My stay in a new Maldives resort that’s even BETTER in real life than it looks in photos

Standing out as a new resort in the Maldives is no easy feat.

With your competition a plethora of 160 idyllic islands all boasting five-star luxury, heavenly views, turquoise waters, stunning architecture and Michelin-level food, standing out can seem almost impossible.

But it isn’t. Not quite.

Avani+ Fares Maldives – located on the western edge of the stunningly beautiful Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – is one of the latest resorts to open its doors, promising ‘something from your wildest dreams’.

And it manages to overdeliver. Starting by looking even better in real life than in photos.

When I walk into our two-bedroom overwater villa, where my husband and I and our seven-year-old daughter stayed for four nights, at the end of the row of bungalows connected by a wooden bridge, I feel as if I’ve won the lottery.

It’s breathtaking.

The decor is modern and stylish, traditional and adventurous, yet playful and luxurious.

Carol says: ‘As we walk into our two-bedroom villa with an overwater pool, at the end of the row of bungalows connected by a wooden bridge, I feel like I’ve won the lottery.’

Carol describes her villa as being ‘modern and stylish, traditional and adventurous’

Our room has two large en suite bedrooms with king size beds at either end, connected by a large living room with cushioned sofas and a chaise lounge, plus loads of storage space.

The floor-to-ceiling windows lead to a full-length wooden slatted terrace, with an infinity pool, steps leading down to the ocean, sun loungers, an outdoor shower – and views that even the best cameras would struggle to do justice to.

But it’s the meticulous attention to detail that takes Avani+ Fares Maldives from incredible to utterly outstanding.

They are the dreamily comfortable beds where I have the best night’s sleep I have honestly ever had.

It’s the 300 thread count Egyptian cotton with a feather mattress topper (which the brilliant head of house told me so passionately about – because who wants a bad night’s sleep when they’re in the Maldives?); it’s the pillow menu (firm or soft, you decide) and the pillow spray menu (who knew?).

Carol’s villa has a large terrace with wooden slatted frames and an infinity pool

Carol’s room has two large bedrooms on either side with private bathrooms and king size beds, connected by a large living room.

And it’s the glass floorboards in our apartment that allow you to spy on marine life from the dining table, the bath and even, yes, the toilet (although my daughter panics slightly at the prospect of falling through).

With a room like this, leaving becomes a problem.

However, there is also a lot of artificial bait elsewhere, for example in restaurants.

For breakfast, the stunning buffet at Hammock offers delicacies from Maldivian dishes to Western dishes. For lunch we devour freshly boiled lobster on the beach at the Ocean Terrace outdoor terrace.

We sip pre-dinner cocktails while watching the sunset at The Skipjack bar. While we enjoy a dinner to remember over charcoal, my husband is given a selection of sharp knives to choose from to cut his sizzling Wagyu steak.

Energy must be drained.

Guests can choose from kayaking, yoga, excursions, manta ray snorkeling, speed boats, wakeboarding – the list goes on.

We take a short walk to the beach and take way too many photos of the tropical waters with shades of deep navy blue, vibrant azure blues and baby blues contrasting with dazzling white sand.

A walk along the dirt roads of the idyllic island, complete with swaying palm trees, leads us to a network of accommodations, bars, restaurants and swimming pools, and incredibly friendly staff who are only too happy to help.

Paradise: Upstairs is a private pool of a beach villa with pool

Carol explains that Avani+ Fares Maldives looks even better in person than in photos

In terms of activities, guests can choose from kayaking, yoga, excursions, manta ray snorkeling, speed boats, wakeboarding

While our daughter enjoys the many activities with the friendly kids’ club staff, my husband and I go scuba diving – rolling off the back of a boat into the tropical waters to discover an impressive abundance of marine life, from turtles and sharks to stingrays and colorful coral.

During a family boat trip we see pods of dolphins that follow us for an extraordinary amount of time while we marvel at their beauty.

It’s time to go, and my daughter gets teary-eyed as the friendly staff line up to see us off as we depart for our 35-minute seaplane flight to Male Airport.

It’s a cliché, but I promise I will return to this exquisite island. They have created something very special.