Best of the Maldives: Beach Dinner in Bed – Hideaway Beach

Hideaway Beach - beach dinner in bed

The Christmas-New Year period is the ultimate calendar week for lingering languor. Lori and I couldn’t make it to the Maldives, but we are still enjoying lounging by the seaside at our family’s place in North Carolina. Our feet are up and we are grazing on American junk food. But it still doesn’t compare with the dormant decadence of Hideaway Beach’s beach bed complete with candlelight and delicacies.

Merry-Time Christmas!

Christma

Merry Christmas Maldives lovers. Today kicks of the traditional twelve days of Christmas, but instead of Pipers Piping and Drummers Drumming, Maldives Complete is giving you fashionistas swimming and swanning with ladies prancing…

  1. Lisa Jakobsson (Sweden) – Anantara Dhigu
    Lisa Jakobsson (Sweden) - Anantara Dhigu
  2. MV Honors Legacy boat
    MV Honors Legacy
  3. MV Honors Legacy island
    MV Honors Legacy island
  4. Anna Andress and friends (Ukraine) – One & Only Reethi Rah
    Anna Andress and friends (Ukraine) – One & Only Reethi Rah
  5. McKenna Ray (USA) – Conrad Rangali
    McKenna Ray (USA) - Conrad Rangali 2
  6. Elena (Russia) – Anantara Dhigu
    Elena (Russia) - Anantara Dhigu

  7. Jane Konsol (Lebanon) – Sun Island
    Jane Konsol (Lebanon) - Sun Island
  8. Anastasia Ka (Russia) – Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu
    Anastasia Ka (Russia) - Coco Palm Bodu Hithi
  9. McKenna Ray (USA) – Conrad Rangali
    McKenna Ray (USA) - Conrad Rangali
  10. Alexandra Hills (France) – Sun Island
    Alexandra Hills (France) - Sun Island
  11. Cornelia Stadler (Italy) – Palm Beach
    Cornelia Stadler (Italy) - Palm Beach
  12. Antonio Pozo (Spain) – Sun Aqua Vilu Reef
    Antonio Pozo (Spain) – Sun Aqua Vilu Reef

    

 

Solstice Sol Sets

Maldives sunset 6

The bad news is that today’s Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. The good news is that you don’t have to wait as long for the gorgeous tropical sunsets. Not that it makes that much difference near the Equator where day lengths don’t vary as much. Nonetheless, this solar milestone seemed a fitting time to share my favourite set of sunset snaps I’ve found throughout the year…

Maldives sunset 1

Maldives sunset 2

Maldives sunset 3

Maldives sunset 4

Maldives sunset 5

Maldives sunset 7

Maldives sunset 8

Maldives sunset 9

Maldives sunset 10

Maldives sunset 11

Maldives sunset 12

Maldives sunset 13

Maldives sunset 15

Maldives sunset 17

Maldives sunset 18

Maldives sunset 19

Maldives sunset 20

I’m Dreaming of a White Villa

White villa - Athuruga

The “traditional” Maldives villa is an earth tone thatch and most of the villas we’ve visited years ago were typically a darker wood. But in recent years, white exteriors have become more popular. First, the exterior walls were painted white. An eco-friendly form of air conditioning to help keep the lodging cooler. Today, doing a quick survey of water villas, the majority have white exteriors. With the timely “White Christmas” theme, I’ve decided to present just the whitest of white villas, those whose coral sand coloured exterior extends all the way up to the tippy top of the rooftop.

May all your Christmases be white…especially over the water of a Maldives lagoon.

