Shangri-La Villingili, Maldives

Villingili sits in Addu Atoll at the far southern end of the Maldives, below the equator, and is by some distance the most southerly resort in the country. The island is large and green enough to feel like somewhere with its own geography rather than a sandbank, and it holds the only real golf course in the Maldives, a nine-hole layout threaded through the vegetation.

The resort closed in April 2020 and stayed shut for five years, reopening in late 2025 after a lengthy restoration. It is trading again and taking bookings, but the operator has been open about facilities being reintroduced in phases, so the full offering may not yet be back in place.

Addu is reached by a domestic flight from Male to Gan, then a short boat transfer. The atoll has a genuine local population and a history that includes a British wartime base, so there is more to do off-resort than at most Maldivian properties - the causeway-linked islands can be cycled, and the diving around the atoll is well regarded.