Maldives 2024: Five Nights over the Water at Joy Island

Right after our Kenya safari, we flew to the Maldives and spent October 18 to 23, 2024 at Joy Island, a resort island in North Malé Atoll. After a week and a half of early game drives, the plan was simple: water, sun and not much else.

Getting there

We landed at Velana International Airport in Malé and went the rest of the way by boat, which is how you reach most resort islands in the Maldives.

The overwater villa

We stayed in an overwater villa with a small pool on the deck and a ladder down into the lagoon. The kids made good use of that ladder.

Snorkeling

The lagoon under the villas is shallow and very clear, so snorkeling was something we could do right from our own ladder.

A sunset boat trip, with fishing

One evening we went out on a boat to watch the sunset, and stayed out to try some fishing off the boat.

Mimosa Monday

October 21 was a Monday, so it was Mimosa Monday, Maldives edition.

Dhiffushi and dinner on the sand

On our last full day we visited Dhiffushi, a local island nearby where Maldivians live and work, for a look at life beyond the resorts. That evening we had dinner set up on the beach as the sun went down.

Under the water

Jonathan also got some diving in while we were there, and signed up for two SSI courses: Enriched Air Nitrox and Night & Limited Visibility.