We’ve rounded up five of the best regional resorts for a great family sunshine break.
Avani+ debuts in the Maldives
Bragging rights in Baa Atoll.
With its sights set on the insta-friendly shores of the Baa Atoll, Minor Hotels has opened Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort this month.
The 176-room resort is Minor Hotels’ sixth property in the Maldives and offers accommodation from beach studios through to palatial four-bedroom beach pavilions.
Children are warmly welcomed at the resort; there’s an AvaniKids club as well as a dedicated Teens Club. The resort is also launching the first ever kids-only restaurant in the Maldives. Further fun attractions include a water sports centre, an AvaniFit gym and an AvaniSpa.
Fares is one of 61 islands that sit in the marine protected waters of Baa Atoll’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The resort is also speed boating distance from Hanifaru Bay, famous for its whale sharks and manta rays and a stunning chain of islands known as the ‘five islands landmark’.
The resort has access to 12 dive sites from its beach as well as the nearby Fares reef. Dolphins and turtles frequently ply the turquoise waters.
Avani+ Fares Maldives is offering a number of special launch packages.
Family fun at Finolhu
Gone swimming.
Still in the Maldives, turn dreams of barefoot family fun on a picture-perfect desert island into reality at Finolhu Maldives. Plus, the resort is currently offering discounts of up to 35% on summer breaks.
All villas at Finolhu come with direct lagoon or ocean access and there are also private pool options. There’s plenty of room to spread out in the two-bedroom configurations, with options including water villas, pool villas and beach pool villas.
Kids will be well-occupied at the Oceaneers Kids’ Club with lots of busy activities, like art lessons, pizza making and island explorations. Babysitting services are also available.
Explore the Indian Ocean while snorkelling, scuba diving, big game fishing, dolphin cruises or enjoying a ‘penguin semi-sub’ excursion. There’s also a golf studio, tennis court and of course, a relaxing spa.
Fill rumbling tums at the Arabian Grill, Beach Kitchen, Japanese fine dining restaurant Kanusan, or jump on a dhoni to a nearby sandbank and home to the Crab Shack. Then dance the star-studded night away at the weekly White Party with resident DJ and plenty of cocktails.
Vietnam's serene south
Taking it easy in Mui Ne.
A spectacular new property has opened on Vietnam’s south coast, overlooking the ocean and channeling the elegance of the Indochine era.
The Anam Mui Ne is located at Mui Ne, a popular seaside destination (the closest city is Ho Chi Minh).
The Anam Mui Ne is an independently owned family resort with two restaurants, a bar, spa, two pools, water sports centre (try your hand at kitesurfing, jet skiing, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, bodyboarding, Kymera bodyboarding and surfing), fitness centre, yoga room and a kids’ club.
There are six accommodation categories, with rooms set in a 'u' formation and with views of the ocean, gardens, pool and Mui Ne town. Private pool suites and the Presidential Suite lead the suite categories, boasting private pools and terraces.
If you come for a stay, don't expect a bland, 'could-be-anywhere' resort experience. Pham Van Hien, the founder and owner of the two Anam properties, played a significant hands-on role in the design of The Anam Mui Ne. The décor is inspired by the aesthetics of the grand colonial era and classic Vietnamese style; think Cham decorative vases, teak furniture, stone from Thanh Hoa and Nghe An and thatched roofs from Binh Thuan. Vietnamese artists have been commissioned to create 250 oil paintings, one for each room and suite, as well as the lobby, restaurants and hallways.
The Anam Mui Ne soaks up sweeping views of white sand beaches and the South China Sea. Guests can explore the local natural attractions, including dunes, a fishing village and a ‘fairy stream’ - a shallow stream that flows through orange and white limestone formations.
Head over now to beat the rush; an international airport is slated to open in Mui Ne in 2025.
Island living
Nothing to do but relax.
It was wiped out by a typhoon, but the popular Philippines holiday spot Nay Palad Hideaway has bounced back and reopened to guests this month.
The stunning resort sits on the southeastern tip of Siargao, an island that received the brunt of super typhoon Odette that swept across the country in 2022, destroying around 80% of Siargao island.
Nay Palad Hideaway’s co-owner, former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Bobby Deyseker, set about helping relocate residents and funding the rebuilding of their homes, while he and French architect Daniel Pouzet turned their attention to the battered resort.
The result is a complete redesign of the property embracing local craftsmanship. The majority of the furnishings were built on-site by Philippine artisans and the staff on-site is almost 100% local.
The resort’s menus focus on freshly caught and grown produce, room amenities are naturally sourced and the resort runs a number of programmes supporting the local community.
The new-look design features ten villas of one- to three-bedroom configurations, including the stunning Perlah Villa with its own private beach, pool and treehouse.
Plentiful activities at the resort run from surfing, water sports and island hopping to yoga, an outdoor cinema and a spa specialising in Filipino massage.
Nay Palad Hideaway offers all-inclusive rates and children under the age of three stay for free. There’s a children’s village on site, including a trampoline, swing and treehouse.
Phuket beach resort
Phuket's glorious southern beaches.
The recently opened Pullman Phuket Arcadia Karon Beach Resort is a stylish rebranding of a former beach resort.
The property is located over 75 acres of landscaped gardens in the south of Phuket and has direct access to the silky sands of Karon Beach. A phased renovation project over the next 24 months will focus on modernising the resort with technology upgrades and wellness-focused innovations.
Pullman Arcadia Karon Beach Resort has 662 rooms and suites and all come with sea or garden view balconies. Part of the renovations will include the introduction of family activities around the expansive grounds. In the meantime, youngsters can make use of the hotel’s kids’ club.
More facilities are eight dining spaces, a beach club and three pools. There’s also a spa, floodlit outdoor tennis courts and a fitness centre.
Although the property is a 50km drive from Phuket’s airport in the north of the island, Phuket’s southern beaches are worth the effort.
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