Since we booked our honeymoon to the Maldives and Sri Lanka we literally haven’t been able to stop thinking and talking about it! I am a totally OCD and have already researched and planned my wardrobe and packing essentials for our honeymoon to the Maldives. Here is our ultimate list of packing essentials for the Maldives to ensure the perfect honeymoon in paradise!
The only thing to remember when heading to packing for your trip to the Maldives is that if you are travelling to your resort by seaplane you’ll have a 25kg luggage limit. But when you are mostly packing swimmers and summer clothes you shouldn’t really have any problems adhering to this weight limit! If you do have more luggage you’ll have to pay extra baggage fees but if you are catching a speedboat to your resort then you won’t have any problems.
Swimmers
I think we will basically live in our swimmers during our time in the Maldives! I for one plan on packing multiple pairs of swimsuits and Dan will also be packing plenty of plenty of swimshorts! I can’t wait to explore the white sandy beaches of the Maldives, take boat trips, snorkel to our hearts content and dive into the lagoon from our very own water villa! Oh and did I mention we booked a water villa with a private infinity pool and the hotel has two of its own infinity pools as well?!
Sunscreen, Sunglasses & a Hat
The Maldives is one of the sunniest countries in the world and we plan to spend most of our time exploring, snorkelling, swimming, sunning ourselves on our water villa and drinking and eating at the many bars and restaurants around the island. As we’ll be spending most of our time outdoors we need to make sure we are sun smart and slip, slop, slap as us Aussies say!
As we live by the beach in Australia, we’re lucky to have plenty of sunnies, hats & of course the highest SPF sunscreen available! After not looking after my skin very well in the sun as a teenager, I am now really passionate about sun safety and taking care of my skin (and forcing Dan to do the same)! I love wide-brimmed sun hats and really want to get one of those personalised sun hats with a holiday slogan written on the brim!
Picking out your sunglasses is a piece of cake, and everyone is going to have their own preferences. No matter what you prefer, you can’t go wrong with some Australian made sunglasses, and they’ll be essential for any trip to a sunny location.
Camera
We don’t travel anywhere without our camera and earlier in the year upgraded our camera to an Olympus OMD-EM5 Mark II complete with a new set of lenses. Dan has always been really passionate about photography and I love sharing all our travel snaps on the blog and on Instagram and I am really excited to see how our photos from paradise turn out! Taking thousands of snaps on your honeymoon is almost compulsory and I am sure we’ll look back on the special moments from our honeymoon all the time!
Snorkelling Gear
Our hotel provides guests with complementary snorkelling gear but if your resort charges you per use then it may be worth packing your own in your luggage!
A few good books or magazines
When we initially discussed going to the Maldives for our honeymoon Dan thought he was going to get bored! The more we researched the more we’ve realised I think we will need to actually force ourselves to relax, unwind and soak up the sunshine on the deck of our water villa or on a sun lounger by the pool with a cocktail in hand. Having a good book to read is also a good excuse to settle down and relax, which is what a honeymoon is supposed to be.
Edit: Our resort had a library so you can always just pack one and borrow or swap more at your resort!
Inflatables
This is definitely an optional item but I realllllllly want to pack an inflatable flamingo to float away in the Maldivian waters…
Edit: Our resort had plenty of these to borrow so I’m glad I didn’t bother with buying and packing one!
Underwater Camera
We used our GoPro Hero4 almost every single day during our travels through Europe last summer but other than the odd paddle-boarding trip I am sad to say we have hardly used it since we arrived in Australia. I love the wide angle photographs that our GoPro takes and love that we can also grab stills from underwater videos! One of the best parts about a Maldives honeymoon is the incredible variety of marine life that live in the crystal clear waters! I can’t wait to capture some footage of the bright coral, fish, sharks, turtles, manta rays and hopefully whale sharks!
Kaftan & Sundresses
A kaftan (or two) is one of my must pack items for summer holidays! When we travelled around the Mediterranean last year I literally lived in my kaftan when I was out the water. It was the perfect cover up for the sun and also meant I didn’t have to get changed out of my swimmers at meal times too. Plus you can’t go wrong with some nice summer dresses for day time and exploring the island in!
Footwear
The Maldives is the ultimate in barefoot luxury and our hotel, LUX* South Ari Atoll promotes a “shoes optional” atmosphere and dress code. We plan to pack thongs (flip flops) and sandals and certainly no high heels! I think we’ll honestly spend most of our honeymoon barefoot, in thongs or flippers!
Cocktail Attire
Whilst I think my days will be spent in swimmers and kaftans, we are on our honeymoon and so I do want to dress up each evening for cocktails and dinner! I love getting dressed up to go out and we have a great choice of bars and restaurants at the hotel so I think it will make each night special and memorable! The hardest choice will be what dresses to pack and then what restaurants to dine in each night.
For the Boys…
Dan will also spend his days in swimmers but of a night he plans to look nice and sharp as well! He will be packing collared shirts, chinos and trousers. Again even for the boys, I think shoes are completely optional at most resorts (even when dining)!
Turkish Towels
When we were in Turkey last year we purchased some amazing Turkish towels which we take everywhere with us. They are so thin that they take up no room at all in our luggage and dry super quickly! We actually bought our towels from the guy in this photo who bought his “shop” up to our yacht! We were so impressed with this initiative and I just wish we’d bought more because I haven’t found towels anywhere near as good since!
Essentials & Extras
- Obviously we won’t make it to the Maldives without our passport, credit cards, hotel bookings and boarding passes! These are at the top of any packing list, including our packing essentials for the Maldives list!
- I also plan to take a few items which will allow me to cover up conservatively in case we visit any local islands or spend any time in Male before our flight home as the Maldives is a Muslim country and I always try to respect the local cultures when we travel.
- We’ll of course also be packing all the essentials such as toiletries, medicines, adapters, chargers & aloe vera in case of any sunburn,
- Plus of course some nice honeymoon extras…
Are we missing anything on our list of packing essentials for the Maldives?
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