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So we’ve talked all about fabulous Maldives holidays, the varied and exclusive villas in the Maldives, the powder soft sands and the luscious vegetation… Er well OK, we haven’t quite talked about Maldives villas so far but here’s the place where we will. We’re going to go deep undercover to tell you all about the accommodation in the Maldives, what you can expect, how they’re arrange and even how many people can fit in a villa… You’d be surprised! You’ll read about Maldives rooms being referred to as bungalows or villas often with the prefix of water, beach, Jacuzzi, or land. The main thing to remember is that all these descriptions pretty much mean the same thing when describing villas in the Maldives. 
When any of the villas in the Maldives do differ from the rest, that resort will make a hullabaloo of telling you about it! For example Soneval Gili will go to great lengths to explain that their Robinson Crusoe Villas are over two floors and are spacious self contained apartments with small kitchenettes. When Cocoa Island resort tells you that their villas are in fact purpose built boats (Dhonis) sat out on the water that is exactly what they mean. They have to be seen to be appreciated and, for villas in the Maldives, are a real classy twist on just having four walls! When Equator Village describes its rooms as being in a hotel building, in a traditional looking two storey building where you’ll either have a terrace or a balcony, they aren’t being cute, that is exactly what they mean as Gan was a former Royal Naval and Air force Base. So, if you remember nothing else, remember that villas in the Maldives are the same whether they’re called bungalows, hotel rooms, superior apartments or indeed villas. You’ve probably been to several sites that refer to rooms as “villas” and have conjured visions of pristine white Mediterranean villas over several floors with cool terracotta coloured tiles… Phil and I would suggest that you scrap those visions as villas in the Maldives has something much more dynamic in store! For starters villas in the Maldives are on the ground or on stilts over the water and aren’t attached to any other villa or room so immediately you feel the privacy and exclusivity that makes the Maldives so attractive. Villas in the Maldives are mainly made of wood locally sourced, hand carved by islanders and sometimes finished with hand skimmed plaster for a clean contemporary look. Villas in the Maldives also come with thatched roofs that lend to the romantic desert island feel of the Maldives… and just to add some finesse, the bungalows also come as round hut like rooms as well as large square like rooms... You choose! 
There are only a few resorts like Soneva Gili that offer separate living/sleeping spaces perhaps with a kitchenette but this isn't really self catering. I mean think about it – you’re on a desert island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, you can’t really jump into your Maldives hire car and nip to the local shops for provisions! There aren’t any cars on the Maldives and the gift shops don’t stock items like eggs, ham and bread… …So if you’re looking for a self catering holiday in the Maldives, think about it again as only a few places offer small kitchenettes and there are no means to shop for supplies. To answer this question, you only need glance at any of our resort pages to find out that rooms have facilities like... Refrigerators, air conditioning systems, writing desks, en suites, closets or wardrobes, dressing tables (yes ladies, with mirrors) and many have hair dryers too... As the thought of fizzy hair on holiday sends shivers down Charley's spine, she always take her own hair dryer and ceramic straighteners with her! The vast majority of rooms in villas in the Maldives have digital safes and where they don’t, reception will have a room stacked full of security boxes for you to keep your most important items like passports or other travel documents. One thing we have found with Villas in the Maldives, is that it's very much “no news, no shoes” which more often than not means no televisions. There are a few resorts offering LCD TVs with DVD players but these are mainly 5 star luxury resorts. On an island like
Taj Exotica
– a five star resort – all the rooms are plush. Beautiful framed pictures, four poster beds, his and hers basins and day beds with vibrantly coloured scattered cushions bedeck these villas in the Maldives. 
The ubiquitous Soneva Gili offers separate living and sleeping spaces as well as dining area, but this is not common in the Maldives.If you choose a budget resort like Kuramathi , the furniture will be simpler, noticeably in the standard rooms. Don’t get us wrong, they won’t be sterile, but instead of a four poster bed, there’ll be an ordinary double bed with decorative headboard.
The two controlled variables are land and water, beyond that; the multifarious rooms you can get in the Maldives are limited only by the imagination of the architects and boy they've got imagination! Villas in the Maldives come in all shapes and sizes from... Jacuzzi villas, O villas, Robinson Crusoe villas, villas with private gardens, villas with outdoor showers, villas with private plunge pools, villas with terraces, villas on the beach front, villas set back on the islands, villas within five metres of each other and villas within 300 metres of each other accessed only by motorboat. What you can be sure of is that the arrangement of the villas in the Maldives is such that whether your neighbours are five or 300 metres away, you’ll never feel crowded. The land bungalows are often in a zigzag formation so you can’t actually see your neighbours when you’re on your terrace and the water bungalows with private plunge pools are closed off so your neighbours can’t see you. What you can also be sure of is that many of the accommodation in the Maldives is
suitable for wheelchair access and ramps can be fitted
to entrances to rooms if there are steps. 
Your Own Private Beach BungalowWe wanted to set the record straight as this can be confusing. We’ve been to resorts where you step from your villa onto the beach and resorts where you are set back from the beach among lush hanging foliage, but be warned...Only a few five star resorts actually offer you an exclusive private beach area that cannot be walked across by other holiday makers. What we’re trying to say is just because your bungalow is beach front, don’t think it means that particular part of the beach “belongs” to you… and just in case you’re worrying don’t; the islands are never overcrowded so the only thoroughfares will be reception, the bars, the dive centres and the restaurants! Some of the more luxurious resorts even have adjoining suites and presidential suites that sleep up to six people. Party time! 
A Word To The Wise…If you’re after a Jacuzzi or a plunge pool or an outdoor shower, make sure you verify this before you travel. Just because Kuredu Island resort is known for Jacuzzi villas, that doesn’t mean that every villa comes with a Jacuzzi – just as villas in the Maldives are varied, villas on any one island are often varied too, so check before you book.What does it all mean for you?It means that your holiday in the Maldives will be private, secluded, have an air of exclusivity surrounding it; and will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed when you return home… and we all return home at some point, even though most of us can't bear to leave!You’ll be able to meet and mix with other guests as little or as much as you’d like in your villas in the Maldives, but you won’t hear your neighbours using the bathroom at 3 AM in the morning, instead from your villa in the Maldives you’ll hear the gentle lapping of the Indian Ocean on the shores and the sweeping palms whispering in the night.
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