One island, one resort, one ring of sand in a thousand shades of blue — the Maldives remains the purest expression of the tropical fantasy. Budget travellers now have options too: guesthouses on local islands like Dhigurah put whale sharks and deserted sandbanks within reach of ordinary wallets. Visit December to April for glassy lagoons and guaranteed sun-lounger weather.
Featured in Ten tropical islands that live up to the postcard · Tropical