As the Indian Ocean archipelago celebrates 50 golden years of tourism, Joanna Booth discovers what’s new on the islands
A couple who honeymooned in the Maldives in 1972 might barely recognise the place if they returned to celebrate their golden anniversary today. Back then, the year tourism to the islands started, there was just one resort with 30 basic rooms, saltwater showers and canteen-style meals.
It may seem as if the destination has transformed just as completely as that first hotel – Kurumba now has 180 luxurious villas, a teppanyaki restaurant and a shisha lounge – but the Maldives’ appeal rests on the same foundations that existed 50 years ago. Azure, bath-warm waters teeming with marine life; white, powder-soft sand; and the feeling of being a world away from the stresses of everyday life.
Today, these come with the added benefit of overwater villas, pampering spa treatments and a choice of cuisines from around the world. But the prevalence of ‘castaway experiences’, where guests are dropped on a private sandbank to enjoy a picnic in solitude, shows that those natural gifts are still at the heart of the Maldives’ magic.
Yet the destination’s one-island, one-resort model encourages competition, and hotels are constantly evolving. During the pandemic-enforced lockdowns, many took the opportunity to renovate and innovate, and there are a host of new properties opening.
With guests keener than ever to escape the everyday, this golden anniversary year for Maldivian tourism will also be a golden opportunity for selling holidays.
Sustainable stays
Few destinations in the world will be as hard hit by climate change as the Maldives. If global warming continues unchecked, almost 80% of it could be uninhabitable by 2050. With a growing awareness among clientele of the ecological impact of their holidays, hotels are introducing sustainable measures.
One of last year’s openings, Patina Maldives, uses solar power, operates a zero single-use plastic and kitchen-waste policy, and reduces food miles with a permaculture garden. A marine conservation team propagates coral, and 1% of gross operating profits fund initiatives to support local women and children.
At the kids’ club, young guests can turn recycled ocean plastic into models using 3D printers and go shark spotting with the dive team. Another 2021 opening nearby, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, hosts Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment programme, where guests of all ages can learn about conserving the oceans and sustainable living.
If global warming continues unchecked, almost 80% of The Maldives could be uninhabitable by 2050
At Sun Siyam Iru Veli, guests can visit the resort’s farm islands and learn how 38 varieties of fresh produce are grown and supplied to the kitchens. The Residence Maldives runs cookery classes at the on-site kitchen garden, and at Vakkaru Maldives an alfresco dining experience at the organic farm offers literally zero-mile, farm-to-table cuisine.
At Fairmont Maldives, a new Sustainability Lab recycles plastic waste from the resort and surrounding communities into souvenirs and even bricks.
For a trip with sustainability at its heart, Responsible Travel’s Maldives Activity Holiday features guesthouse stays and heaps of community interaction alongside watersports and downtime on the beach.
Luxury choices
The top end of the market has new options coming online this year, from the Gran Meliá Huravee, which will feature a villa on its own private island in the accommodation mix, to Soneva in Aqua, a luxury liveaboard yacht.
The 23-metre craft is available for private, seven-night charters, and comes with its own chef, wellness therapist and butler, plus options for a dive master, surf instructor, astronomer or digital storyteller. Last year, immersive wellness retreat Joali Being opened, offering high-end clients transformative stays, and later this year the new Address Madivaru is slated to feature a dedicated spa island.
Last year, immersive wellness retreat Joali Being opened
Clients looking for fine dining will be wowed at the Waldorf Astoria, now home to the first Zuma in the Maldives, and will find a touch of Tuscany at Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru, where the chefs at the Blu restaurant are being mentored by two-Michelin-starred Gaetano Trovato.
He’ll help blend Maldivian ingredients and Italian flavours, and the restaurant will stock a selection of Tuscan wines.
Younger markets
It’s been many years since the myth that the Maldives was just for couples was shattered, and child-friendly resorts and facilities continue to grow. Last year, the giant Siyam World resort launched with the Indian Ocean’s biggest floating water park, and in June this year Emerald Faarufushi will open.
The revamped resort now has 10 family villas with private pools and a new kids’ club. Towards the end of 2022, the family-focused Hilton Maldives Amingiri will open just a 20-minute boat ride from Malé, with a kids’ and teens’ club, the latter with its own rooftop deck.
Last year, the giant Siyam World resort launched with the Indian Ocean’s biggest floating water park
New resorts that promise activities to suit younger adults include the Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort, opening in May and featuring a 24-hour gym with a climbing wall and boxing ring. There’s also the upcoming Zazz Escapes Maldives, which offers a DJ booth, beer pong contests and wakeboarding.
These are set to be joined by a new operator hoping to attract a different youth demographic. Social adventure specialist TruTravels has launched Island Hopper and Sailing Adventure itineraries that combine conservation efforts and local culture with fun activities, all at an entry-level price point.
Three new activities
Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Resort is the first and only dive centre in the region to offer Padi Mermaid courses. No previous diving experience is necessary, and make-up and tails are included.
Book a night at Finolhu’s new see-through Beach Bubble and sleep under the stars in a four‑poster bed. Set on a secluded sandbank, the bubble has its own butler and an outdoor bathtub.
Early risers will love the new range of sunrise adventures at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, including dawn stargazing, aerial yoga, diving and big-game fishing.
Book it
Responsible Travel’s eight-day Maldives Activity Holiday is based on the island of Gan, in the southern atoll of Laamu, and costs from £1,699, including sea kayaking, diving and other activities but not flights.
responsibletravel.com
Seven nights’ half-board in an Ocean Pool Villa at Joali Being costs from £8,765, including economy flights, seaplane transfers and UK lounge passes, based on a September 20, 2022, departure.
elegantresorts.co.uk
TruTravels’ eight-day Maldives Island Hopper visits Malé, Ukulhas and Dhigurah and costs from £1,425, excluding flights. The brand’s eight-day Maldives Sailing Adventure costs from £2,085, excluding flights.
trutravels.com
PICTURES: Joali Being; rusne draze
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