Best of the Maldives: Sand Bikes – JA Manafaru

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JA Manafaru - sand bike

The busiest travel day of the year today. At least in the USA. The day before Thanksgiving and EVERYONE is trying to get home. While Christmas might be a bigger season and holiday, more people go home for Thanksgiving than they do for Christmas. Hence the term “Homecoming”. As in “Homecoming Queen” and “King” who are part of the festivities for the typically biggest high school (American) football game of the year which is played on Turkey Day. While Mom is preparing the feast, everyone in town heads down to the game assured that every one in town, including their friends who have moved away, will be there.

As you can imagine, getting half of a America back its home base in one 24-hour burst results in a bity of transportation mayhem. Immortalised in the classic comedy film “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”.

None of that stress in the Maldives even on whatever their biggest travel day of the year is. Few planes (limited to Male and a few scattered islands), absolutely no trains, and even fewer islands with automobiles. For the biggest resort islands, the transportation of choice is buggies and bikes.

We’ve been on a number of bikes (Reethi Rah, Soneva Fushi, Gili Lankfushi) and the biggest challenge is riding them in the softer sand (though for these islands most of the pathways are quite firm). Not an issue for JA Manafaru who has the specialty “Fat Man” models with extra wide tyres for both a softer ride and more ease going through softer terrain. They sort of have a vintage roadster vibe.

Coco Bodu Hithi also has them, but Manafaru had kid versions (see below).

JA Manafaru - sand bikes kids

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Best of the Maldives: Children Surfing– Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

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Four Seasons Kuda Huraa - kids surfing

Probably the two most unsung appeals to the Maldives – children and surfing.

A number of the items from my last recent “Haven’t Seen” came from a Sunday Times Travel feature “Tantrums and tasting menus: meet the minigarchs” (eg. swim with a mermaid, 8-course child’s tasting menu). Before I even had a chance to include “surfing for kids” in the latest list, Four Seasons Kuda Huraa announces its own mini-Malibu offering…

“The Maldives has a reputation for mirror-calm waters, but is also home to some thrilling surf. Little Keanus can sign up for lessons at the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, where even if they prove rubbish at it, they won’t miss out on the ride. Instructors will paddle out with the child on the front of their board and, as a big one breaks, pick them up and hold them in surfing stance so they can ride the wave back to shore.”

Going off for gidgets and dude-inos.

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Best of the Maldives: Kids Wellness – Six Senses Laamu

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Six Senses Laamu - child wellness 1

Universal Children’s Day today. Dedicated to “welfare of the children of the world”. And Six Senses Laamu offers a program to enhance their welfare every day they stay there. A special programme of wee-one wellness includes…

  • Aesthetics – eg. music class with singing bowls
  • Activity – eg. specially adapted yoga, basic tai chi movements
  • Nutrition – eg. interactive games to teach better foods to eat
  • Treatments – eg. specialized massages, mini-manicures, hair braiding

The resort describes…

“A different wellness activity will be available daily in the Den, the children’s club. These include an introduction to meditation during a music class, how to create sounds with singing bowls, basic tai chi movements and many more. A yoga instructor will offer specially-designed yoga classes for children, during which youngsters will be taught some basic yoga poses.…Nutrition experts have created interactive games that will teach children which dishes are better for them, why they are better and where ingredients come from. The children will also have the chance to make their own healthy juice by visiting the organic garden. Here, they will hand pick their favorite ingredients and add them to their own juice or smoothie…Six Senses Spa Laamu offers children’s treatments including head, foot, hand and shoulder massages just for kids plus children’s facials, mini manicures, pedicures and hair braiding. Young guests from 9 to 16 years of age are always welcome at Six Senses Spas when accompanied by an adult.”

Six Senses Laamu - child wellness 2

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Best of the Maldives: Theme Menus – Dusit Thani

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Dusit Thani - specialty menus

Any writer appreciates a good theme.  And I’ve been a bit more focused on “themes” recently with the new WordPress blog platform (both for Maldives Complete and one of my other blogs, “Dynamic Work”). The “themes” specify the look and feel of the layout with a dazzling array of choices from technical experts who concoct an expansive buffet to pick from.

Dusit Thani has also assembled a collection of dinners with some of the most luxuriously delectable “themes” – Asparagas, Foie Gras, Lobster, Truffle. One of Lori’s and my most memorable meals was a lobster themed menu at The House of Elliot in Ghent, Belgium. It’s a great way to combine variety with consistency. I have to say that I would have been even more delighted to see “Lobster Ice Cream” as Dusit’s lobster dessert instead though.

The menus also have the option for specifically suggested wines to accompany each which is a typical option for menus degustations. But the twist I love by Dusit turns the “accompaniment” notion on its head. They have a “Champagne” menu where you have a different champagne with each course and the dish is specially selected to go with the champagne! That’s getting priorities right.

