ISLAND STYLE
Island Style - Luxury Travel Magazine
 | |||||
Island Style | |||||
| By: Merry Kirkwood, Issue 36 – Summer 2008 | |||||
| (The Beach House - Maldives) | |||||
| THE MALDIVES NEW BEACH HOUSE IS PUT THROUGH ITS PACES WITH OUR FIVE STAR RESORT CHECKLIST. WHAT DOES YOUR LIST HOLD? | |||||
| The ‘Resort Drip-Trail’ I call it, given the watery path I leave in my wake. Regular travellers may prove it has design significance that big-city architects and interior designers should focus on more closely – even get wet for, if you like. From my starfish pose, dreamy eyes skimming the warm Maldivian waters that stretch beneath my over-water villa, shoulders resting on the wet-edge of my private plunge pool, legs floating lazily near the underwater ledge, it seems of little import. Yet as I step from the pool, and stroll through the French doors into my (water-resistant) ebony tiled bathroom, my trail starts again. My quest is simple… Can I dip in my private pool, snorkel around my villa, and then throw on a sarong and wander the sandy pathways to the pool for a lazy afternoon swim (and designer cocktail) without ever dryingoff properly? The answer, resoundingly, is yes. This desire (frivolous, I know) is high on my personal resort checklist. Be honest: we’ve all got them. We may not speak of them, or be consciously aware of them, but they are a fact of holiday life as much as customs officials and luggage limits. I’ve come to embrace my list: to take it out, and play with it. I try to limit it to a fiery ‘Top Five’ but there are ‘also-ran’ clauses that lurk at the bottom of my suitcase. Shamelessly arbitrary, singularly self-focussed, they surely have no sensible place in the open. Yet dragging them out for an airing encourages others to recognise and mould their own. And to be discerning in their travels. | |||||
| So, my Top Five, as they work for The Beach House: | |||||
| Is there ‘plenty to do, places to go, people to see’? In other words, is this a one-stop ‘fly and flop’ resort with lots of variety? The 1,190 very small islands that make up the Republic of the Maldives are randomly strewn through the Indian Ocean, as jewels tipped from a dealers pouch. Despite Manafaru Island’s tiny size, and out-of-the way location in the northern extremes of the Maldives (travel here involves connecting flights from Australia via Singapore, an internal flight from the capital Male, followed by a launch connection), the island’s 35 carefully landscaped yet charmingly natural acres are action packed, with 68 thatched villas and suites (both over-water and beachfront, dotted around the tiny island’s perimeter), six indoor/outdoor restaurants and bars, two pools, and a variety of ‘clever resort corners’ to keep you amused, including an underground cellar where private meals can be served. The activities list is as long as my drip-trail, and includes a separate private island devoted to motorised water sports, nearby diving excursions with a PADI dive centre, a golfing simulator (though its hard to be serious when you tee off at St Andrews from the heat of the tropics), a genuinely well-established kids club, a selection of boating excursions, fishing expeditions (hence my renewed love for red snapper), and a deserted island experience. In many instances these activities are delivered in style, though occasionally the staff are not on top of five star expectations. The spectacular Shui spa, a ten-suite facility (each with private shower and toilet), is set around a circular path within a tropical garden, the ‘circle of spa heaven’ I like to call it. | |||||
| Is there a sense of the ‘local,’ and a respect for its environment? | |||||
| Call me green if you will, but in my book ‘if its not going on, its not on’. Luxury resorts need to say something about their special place in the world, and also to take responsibility for maintaining them. Here in the Maldives, 26 atolls are spread over a vast ocean area, and house only 198 inhabited islands. This particular island, ‘won’ by 37-year-old local entrepreneur Ahmed Siyam Mohamed in a lottery-like competition, was developed for a cost of around $36Million. In a ‘one island, one resort’ policy, the government has assured all current and future visitors of a private island experience. The Beach House aims to honour the environment through water treatment and careful plantings, though the jury is still out on how this will measure up. Coral bleaching and pollution have been a local issue in the past. Guest visits to neighbouring islands are possible, to take in the local culture. Local hero, Mahammad Thakurufaanu Al-Azam, who saved the Maldivian people from Portuguese attack, lived on a nearby island where his palace is a national monument. | |||||
| Are there indulgent in-room facilities, that are intuitive to use? | |||||
| The fact is (depending on the company you are in) you may never want to leave your villa/suite in a good resort. I call this the NTBS (never to be seen) syndrome, and it’s a resort affliction suggesting extreme indulgence and satisfaction. Egypt, the lovely fellow who settles me into my villa upon my late-night arrival, explains each of the villa’s gadgets and electrical thingy’s while I’m half asleep. But for the record: Coffee machine – yes, my ‘George Clooney’ – works like a dream. Sound/Vision? Yes, there’s CD, DVD and an iPod dock, but I have forgotten to bring mine. Bathing? Yes, the bath is beautifully located overlooking the lagoon, though a little too complex to actually use. My internet connection is seamless. | |||||
| Are the furnishings appealing, and comfy? | |||||
| Generally the resort is dotted with appealing pieces in modern rattan or heavy timber, though they are sometimes clunky and not comfy to sit in. The king-sized bed with Frette linen is fine, but not of the ‘sink into’ variety, and after a near 24-hour transit, ‘sink into’ is all I want. | |||||
| Is the cuisine a standout? | |||||
| Aussies at home are spoilt by local cuisine. It’s no wonder then that our own Christine Manfield is assisting in menu direction. The food standard here is varied, with Medium Rare (a casual grill) and Saffron (Asian Cuisine), my personal favourites. Resort food is always tricky to measure over time. | |||||
| And as for some also-rans: | |||||
| Is there an Aussie-friendly electric plug? Tick. Does the bathroom have enough room to lay out your own toiletries? In my indoor/outdoor bathroom, there are two huge his-andher square basins, but no lay-off space. What’s the point of developing ballroom-sized bathrooms, with no room for your bits and bobs? Are the staff genuine and helpful? Some staff have trouble understanding requests but Benjamin, my butler, could not have been more divine. Serene and quiet, his peaceful spirit mirrors my pleasure in this distant-island experience. And helps me forget to dwell on anything at all. After all, you know what they say about people who write lists. | |||||
| Details | |||||
| The Beach House | |||||
|
