Best of the Maldives: Horse Facilities – Siyam World

Siyam - horse fam 3

Romantic pictures of Siyam World’s white horses ambling on the equally brilliant white sands of the resort beaches have filled social media. But equally impressive is the operation behind the scenes that cares for these horses with a service and comfort rivalling the resort guests themselves.

For starters, each of the 11 horses (including 3 ponies) has its own personal caretaker. I toured their farm which included state of the art sables as well as an extensive set of paddocks and exercise areas. Kanbula, who Lori had the pleasure to ride, had a baby herself a few weeks ago who was being trained in one. The horse farm has its own veterinary clinic with its own dedicated veterinarian, Dr. Nora.

The horses are a mix of Arabian and Indian (working horses) bloodlines so they are well suited to heat of the tropics. This breed is used to competing in 20-60km races across the desert. The horses have access to the paddock early in the morning and later in the day when it is cooler as well.

The horse riding is not a touristy gimmick, but rather a true passion project of the owner. The state of the art facility is typical of many such features in the Maldives where the owner has shared their enthusiasm not just for this amazing destination, but for particular interests they have and which gives the property a touch of the distinction and personality.

Siyam World - horse facilities 2

Siyam World - horse facilities 1

Siyam - horse farm 2

Siyam World - horse facility

Best of the Maldives: (Latest) Longest Pool – Sun Siyam Olhuveli

Olhuveli - longest pool 4

Pools are one of the top features of a tropical resort. The very roots of the Maldives Complete website was me researching which Maldives resorts had pools in the 1990s. Back then, I had to go through countless paper brochures and catalogues from travel agents and collate the information into a spreadsheet (which formed the foundation to what become the resort database). Yes, I know the Maldives is surrounded by water in very swimmable lagoons. But we found that our kids could only take so much seawater before salt, salt and coral shards started to aggravate them. While we started every day of our holiday there with a morning snorkel, we also tended to hang out at the pool all afternoon so the youngsters could continue their aquatic cavorting while Lori and I rested on the loungers.

Sun Siyam Oluveli has eclipsed the previously title holder of “Longest Pool in the Maldives” by 10 metres with its 210m behemoth. Provide not just a pool, but a pool adventure. It is 1 metre deep except at either end there are segregated sections for small children that are just 0.45 metres.

One of my favourite parts of this feature is its proximity to the entry level duplex rooms, Beach Pavillions. Usually, having a pool right outside your door is a luxury feature for the high-end villas, but this the closest-to-villa economy villa pools in the Maldives. And a big one at that…

Olhuveli - longest pool 3

Olhuveli - longest pool 1

Best of the Maldives: International Personal Chef – Soneva Secret

Soneva Secret - personal chef

Soneva Secret is Soneva’s completely private island which not only provides its own personal chef for your party, but actually offers 14 (!):

  • “Guests can expect bespoke menus courtesy of their own private chef (there are 14—one for each villa).. We have 14 Chefs de Partie assigned to each of the 14 villas. They each are of a different nationality and come from a different type of cuisine. We will swap the Chefs de Cuisine to offer our guests variety. This level of personalization and destination dining is unique.”

Like having 14 different restaurants on your own islands.

Best of the Maldives: Pull Down Hanging Rack – Oaga

Oaga - pull down hanging rack

One of your questions in our “Interview Game” is “If you could take anything that you saw on the trip home (any size – a piece of art, a device, etc) for no cost, what would it be?” On our Oaga visit it was definitely this pull down hanging rack (that we used multiple times for our wet sim suite). In fact, just today we were Googling these racks as we plan for our utility toom renovation.

Best of the Maldives: Barn Doors – Oaga

Oaga - barn doors

Another piece of Oaga aesthetic woodwork is something we would love to take home are their bathroom barn doors. In fact, one of the questions in “The Interview Game” is “If you could take anything that you saw on the trip home (any size – a piece of art, a device, etc) for no cost, what would it be?” We couldn’t get Oaga’s into our baggage, but we will be integrating these style doors into our bathroom renovation.

Best of the Maldives: Wooden Amenities – Oaga

Oaga - wooden amenities

The move away from environmentally unfriendly plastics to more natural materials isn’t just good sustainability, but it is also great aesthetics. I love things made out of wood. Every year, I gave my godson a Christmas gift that was always wood. Oaga is giving away completely wooden sets of toiletry amenities for its guests which are as kind on the eye as they are on the environment.

Best of the Maldives: Bowling – Kandima

Kandima - bowling

With all of the sunshine and sea in the Maldives sometimes you want an escape from the heat and salt. All resorts have some typical board games and maybe a makeshift movie screen in an air conditioned indoor area. The kids club have plenty of activities but for kids only. But for some active, family fun Kandima has introduced its very own bowling alley:

  • “Have a blast at our two full-sized bowling lanes, perfect for everyone. Come and strike those pins down with modern equipment and scoring system.”

Best of the Maldives: Isolation – Soneva Secret

Soneva Secret - isolation

One of the many charms of the Maldives destination is the Crusoe sense of isolation and distant separation from the increasingly hustle-bustle of daily modern life. My one phrase to describe the aesthetic of the Maldives is “that iconic cartoon of a plot of sand with a palm tree on it”. Soneva’s latest property, Soneva Secret, takes that concept to its own extreme situated in it own mini single-island atoll.

  • There is no other resort in the Maldives where, as far as the eye can see, there is no other development and just nature

Get away from it all…including the rest of the Maldives.

Best of the Maldives: Dinner Theatre – Oaga

Oaga - dinner theatre

Delicacies, entertainment, culture…all the evening possibilities on a resort rolled into a single event. Dinner theatre is a great way to spice up your meal and to enjoy some theatrics in a most leisurely manner. Oaga premiered its first dinner theatre spectacle telling the story of star-crossed lovers Dhon Hiyala and Alifulhu’ (Oaga likes the romantic genre – Best of the Maldives: Pool Channel – Oaga – Maldives Complete Blog)

  • · “Oaga Art Resort has premiered a one-of-a-kind dining experience for Valentine’s Day at their luxury resort in the Maldives. In partnership with their own theatre team at Samaasaa the specialty restaurant, they introduced a five-course dinner by the beach paired with a live performance of the Maldivian tale of two star crossed lovers ‘Dhon Hiyala and Alifulhu’, creating an unforgettable evening for the audience. The theatrical dining experience is a first of its kind in the Maldives, providing guests with a unique and immersive experience that combines exceptional cuisine with a captivating live performance. Oaga Art Resort’s talented chefs, headed by Chef Zuhair, have created a five-course menu that features fresh and seasonal ingredients sourced locally.”