Best of the Maldives: Fish Spa – Sun Siyam Iru Fushi

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Sun Siyam Iru Fushi fish spa

 

We often find the wrasse’s approaching us to scan our skin for loose bits to nibble on during our snorkelling if we are very calm (not moving around much, but just floating). Especially, if it is later in the visit and our skin is flaking a bit for excess sun. Now Sun Siyam Iru Fushi brings this piscatorial pedicure in its resort spa…

“A team of 300 therapists will soon be ready to treat your feet. Let your feet reveal their natural beauty with a unique deep-cleansing foot spa. Our professional therapist will start the treatment with ritual feet cleaning, including a gentle massage from knee to toe. Once your feet are clean, you will be escorted to the pedicure tank for the fish spa treatment. With 300 Garra Rufa fishes kissing your feet and toes, your skin will be left rejuvenated and repaired. After your session with the fishes, as a finishing touch your therapist will complete your treatment with a mild foot exfoliation and gentle massage, releasing any remaining tension from your feet. To book your next treatment, please contact The Spa.”

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7 Underwater Wonderful Activities in the Maldives

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Underwater bubbles

The 7th of the 7th for 7 Wonders. Everyone knows the “7 Wonders of the World” (well, like the Seven Dwarfs, they always forget the last one like “Doc” or “Mausoleum at Halicarnassus”). In the age of listicles, there seems to be a “7 Wonders…” of jut about every description. Of course, a while back there was the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World” scam.

For Maldives fans, the latest of interest has to be the “Seven Wonders of the Underwater World”…

  1. Belize’s Barrier Reef
  2. Deep Sea Vents, Ecuador
  3. Northern Red Sea, Africa
  4. The Great Barrier Reef
  5. Lake Baikal, Russia
  6. Galapagos Islands
  7. Palau Reefs

One might argue that Maldives is glaring by its omission. But I have always thought that the Maldives’ ultimate charm is not below the water nor above it. But right at the water’s edge. It occupies that magical balance not being mostly beneath (like the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Sea), nor being quite high above (like the Galapagos or much of the South Pacific). If you are looking for that wonder that is right on the edge of aquatic and atmospheric, the Maldives commands a list of only 1.

1. Get Engaged – Conrad Rangali Maldives.  Mastering neutral buoyancy to get down on one knee.

Conrad Rangali wedding proposal

2. Get Married – Centara Grand. Buddy breathing for life.

Centara Grand underwater wedding 2

3. Run the Country – In 2009, the President held an underwater Cabinet meeting to highlight the risks of global warming.

Underwater cabinet meeting

4. Build a Reef – A number of resorts (eg. Kandooma, Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, Four Seasons Kuda Hura, Kurumba) now offer Reefscaping which involves attaching small pieces of coral onto support frame which allows them to grow

Kandooma reefscaping 2

5.  View an Art Exhibit – Soneva Fushi. New meaning to “Watercolours”.

Soneva Fushi olly and suzy art 1

6. Shoot a Movie. LUX Maldives. Life Aquatic sequels galore.

LUX Maldives Underwater Festival

7. Celebrate the Holidays. Anantara Kihavah. Eau Christmas Tree, eau Christmas tree…

Anantara Kihavah underwater Christmas tree

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Best of the Maldives: American Wine – One & Only Reethi Rah

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One and Only Reethi Rah bottle of Screaming Eagle

 

Happy Independence Day! The 4th of July is the day of red, white and blue. In the Maldives, you sit on the flour white sand surrounded by the turquoise blue waters. So to add that star-spangled final touch, consider a glass of the rarest of American red wines – Screaming Eagle. Considered by Cult Cab at the best cabernet you will ever find, they produce only 500 cases per year. Despite limiting purchases to 3 bottles per person, they still have a waiting list over 5,000 long. Exclusive to One & Only Reethi Rah, they have both the 2006 and 1999 vintages of this exquisite Napa gem.

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Best of the Maldives: Running Machine – Constance Halaveli

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Constance Halaveli running machine

For those preparing for the next Red Bull race or just preferring a more sheltered, less pressured running workout, then Constance Halaveli’s fitness centre offers the Lifefitness 95T machine. My wife Lori is a bit of an aficionado of these devices (appreciating the distractions of the TV show to mitigate the workout pain), and she informs me that it is the Mercedes-class of running machines and the best on she has come across in our extensive Maldives travels.

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Best of the Maldives: Road Race – Traders Hotel

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Red Bull catch the ferry

 

This is a race that any seasoned traveller can relate to. Running to catch your plane, train or…ferry. I remember speeding through the French countryside trying to get to Cherbourg in time for boarding. Hence the basis for another inspired Red Bull competition “Catch the Ferry” this time sited in the picturesque Maldives…

“On May 31, 2014, Red Bull Catch the Ferry will challenge Maldivian endurance runners in an exciting 12.6km race around all three of Malé City’s islands – Male', Villingili and Hulhumale'. To progress, runners need to make it around each of the routes shown on the route map and catch the ferry before it departs to the next leg of the race. Ferries leave at progressively quicker intervals as runners are filtered to the elite of the Maldivian endurance running community. The fastest female and male winner of the race will be crowned champions, with winners getting an opportunity to travel to the Almáty edition of Red Bull 400 in August 2014, the toughest 400m race in the world”

The best view of this innovative road-sea duathlon would be from the “high” rise Traders Hotel where you could watch both the Villigili legs to the west and the Hulumale legs to the north from their lovely Azur lounge, but for those of us overseas, their Facebook page has lots of good photos and commentary.

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Best of the Maldives: Interactive TV Guide – Constance Halaveli

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Constance Halaveli interactive TV guide

For the digerati who want the latest gadget to enhance their day, Constance Halaveli has deployed the most sophisticated in room guide we have come across. The TV remote driven application not only provides a range of films and television on demand, but also controls the room’s sound system (we listened a soothing range of ambient playlists during our stay) as well as offers a range of guest services and resort information.

Pass the remote!

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Spotting Spotlight

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Report Lionfish

Environment Day today is a time for everyone to reflect on what they can do to help the environment. The good news is that help might be as simple as many folks’ favourite activity – posting pix on social media.

According to an NBC piece “Social Media Could Help Save Species on the Verge of Extinction”…

“While an untold number of butt selfies and pictures of food are posted on social networks daily, people are also snapping images of birds, flowers, and other creatures that can help researchers who keep a close eye on flora and fauna at the tipping point.”

The stream of data helps scientists map where the world’s endangered species are and where they need to be conserved, said Stuart Pimm, a conservation ecologist at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and the lead author of a new paper on the decline of global biodiversity.

Maldives Complete’s Snorkel Spotter was always envisioned as a sort of social app for sharing snorkel experiences. Sort of a “FourSquare for Fish”. But I always speculated if it might be a tool for marine biologists. As it happens, an increasing number of environmentalists are using similar apps for conservation initiatives.

Florida in the USA is actually facing an invasion of a fish that are one of the more colourful sightings in the Maldives – lion fish. Unfortunatey, they are not native there are have no know predators meaning they are seriously throwing the marine ecosystem out of balance. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have developed a “Report Lionfish” app (or people without smartphones or tablets can report on their website).

So if you see something really unusual (meaning it might be a relatively rare species), do try to post it up on Snorkel Spotter with the time and house reef location and maybe it will help the resort’s marine biologist in their understanding of the marine life around them.

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