JOALI Maldives

A thousand trees were preserved during construction, so the island still feels genuinely wild, flowers and all. This Forbes Five Star resort on its own private Maldivian island was designed by Autoban, whose teak panels and terrazzo floors borrow quietly from across Asia. The villas read luxurious without feeling like a stage set, and the service is warm rather than ceremonial. Chair sculptures scattered around the grounds nod to the Dhivehi word the resort is named for.