No-one does idyllic instagram like The Maldives…. But… Is it overrated?

The short answer?
No.

The longer answer?
It depends entirely on who you are, and how good you are at doing absolutely nothing.

The Maldives has become the poster child for luxury travel. Overwater villas. Glassy turquoise water. Breakfast floating in a pool like you casually eat fruit in a private lagoon every Tuesday. It’s aspirational. It’s cinematic. It’s also… suspiciously consistent across Instagram.

So let’s talk about it properly.

When It’s Absolutely Worth It

If your nervous system is fried and you want silence, like real silence (like, you can hear the fish crunching their teeth on the small shells on the floor of the shallow ocean)… this is where the Maldives wins. No traffic. No Shoes. No beach vendors. No “one more cocktail bar?” decision fatigue. Just water, sky, and the soft hum of a seaplane reminding you that you paid for this level of peace.

The villas are ridiculous in the best way. You wake up, slide open a door, and you’re in the Indian Ocean. Not metaphorically. Literally. There are reef sharks under your bedroom. You can snorkel before coffee. It feels indulgent in a way that’s almost comical.

And if you choose the right resort, the service is borderline telepathic. You mention you like mango once and suddenly mango appears in structured, architectural form for the rest of your stay.

When It’s… Not

If you need culture, street energy, galleries, chaos, choice, this is not your place. You are on an island. A small one. Your restaurant options are the restaurants on that island. Your nightlife is a cocktail at sunset. That’s it.

The Maldives is not built for travellers who get bored easily. It is not for “we’ll just wander and see what happens.” Nothing “happens.” That’s the point.

And then there’s the cost. Seaplane transfers that quietly cost the same as a long-haul flight. $30 smoothies. You are paying for isolation. For exclusivity. For the fact that someone had to build a five-star resort in the middle of the ocean and ship in everything from champagne to bathroom tiles.

If that thought annoys you, you won’t enjoy it.

So… Is It Overrated?

No. But it is specific.

The Maldives is a mood. A very expensive, very calm, very beautiful mood.

If you go expecting Ibiza with better water, you’ll be disappointed.
If you go wanting stillness, privacy and the kind of blue that makes you question reality, you’ll understand exactly why people go back again and again.

It’s not overrated.
It’s just not for everyone.

Which, frankly, makes it even better.

See you by the $48 margarita bar xxx