Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
For any couples looking for a memorable honeymoon in a magical world of natural beauty, the Maldives is a fantasy destination.
For any couples looking for a memorable honeymoon in a magical world of natural beauty, the Maldives is a fantasy destination.
Choosing where to spend your honeymoon is not an easy decision to make. Your first holiday together as a married couple comes after months spent planning your wedding, hosting parties, and socializing with your guests, friends, and family. When the time comes for your honeymoon, you want to relax, unwind, and spend time together.
Among the wide variety of hotels on offer in the Maldives stands the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, which my husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy on our one-of-akind honeymoon. The entire hotel feels like a fantasy land come true, with stunning views and warm-hearted hospitality all around. Here’s why our 10-day retreat felt like getting lost in paradise.
Hospitality: Our journey began at Velana International Airport, the Maldives’ main international airport in the capital of Malé, where we landed after our flight from Dubai. Most large aircraft land here as access to the smaller remote islands is only possible via boat or seaplane.
We were shown from the airport to a large yacht where hotel staff greeted us for our 45-minute ride. As we approached Ithaafushi Island, we could see more hotel staff on land waving at us from a distance, and once we had docked, they handed us welcome drinks, showed us to our beach villa, and gave us a tour of the beautiful surroundings. Ithaafushi Island is one of the biggest in the Maldives, at 32,000 square feet. The Waldorf Astoria covers the whole area, making it very much a private island experience, but there is still plenty of room for nature. Weaving throughout the resort, the contrast between
the lively colors is almost unreal, with the combination of lush green forestry, glistening blue ocean, and white sands.
We stayed at the beach villa for the first five days, where we had access to a private beach. For the second half of our trip, we stayed in an over-water villa, with steps down to a secured open ocean area. It was very secluded and pleasantly peaceful. The water is accessible from every room and room service is 24-hour. It feels as though you are living in the middle of the ocean.
Dining: Throughout our stay, we had the opportunity to dine at almost all of the restaurants located on the island. Each one had its own unique spirit and theme.
My favorite was Yasmeen, which specialized in Arabic cuisine. I found its ambiance particularly interesting as the restaurant contained historical items from the Arab world dating back to the 1800s and 1900s, such as doors, windows, iron ornaments, and ancient kitchen appliances. The food was also delicious and reminded me of my own Middle Eastern roots and the places I have called home. On the other hand, my husband’s favorite place to dine was a Japanese restaurant called Shimizu, which is open to the ocean so you can enjoy your meal with a calm ocean breeze.
All the restaurants offer something different. For example, Terra has been designed to represent a bird’s nest, Nava is an American-cuisine beach club and tasting table where we had breakfast, and Amber is where we had our first sunset pre-dinner drinks. If you are more interested in traditional steak and barbeque, The Ledge is the restaurant for you. Whereas if you are a fan of organic food and healthy eating, Glow is your best option, with its fruits and vegetables grown at the island’s very own farm. Li Long is where you’ll find Chinese cuisine, and The Rock is where you can try the most expensive wines and champagnes for private dinners and events.
Spa: After all the exhaustion from wedding preparations and parties, we really needed a relaxing massage, so we were thrilled to find that the hotel we were staying in had one of the best spas we had ever seen. We even had to fill out a questionnaire about our personalities to decide how our treatments should be carried out. Questions included: “What is your favorite color?” “Are you a morning or a night person?” and “What is your favorite season?” The spa’s treatment rooms were separate from the main villa, and to get to them we walked on glass floors so that we could see the ocean beneath us. As well as a massage we also had an “aqua-treatment.” For this, we spent time in a multi-level pool where each level used different jets to treat a specific part of the body.
Activities: If you can drag yourself away from your secluded private hideaway, the hotel also provides plenty of exciting and fun activities. The main mode of transport while on the island is bicycle, so we rode around the resort and saw the wildlife up-close. We also went snorkeling in the clear turquoise ocean and explored vibrant coral reefs. And above the water we went parasailing, which meant we could view the island from a different perspective and see the neighboring islands and mountains. Later in the day, on a sunset cruise, we were excited to see dolphins and small sharks.
Nightlife: Despite how calm, relaxing, and quiet this hotel is, there is also a lively nightlife on offer. The hotel hosts parties every Tuesday and Thursday night for its guests at a lounge that its staff set up on the beach. The dress code is simply “white,” and there is a DJ so people can enjoy music and dancing. To be allowed onto the island every visitor must have a negative PCR test, tables in communal areas and restaurants are well spaced out, and staff must wear masks at all times, so we felt safe socializing with other guests.
If I had to pick one night that really stood out for us, it would be the evening of our destination dinner. The hotel staff led us to a private beach where a fairy-light monument spelled out the word “LOVE,” and on the ground flowers drew the shape of a heart. Even the table where we sat for our extraordinary meal of steak and grilled seafood was sculptured from the sand. It was an experience we will never forget.