Best of the Maldives: House Reef Infratructure – Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo

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Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo snorkeling

 

The house reef remains one of the top criteria in Maldive resort choice. Resorts with weaker or less accessible “house reefs” have to work harder to compensate with a more enticing overall offering. Distinguishing between the fine house reefs, though, is a very subjective exercise. Some have more coral, some have more fish, some are more accessible, some are more extensive. Except for Reefscaping, there’s not a lot that a resort can do to alter its reef endowment. But given it pre-eminence as a guest lure, I’m always surprised that resorts don’t do more to enhance the house reef experience.

One resort that has pulled out the stops to support snorkling (and diving) its own very fine house reef is appropriately named Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo. They are blessed with a vibrant reef with curious caves and colourful soft coral. But instead of resting on their polyps (hmm…that sounds like a tired person with piles), they have invested in all sorts of infrastructure to guide and support to make the whole experience easier and more satisfying including…

  • Snorkel/dive spotting white board
  • Ropes to dive entry points and at entry points
  • Current indicator
  • Sign out board so people can go themselves on the house reef
  • Wreck next to the house reef
  • Snorkel board

For divers who want to dive this house reef, solo diving is permitted (as long as you follow the strict safety guidelines). I’ve not seen so many things put in place to enhance the house reef experience. A number of them are quite unique in their own right (eg. current indicator, house reef wreck). But the one that excited me the most was the “Spotting White Board”.

I have been advocating for years that resorts feature a white board where they could share their snorkel discoveries and sightings. I envisioned a map where people could highlight what they saw and where. My frustration with the lack of any logging or sharing facility is what led to me developing the Snorkel Spotter. Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo doesn’t have anything as fancy as that, but at least it has a log board for sightings (see photo below) which is in the right spirit.

 

Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo house reef spotter

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Best of the Maldives: Nature Guide Book – Gangehi

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Gangehi guide 2

One of the first things that I do when I arrive at a hotel room is to gather all of the marketing literature sprinkled liberally around the room and move it to some out of the way place. Lots of glossy material with pictures of palm trees and pina coladas that are not that interesting to me.

But Gangehi has created a booklet that was so good I brought it home. It is a guide to the plants and animals found on the resort. Fish guides are quite popular in the gift shops, but this is more land focused. The tropical life on the land has its own intriguing variety, colour and distinction. It’s great to have such a handy guide. You can buy natural guide books, but most cover the entire Indian Ocean and therefore are quite heavy (taking up precious luggage weight). Also, they tend to be so comprehensive it is often hard to find the particular creature you are seeking. Gangehi’s guide is limited to those critters found on the island itself so it is quite concise.

Beach reading!

Gangehi guide

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Where are the Maldives?

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google search terms

 

What is the most prominent thing people search for about the Maldives?

Google celebrates its sesquidecennial anniversary today (there’s a sesquipedalian for you…If you don’t know what it means, Google it). I’ve been doing some work to make Maldives Complete a bit easier for people to find using search engines like Google.  Part of that work has had been use Google’s ‘Keyword Tool’ to get a better understanding of what are people looking for when they are searching about ‘Maldives resorts’. The results were quite intriguing…

1. Resorts – Obviously, the “resorts” themselves.

2. Spas – A bit curious in that when we first started coming to the Maldives in the nineties, most resorts didn’t even have spas. Maybe a few staff therapists on contracts. Now they are one of the top allures. Also and indication of the gentrification of the Maldives as a luxury destination.

3. Where they are – This was the one that surprised me. It seems that the Maldives’ reputation proceeds itself. People have heard of the legendary Maldives so far and wide that many don’t even know where they are. Part of this bias is due to the high portion of USA traffic on the web. Not only are Americans notoriously bad at geography, but the Maldives are literally on the opposite side of the world quite removed from their traditional tropical destinations like the Caribbean and South Pacific.

