If you prefer to t-shirt to tee shots, then Club Med Kani offers a more artisanal option for your sartorial Santa needs.
Hats top to top blogger Miss Milani for this top tee tip.
Best of the Maldives: Pro Shop – Velaa
Black Friday – The biggest shopping day of the year in the USA (and probably the planet). Now is the time to start pulling out that Christmas shopping list and finding those elusive perfect presents. Fortunately, in our family, Lori and I have started playing more golf lately now that the kids have grown up. And there is no one easiser tro buy for than a golfer. There is no end to the gear and paraphernalia that a golfer can make use of. Not to mention all of the golf-themed day-to-day items like mugs, paperweights and statuettes.
By far the best golf shop (“Pro Shop” in the vernacular) in the Maldives is Velaa’s own at their Golf Academy. They carry Tilelist balls, FootJoy shirts and all manner of golf items. They also provide Addidas shoes, Callaway and Taylor Made clubs for complementary use by guests using the facility.
Lori and I had our biggest shopping spree of our nearly two decades visiting the Maldives as the Velaa Pro Shop. Here’s hoping your Black Friday is as successful and easy for you.
Best of the Maldives: Family Meals – Park Hyatt Hadahaa
Happy Thanksgiving!
The American Thanksgiving feast is, as I described yesterday, a feast for food, family and friends. Park Hyatt Hadahaa offers a Maldivian traditional dinner with much the same spirit. Its “Maldivian Family Feast” is presented by a Maldivian host.
It’s not a big buffet for the whole resort island, but rather an intimate gathering. Only 6 guests participate and it has more of a feel like being invited to a Maldivian’s home. A proper home cooked meal with a guided tour of the cuisine and the traditions to “find your way around the table”. What to do with the fish piece in the water and the sauces on offer. All presented at the convenience of your own villa
For the more seafood favouring guests, Hadahaa also offers “Fisherman Dining” ($250 pp) with Maldivian music and food set up also at your villa.
May your day be filled with many blessings and much gratitude.
Best of the Maldives: Sand Bikes – JA Manafaru
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).
Non-Dedicated Resort Islands
One of the aspects that distinguishes the Maldives as a destination (and often confuses new visitors not familiar with the lay of the land/sea) are the dedicated resorts islands. On almost all cases, a “resort” and an “island” are a 1:1 mapping. “Tourists Only” resort islands if you will. Most are so dedicated that they don’t really allow guests to come from other islands or visit from things like passing cruise ships.
This is not always the case, though. There are a number of hotels and possibly what one might to refer to as “Resorts” on islands that are not dedicated. One big implication for being on a “shared” island (ie. shared with local population) is that the resort will be unable to serve alcohol. With its Muslim culture, alcohol sale is only allowed on dedicated islands. Barefoot has found a way to accommodate its guests with a special “off shore” license for a boat bar that only its guest can access (in essence, a dedicated “island” of a floating craft).
A few new properties have emerged in “hotel” category on a “non-dedicated island” that seemed reasonable to add to the Maldives Complete database. They are big enough and high enough quality to offer a reasonable alternative to some of the resorts. I have spent time in many of them, visited a few more, and in general have a good appreciation of the considerations for a good hotel from my regular worldwide travel.
I am continuing with my decision to not cover guest houses. There are so many of them, there is little information on the Internet about them (which I depend on for research), and I personally have never stayed in one so I don’t feel I can offer editorial insights about the experience or what to look for.
Best Resorts for Adults
Not “Adult” resorts as in “adult entertainment” (a la Jamaica’s Sandals), but more as in “grown up”.
While my vision of “Maldives for Families” (not just for honeymooners and divers) is becoming more and more the standard every day, some people prefer a tropical tranquillity not only removed from the hustle-bustle of every day life, but also segregated from the rambunctious energy and squeals of excitement that come from the younger set. With all of the resorts in the Maldives, there’s something for everyone. And there are resorts catering to a more mature vibe. Specifically, my “adult resort” list includes…
- Komandoo – No under 18s
- Veligandu– No under 18s (until May 2018)
- Finolhu Villas – No under 18s
- Anantara Dhigu – No under 18s (though under 18s from Naladhu and Veli welcome at times)
- Robinson Club – No under 16 (from November 2017)
- Hurawalhi– No under 15s
- Centara Ras Fushi – no under 12s
- Milaidhoo – No under 9s
- Baros – No under 8s
- Drift Thelu Veliga – No 3-10s
Some resorts also have opted for a hybrid solution making certain parts of the property limited to adults…
- Vilamendhoo – Part of the island reserved for adults and another part that caters to children. Each has their own pool so that you can choose between splashing frolics or romantic pina colada sipping,
- LUX South Ari Atoll – ‘Adult Sanctuary’ section of water villas.
- Sun Siyam Irufushi – Separate pool for children and an adult-only pool.
- Kuredu – Adult-only half (branded “Sangu” and “O” resort).
- Summer Island – No under 15s in water villas or overwater restaurant.
- W Retreat – No under 5s in water villas
- Meeru – Adults only areas including Jacuzzi Beach Villas, water villas, Pavillion pool bar.
Finally, most water villas have constraints on children and some resorts (eg. Veligandu) have adult-only rooms.
Of course, you can always filter for your “maturity” preference with the Maldives Complete Finder.
Best of the Maldives: Children Surfing– Four Seasons Kuda Huraa
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.
Best of the Maldives: Kids Wellness – Six Senses Laamu
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.”
8 Out-Standing Dining Rooms
One of my favourite dining themes is over the water (if not IN the water). The Maldives offers diver menu of in-ocean dining. Now, I’m not talking about mere “over water” dining. Just about every self-respective 5-star resort has one of those. I’m talking about surrounded-by-water dining. In fact, NIYAMA’s “Subsix” (see above) goes so far as to be both in the ocean and “IN” the ocean with its underwater dining room.
For an outstanding meal out standing in the middle of the ocean, here’s the full list…
1. NIYAMA – Subsix
2. TAJ EXOTICA – Ocean Pavilion
3. BAREFOOT – Black Pearl
4. JUMEIRAH DHEVANAFUSHI – Johara
5. BAROS – Piano Bar
6. ANGSANA VELAVARU – Azzurro
7. KANDOLHU – Sunset Pavilion
8. GILI LANKANFUSHI – Wedding Pavilion
Best of the Maldives: Theme Menus – Dusit Thani
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