MALDIVES€™ MAGIC
Maldives’ Magic - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Maldives’ Magic | |||||
| By: Jenny Caspersonn, Issue 37 – Summer 2009 | |||||
| (Taj Exotica Resort and Spa and W Retreat & Spa Maldives Fesdu Island – Maldives) | |||||
| A RAFT OF FIVE STAR RESORTS AND WATERY EXPERIENCES GREET VISITORS TO THE REPUBLIC OF THE MALDIVES. | |||||
| The torrential rain was of no consequence. Already sopping wet, I had just stepped off the dive boat after 45 magnificent minutes among the Maldivian corals. From nowhere an enormous umbrella snapped open above me, offered with a smile almost as big as the brolly. My parasol-wielding host could see the humour but insisted on escorting me, still fully wet-suited, as I squelched along the boardwalk to the dive centre. This was Maldivian hospitality Taj-style. The Taj Exotica Resort and Spaoccupies one of the tiny islands making up the Republic of Maldives, 595 km from the southern tip of India in the Central Indian Ocean. Of the Maldives’ 1,194 coral islands in 26 natural atolls, only 199 are inhabited and, of those, presently around 90 operate as resorts. Among the world’s notable swaying palm destinations, the Maldives is a haven for honeymooners, divers and surfers. We join visitors from all over the world who have come to experience the incredible beauty, clear waters, unspoilt reefs and some top-end accommodations. The Taj Exotica’s Emboodhu Finolhu Island is a narrow, lushly vegetated sand spit only eight kilometres – or a snappy 15 minutes by luxury speed boat – from capital city Male, itself an island of only two square kilometres. Set in an idyllic arch around one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives are Taj’s 62 beach, lagoon and over-water villas, the pinnacle of which is the palatial Rehenhi Presidential Suite where we enjoy cocktails and imagine ourselves as royalty or Russian mafia bosses. A riotous birthday lunch takes place in the relaxed atmosphere of the Deep End restaurant with its open ocean centerpiece but the serious fine dining took place at 24 Degrees restaurant where our ridiculously handsome chef prepared course after course – 18 in total – of delicacies to our small but appreciative female crowd. Happily, the food tasted as good as he looked. In peaceful seclusion at one end of the narrow island is the tropical sanctuary of the Jiva Grande Spa providing endless therapeutic indulgences with the bonus of splendid Indian Ocean views. A special Ayurveda Sanctuary Pavilion offers age-old therapies complete with resident Ayurveda physician. An array of water sports including the PADI recognized Dive Centre, from which I sloshed with my charming escort, is available. With many new five star resorts now populating the islands, the Taj has the feeling of established, confident glamour. The property was substantially renovated after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and reopened in early 2006. Exceptional staff means seamless operations and guests’ needs are fulfilled with relaxed efficiency. The idyllic but remote Island Hideaway Spa Resort and Marinapushes the ‘getting away from it all’ concept to new limits. Delayed by an unrelated medical emergency, we finally left Male for the 45-minute domestic flight to Hanimaadhoo and were then transported pre-dawn 007-style by speed boat to the pristine northern atoll of Haa Alifu. The extended journey was more an adventure than a chore. (Note to self: travelling companions with good sense of humour essential.) Waking late in the sprawling secluded whitewashed villas which dot the crescent-shaped island, we discover we are within metres of our own strip of beach. Private butler, Joseph, was particularly helpful with essentials such as arranging spa reservations and drawing the candle-lit, rose petal bath in my outdoor bathroom, so spacious that 30 of my closest friends could have joined me. Island Hideaway, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, has a choice of over-water restaurants, tennis facilities and glorious swimming pool and bar. The over-water treatment rooms at Hideaway Spa by Mandara are a must-visit. Upon arrival at tiny Fesdu Island the W Retreat & Spa boardwalk speakers pump the music and send us shimmying into our 146 square metres of over-water bliss. Beyond the expansive deck - complete with circular day bed, padded banquettes and infinity edge pool - the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean beckon. If the high-tech in-room inclusions defeat you, call W’s exclusive Whenever Whatever service for instant comprehensive assistance. The essence of the W is contemporary chic, from the white linen-clad staff to W’s cool, underground 15 Below club lounge, to the bleached timber decking and sails of the magnificent Away Spa complex. Dining options include the not-so-subtle Kitchen for casual snacks, Fire for charcoal grill, BBQ and tandoor specialties, and Fish for seafood with an Asian flourish. W’s Down Under dive and snorkelling centre’s resident marine biologist escorts us to a close underwater encounter with W’s resident turtle, perfecting the experience before our 45 minute seaplane transfer back to Male. Gazing down at those tiny island jewels it occurs to me perhaps high above or way below are the best vantage points in the Maldives; the view from the seaplane is sublime and the diving is world-class. Beautiful as the Maldives are on the ground, there is literally not much to see since most of this island nation is just metres above sea level. At the island of Guraidhoo, tidal marks on the buildings and wreckage on the shoreline are grim reminders of the devastating 2004 tsunami. It is tragically easy to imagine how ten people were swept away. Many have given the Maldives a use-by date as global warming and resultant rising sea levels pose dire consequences. Experience these disappearing gems before they are gone forever. | |||||
| Details: | |||||
| Taj Exotica Resort and Spa | |||||
W Retreat & Spa Maldives Fesdu Island | |||||
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