Sophie Roberts
Dives into a blissful break in the Maldives where she mingles with the mantas
The pilot is bare-footed and beaming with sunglasses perched osn top of his head. He turns and gives a thumbs up, pushing down on pedals and lifting us into the air.
I clasp on to the seaplane’s handrests and leave my stomach behind. What a way to start a holiday in paradise.
The journey is about 45 minutes from Velana International Airport in the Maldives’ capital Malé, which gives plenty of time to gawp at golden islands in the Indian Ocean.
I say a silent prayer and it feels like we’re in heaven as we touch down in the surf.
A congregation of cheerful hotel staff greets us at Maamunagau, a mile-long island that’s home to the Intercontinental Maldives Resort.
They bang drums and hand out icy flannels to wipe away the jetlag.
Then it’s time for a tour of my new home – a dreamy overwater villa that comes with two floors, spectacular views and a bottle of bubbly on ice.
As tempting as it is, I resist the urge to jump straight into the
massive bed, and head out to explore the island.
Rays of sunshine
Maamunagau can be found on the idyllic southernmost tip of Raa Atoll, which is right on the edge of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
It has its own natural lagoon, where juvenile manta rays shelter from predators between December and April.
The resort provides a base for the Manta Trust – a Uk-founded charity dedicated to protecting and researching these endangered gentle giants.
To educate me on the 13ft rays, marine ecologist Farah whizzes through a quick presentation. Then it’s time to see the charismatic creatures in the flesh.
Ten minutes after setting off in a boat, we spot a horn-shaped fin popping out of the waves.
Unlike related sharks or stingrays, mantas have no teeth or stingers, so I don’t feel too nervous about slipping into the water. In a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in a Disney film, more rays join the party. They glide through the water, expertly guzzling plankton and showing their ghostly bellies as they dodge snorkellers.
If that wasn’t special enough, even more critters come out at night...
Must sea
Not many of us can say we’ve been snorkelling after the sun sets, especially not in pleasant 29C temperatures.
But Maamunagau has its own house reef where you can take a dip before dinner.
Armed with flippers, snorkels and torches, we head out in the surf that never sleeps.
Listen out for a constant clicking under the water, which our conductor Nikita describes as the “orchestra of the sea”. It’s not your ears playing tricks, it’s actually the sound of frenzied fish feeding in the reef below. Shine your light downwards to see vibrant blue parrotfish snoozing among the coral, reef sharks sidling past and a giant moray eel slithering along the floor.
Then, after drying off on the shore, buckle up for a natural light show. Bioluminescent plankton crashes with the waves, creating gorgeous bright spots that contrast with the clear night.
The microscopic organisms illuminate footprints as you walk along the sand and light up the skin like glow sticks.
The suite life
After hours in the water, I head back to my overwater villa and straight into a piping hot bath.
Hotel curator Amaan popped bubbles and petals into the tub just in time for my arrival. It’s just what I need to warm up, unwind and wash the salt from my hair.
While soaking I can see 50 shades of blue out of my panoramic window – from the aquamarine infinity pool, to the sapphire lagoon and indigo sky.
Invigorated and recharged, it’s time to head out and regain the