Best of the Maldives: VR Scuba Dive – Six Senses Laamu

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Since it will be a while before most of us can go explore the Maldivian reefs, Six Senses Laamu is bringing their reef to us with a virtual reality 360 degree view of one of the local manta ray cleaning stations:

  • · “We’re in Week 5 of our online Junior Marine Biology program with amazing work sent in to us from kids all over the world…Or that manta rays “dance” because … well tune in to find out! Particularly special is the recent remote underwater video footage captured in the waters around Laamu as well as the chance to meet a manta ray in virtual reality. The video works on your computer, tablet or smartphone, but we recommend a tablet or smartphone for the most immersive experience.”

Back at the resort, they also have a set of VR glasses to bring the experience to guests with even more realism (see below).

Underwater immersion without being immersed in water!

Six Sense Laamu - VR

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Best of the Maldives: Diving Sculpture Feature – Joali

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Misha Kahn Underwater Coral Sculpture Garden from No LaB on Vimeo.

Joali not only features art immersion at its museum quality property, but it also features immersion art. Creative commissions are found not only in every nook and cranny of the island, but also deep under the water of the resort house reef. A number of resorts have installed underwater sculptures and other items of visual interest in the lagoon for snorkeling exploration, Joali is the first diver-oriented installation. Visitors can descend 12 metres to enjoy Misha Kahn’s subaquatic art:

  • Misha Kahn couldn’t hold himself back to create his biggest scale work for Joali Maldives. He has worked in the island with his team and the locals to create the under the water coral sculpture garden using mosaic combinations of vibrant and pale colored tiles in order to reflect the coral bleaching occurring in the oceans.

Joali - underwater sculpture

Joali - underwater sculpture 2

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Best of the Maldives: Staff Quarters – LUX North Male Atoll

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LUX North Male Atoll - staff quarters

International Workers Day today. Lately, we’ve been celebrating a lot of unsung front line and key workers keeping the cogs of society going during these difficult times. As it happens, many resorts still have guests stranded at their properties which means that the workers have to keep going despite limitations on their travel, supplies and other essentials to a smooth operation (LUX North Male still has a number of guests from before the lockdown).

In the past, staff quarters were secondary considerations with typically steerage class standards. Often these quarters were tucked away hidden from the guests. All of the working environment of the resorts’ staff has steadily improved over the years, but I was particularly struck by the high standard of LUX North Male Atoll’s staff facilities.

First of all, they were quite out in the open. Not in the centre of the island hidden, but quite central to daily activity of the resort. And while segregated by some walls, the main entrance (see photo above) is quite open. As a result, you can see that the staff facility is a handsome, modern construction with the clean lines echoing the design aesthetic of the luxury accommodation just yards away.

Great to see quality of staff accommodation rising as the quality of the properties do in the Maldives.

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Best of the Maldives: Coconut Design Spa – Faarufushi

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Faarufushi - coconut design spa

Also nestled up in the trees is Faarufushi’s coconut-inspired treatment rooms:

  • While in the spa, the treatments rooms are giant coconuts; hard shell on the outside and soft white interiors on the inside, set within a coconuts grove…We wanted to evoke a sense of protection and well-being, simple natural luxury, for the Spa experience.  The treatment rooms are further rise off the ground at the level of the coconut trees, to further enforce the concept of treatment rooms as coconuts, while a wink to tree house, link to the fun and easiness of childhood.

  

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Best of the Maldives: Biggest Tree of Wishes – LUX North Male Atoll

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LUX North Male Atoll - wishing tree

A by LUX North Male Atoll double with another striking wooden feature but today apropos of Arbor Day celebrating all trees. I love these wish trees (Lori and I had one at our wedding). At LUX, your wish not only gets wafted into the ocean breezes of this tropical paradise, but also provides a donation to the local Thalescemia (low hemoglobin) charity.

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Best of the Maldives: Curvy Sink – LUX North Male Atoll

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LUX North Male Atoll - curvy sink

World Sculpture Day today. In the Maldives, one of the most common places for sculptural aesthetic are the luxurious bathrooms in the super premium properties. I’m a bit of a sink aficionado, so I was immediately enchanted by LUX North Male Atoll’s sink which combined a long, sinewy faucet over an elegantly carved wooden basin.

Slinky sink.

 

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Best of the Maldives: Pasta Sauce Station – Kudafushi

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Kudafushi - pasta station

All sorts of buffet “stations” provide a balance between variety of offering with the efficiency and convenience of a buffet. Egg stations are ubiquitous, but resorts have introduced all sorts of variations on the custom preparation theme. Pasta stations are quite popular, but we have never seen one quite as exquisite as Kudafushi’s. Most pasta stations have a tomato sauce and a crème sauce, but Kudafushi features 6 different varieties every evening each with quite a bit of flair.

My favourite was the Blue Cheese sauce, but a group of Italian guests were queuing for the pasta Pesto Siciliano with Cashews one of whom walked away muttering “buonissimo” (hard to get a better endorsement).

Kudafushi - pasta station 2

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Best of the Maldives: Eggs Variety – Joali

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Joali - eggs

Photo courtesy of Mosshops00

If you are hunting for a whole basket of breakfast egg options, the Joali offers more specialty egg dishes a la carte than any resort we have visited. Of course, the ubiquitous egg station at resorts offers a variety of custom preparations, but they tend to be basic frying and omelette options. Joali offers a range of eggs benedict as well as omelettes with some unique recipes and ingredients:

  • Chicken Benedict
  • Eggs Avacado
  • Benedict with Benefits
  • Russian Rhapsody
  • Smoked Salmon Benny
  • Mykonos Omelette
  • Veggie Omelette
  • Chef’s Omelette
  • Pan Fried Top Eggs

Eggs-ceptional!

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Best of the Maldives: Underwater Easter Egg Hunt – LUX* North Male Atoll

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LUX North Male Atoll - easter egg hunt 1

Happy Easter! The Easter bunny left me another “Finally Seen” item with LUX North Male Atoll’s underwater easter egg hunt (#2 of the 13th “Haven’t Seen” instalment). Of course, they weren’t able to reprise it this year with the property closed, but they shared these photos from last year’s event. It was part of a largest egg hunt with goodies sequestered around the island with one giant golden egg hidden in the lagoon for intrepid snorkeling egg hunters.

LUX North Male Atoll - easter egg hunt 2

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