Holidays in the Maldives are expensive and the options for eating out very limited – book a package with half board. Elegant Resorts (01244 897516; www.elegantresorts.co.uk) offers five nights in an over-water villa at Shangri-La Villingili Resort from £4,445 per person, including return flight with BA, speedboat transfers and half board.

Cosmos (0871 423 8401; www.cosmos-holidays.co.uk) offers a seven-night all-inclusive package staying at Equator Village from £1,320 person, including return flight with Sri Lankan Airlines or Emirates.

GETTING AROUND

Bicycle tours of Addu’s western islands can be arranged through your resort. A

three-hour guided ride from Shangri-La Villingili Resort costs £24 per person, including bikes and boat transfers.

WHEN TO GO

The weather is best from December to April – prices drop from May to October, when cloudy skies and some rain are more likely. Temperatures hover around 84F (29C) year-round.

THE INSIDE TRACK

• Don’t buy duty-free booze at the airport – you can’t take it in. Alcohol is available in the resorts, but pricey, with wine starting from around £30 a bottle.

•  Ask for a window seat on the flights to and from Gan – the views over the atolls are terrific.

• Addu has excellent diving in waters of 77F (25C) or higher, including a wreck of the British Loyalty tanker sunk in the Second World War.

• On Gan, a 50-minute full-body aromatherapy massage at the two-treatment room Serena Spa (www.serenaspa.com) costs £41, or for something Maldivian book a 90-minute Kandu Boli Ritual at Chi Spa at Shangri-La Villingili (£126).

• To see more of daily life in the Maldives, stay a night on Male island, a five-minute boat ride from the airport. It’s one of the world’s most bizarre capitals, with brightly coloured high-rises, an eye-popping fish market and an artificial beach where Maldivian women swim fully clothed. Traders Hotel has a terrific rooftop bar and pool (330 0888; www.tradershotels.com; doubles from £179).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Maldives (Lonely Planet; £13.99) covers the islands. Useful websites include www.visitmaldives.com, www.sevenholidays.com and – for RAF Gan – www.gan.philliptsmall.me.uk.

THE BEST HOTELS

Equator Village £

Set on the old RAF camp on Gan, with lovely gardens but little beach, this budget all-inclusive has 78 rooms that are acceptable but win no style awards. Rather cramped when full, the resort is a popular choice for divers (689 8721; www.equatorvillage.com; doubles from £119, including meals, alcoholic drinks, bicycles and some excursions).

Herathera Island Resort ££

With a long white-sand beach, friendly dive centre and Olympic-size pool, this mid-range resort remains open for business as it upgrades for a relaunch in November as the sporty, family-friendly four-star Amari Addu Maldives (689 6677; www.amari.com/addu; doubles from £322 with breakfast).

Shangri-La Villingili Resort & Spa £££

Book an over-water villa at this immaculate five-star resort, which has a near-deserted beach, gourmet dining and tip-top service. Stay in the Whispering Palms section, which is close to the house reef and the lushest part of the island (689 7888; www.shangri-la.com; pool villas from £881, including breakfast, bicycles and snorkelling gear).

THE BEST RESTAURANTS

Power Park £

A friendly garden restaurant in Hithadhoo that makes a welcome stop when cycling round the western islands. Go for the fish curries and freshly made coconut water (Link Road; 688 8880).

Javvu ££

You can’t beat a candlelit dinner on the beach with warm breezes and your toes in the sand (Shangri-La Villingili; 689 7888).

Chef’s Dinner in the Garden £££

Chefs’ tables are everywhere these days, but the dreamy Maldivian dinner (£112) featuring island-grown vegetables and straight-off-the-boat tuna personally cooked al fresco by ebullient executive chef Emil Minev is an unforgettable treat – one highlight is a fruity “sponge” dessert he makes using the heart of a young coconut plant (Shangri-La Villingili; 689 7888).