Image: PCL |
From the seaplane the atolls and islands of the Maldives
resemble strange masks painted on to the Indian Ocean –
beautiful, paper-thin and slightly unreal. Indeed, reality
isn’t something you’re likely to get in a place where
you can get married under the sea in a diving suit, ask a private
butler to fetch you a cup of tea at 4am and skinny dip with baby
sharks off your own private sun deck.
But while the islands may be synonymous with luxury and
out-of-this-world experiences, the 87 resorts – all on their
own private island – have distinct identities and features
setting them apart. Indeed, there’s an island for every
client whether they’re honeymooners, empty-nesters, families
or younger couples on a budget.
The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board has UK representation for
the first time this year in response to the growing market –
the number of British visitors soared by almost 30% in the first
nine months of this year – and plans to highlight the range
of options available, promoting family, spa, surfing and cruising,
alongside the traditional honeymoon and diving product. Joint agent
educationals with operators are also in the pipeline.
TUI UK long-haul planning and trading manager Edward Light said:
“Although it is still perceived as a luxury destination,
there is something for most wallets and clients, from two to five
stars, I don’t think people are aware of that.”
One resort which strikes a balance catering for newlyweds as
well as welcoming families is The Four Seasons resort.
Each beach and water bungalow has its own plunge pool, an
infinity-edge swimming pool, library, gym and five dining options.
Learn to surf and dive, do yoga or book a cruise on the Four
Seasons Explorer, an 11-room catamaran. The spa in particular is
exceptional – guests can peruse parrot fish through a glass
floor while being massaged with relaxing Ylang Ylang oil. After a
treatment, the Chiva Som-trained therapist will quietly tell you
she’s turned on the shower, clearly knowing that after a
tropical-glow scrub and jet-lag relieving massage, you’ll be
far too tired to do anything for yourself.
Clients requiring pampering at the highest levels should check
in to Huvafen Fushi, and enjoy their own full-size spa bath in a
room with sweeping views of the surrounding blue lagoon. There,
clients can also experience the world’s first underwater
treatment room.
More laid-back luxury is offered at Soneva Gili – where
guests are given a bag stamped ‘no news, no shoes’
during the boat transfer and urged to go barefoot. An upmarket
eco-resort with Six Senses Spa, 29 water villas and 15 larger
‘residences’, clients are given their own white bike to
cycle the island and their own Man Friday to attend to their
needs.
Most resorts in the Maldives will arrange activities, many
prebookable from the UK. These include surfing, sea kayaking,
fishing, windsurfing, sunset cruising, beach barbecues and sailing
in a catamaran.
Day trips can also be arranged to local and uninhabited islands,
and to the capital Malé for its fish market and mosque.
You can also snorkel, swim and scuba dive – though be warned
that 80% of the Maldives’ coral was affected by El Nino in
1998, so clients will need to get advice on sites in resort.
The Hilton Maldives Resort has a particularly impressive house
reef for snorkelling, and its spacious and affordable villas are
ideal for families.
The Hilton’s new Spa Village opened this year and the
Maldives’ first underwater restaurant opens next April,
accommodating just seven couples who can watch the fish swimming by
while dining.
For a less ‘international’ and more mid-market
option, Holiday Island, run by Maldivians, has a different ambience
altogether. Lush, peaceful and relaxed, it’s a good choice
for divers.
Whichever resort best suits, that elusive Robinson Crusoe
experience is offered by all.
A quote by 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta on a card welcoming
me to the Four Seasons Resort must surely mirror the thoughts of so
many visitors: “I wish the island belonged to me, so that I
might retreat from the world.”
