After spending the past few weeks working with entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, we were ready for a little R&R — and a cocktail! — on a beach somewhere. When we thought about where we wanted our next tropical destination to be, the Maldives were just one of those places we knew we had to visit (especially because of the potential of the islands disappearing within the next 80 years due to rising sea levels).

The Maldives are an island nation — 1,200 islands (200 inhabited), to be exact. We did a ton of research trying to decide which island and resort would be best for us. We wanted to splurge on someplace lush yet not spend our entire year’s travel budget in a few days. We came to the conclusion that Kihaa Maldives was the perfect place to spend the better part of a week.

The journey to the Maldives was just a little bit tricky. Flights out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia often leave at 4 a.m., which was the case for us. We decided to stay up until our departure and then sleep on the plane, which worked OK, but we were definitely tired most of our first day. Once we got to Malé, we had one more quick puddle jumper flight and then a 5-minute speedboat ride which delivered us right to the dock of our resort.

Kihaa was everything we wanted it to be. It has one of the biggest beaches out of any of the resorts in the Maldives, with a plethora of lounge spaces to hang out at. We never felt crowded and the service was top-notch. Although most people know the Maldives for the infamous overwater villas, we opted for a beachfront villa which was equally as lovely. Honestly, we spent most evenings on our porch watching the sunset while all the tiny crabs came out and scuttled across the sand, so it was perfect.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are done buffet style with plenty of vegetarian options, fresh seafood, and a different theme each night (Maldivian, Arabic, Mediterranean, etc.) — or you can opt for a private dinner on the beach if you’re looking for something more romantic. There is a lovely tea house where you can purchase an afternoon snack or a pot of tea if you need a little boost between meals. We were lucky enough to have a barefoot breakfast just for us one morning — perhaps the highlight of our trip!

The people who work at Kihaa are so friendly. They make sure you have everything you need and more, plus they do it with a huge smile on their face. Whether you are honeymooners, a family with children of all ages, or celebrating a solo trip just for you, Kihaa is the perfect place to spend your holiday in the Maldives.