Best of the Maldives: Heart Plaques – Anantara Veli

\ 1 Comment \ by

Anantara Veli - heart plaques

Instead of remembering the flowers there on your special, how about flowers to be a memento of your day. In sort sort of “Locks of Love” riff, Anantara Veli, provides commemorative plaques hung in their orchid nursey…

  • “Every Thursday evening on Veli there is a honeymooner’s cocktail party for Veli guests, at which they receive a heart engraved with their name and date of stay…or in some cases, ceremonial wedding date. This is then hung on the wall of the orchid garden. Most guests leave the hearts there, some guests take them away when they leave.”

At Veli, there is always flowers by your wedding date.

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Water Villa Wedding Pavilion – Gili Lankanfushi

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Gili Lankanfushi - lagoon wedding pavilio

Gili Lankanfushi’s wedding pavilion is its very own ‘best of the Maldives’ collection all rolled into one stunning Maldives medley – an over water traditionally styled villa with glass floors looking down to aquamarine lagoons to celebrate one’s nuptials in paradise.

Gili Lankanfushi - wedding pavillion

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , , , ,

Best of the Maldives: Most Bedrooms – Soneva Fushi

\ 1 Comment \ by

Soneva Fushi residences 2

Festival of Sleep is possibly the true and appropriate end of the holiday festivities. Established to “some shut-eye and relaxation after the holidays”, possibly the chronological and spiritual antithesis to “Black Friday” which kicks off the mayhem of the season.

The resort, in fact villa, that could open the door to its own sleep gala is Soneva Fushi’s Private Residence with 9 bedrooms (though one is described as staff quarters)…

  • “The residence is a two storey collection of villas with an expansive wraparound swimming pool spread over a large area with generous outdoor living space. The master bedroom boasts its own private swimming pool measuring 111.3 m2 and an outdoor bathroom but there are five additional guest bedrooms, a children’s bedroom, a smaller nanny’s bedroom and of course one for the Mr./Miss Friday butler.”

Rental prices will range from $11,300 – $30,000/night depending on the season.

Wishing everyone a restful recovery from the holiday season!

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: ,

Best of the Maldives: Door Closer – Soneva Fushi

\ 1 Comment \ by

Soneva Fushi door opener

You know what they say about adversity and opportunity – when one door closes, another one opens. And when this door at Soneva Fushi opens, it also closes on its own. With one of the most eco-friendly mechanisms ever devised straight from Gilligan’s Island – the coconut counterweight. No worries about closing the door behind you (that goes especially for you 2016!).

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged:

Best of the Maldives: Round Door – Noovilu Suites

\ 1 Comment \ by

Anantara Dhigu - New Year bed decorating

Happy New Year 2017!

Lots of fun traditions to celebrate this annual milestone – Hogmanay ‘First Footing’, fireworks and noisemakers (supposedly to scare away the devil), Southern cooking collard greens for wealth and black-eyed peas for fortune.

I don’t really cover guest houses, but I couldn’t resist Noovilu Suites’ portal which has one of the most all-aRound delightful ways to let out the old year (see photo above).

An number of resorts are also marking the occasion with special bed decorations like Anantara Dhigu’s (above) and Amari Havodda (below).

May your 2017 be prosperous to afford many visits to the Maldives (even if you do have to mind you budget in a guest house, at least you might find a door ….)

Noovilu Suites - round door

Amari Havodda - New Years bed decoration

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Couples Scrub – Ayada

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Ayada - couples scrub

After all that beach posing, every power couple will want to power wash in style before tonight’s big New Year’s Eve celebrations. Fortunately, Ayada offers a special couples scrub spa treatment. Couples massages are pretty commonplace, but a couples scrub I haven’t seen as elaborately done as at Ayada. Complete with Esta brand cleansers. 

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: ,

Best of the Maldives: Facebook Live – LUX South Ari Atoll

\ 1 Comment \ by

LUX South Ari Atoll - live event

If you want to get that much closer to “being there” in the Maldives with their holiday spectacles, then check out LUX South Ari Atoll’s Facebook Live events. This week they featured their fire show by Totem Entertainment as well as Santa’s arrival by seaplane.

Facebook Live is just the latest in LUX’s social media pioneering. Led by marketing manager Dolores Semeraro, LUX was one of the first resorts to embrace Twitter with active and creative uses (like her Twitter chats).

LUX south Ari Atoll - santa seaplane visit

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Pageant – Paradise Island

\ 1 Comment \ by

Paradise Island - pageant

The holidays are filled with treats and at Paradise Island this week one fashion feast is the annual holiday pageant where one lucky sun-kissed guest will be crowned “Miss Paradise”….

  • “’Miss Paradise’ is one of the evening events included in our Christmas and New Year program. The participants/pageants are from the in-house guests and panel of judges are also selected from the house. It is a short event conducted at the Main Bar floor with a small runway selecting and announcing the winners.”

Most Christmas pageants I’ve ever been to involve toddlers dressed up as shepherds and sheep falling over each other while they mumble out contrived verses.

Paradise Island - pageant 2

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Gourmet Shots – Huvafenfushi

\ 1 Comment \ by

Huvafenfushi - gourmet shots 1

Beer with curry, Tequilla with lime and salt, a ‘boilermaker’ of bourbon and beer, Jagerbombs, Oyster with sweet wasabi with Prosecco, Bel Star, Brut, DOC, Veneto, Italy NV chaser.

Classic shot combos that have inspired Huvafenfushi gastronomic line-up of degustation and decantation.

We adore the variety of a tasting menu, but usually aren’t hungry enough to make through such an extensive line up. Huva’s “tasting” menu is literally “a taste”.

“A taste of the gastro mixed with the mixology. Plated shots to include food and beverage paired together in small bites and shots. Please choose from the selection to mix and match your palate.”

When we visited, we did the following rounds of shots…

  • Oyster with sweet wasabi – Prosecco, Bel Star, Brut, DOC, Veneto, Italy NV
  • Roast shitake mushroom with truffle dressing – Proprieta Sperino Rosa Del Rosa, Rosé Italy NV
  • Camembert and onion jam – Parellada “Honeymoon” Pares Balta 2012
  • Roquefort with truffle honey – Petalo Moscato Spumante “Vino dell’Amore” NV
  • Fresh fig with pistachio – Fontana Fredda Asti Millesimato Dolce, Italy 2011
  • Baby prawns with cocktail sauce – Sauvignon, Sileni Cellar New Zealand 2013
  • Gorgonzola with olive bread – Pulenta Malbec, Chile 2009

 

Huvafenfushi - gourmet shots 2

Huvafenfushi - gourmet shots 3

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,