It’s rare that you can say your holiday really starts on the plane, but the Maldives is an exception. At what must surely be the world’s most breathtaking airport, Male, where seaplanes bob in the turquoise ocean and the beaming pilots wait to greet you in flip flops, the minute you hand over your suitcase, that’s it for lifting a finger or doing anything that might resemble hard work. The seaplane whirrs and soars into the air, providing the perfect view of the idyllic islands below, and once you land at your hotel, the pampering begins.
Forget remembering how to do anything for yourself: Dhigali, a new five-star resort in the Maldives Raa Atoll, leaves you feeling so relaxed that it’s a real struggle to even turn the kettle on when you get home. The minute you get a bit hot and bothered, a member of staff will appear, as if by magic, with a cold, scented towel. You’ll arrive to your room feeling peckish to discover a plate of magnificently presented (and even better tasting) chocolate truffles. If you become too lazy to walk the kilometre from one end of the resort to the other, the staff can somehow sense it, and appear in the nick of time on a buggy to whisk you away to your scuba diving lesson, spa treatment, or personal training session.
The resort is perfectly positioned for a varied holiday. If you haven’t been to the Maldives before, you might imagine that there’s nothing to do but flop onto the beach, but that’s far from the truth. The picture-perfect island, lush with vegetation and rich in greenery, is surrounded by a gorgeous coral reef and a glistening lagoon, meaning the opportunity to snorkel with hundreds of brightly coloured fish in the blissful, clear water of the Indian Ocean is never far away; if you’re staying in a villa above the water, all it takes is putting your gear on and diving in moments away from your bed.
The reef is even blessed with its own caves, where swimmers can spot everything from eagle rays and manta rays to lion fish and turtles. It’s also not long to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Hanifaru Bay, where scuba divers and snorkelers can not only admire pristine corals and vividly coloured fish, but whale sharks and huge groups of manta rays.
If you love being in the water, you can’t pick a better activity than escaping to a desert island, one of the many excursions offered by Dhigali. You’ll be whisked away on a yacht, trying to spot dolphins, only to arrive at a serene, totally deserted idyll reminiscent of impossible-looking holiday brochures, an island that can be walked around in five minutes flat, to be waited on hand and foot by the staff of the hotel. As you go for a snorkel in the warm water, a fresh lunch of ceviche and salad is prepared, while afterwards, you can do as you please: snorkel once again, collapse on to a towel, or, indeed, imagine you’re Robinson Crusoe on a five-star budget.
There are eight room categories at the resort, from beach bungalows to water villas, but the most enviable of all is the luxurious Dhigali Suite, a sprawling sanctuary complete with its own courtyard, giant open air bathroom, huge infinity pool, and, naturally, its own butler. There are four options for guests’ stays, with bed and breakfast, half-board, full-board or dine-around all inclusive, which allows guests unlimited access to all of the a la carte restaurants on the island, with an array of drinks to choose from. With five restaurants to decide between, from the Asian-style Battuta to the seafood and meat-based Faru, there’s something to eat, no matter what you feel like.
But perhaps the most special place on the whole island is Haali, the treehouse-like Sunset Bar, where you can sit on a swing, order a cocktail, bask in the glittering lights and watch the spectacular sunsets descend over the tip of the island. For a really special occasion, you can opt to rent out Haali entirely, and transform the bird’s nest-style enclosure in the trees into your bedroom for the evening. There can’t be many more romantic places in the world to dig your feet into the sand and watch the sun come up.
Forget the old cliche that there’s nothing to do in the Maldives but relax: with so much on offer, from scuba diving and water sports to dolphin cruises and island hopping, you might be thoroughly exhausted by the time you get home. That’s when you’ll really miss the glittering, warm sea, the omnipresent buggies, the plates of truffles, and, of course, those magical cold towels.
Kuoni (01306 747008 or www.kuoni.co.uk) offers seven nights all-inclusive at Dhigali Maldives in a Beach Bungalow, including flights on Sri Lankan Airlines from London Heathrow (via Colombo) and transfer to the island on a domestic flight from Male via Ifuru or Dharavandhoo Airport plus a short speedboat transfer. The price for May and June 2018 is from £3,039 per person, based on two sharing.
They also offer seven nights all-inclusive at Dhigali Maldives in a Beach Villa with Pool, including flights on Sri Lankan Airlines from London Heathrow (via Colombo) and seaplane transfers. The price for May and June 2018 is from £4,205 per person, based on two sharing.