  1. Athuruga [ABOVE]
      
  2. Thudufushi
    Thudufushi - white villa
      
  3. Amilla Fushi
    Amilla Fushi - white villa
      
  4. Dhigali
    Dhigali - white villa
     
  5. Kandooma
    Kandooma - white villa
     
  6. Cinnamon Hakura Huraa
    Cinnamon Hakura Huraa - white villa
       

Aquatic Silver and Gold

A post shared by ScubiBlue (@scubiblue) on

Silver and gold
Silver and gold
Means so much more when I see
Silver and gold decorations
On every Christmas tree
” – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas Special

Silver and Gold” is one of the musical gems of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas Special. The Maldives features its own rich vein of these precious colours in the teeming schools of Yellow Striped Snappers. One of the biggest schools you find and one of the most popular aquatic tapestries to post. Here is a yuletidal collection of some of my favorites…

Yellow Striped Snapper 5

Yellow Striped Snapper 6

Yellow Striped Snapper 8

Yellow Striped Snapper 10

Yellow Striped Snapper 3

Yellow Striped Snapper 7

Yellow Striped Snapper 2

Yellow Striped Snapper 4

Yellow Striped Snapper 11

Yellow Striped Snapper 9

Best of the Maldives: Fish Totem – Rihiveli Beach

Rihiveli Beach - repeater fish

One of my favourite artistic crafts is reminiscent of a sort of tropical Tanenbaum adorned with colourful bass instead of baubles. It is the Rihiveli Beach repeater totem recognition. Situated at the cross roads of the paths which criss-cross the tiny island, is a totem pole covered with decorated fish that include names and dates of the guests’ milestone visits.

  • After 4 visits – Fish added to totem pole
  • After 15 visits – Fish can be put anywhere you like on the island (like on a tree – see photo below)

The record repeater for the resort is 55.

With this post, I’m adding the new tag “Repeater” for such recognitions and celebrations.

Rihiveli Beach - fish totem

  

Rihiveli Beach - fish recognition

Best of the Maldives: Art Studio – Finolhu

Finolhu - art studio

For a heartfelt gift, you can make your own. Especially at one of the many Christmas workshops that are traditional this time of year. My church’s annual workshop was where I learned half my craft skills (straw stars, clove oranges, yuletide wreaths).  A number of resorts offer various artistic studios (pottery, painting, glass making), but Finolhu have one of the most comprehensive that I have seen with a wide variety of media.  The also have a festive Christmas workshop schedule (including ceramics) for all those budding Santa’s elves who prefer the sunny tropics to the frozen Arctic.

Best of the Maldives: Ashtray – Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu

Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu ash tray

The traditional anniversary gift for 9 years is pottery. Actually, I received this “gift” of a post scoop from leading contributor Paola a while back. She spotted it at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu and wrote, ““The ashtray is carved in a kind of faux-stone. This way the ashes are protected from the wind.” It also has sort of a Flintstones caveman-chic vibe about it. Twelve shopping days to Christmas (not to be confused with the “Twelve Days of Christmas”) so also a possible gift inspiration.

  

Haven’t Seen Yet #12

Drone spotting

I also do Maldives Complete to ferret out new discoveries. Some people seek out and collect quirky and distinctive commemorative plates or garden gnomes. I collect distinctive features in the Maldives. Every time I find or someone forwards me something I haven’t seen, I get a buzz similar to a train spotter seeing a 66779 Evening Star.

It’s now become a semi-annual tradition (after my anniversary date in December and before our Maldives departure in July) to share the latest compilation. This group of 24 brings the total to 285. I’ve actually had to start a spreadsheet to keep track of all the “Haven’t Seens” so far (to help me make sure I’m not repeating myself). Of those, 24 have since appeared (with actually a number of resorts telling me that my piece inspired them to acquire or add the feature). They fall in to the following main and secondary groupings…

  • Activity: Water Activity, Entertainment, Romance, Mermaid, Kids
  • Infrastructure: Villa, Shopping, Digital, Seat, Décor, Glow, Spa, Artistry, Gadget, Eco, Service
  • Food: Dining, Frozen, Drink, Lobster, Coconut
  • Water: In Water, Underwater, Soak, Pool, Boat

Here’s the latest selection which happen to add up to an Advent Calendar’s worth with 24 treats…

