How Much is a Pool in the Maldives?

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Maldives pool

One of the very first motivations to start Maldives Complete was to get a comprehensive list of resorts with pools (which our kids loved to frolic in). Now the pervasive 5-star luxury properties nearly all have pools with every room. But, they come at a price. That is, a price uplift versus equivalent rooms without the pools. Similar to my previous, “How Much Does a Sunset Cost?”, I thought I would tap into Maldives Complete’s database of over 1200 room categories to analyse this pool premium.

I compared all room types where the resort had definitively matching room descriptors of a room type with and without a pool (eg. “Beach Villa” and “Beach Villa with Pool”):

Disclaimer: Not all pools the same. Also, a number of “with Pool” room categories have larger room footprints so the room type is really more than just an added pool, but rather the pool is the signature addition that also signifies and includes other enhancements.

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Once a Journalist

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Togo journalist

  • “Once a priest, always a priest; once a mason, always a mason; but once a journalist, always and forever a journalist.” – Rudyard Kipling

Journalism Day today which reminded me of the earliest roots to Maldives Complete…my lifelong avocation in journalistic writing. I embarked on a life of “journalism” in elementary school penning a weekly newsletter for the youth programme at church called “Juice Man”. I then started and edited my high school’s first page in the local paper (the “Ramblin’ Clam” in the Ipswich Chronicle). My first “professional” journalism gig was as an overseas correspondent focusing on travel writing about the West African country of Togo. The Maldives Complete’s interactive database stems from my similarly long technology, but the now 2400+ article blog stems from this life of reporting intriguing stories about intriguing places.

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Best of the Maldives: Largest Floating Solar Array – Taj Exotica

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Taj Exotica - solar array

The best places in the world for solar are power are those with (a) lots of sunshine, and (b) significant expanses of space to collect those sun rays. While the “Sunny Side of Life” has plenty of the former, this island archipelago has notoriously little of the latter. On land that is. But Taj Exotica has taken advantage of the destination’s largest resource – the ocean – in order to reduce carbon footprint to help save that self-same ocean.

  • “The SolarSea system, coupled with a battery storage solution, allows the resort to run entirely on renewable energy during daylight hours. This eco-friendly approach translates to a reduction of approximately 475,000 liters of diesel consumption annually, along with a decrease of 1,200 tons in carbon footprint.”
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Best of the Maldives: Water Villa Solar Panels – SO Maldives Patina / Ritz Maldives

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SO Maldives - solar water villa panels

The Maldives has long been pioneering sustainability with ambitious use of solar power, and now SO Maldives, The Patine and Ritz Carlton Maldives (thanks Paola) have set a new high water mark over the water installing solar panels on the roofs of every single one of their water villas. Top move.

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Best of the Maldives: Recycled Construction – Soneva Jani

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Soneva Jani - crab shack 2

Many resorts recycle the small consumables like bottles and packaging, but Soneva Jani has recycled so much of its construction materials that it was able to make an entire restaurant out of them. In fact, the construction design of the “Crab Shack” was also inspired by the story of a local fisherman:

  • “For years, the fisherman collection small pieces of driftwood and any other gifts the sea would bring him. Friends who saw his enthusiasm started to collect useful items for him, from wherever they could find them. A discard chair, mismatches plates and cutlery, pieces of driftwood…He didn’t mind that every chair in his restaurant would be different, he actually liked the thrown-together feel of it all.”

Soneva Jani - crab shack 3

Soneva Jani - crab shack

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Best of the Maldives: Waste Heat Recycling – Six Senses Laamu / Kuramathi

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Kuramathi - waste heat recovery

Most of resorts recycle our paper, plastic and metal. Some go further to recycle more esoteric items like construction materials and coconut husks. But Six Senses Laamu and Kuramathi have introduced a recycling not a material, but energy. They have installed waste heat recycling technology:

  • “The Kuramathi team initiated a plan to connect large part of the Island to a cutting-edge hot water supply system. What sets this project apart is our innovative approach to using waste heat generated by powerhouse generators. We have harnessed this heat to produce hot water, eliminating the need for traditional electric boilers. This saves not only time but also conserves both water and electricity. As of now, one-third of the Island including 160 villas is connected to the system, with a goal to have the entire Island linked in the future.”
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Best of the Maldives: Smallest Atoll – Soneva Secret

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Soneva Secret - atoll

Having visited 17 of Maldives atolls, there aren’t many left we haven’t been to, but Soneva Secret recently launched in an atoll – Mkaundhoo – that we have not only never been to, but I hadn’t even heard of! One of the distinctive experiences of the Maldives is the dramatic sense of being away from it all in the middle of the ocean. Soneva has taken that dimension to the next level with their “Secret” refuge.

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Best of the Maldives: Disabled Diving – Amilla Maldives

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Amilla - accessible diving

One of my other websites provides information on the sport of rowing for people with disabilities, so it is a delight to see Amilla Maldives offering our favourite Maldives “sport” of diving to disabled guests (something I first proposed in my 2017 “Haven’t Seen Yet” post):

  • “Dive Butler International has experience teaching wheelchair users how to dive. The dive centre itself is accessible, and a chat with our instructors can be arranged even before arrival.”

A great activity especially for the mobility impaired as underwater you don’t need your legs (as Ariel has sung about).

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Best of the Maldives: Snorkel Spotting – Gili Lankanfushi / Baros

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Snorkel Spotter - Gili Lankanfushi

Snorkel Spotter turned 12 years old this week! It’s been a great resource for us to capture and share our extensive house reef explorations (over 100 different house reefs). And various resorts and guests have embraced it as well to do the same, but none more than Gili Lankanfushi and Baros with 22 spottings logged each.

Here is the top ten table:

Gili Lankanfushi

22

Baros Maldives

22

Gangehi

21

Kurumba

15

Dusit Thani

13

Thudu Fushi

12

Veligandu

12

Biyadhoo

12

Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu

12

Fihalhohi

11
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QI: Smile!

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Shark teeth

In honour of Oral Hygiene Day today…

Q: Who has the most teeth – an armadillo a garden snail, a horse, or a tiger shark
A: Shark?
Q: <buzzzz!> Actually a garden snail.  Specifically, their 14,000 teeth (!) are more than 300 times more than a tiger shark (43). In fact, horses (44) and armadillos (74) have more teeth than a tiger shark.

While it varies by species, many sharks average around do average 30,000 teeth throughout their lifespan (as they discard them like toddlers throughout their lives)! That’s one approach to dental care.

 

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