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Best of the Maldives: Pottery – One & Only Reethi Rah

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One and Only Reethi Rah pottery 2

“I do pottery. I love it. It’s very relaxing; it takes me to another planet.” – Eva Herzigova

Some people think all you do in the Maldives is lie around in the sun all day. And some can’t conceive of wanting to do anything that would require any effort. But another group of folks actually enjoy doing things on their holiday break. Time to do the things they don’t get to do during their busy lives. And some of these “activities” can be quite relaxing in their own right.

One such activity is pottery. Especially, “throwing pots” on a wheel. The rhythmic rotation and the silky wet clay is reported as a very sensual and soothing experience. Perfectly apropos for a Maldives holiday. And the One & Only Reethi Rah has a full pottery studio. Set outside so one can enjoy the beach breezes while spinning or painting your creation, it even features a resident potter, Liliia Lapika Babych (see pictures) who provides classes and tutoring. The studio features pieces created by past guests as well as some of Lillia’s work. You can also make Venetian masks and other items with all of the equipment for glazing, painting and other creative media.

 

 

One and Only Reethi Rah pottery

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Best of the Maldives: Mixed Media Bed Decoration – Jumeirah Dhevanafushi

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Jumeirah Dhevanafushi bed decoration

I’m a big fan of bed decorating. The classic motif is the arrange flower petals. Some resort incorporate palm fronds. And Club Med Kani even has towel folding. But Jumeirah Dhevanahfushi blends all three into a stunning bed collage. Compliments of Andy and Linnet who actually were the couple that introduced Lori and I to the Maldives years ago making their first return to the Maldives in over a decade.

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Best of the Maldives: Bath Pillow – Constance Halaveli

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Constance Halaveli bath pillow

If you are serious about lounging in the bath, then I can’t imagine an accessory more essential than a bath pillow. And yet, they are astonishingly rare. I had to find on online for our bath a home. Without them, your head has to rest on a cold, hard tub.

Fortunately, Constance Halaveli has gotten suds soaking down. Not only do they have a comfy head rest, but they also have extra long tub so you can really stretch out.

Pass the Calgon.

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Best of the Maldives: Glass Bottomed Bath – Anantara Kihavah

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Anantara Kihavah glass bottom bath tub

If you want to soak in your own bath of floral scents and colourful visuals, then Anantara Kihava’s glass bottomed bath extends right down into the ocean. You can be surrounded by vibrant petals floating above and vivid sea creatures scurrying about beneath.

Kihavah’s distinction has tipped that balance of “bath” features enough for me to now add a “Bath” sub-category to “Relaxing” in the Best of Maldives.

Glass bottomed soak.

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Best of the Maldives: Spa Flowers – Nika

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Nika spa flowers

 

 

From water walking to water wafting. Of the fragrant bouquets of aquatic bouquets that pack the Nika spa area.

When you first enter the appropriately names Lotus Spa, you are greeted by stereo bowls of dazzling blossoms floating in bowls of water by the gate. Arranged meticulously and artistically is an array of flower petals that are changed every day. Not just the petals, but the design itself (see below for another example).

Then in the spa itself set amidst a sprawling water feature packed with more diverse water lilies and other water flowers than I have seen in the Maldives (see bottom) of different colours and shapes adorning the surface in the bright sunshine.

Nika is just bursting with colour of both fauna and flora.

 

Nika spa flowers 2

 

Nika spa water lillies

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Best of the Maldives: Water Rafts – One & Only Reethi Rah

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One and Only Reethi Rah water rafts

If sliding into a pool isn’t exciting enough for you, then bouncing into a whole ocean might do the trick. And it’s available to all ages in the One & Only Reethi Rah water sports lagoon. Which in addition to its water trampoline includes a floating water volleyball “court”, a climbing wall “ice berg” not to mention an old school swimming raft. During my tour, these features were probably one of the tops that I most regretted not having the time to avail myself of. I could have spent hours on them especially with my kids when they were younger. Any one of these blow-up contraptions are worthy of a “Best of the Maldives” distinction individually, but since Reethi Rah is just such a cornucopia of such special features, I’ve decided to combine them in a single post.

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