Business Traveller (Middle East)
ISLANDS OF PLENTY
There’s more to the Maldives than honeymoons – here are our resort picks to suit all types of travellers
The Maldives is targeting a broader range of travellers
When it comes to sheer escapism, it’s hard to beat the Maldives. But with so many resorts to choose from, how do you decide the right one for you? Here are some suggestions, whether you are planning a family holiday, a pampering break or even a corporate gathering.
SPA LOVERS BEST FOR…
In terms of wellness, it’s hard to match
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru (fourseasons.com), set in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Landaa’s Spa and Ayurvedic Retreat is one of the most comprehensive spas in the country and offers Anti Gravity yoga, a Yoga Energy Trail, and Panchakarma, an ayurvedic cleansing programme. Request one of the redesigned and extended over-water villas, each with a 12-metre private pool, and sign up to Manta on Call so the resort team can contact you as soon as these graceful creatures are spotted.
Part of the exclusive LVMH hotel group, Cheval Blanc Randheli (chevalblanc. com) comes with an entire spa island, accessible only by boat and featuring Guerlain treatments, its own pool, hammam and Spa Bar. Elsewhere, Huvafen Fushi ( huvafenfushi.com) features the world’s first-ever underwater spa, with treatments that match the location in their brilliance.
FAMILIES BEST FOR…
With its Explorers Kids
Club – a circus-themed area with trampoline, splash park, gourmet kitchen and a stage for performances – Niyama (niyama.com) has one of the most comprehensive family offerings. Four different “tribes” are welcomed at its kids’ clubs: Globetrotters (12-24 months), Adventurers (three- to four-yearolds), Voyagers (five- to sevenyear-olds) and Pioneers (eight to 12), with activities ranging from lullabies in Dhivehi, the local language, to dolphin spotting and cookery lessons.
Another option is the Residence Maldives at Dhigurah
(cenizaro.com), a new 173-villa resort linked to a sister island by a 1km bridge. The Turtle Kids Club has a raft of daily activities, there’s movie time daily at 4pm and a Bubblemaker Dive programme (eight years and up).
Another child-friendly option is the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa on Furanafushi Island, North Malé Atoll, a 15- to 20-minute speedboat ride from the international airport. It recently completed a US$20 million renovation and has cottage accommodation designed for families, plus the Sheraton Adventure Club for kids.
Look for resorts offering all-inclusive packages to help manage the budget – Angsana Velavaru (angsana.com) offers
Live for Family Fun, which includes daily breakfast, lunch and dinner (free meals for kids under 12), ice cream and snorkelling lessons, among other things.
PARTY LOVERS BEST FOR…
Not all resorts in the Maldives are full of honeymooners. With its contemporary style, Amilla Fushi (amilla.mv) has always set out to be a place where groups of friends and families can hang out together. The focus is on combining toes-in-the-sand relaxation alongside DJs, live acts and the best parties in the Maldives – last year’s festivities included Rita Ora appearing on New Year’s Eve with Nick Grimshaw DJing.
Finolhu (finolhu.com) is another equally sociable island choice, with regular events encouraging guests to gather, such as pool parties, movie nights and the weekly White Party, where all guests dress in white, enjoy sunset drinks and dance into the early hours.
If a group of friends want space to spread out – and splash out – try the Rock Star
Villa at the Hard Rock Hotel Maldives ( hardrockhotelmaldives.com), which has its own infinity pool, a tuk-tuk bar on the terrace and, via the Sound of Your Stay, the chance to curate your own soundtrack.
MEETINGS BEST FOR…
A country made up of small islands, space is at a premium in the Maldives, so don’t expect to be able to hold a huge conference here. However, new on the scene is Crossroads (crossroadsmaldives.com), the country’s first integrated resort development and one of its most ambitious projects to date. Close to the capital, Malé,
and the international airport, the project includes easily one of the largest rentable spaces in the country, the Crossroads Event Hall, a state-of-the-art, multipurpose
326 sqm venue that can hold 400 delegates. Also part of the nine-island development are newcomers the Hard Rock Hotel and SAii Lagoon Maldives Curio Collection by Hilton (saiiresorts.com).
Also new from Hilton is Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, within a boat-ride of Malé, which features its own private island (see Tried & Tested, July/August 2019).
Dining venues at both hotels can host large group dinners and the Hard Rock also has 1,300 sqm of indoor and outdoor event space, including a poolside terrace and function lawn.
A ten-minute speedboat ride from the airport is the long-established Kurumba Maldives ( kurumba.com), a 180-room resort with eight restaurants, three bars, and Bougainvillea Hall, holding 200 guests.
SURFERS BEST FOR…
The Maldives might not be the first place you think of for big surf breaks, but it’s gathered quite a reputation for it in recent years. Como Maalifushi (comohotels.com) has embraced the trend, offering one of the country’s most comprehensive and geographically diverse surfing programmes. The only resort in the entire Thaa Atoll, its Surf Pass sees surfers travel between three atolls in a speedboat in search of breaks such as “Surf Machines” at Laamu, “Kasabu” at
Dhaalu, and “Farms” at Thaa. A full-time guide from high-end surf brand Tropicsurf is based at the resort from April to October, when the biggest swells come through.
Also worth a look is Six Senses Laamu (sixsenses.com/laamu), the only resort in the Laamu Atoll and also a partner with Tropicsurf, whose team can take you out to tackle the mighty Yin Yang, one of the country’s most famous breaks.
BEST FOR… GOING GREEN
Eco-minded travellers should head for Soneva Fushi (soneva.com), where sustainability and ethical practices are core values, from auditing its impact on the environment and counter-balancing this via a carbon tax, to teaching local children to swim. Soneva Fushi has its own glass factory, which takes in glass from neighbouring resorts and upcycles it into attractive tableware, ornaments and pieces of art.
Gili Lankanfushi ( gili-lankanfushi.com) is one of the country’s other best-loved ecoresorts, and is set to reopen on December 1, with ten of its 45 villas having been totally recreated and accredited to silver standard by Earth Check.
A newer contender for the eco crown is Joali ( joali.com), which opened last year and offsets all carbon emission from guests’ stays with tree planting on local islands.
FOODIES BEST FOR…
The days of the Maldives being stuck in a culinary cul-de-sac are long gone; top island resorts come with top dining concepts.
The St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort (stregismaldives.com) has six restaurants but is bringing a global roster of gourmet chefs to the island to make it even more of a foodie haven. Chefs booked to visit between November and March include David Gil Rovira from Tickets in Barcelona, Dutch Michelin-starred chef Jonathan Zandbergen and French two-star chef Guillaume Bracaval.
Elsewhere, vegans are increasingly being catered for. Amilla Fushi (amilla.mv) has paired up with chef Tora Olsson to launch dishes combining molecular gastronomy and organic plant-based ingredients, while the little resort island of Mirihi (mirihi.com) now has vegan cookery classes. For authentic local food, head to Milaidhoo Island (milaidhoo.com), where Ba’theli serves only Maldivian dishes.