Best of the Maldives: Underwater Dry Treasure Hunt – OBLU Ailafushi / Lobigili

OBLU Ailafushi - underwater tresure hunt 1

The underwater, well, everything in the Maldives is so amazing that every visit should feature as much of it as possible. I love underwater facilities, but I especially like when the resorts expand their use to for other things so as many people can enjoy the underwater experience as possible. OBLU Ailafushi and OBLU Lobigili are using their underwater restaurants as a marine classroom. And part of their coral-life curriculum is a fun treasure hunt for different species of marine life. And the activity is not just for guests, but the properties also invite local Maldivian school children over to enjoy and benefit from this unique classroom experience.

  • The Educational Marine Tour sensitises school children between the ages of 5 to 12 years about marine life. They identify fish and corals, connecting with the country’s fragile ecosystem. This initiative attempts to educate future generations who may decide to have a career in hospitality. Every month the resort will invite students from different schools in Malé for the program.”

Two of my favourite things to enjoy in the Maldives – underwater and treasure hunts!

OBLU Ailafushi - underwater treasure hunt 2

Best of the Maldives: Guitar Lessons – Cora Cora

 

If you want to make your own song or if the music of the ocean breeze in the palm trees and the gentle rhythm of seawater lapping the linen white sand inspires your compositional creativity, Cora Cora offers guitar lessons for their guests by resident Mani. In fact, even their staff have taken part including Sam featured here in this sample duet of some cord progressions.

 

Best of the Maldives: Bird Island – Patina

Patina - bird island

Birds are the most prominent above-water creatures in the Maldives and Patina has segregated its own over-water sanctuary for these feathered friends. A review from Luxury Traveler describes:

  • Not exactly a facility but an interesting place to visit nonetheless. Bird Island it is the only part of the entire Fari Islands development that was originally above water and isn’t made from dredged sand. As the name implies, Bird Island is still used as a breeding ground by local birds and is a great place to come and observe them (whilst carefully maintaining your distance).”

   

Best of the Maldives: Yoga Pavilion – Soneva Jani

Soneva Jani - yoga pavillion

Soneva Jani doesn’t do anything by halves and that includes its spa yoga pavilion which is not only the highest in the Maldives, but also the largest we have seen. You can escape from the escape perched high above resort life below while still immersed in the beauty of paradise surrounding you with a 360 degree panoramic view.

Soneva Jani - yoga pavillion 2

Best of the Maldives: Spa Spine Specialist – Ritz-Carlton Maldives

Ritz-Carlton Maldives - spa spine specialist

A strong spine is literally the backbone of healthy living. My interest is in sport and I am always struck by how (literally) central the importance of posture was for so many activities. I heard our ballroom dance teacher giving me the exact same tips about “shoulders down and back, pelvis forward, back straight”, that I gave my rowing students. Of course, back pain seems to be the most common affliction of aging which again all boils down to the spine. Ritz Carlton Maldives hosted Lorelei “Yoyi” Bulan who is a spine health expert during our stay. She walked me through a number of demonstrations and exercises (see videos) to gently activate, limber and strengthen my spine. Relieving stress discomfort at the literal “core”.

Best of the Maldives: Wellness Concierge – Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi

Waldorf Ithaafushi - spa concierge

When we first started coming to the Maldives in the 1990s, most resorts didn’t have spas. A few 5-star properties we stay at had a therapist on staff who could do a treatment by appointment often in some jury-rigged, tucked away part of the island. But now, spas are don’t just offer relaxing massages, but rather an array of treatments as extensive as a typical breakfast buffet. And to help navigate this bewildering set of options at Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi is the Maldives first “wellness concierge”:

  • “Aqua Wellness Centre, featuring a brand-new Hydrotherapy Pool, Maldives first-ever wellness concierge as well as unique spa treatments, all surrounded by a lush botanical garden facing the Indian Ocean. The brand new 7,735 square-foot elaborate Aqua Wellness Centre features a custom-built Hydrotherapy Pool, ice fountain, steam room and sauna. Set atop the crystal Maldivian waters, the 2,906 square-foot outdoor pool is designed in zones, where each station of the pool targets a different part of the body. The zones – which include jet bath, air jets, shower jets, and massage lounger.”

Best of the Maldives: Villa Panorama – Ritz-Carlton Maldives

Ritz-Carlton Maldives - panorama lagoon

The main event in the Maldives is the ocean view. Bering such a tiny plot of sand in the middle of the vast ocean (or if you are underwater!), the aquatic vistas surround our and consume you. Whenever I am in an area of outstanding natural beauty, I always am bemused by buildings with small windows. Why don’t they make as expansive a window as possible to enjoy such a distinctive sight? One resort that has gotten this right to the extreme, pretty much bringing the entire outdoors right into the bedroom, is Ritz Carlton Maldives. Absolutely the biggest villa “window” on the water that we have seen in the Maldives.

Ritz-Carlton Maldives - room panorama ocean

Best of the Maldives: Arrival Jetty Glass Floor – OZEN Maadhoo

OZEN MAadhoo - arrival jetty glass floor

Maldives is defined by its intimacy with the water, and resorts have become renowned for underwater and overwater facilities to put guest as close as possible to this main event. The glass floor has become one of the iconic elements to extend this aquatic vista even further. OZEN Maadhoo starts every visitor off with this perspective featuring a prominent one right on their arrival jetty. One of the first things you do when you arrive in the Maldives (even after two decades, I can attest) is to look down to see the myriad sea life frolicking below as you walk along the arrival jetty, but at Maadhoo this thrilling sight started as soon as we had our welcome drink in hand.