Maldives: Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, by seaplane to Noonu Atoll

Scheduled flight from Italy to Malé, with a stopover in Abu Dhabi. Dinner and night on board.

Arrival in Malé, entry formalities and meeting with the assistant. From the seaplane terminal, on the same island as the airport, you head north to Noonu Atoll. The seaplane flies low, and from the window you see the atolls, the coral rings and lagoons in every shade of blue. On arrival at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, check-in and settling into the Beach Villa with Pool, a villa facing the lagoon with its own private pool. The first hours are for resting and swimming. Dinner and overnight, half board.

A free day on half board, with breakfast and dinner at the resort. The island's coral reef can be reached by swimming from the beach, so mask and fins are all you need to explore it whenever you like. Morning is often the best time, with stiller water and light reaching the bottom. Along the edge of the reef swim surgeonfish, butterflyfish and, with a little luck, turtles and rays. Lunch is at your own expense, in one of the resort's restaurants, and the afternoon is split between pool and lagoon.

A day at leisure. To be booked separately, a boat trip around Noonu Atoll, in the north of the archipelago and quieter than the atolls near Malé. Resorts usually offer half-day outings to spot dolphins, which often swim alongside the bow, or a visit to an inhabited island, to see Maldivian daily life up close among the mosque, the low houses and the fishermen's harbour. On local islands, shoulders and knees are kept covered. Back at the resort for dinner.

A day for those who want to go deeper. The resort's dive centre usually organises trips to the atoll's reefs, as well as beginners' courses and pool try-dives for those who have never dived. Maldivian waters stay warm all year and visibility is often very good, comfortable conditions even for a first dive with tanks. Those who prefer to stay on the surface can join the boat and snorkel at the same spots, where available. Trips and courses are optional and booked separately.

A day with no plans, on half board. Breakfast without watching the clock, then the private pool and the shade of the villa. The resort is large, with many restaurants and bars, so lunch becomes a chance to try a new one. In the afternoon, a book on the sand, a swim in the lagoon, a walk along the shore to the far end of the island. After sunset, far from city lights, the sky fills with stars and you can pick out constellations not visible from Italy.

A free day, with two optional ideas to be booked separately. In the morning, resorts usually organise a trip to a sandbank in the open sea, a white tongue of sand with no trees or buildings, for swimming and sunbathing with few people around. In the late afternoon, fishing from a dhoni with a hand line, as Maldivians have done for generations, while the sun drops towards the horizon. Back at the villa, a shower and dinner at the resort, on half board.

The final full day on the island. In the morning, a massage for two at the spa can be booked separately, or there is time for a final swim along the reef. After lunch, time to pack without rushing and say goodbye to the lagoon from the jetty. For the last evening, many resorts arrange on request a private dinner by the sea, with a table for two on the sand. It is paid separately and replaces the half-board dinner.

Breakfast at the resort. Transfer to Malé airport and scheduled flight to Italy, with a stopover in Abu Dhabi. Arrival in Italy the same day.