PARADISE FOUND

20 THE MALDIVES

Dotted like confetti across a pristine stretch of the Indian Ocean, the sovereign archipelagic nation of the Maldives is made up of 26 natural atolls consisting of two island chains, or in layman's terms, 1190 idyllic islands and sandbanks. Of these, only a fraction are inhabited, but the ones that are are a sight to behold, populated with resorts that take the concept of luxury to another level. For the quintessential Maldives experience, make sure you stay in an over-water villa, with unfettered views of an infinite horizon that