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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Best of the Maldives: Cultural Group – Centara Ras Fushi

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Centara Ras Fushi - Giraavaru woman

On Centara Ras Fushi’s island of Giraavaru, the local traditions date back to before the arrivals of the Maldivians themselves. Unlike nearly all resort islands which are developed from uninhabited islands, Ras Fushi’s island had been inhabited for centuries (in general, the bigger islands have more space and resources for habitation, while the smaller dots of land are more attractive to the isolation and tropical isle fantasy seeking tourists). Its ancient inhabitants, the Giraavaru people, maintained a distinct dialect and traditions (see table at bottom).

Their name may have presaged a challenge that all the Maldive islands would one day face with rising sea levels…

“Giraavaru island was much bigger, housing magnificent buildings and temples in those days, as the surrounding lagoon still testifies. Changing weather patterns gradually eroded the bulk of the island, which was once the capital of a proud and civilized people…Giraa means ‘eroding’ in the Maldivian language. It was thought that the island was called ‘Giraavaru’ because it was gradually being eroded away into the sea. It is quite possible that the name proceeded the word. Indeed the word ‘giraa’ may have been coined as a result of the natural calamity that was claiming an important island.”

In the end, it was not the erosion by the sea but by civilization that led to Giraavaru’s end as a distinct entity. Their proximity to the metropolis of Male meant that the population emigrated leaving only a small number of families to few to sustain the island.

Centara Ras Fushi has published an overview of their history here.

Giraavaru

Maldives

Settlement

Original settlers of Maldives

Came later in 11th century

Divorce

Forbidden

Liberally permitted under Islam

Hair

Tied in a bun on left-side

Ties in a bun on right side

Jewellery

Worn

Not worn

Government

Headed by women

Headed by men

Language

Same addressing to all

Different addressing to superiors
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Best of the Maldives: Staff Boduberu – JA Manafaru

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JA Manafaru - staff bodu beru

For some down island funk, JA Manafaru staff will inspire you with their home-grown boduberu. Most boduberu troupes are professional groups that tour various resorts. But Manafaru’s drummers are all staff at the resort. They perform weekly for the guests as well as enter a number of festivals and competitions. Seeing familiar faces (folks you have interacted with around the resort) performing lent a more intimate and welcome feel to the whole evening and seemed to be more effective in getting guests up and participating.

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Best of the Maldives Online: Multilingual Vlog – Viki Maldives

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Vik Voynikova portrait

One of the digital darlings that I have discovered in my “lifestyle blogger” research is Vik Maldives (nee Viki Voynikova). Her videos had a very personal touch and straddled the local Maldivian life as well as some fine coverage of several resorts. I was also intrigued by her multilingual offering in both Russian and Spanish. We got in touch and she agree to this Maldives Complete exclusive interview…

  • What brought you to the Maldives?
  • I had been traveling around Sri Lanka when one friend suggested to visit the Maldives in March 2013. And after just a few days I got absolutely lost with this country. I came back here several times until I settled myself in the Maldives finally
  • What is your day job?
  • My everyday work involves checking emails, answer numerous questions about Maldives from other travelers , touch up some photos, update all the social media, edit my new video for Youtube and go for a walk with my camera to get some new shots. Also meet new tourists in the guest house where I work, give information about the island all the activities available here. I am often asked to help translate since some tourists don’t speak any English.
  • What prompted you to start the vlog series?
  • I’ve been traveling for quite a long time around South-East Asia and shooting video diaries only for myself and friends. But when I started to live with my Maldivian friends’ family, I realized that if I show this side of the Maldives and daily life of Maldivian family , traditions and of course my adventures in the Maldives , it might be well received by a wide spectrum of viewers. Indeed, many people are waiting impatiently for my new episodes. And sometimes they even bring me some presents when they visit the Maldives.
  • How many resorts have you been to?
  • I’ve visited 13 resorts
  • Are you going to go any vlogs in English?
  • Probably yes. Right now I am working on my development of the Russian and Spanish Youtube channels and Instagram.
  • You speak Russian, Spanish, English…any other languages?
  • Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish , Catalan, English (and learning Dhivehi – Maldivian language)
  • What’s your favourite reef you have snorkeled?
  • My favorite reef is Dharavandhoo reef and the ones close to it.

You can catch Vik’s distinctively local look at Maldives life (including resorts) at…Vik can be

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