Asparagus

  • Asparagus, courgette and tarragon terrine with seared scallop
  • Poached asparagus and slow cooked egg with bernaise sauce
  • Slow roasted beef eye fillet with a warm salad of asparagus, celeriac and parsnip
  • Toasted Brioche with aged goats cheese and asparagus espooma
  • White asparagus and raspberry, rhubarb with chocolate soil

Foie Gras

  • Foie gras with sauterne jelly and sour dough
  • Game and foie gras terrine with pickled vegetables
  • Tartlet of seared foie gras and chocolate soil with truffle vinaigrette
  • Slow cooked fillet of beef with foie gras
  • Foie gras ice cream with poached prunes and short bread crumbs

Lobster

  • Lobster bisque flavoured with cognac and truffle cream
  • Cold lobster jelly with lobster and citrus salad beer tuile
  • Warm lobster tart with creamed leeks and fennel and dill salad
  • Lobster parfait with poached lobster tail with baby carrots braised fennel

Truffle

  • White bean and truffle cappuccino
  • Ballotine of quail stuffed with truffle mousse with salsify and truffle dressing
  • Spaghetti linguine tossed with fresh truffle, parmesan and olive oil
  • Slow cooked fillet of beef with foie gras pithivier jus borderlaise
  • Truffle cream brulee with raspberry sorbet
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Best of the Maldives: Lobster Burger – Taj Exotica

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Taj Exotica - Shilpa Shetty lobster burger

Something that you won’t find on any all-inclusive package, in fact you won’t find hardly any where else that I know of in the Maldives, is a Lobster Burger.

How my New England raised palette loves a good lobster culinary concoction. Apparently so does global celebrity Shilpa Shetty. Who engaged in a bit of lifestyle food blogging of her own during her visit to Taj Exotica…

“We tried the biggest lobster burger available in Maldives and licked it clean,”

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Best of the Maldives: People’s Choice All-Inclusive – Kurumba

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Kurumba - TA Best All-Inclusive

I told you so. 3 years ago, I awarded Kurumba the “Best of the Maldives for 5 Star Value”. This week, the rest of the world agrees awarding the resort the Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice Award for Best All-Inclusive. Not just in the Maldives. IN THE WORLD.

The “All-Inclusive” category is all about value-conscious travelling. Many travellers push their budget to the absolute limit in order to afford a bucket-list trip-of-a-lifetime to the Maldives. They don’t want to check-out and get hit with a bunch of unanticipated extra-charges. They want to relax and relaxation means peace of mind that they can do whatever the heck they want and not worry about it.

With the rise of the Maldives’ worldwide profile in recent years, room rates have gone up and up. Many people are opting for a few of the budget options that are out there that still provide the enchanting Maldives experience, but do offer quite simple accommodation, food, décor and amenities. The charm of Kurumba is that it maintains true 5-star exquisite luxury standards in all parts of its operation…and still remains reasonably priced. No wonder so many people have returned from their stays there and raved out it in their TripAdvisor reviews.
  

Kurumba - Trip Advisor lagoon
[Kurumba staff celebrating their recognition]

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Best of the Maldives: Ping Pong Protection – Zitalhi Kudafunafaru

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Zitahli Kudafunafaru - ping pong

A more practical consideration to table tennis pavilions is chasing the darn ball. Especially in the hard surface areas where it’s extra bounciness means it just keeps bouncing and bouncing as you go chasing it. When we set up a ping-pong table in our garage we rigged up and bunch of flat boxes to provide a back-stop to either side of the table to reduce such frenetic chases (and occasional lost balls). Zitahli Kudafunafaru has provided a more sophisticated solutions with netting on either side of its top quality table. It let’s the light and air through, but keeps ping-pong balls under control.

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Best of the Maldives: Table Tennis Pavilion – Soneva Fushi

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Soneva Fushi table tennis pavillion

The smaller “table” version of tennis is almost always set in covered areas and pavilions at the Maldives resorts. Usually in entertainment buildings. But Soneva Fushi has given the full first class treatment to its “ping pong” pavilion – natural construction, thatches roof, Maldivian-style lounger chairs for spectators. All set on natural soft sand which might slow your panther-like reactions, but keep the game more comfortable and more “outdoors” as you toes sink into the warm sand.

 

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Best of the Maldives: Covered Tennis Court – Velaa

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Velaa - covered tennis court

I’m always a bit surprised at how popular the sport of tennis is in the Maldives. Some visitors struggle to conceive of any pulse-elevating activity in this languorous paradise. The water sports and pool games I can understand since the water cools you off and they don’t take that much exertion.

One answer to the tropical heat is to move the activity into an air conditioned buildings like most of the fitness centres. But then you are sort of segregated from the natural fresh air and environs you came to immerse yourself in. Plus, a full sized indoor tennis court would be a lot of AC.

It’s an issue for people like my father who as it happens turn 80 years old today. And he is still playing competitive tennis. Still dissecting his swing for that serving perfection. For him, the brilliant sun is more than just energy sapping and dehydrating, but it is also a medical concern as he has had a few skin cancers removed so he needs to watch his exposure to the sun.

Velaa resort has the perfect solution. Their full sized covered court provides the best of both worlds inside and out. The roof shields from the sun (and the occasional rain) while the open sides maintain an outside feel. They have also installed patented “Big Ass Fans”, gigantic ceiling fans which gently move the air around the help keep it fresh. Finally, they have set up a training wall for those who just want to practice some hitting on their own.

With all this tennis enthusiasm and innovations, I’ve added a new new “Tennis” tag to the blog.

Happy 80th Birthday Dad.

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Best of the Maldives: Welcome Wreath – Jumeirah Vittaveli / Dhevanafushi

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Jumeirah Vittaveli palm leaf pendant

Origami Day today. If you are impressed with what the Japanese can do by folding paper, then you should see what the Maldivians do folding palm leaves.

One of the iconic welcome gifts in the travel world is the Hawaiian aloha lei. More than just a greeting, it is an immediate generous gift of hospitality. In keeping with its ‘everything Maldivian’, guests arriving at Jumeriah – both its Vittaveli and Dhevanafushi properties are greeted with an artistic folded palm leaf pendant (hung on a palm leaf chord).

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