Best of the Maldives: Kids Pool Area – Soneva Jani

Soneva jani - kids pool area

The very first resort attribute that I researched, long before Maldives Complete was a website, was which resorts had pools. We knew from visiting Lori’s sister’s beach house, that despite being surrounded by an expansive ocean for swimming, the kids got tired of the salt and sand after many hours, but still wanted to carry on with the water fun. So having a pool was a valued option for us (plus, us parents could lounge more easily especially with poolside drink service). Soneva Jani “The Den” the kids club includes a 1,668-square-foot swimming pool features a waterslide, catamaran nets, shallow areas for toddlers, and two waterfalls.

Soneva Jani - kids pool area 2

Best of the Maldives: Kids Bathrooms – Ailafushi

Ailafushi - kids bathrooms

A real treat for both children and parents alike is them having their own room. In the Maldives, unless the resort offers special family room set up (which about 10% do) this arrangement often means (a) having their own villa, or (b) getting a pricey 2-bedroom villa. Ailafushi is one of the 10% that do offer a family room, but the bonus is that it also comes with its own, directly connected bathroom. No having 4 family members jockeying for use of the single bathroom of the villa (and the inter-generational privacy is going to be well appreciated by both).

 

Best of the Maldives: Kids Club Old School Arcade Games – SAii Lagoon

SAii Lagoon - kids club basketball

Maldives is the ultimate escape destination. Sequestered in the middle of the Indian Ocean, can you isolate yourself from the rest of the world and modern-day life if you like. But escaping the ubiquitous diaspora of the digital web is tricky even here. And even harder with active children seeking constant stimulation. If they have had enough salt, sun and sand for the day, but you don’t want them retreating into an electronic screen, SAii Lagoon’s (with its own retro sounding name) “Junior Beach Club and Camp” offers a range of nostalgic arcade games to pass the time and burn off whatever energy they have left. I enjoyed the walk down memory lane seeing the basketball shooting, air hockey, hoop toss, and variety of others straight from our local entertainment center.

SAii Lagoon - kids club air hockey

Best of the Maldives: Kids Cub Telescope – Soneva

Soneva - kids telescope
Photo Credit: CREDIT: Aksham Abdul Gadhir, Ahmed Jailam, Aminath Haneen Siddiq for Soneva

Telescopes are becoming fairly common among the luxury properties so guests can take advantage of the crystal-clear skies and remote from civilization’s light pollution to explore the cosmos above. Soneva Jani’s kids club has its very own telescope viewings for the younger generation of star gazers.

Soneva - kids telescope 2

Best of the Maldives: Kids Club Wall of Fame – Cora Cora

Cora Cora - kids club wal of fame

The couples have lots of options for commemorating their trip-of-a-lifetime experience, but Cora Cora’s kids club literally lets the younger folks leave their mark on the property. They have a handy wall filled with the colourful prints of the many visitors being looked after there.

I’ve added a new tag “Commemoration” for all the plaques, ribbons and other tokens the resorts set up to enable for people to leave a commemorative token of their experience there.

 

Best of the Maldives: Kids Restaurant – Ailafushi

Ailafushi - kids restaurant

Plenty of reasons to treat your children to a break from Mom and Dad, and Mom and Dad can benefit too with some time together. One of those times is a romantic meal together, but how do the children get fed. Well, Ailafushi’s kids club features its own kids restaurant serving up pizza and pasta as well as sweets like cakes and cookies.

Best of the Maldives: Teletubbies – Ritz-Carlton Maldives

Ritz-Carlton Maldives - teletubbies

The most natural roof in the Maldives has to be the Ritz Carlton Maldives teletubbyesque “Ritz Kids” kids club. Its living turf dome provides a rare hill-like impression for its youngster haven. Its circular portal opens to an extensive playground of activities and features (see below) all protectively coddled in this knoll-y corral.

Ritz-Carlton Maldives - teletubbies 2

Best of the Maldives: In Water Table Tennis – Soneva Jani

Soneva Jani - in water table tennis

The Maldives exists at that sweet spot right on the edge of land and ocean. The lagoon shallows make it one of the best places in the world for wading in mill pond calm water with refreshing ocean cooling your feet. Soneva Jani brings that vibe into its Den kids club with its in-water table tennis set-up. Cool!