The Maldives is one of those special places that gets under your skin. You just can’t help but to become addicted. My first taste of paradise was in 2005 and I couldn’t wait to arrange my return visit.

This time, I took my 10 month old baby daughter Noa. Travelling with a baby on a long haul flight was something that I worried about for weeks before departure. It turned out that those worries were unfounded. Emirates made the flight as easy as possible. They gave us a little baby goodie bag which included jars of fudge, a bib, a toy, a teether and some toiletries and this, together with the many buttons on the in-flight entertainment system, kept her amused for hours. The 2 hour changeover and leg stretch in Dubai also gave Noa an opportunity to move about and have a change of scenery.

We spent our first week at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa Rangali Island (“The Hilton”). Upon arrival through customs we were met by a hotel representative and with our luggage taken care of, were transferred to the private air conditioned lounge where we checked in, freshened up and awaited our seaplane. The seaplane transfer is one of the highlights of the trip. The views are picture-book perfect and give you an overview of this stunning archipelago.

The Hilton is 3 resorts in 1 spread over two islands connected by a long bridge. One island houses the over water villas. It is the smaller and more intimate island of the two. The water villas are perfect for couples (we stayed there in 2005 when we were baby free) and range in size and features depending on category. They make for the perfect honeymoon or romantic getaway. There are 2 restaurants on this island including the excellent Japanese Koko grill. This is a must to book prior to arrival as it can only accommodate 12 guests at a time and gets booked up quickly.. Sunken into the sand, the Teppanyaki chef prepares the 8 course meal right in front of you under the stars. There is also the over water spa (I recommend the deep tissue massage – 50 minutes of pure bliss whilst watching the antics of the tropical fish through the glass floor) and a water sports centre.

The larger island is home to the beach and deluxe beach villas and the secluded Destination Spa village. This island recently underwent a huge renovation and all of the accommodations are newly built. The beach and deluxe beach villas are some of the largest available in the Maldives and boast outdoor bathrooms, bathing pavilions and huge bedrooms with flatscreens and DVDs. The deluxe beach villas offer generously sized plunge pools with a Jacuzzi at one end. We stayed in a deluxe beach villa. It was ideal for us as we had lots of room for all 3 of us without tripping over the cot at every turn. The accommodation is 100% private and the garden and plunge pool is completely secluded from prying eyes. The amount of room in the villa and outside space is quite incredible and it was difficult to bring ourselves to venture outside. But there is a lot to do on this island and venture out we did. There is a really good PADI dive centre, tennis courts, a large water sports centre, a stunning main infinity edged swimming pool and a kids pool. This island is what makes the Hilton a great option for families as there is a kids club and the main restaurant is well geared up for feeding kids. The resort was fantastic with accommodating our little one. The chef freshly prepared imaginative and nutritious baby fudge for us every day. The restaurant and bar staff were wonderful and were so keen to pick up Noa at every opportunity that we were often given “free time” at dinner and during happy hour! We made good use of the babysitting service too and took the opportunity to dine in the underwater restaurant. This is not a cheap experience but is a unique one and one that I would recommend. It’s a once in a lifetime event and watching the sting rays, moray eels and other colourful fish at such close range in their totally natural environment whilst feasting on exquisite fudge and sipping champagne (us not them) is in my view worth every penny.

I didn’t stay at the spa retreat but I did see it. It’s pretty unique in that it is the first destination spa in the Maldives. The villas are over water and have their own treatment rooms so that you can experience your treatments within the privacy of your own accommodation. There is a spa restaurant and the location of the retreat is such that you are secluded from the rest of the resort. The Maldives is not normally a destination that we recommend for the solo traveller, most of whom don’t want to be surrounded by couples but this retreat offers the perfect mix of destination spa and idyllic tropical beach.

Most people that I’ve spoken to think of city hotels when I mention the Hilton, but this really is as far removed from the city hotel as is possible. It’s a luxurious beach resort offering a wide choice of things to do and many dining options – or, the quieter water villa island for those who just want chill in peace and quiet.

Our second week was spent at Huvafen Fushi, one of the newest resorts in the Maldives. It opened 3 years ago and has gone from strength to strength setting a new benchmark for the standard of luxury. Staff clad in sleek uniforms meets you on the luxury speedboat to take you on your 30 minute transfer to the property. Your dedicated “Thakuru” (butler) will greet you on arrival and take you straight to your bungalow to settle you in and explain all of the high-tech features of the room. Mood lighting, surround sound speakers in the bedrooms and bathrooms, plasmas, ipods…this is state of the art luxury.

All of the bungalows are enormous and have their own plunge pools. The highest room categories on the beach and over water have their own swimming pools. We stayed in a Beach bungalow. This comprises a large bedroom with all of the aforementioned mod cons, an outdoor bathroom with oversized bath tub leading onto a completely private garden with large plunge pool, double daybed and additional shower. The terrace at the front of the bungalow leads straight onto the beach.

The house reef is superb and it would take you a good 2 hours to snorkel all the way around it. The dive centre is also very impressive and one of the most professional that I’ve come across. I experienced the best dive of my life when I was taken out to Manta point (just me, the crew and the instructor) and came face to face with 5 very large Mantas. They were that close that I could have touched them had I dared. And the visibility was perfect.

The main swimming pool is stunning and is a big feature of the resort. At night, the multi-coloured fibre optic lights mirror the stars and can send you into a trance. We had dinner one evening with a table set up in the pool so that we could paddle and watch the ever-changing lights whilst eating.

The UMbar serves complimentary cocktails at around 6.30 so that you can sip them and watch the sun go down. This then very conveniently runs into Happy Hour when you can sample the delights of the extensive drinks menu.

The fudge is definitely worth a mention. Breakfast, taken in the main restaurant Celsius, offers plenty of healthy and interesting choices and can be taken outside overlooking the ocean. It is common to see the baby sharks milling around at that time of day. In the evening Celsius offers an a la carte menu and a themed buffet every night. My favourite was the seafudge buffet with everything being caught locally. Tuna has never tasted fresher. You can also eat at the over water restaurant Salt or reserve private dining in the wine cellar. Of course there is also private dining in your bungalow.

The “entertainment” is low key. Guest Buddah Bar DJs do their stuff on the beach, wine tastings hosted by the likes of Chateau Mouton Rothschild to name but a few.

Huvafen Fushi is a chilled out, uber cool resort which seems to attract the chic professional couple. It doesn’t profess to be the best resort for young children and does not offer a kids club, but they were great with my daughter, preparing fresh fudge daily and delivering it with compliments to the room and making babysitters readily available at a moments notice.

I can’t wait to plan my return visit.