ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A TICKET TO…
The Maldives? New York? Italy? We’ve found eight of the best holidays to give this Christmas – so which destination would you like to find under the tree this year?
LUXURY HOLIDAYS TO GIVE AS A GIFT
1 THE MALDIVES BEST FOR CELEBRATING A SPECIAL OCCASION WITH YOUR PARTNER
ARRIVING HERE IS LIKE FINDING PARADISE – EVERYWHERE
YOU LOOK IS WHITE SAND,
CLEAR TURQUOISE SEA AND BLUE SKIES – AND IT’S LIKE THIS ALL YEAR ROUND
WITH AVERAGE TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 27-29°C.
AFTER A LONG-HAUL FLIGHT TO MALÉ ON THE MAIN ISLAND,
MOST PASSENGERS WAIT FOR SEAPLANES IN A SMART, AIR-CONDITIONED LOUNGE. ONCE ABOARD (THE PILOT WORE FLIP-FLOPS!), WE GOT A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF SOME OF THE 1,192 ISLANDS THAT MAKE UP THE MALDIVES BEFORE REACHING COCO PALM DHUNI KOLHU.
NOT ALL THE ISLANDS ARE INHABITED – IN FACT, SOME DON’T EVEN RISE ABOVE THE SURFACE AND COCO PALM’S AIM IS TO KEEP THIS PARADISE EXACTLY AS IS. THE ECO CREDENTIALS ARE PARAMOUNT AND THEY’VE JUST OPENED
A TURTLE RESCUE CENTRE (COCOCARES.WORDPRESS.COM) ON THE ISLAND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MARINE CHARITY, THE OLIVE RIDLEY PROJECT. UNLIKE SOME LUXURY HOTELS IN THE MALDIVES, COCO PALM IS CASUAL AND LAID-BACK BECAUSE THE AIM IS TO RELAX AND UNWIND. ALTHOUGH, OF COURSE, YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THE BOAT TRIPS TO SEE DOLPHINS, TURTLES AND MANTA RAYS, PLUS SOME OF THE BEST DIVING IN THE WORLD.
TWICE A WEEK THERE’S A BEACH BARBECUE AND A TRADITIONAL BOAT, COVERED IN FAIRY LIGHTS, BECOMES THE PLATFORM FOR FOOD. CHEFS COOK DELICIOUSLY FRESH SEAFOOD AND MEAT TO YOUR SPECIFICATION AND IT’S A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, ENHANCED BY WARM WINDS AND CANDLELIGHT. THEN IT’S JUST A SHORT STROLL BACK TO YOUR VILLA, WITH ITS SIMPLE BUT ELEGANT DECOR OF PLAIN WHITE TEXTURED WALLS, TERRACOTTA FLOORS AND WOODEN FURNITURE. AND THE BEST THING IS THE SHOWERS AND LOO ARE OUTSIDE!
THE COST COCO PALM DHUNI KOLHU (COCOPALM.COM) OFFER OCEAN FRONT VILLAS FROM AROUND £170PP PER NIGHT (TWO SHARING). EMIRATES FLIES FROM LONDON HEATHROW TO MALÉ VIA DUBAI FROM £712PP (EMIRATES.COM).
“You won’t want to miss out on the boat trips to see dolphins, turtles and manta rays”