5…4…3…2…1…
For a most distinctive bubbly to accompany the ringing in of the New Year, consider this rare magnum Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades presented by the One & Only Reethi Rah beverage manager Craig.
…Happy New Year!
Best of the Maldives: House Reef Wreck – Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo
From a snorkel enhancement to a wreck, to a wreck enhancement to a snorkel. The Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo extensive house includes its own wreck. A small inter-island cargo ship just off the main jetty. Usually such wrecks are the province of dive trips or excursions, but at Ellaidhoo, it’s just another handy feature of their extensively equipped house reef.
Space Snorkelling
What do you get an astronaut for Christmas? A space snorkel.
As Maldives Complete is sort of the hub of Maldives resort snorkelling, (the best snorkelling in the world), I do tend to venture into other extremes of the activity around the world. Or, this week, out of the world. The Maldives is renowned for its low altitude, but NASA today brings it to a record altitude. Snorkelling in Space.
It turns out that the astronauts faced a bit of a problem with leaky space suits which almost drowned one of them. The “snorkel” is an improvised fix to work around the problem.
Maldives snorkelling/diving and space walking have a bit more in common. Diving is about the closest one will get to the sensation of being in space and being in “another world”. Complete with anti-gravity as one of your first scuba skills is neutral buoyancy.
Best of the Maldives: Golf Academy – Velaa
Welcome to the neighbourhood to Velaa resort which opened this week. The latest of the super-premium gold-plated rush. In line with its elite spec, it includes another addition to the under-represented pastime of golf in the country with its own golf academy…
“Golf enthusiasts can enjoy the only ‘Short Game Golf Academy’ in the Maldives, 170m of greens and a swing studio carefully crafted by Masters Champion Jose Maria Olazabal”
Best of the Maldives: Spacious Entries – Cheval Blanc Randheli
If One and Only brings the bedroom into the pool, Cheval Blanc Randheli brings the pool into the bedroom. It has made an entire wall of its villa openable for an expansive vista from within. I love this design element which was have been thinking of adding to our own house (replacing the back floor-to-ceiling windows of the dining room with French doors that open up to our back yard). The approach melds the best of both the gorgeous outdoors with some of the comforts of inside.
The architecture of the villas also features record-breaking entry doors themselves. The previous tops was The Haven’s 4 meter high doors, but Randheli features“An architecture sequence of 7-meter high doors in each villa [which] creates a spectacular space.”
No worries about bumping my head on the frame there then.
Best of the Maldives: Pool Bed – One & Only Reethi Rah
I have wondered who might have a water bed, but One and Only Reeth Rah’s pool bed is not what I meant. Still, a bit more elegant than a seventies-style pleasure pit and probably just as seductive.
Best of the Maldives: Bunk Beds – Constance Halaveli
After all that horizontal tandem activity, Constance Halaveli brings a new vertical dimension to some tandem rest. Our kids always enjoyed a bit of “sleep over” ambience on our holidays where they invariably stayed in the same room and chatted surreptitiously in the dark while Mom and Dad got in a few more chapters on the deck. Despite their camaraderie, except at the very youngest age, they started to want their own beds, but often twins were hard to come by at resorts. Sometimes one could improvise sleeping on a couch or day bed. But Halaveli’s bunks are a great solution that my children would have adored (though definitely would have prompted many fight over who gets the top bunk).
Best of the Maldives: Pedalling Kayak – Baros
For ocean proximity of a more active sort, Baros offers a pedalling tandem ocean kayak (1 hour session for $40)…
- “This double seated kayak is different from most other kayaks; it has two methods of propulsion. One is the traditional paddling. The second method is using a unique, fully adjustable, pedaling system. The pedals are alternately pushed back and forth with the feet and legs. With this movement the Penguin shaped flippers underneath the kayak makes a sweeping motion that drives the kayak forwards. The movement is swift and silent. Hands and arms can be at rest allowing you to go further and with less effort to get the most out of your experience.”
Best of the Maldives: Neighbourly – Angsana Ihuru and Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru
(photo courtesy of Luxury hotels TravelPlusStyle.com)
Olhuveli and Fun Island might be the closest geographic neighbours, but Angsana Ihuru and Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru are the closest operationally (not attached).
“You have Angsana which is literally a 2 minute hop by hourly water ‘taxi’, so you have the benefit of two islands in one resort (you can also charge any costs on Angsana to BT, and visa versa.” (thanks John)
You might not be able to go pick watermelons, but you can enjoy any of the other amenities (perhaps a watermelon martini).
