One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah

Villa 135, One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah; 960-6-64-88-00; www.oneandonlyresorts.com. There are 130 villas; doubles range from $710 to $3,400. Villa 135 is $905 to $1,500.

In your villa at the One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah, it's easy to feel like you're in a far corner of the earth. Although the Maldives—a string of Indian Ocean atolls that runs southwest from Sri Lanka to below the equator—are remote, they've nevertheless been a popular destination since antiquity, when they were a stop on Persian and Chinese trade routes. Equally celebrated is the Maldives' reputation for romantic idylls: Legend has it their first king was a twelfth-century Sinhalese prince who landed here on a honeymoon sail and never left. Your digs on North Malé Atoll may inspire similar escapist fantasies. The resort, which opened last May, just months after the devastating tsunami, epitomizes the islands' beach and palm tree allure. Each villa comes with an overwater perch or private beach access or, in the case of yours, its own beachfront pool—perks that make circling the globe worthwhile.