Escape to the Maldives
It’s not hard to fall in love with the beautiful islands of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The gorgeous water, scattered islands, white sand beaches, all in a remote exclusive location fit for the avid diver, beach-lover, or the ultimate honeymoon escape. There are 1192 islands in 26 separate atolls in this island nation. It is the lowest country in the world so the rising sea levels because of global greenhouse gas emissions is a great concern to the Maldivians. In the not so distant future the President who has arranged to buy land in neighboring India, Sri Lanka and Australia intends to move the inhabitants to these countries if their worst fears are realized.
Aside from this imminent doom, we can live for the moment and experience the beauty and isolation of the Maldives at least once in our lives. Filled with high-end luxurious resorts such as The Four Seasons (Kuda Huraa and the newer one Landaa Giraavaru), W Hotel, Soneva Fushi or Gili, Cocoa Island, One & Only Reethi Rah, Taj Exotica… the choices are endless, but they will definitely cost a pretty penny. If you are going to go to the Maldives, dig into those pockets and spend on one of these as it will be a once in a lifetime experience. High season is December – April where you can expect dry weather and clear water. Low season is May – November where monsoons and heavy rains can sweep the islands, even so, they don’t last that long and you can still enjoy many sunny periods. The Maldives is warm all- year long.
We stayed at the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, with no regrets. The flight to Maldives capital, Male, only got in late at night so there was the option to stay at the original Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, just 30 mins away by boat, for half the cost of a regular night’s stay. Though even after that discount, the neighboring airport hotel Hulhule Airport Hotel was still much more affordable. It didn’t seem rational to spend much when the main objective was to sleep, it was already almost midnight. Hulhule Airport hotel was a standard hotel, the room was decent and clean. There was a slight mossy smell to it, and the floors were a touch dusty, but nothing that couldn’t be overlooked. Waking up for breakfast with no expectations, the buffet spread catered for western and japanese tourists with a few local dishes like curry which is not my favorite for breakfast. Surprisingly, all of the food was satisfying and actually good! Eggs your way, a variety of breads, sausages, fresh tropical fruit, pancake and waffles, nothing wrong with any of it. The service was great with the chief server attending to all our needs. Upon leaving we noticed culinary awards framed in posters, they must take their food seriously, which is impressive for an airport hotel. Eager to get to Four Seasons, we filled out a customer feedback form and were ready to be ushered to our seaplane taxi to our resort. We remarked on the mossy smell and dust on the floor and were approached to explain as they take guest comments seriously as well, another surprise!
So while on the seaplane taxi which is exhilarating in itself, you get a remarkable view of the various islands with their sandy banks and coral fringes that comprise this island nation – no one could resist taking pictures through the windows. Landing on our island after seeing the water villas attached to the main island, one of them being ours, you can’t help but feel giddy with excitement. Once we arrived we were greeted with fresh coconuts for a refreshing drink and buggied to our water villa. The resort was beautiful and breezy, and it was like the island was ours. I was in heaven.
The water villa is done in impeccable Four Seasons taste, wood floors, white walls, canopy bed, tasteful sea art in wooden frames, modern cement bathrooms the size of a new york studio, a liberating outdoor shower attached to the bathroom, all with views of the surrounding ocean. The piece de resistance was of course the deck, sunbeds to relax on and a lower deck with a swimming pool ladder step into the ocean…. the world is literally your swimming pool – does it get any better? Not for me. A spiral staircase from the deck leads up to another piece de resistance, a hatched triangle roof covers a double sunbed for more rest and relaxation. This embodies the theme of escaping to the Maldives, and what a true holiday is all about.
There were a few choices for restaurants, Cafe Landaa – the all-day dining and best for breakfast spot, Fuego Bar & Grill – where at night you can catch baby lemon sharks in the shallow water catching fish who are attracted to the light, amazing!, Al Barakat – Lebanese food that was delicious and had a great view of the ocean from the front of the resort if you snag the few tables at the bar area, and Blu – our favorite in terms of atmosphere and close to our villas. Blu has a Hamptons-feel with white-washed everything and touches of deep vibrant blue for a stylish contrast. The soft white-sandy floors are a nice touch, seamlessly joining the lounge area to the beach. The couch-style seating provides a comfortable spot to look out at the beach and the endless blue ocean, as well as an infinity pool that is more for looks than swimming unless you enjoy being ogled by restaurant patrons.
If you are a scuba-diver, you’re in for a treat. We only had time to go during low season in June, and although we had some heavy rain, there were still plenty of sunny periods too. The water visibility was quite poor though, the plankton is abundant during this time. However, this means you also get more chances of manta ray sightings and even whale sharks! We didn’t get to see a whale shark this time, but mantas at the notable Hirafaru dive spot which is also a cleaning station for the majestic creatures, and also at Dhigatila which is a feeding station. Dhigatila proved to be the most impressive spot with a huge wall drop and a slight current, as soon as I dived in I was greeted by an open-mouthed manta ray swimming towards me! I knew it was going to be a good dive right then. It noticed me and veered right. As I continued swimming along the cliffs you can notice stingrays in their coves, moray eels popping their heads out of holes, many tropical fish, and to the right into the deep blue pelagics like dogtooth tuna and schools of spotted eagle rays. Up above on top of the coral beds another manta, this time a massive one, glided over causing a shadow over the coral bed. Despite the lower visibilities, there were still great dives. To get to see massive schools of manta rays and increase your chances by 90% of seeing the friendly giants of the ocean – whale sharks, dive in the highest plankton season from August to November. They say it’s almost guaranteed to be swarmed by feeding mantas and swim with a whale shark or two every day you dive. Will have to make a trip back during this season, and also when the waters are crystal clear during high season. Any excuse to come back to the Maldives is a good one!
Other activities were watersports like the seadoo – innovative little bullets you hang on to and can speed through the waters like aquaman both above and below, jet-skiing – crossing over to other islands and getting the chance to spot mantas from above or even a school of spinner dolphins, or various other fun options like snorkeling, sailing and kayaking. Of course there’s nothing wrong with just laying on a sunbed with good slatherings of sunscreen and drinking a cocktail as you gaze into the beautiful ocean. You can even stop by the resorts marine center with actual marine biologists, and at a price, plant a coral and help save the marine life, or take a boat out to catch the dolphins with a 60-70% success rate. We managed to see them, even a few mother and baby dolphin pairs swimming and playing at the top of the boat.
So many times we go on holiday only to feel more tired after it, but the Maldives is not that kind of place. Don’t bother bringing a big group of rowdy friends, keep numbers small, or save it for your honeymoon… would be a shame to ruin the serenity and isolation that this magical place has to offer. If you really want to escape, this is it.
