THOMPSON
Despite being several al hundred yards from the he shore, I was still only waiststdeep – and it was another er hundred yards before a reef turned ed the water from bright turquoise to dark blue.
The sea continued to reveal its secrets as the lagoon shallows of Maadhoo Island merged into the Indian Ocean.
The water was flat, clear, warm and shimmering – just like all the social media posts promised.
And it was only when swimming out in the lagoon that I realised I was finally safe from Moet Man – a smiling waiter who had been tailing me with a champagne bottle since I arrived at OZEN Maadhoo, the premier five-star luxury property in the region for Atmosphere Resorts.
The staff are like an army, I joked at one point. “Yes, we are ready to attack,” a team member laughed.lhd laughed. Thereh There w was another guy who kept sneaking into my room while I was at dinner, running a bubble bath in my outdoor jungle bathroom ready for my return.
But my favourite team were the guys who cleaned and raked the beaches non- stop throughout the d day, ensuring the h white h sand d stays that way, with no seaweed or leaves spoiling your Instagram shot.
One of the most noticeable things was the sheer lack of other guests – despite low-season occupancy sitting at 85 per cent, or about 200 people over 90 villas. It often felt like I had the e entire tropical island to myself – far from the sunbed-clogged s sand of the Mediterranean’s p poshest beaches.
At dinner it seems there are m more staff than guests – even w when you are in buffet mode, th the ever- helpful waiters will of offer to get items for you.
Is there anything else that co could make you feel lazier?
C Couples can spend upwards of £1, £1,700 a night for the standard allall-inclusive seven-night “indulgen gence” package to tick the famous Ma Maldives over-water villa off their trav travel wish list.
If you are aiming higher, there’s also a 4,630sqft, six- bedroom wate water suite where British celebrity chefs, Indian cricketers and bank bosses are said to spend about £11,000 a night.
But the incredible service across the resort is available to everyone. The resort’s standard indulgence package