, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Kudadoo Maldives, and Gili Lankanfushi. The islands offer vivid blues, dazzling white sand, and multihued sunsets.

Read at Travel + Leisure