    1. Drone Spotting – For Mantas and Whale Sharks. The dive boats waste so much time going back and forth between known haunts. Boat captains shared sightings information, but a drone would easily spot these creatures and give the search a broader perspective. Much like the African safaris which use helicopters (and increasingly drones) to spot wildlife movements. [ABOVE]
    2. Underwater Topology Table – Great for diving briefings (for a house reef dive) or for just bringing the underwater landscape to view.
      Topology Table
    3. Lego Model – Maps are one thing for a birdseye perspective of the property, but a Lego model of a resort would be particularly cool especially for a child-friendly property. A Lego model that included a model of the house reef would be pretty amazing.
      Havent Seen - Lego model
    4. Lego Set – The Maldives are sort of the caricature of deserted tiny islands of pirate folklore. When our kids were little, we used to set up treasure hunts for them around the island, and a number of resorts now offer the same. For the young crowd, this Lego set seems the perfect memento for a gift shop.
      Havent Seen - Pirate Lego Set
    5. Pirate Brio Train Set – For an even more upscale block model set, BRIO is the classic. While the notion of trains in the Maldives might be a bit far-fetched, not much more imagination required than pirate treasure I suspect…
      Havent Seen - Pirate Brio
    6. Stick-On Soles – For protecting against the occasionally sharp shards of coral in the sands without the annoying flip-flop tan lines.
      Havent Seen - Stick-on Soles
       
    7. Underwater Light Show – Empty lagoon a bit boring without the dramatic drop-off and marine life of a house reef drop-off?  Why not bring it to life with an underwater light show?  Laser shows are a staple at big events like galas and concerts.  A chance for a light artist to explore creations projecting lasers into or under the water.
      Laser show
    8. Pool Disco Light – Or for a more modest light show especially for a poolside disco (eg.  W Maldives, Finolhu), these look like a bit of aquatic fun.

    9. Ocean Wave Projector – Instead of lighting in the water, you could bring the water in with light. Might be good for resorts that have spa that aren’t overwater.
      Havent Seen - Water Projector
    10. Reef Engineering for Surfing – The east reef of Meemu is an extraordinarily long stretch. But the waves break unevenly because the underlying reef which causes them is uneven. I was wondering if you could “even” it out a bit with some Reefscaping to create the longest surf break in the world.
      Surf reef
    11. Surf Dock Another bit of surf engineering this time on top of the water is surf dock which makes access to the breaks that much easier.  Maldives surfing is known for its long, gentle breaks which are great for beginners and I suspect a surf dock would cater to them that much more.
    12. Floating Beach – Or your overwater engineering could simply help you to chill out swaying and bobbing with the ocean, while being dry and stable on firm platform (Hillside Beach Club, Fethiye Turkey).
      Havent Seen - Floating Beach

    13. Water Go-Kart –  For a bit more speedy bobbing around the water, how about an electric water go-kart?

    14. Jet Pad – A bit faster bobbing about the ocean…

    15. Water Car – Even faster?

    16. Jet Capsule Yacht – How about this transfer shuttle?

    17. Fishing Camera – A luxury techno-yacht calls for some luxury gadgetry for some deep sea fishing.

    18. Mask with GoPro Mount See for yourself where the fish are and bag snaps.
      Snorkel mask with gopro mount
    19. Wallpaper LED TV – Watch your underwater videos still still in the water.  Coincidentally and curiously advertised on this photoshopped Instagram pic in the Maldives (their marketeers must have had the same idea I did).
      Havent Seen - Wallpaper TV
    20. Shared Cocktails – For a location renowned for honeymooners, a bit surprised this hasn’t cropped up.
      Havent Seen - Shared Cocktails
    21. Lobster Tempura – Lots of Asian fusion in the Maldives and lots of the ultimate luxury seafood – lobster – but not yet the classic tempura preparation. I had this dish at Circus in London and it was quite tasty.
      Havent Seen - Lobster Tempura
    22. Coconut Sugar – A less processed for of sugar, many people consider it to be a healthy alternative to cane sugar with more nutrients. Made from the sap of the coconut palm flower, it seems like an opportune venture for some Maldivian entrepreneur.
      Havent Seen - Coconut Sugar
    23. Salad Station – Salad Bars, yes. But a station where a chef freshly cuts and prepares your salad to order, no. Inspiration from Hillside Beach Club in Fethiye, Turkey.
      Havent Seen - Salad Station
    24. Disabled Staff – Pararowing. Have any resorts recruited disabled individuals and supported their adaptive needs?
      Disable staff