A DREAM ADRIFT ON THE INDIAN OCEAN

French finesse meets island soul at Club Med Finolhu Villas, where families and honeymooners find luxury in rhythm with the sea.

- AMI BANSAL

The descent into the Maldives feels like an initiation, as the plane cuts through clouds to reveal a scatter of turquoise shallows and islands brushed across the sea like sapphires. Somewhere between horizon and reef, a half-hour boat ride from Malé Atoll lies Club Med Finolhu Villas—a reimagining of the classic Maldivian escape that fuses French precision with island soul. This is a place that unfolds slowly, in rhythm with nature.

DESIGN MEETS DECELERATION

There are just 52 villas—some anchored to the beach, others poised above the lagoon. The overwater villas are sculptural, with infinity pools that dissolve into the sea; the beach villas, shaded by palms, are fronted by white coral sand. Inside, pale timber, soft linen, and glass walls draw in the light.