Heaven on Water
Holidays at Velaa Private Island in the Maldives are infused with intimate touches, says Grace Ma
he luxury speedboat dashed across the waters of the Noonu Atoll before docking at the jetty of Velaa Private Island. It was a rousing 20min ride starting at the resort located in the same atoll where I was previously staying and filled with warm, comforting breezes and invigorating spritzes of salty Indian Ocean spray. At Velaa, after receiving beaming welcome smiles from the unfailingly warm staff, a chilled, lemongrassscented face towel, and a cup of zesty homebrewed ginger tea, I was whisked away by Haz, my personal butler, to a sunrise water pool villa with its breathtaking ocean views. The island’s Czech owners, financier Jiri Smejc and his wife Radka, scoured hundreds of Maldivian islands before building their dreamy, “beyond luxury” hideaway. Its name comes from the local Dhivehi dialect for the sea turtles that nest and hatch their eggs here from June to August. They enlisted Czech architect Petr Kolar to give the 47 private villas and four-bedroom residences a look that’s contemporary, intimate and underpinned by Maldivian nuances like thatched roofing and wooden panelling. Luxury amenities—dual vanity sinks with full-sized toiletries, full-length wall mirrors, spacious walk-in wardrobes—coupled with thoughtful touches such as daily bedtime snacks and tiny floor lights that glow the moment your foot touches the ground, add to the charm of the room. At the island’s signature overwater restaurant Aragu, chef de cuisine Gaushan de Silva dishes up modern European cuisine with a fine creative hand. I had a dinner tasting menu that included roasted reef fish with crunchy potato olive oil foam and bouillabaisse, and seared scallop with fontina