Tour 2023 Review

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Tour 2023

Our 20th Tour and now 116 resorts in the Maldives visited with the following additions:

  1. Dhawa Ihuru
  2. Baglioni
  3. Sun Siyam Vilu Reef
  4. Sun Siyam Iruveli
  5. Ailafushi
  6. Lobigili (day visit)

What struck me most about this visit was the increasingly palpable improvements in the country and the lives of its citizen who welcome us to visit their paradise. Maybe it was the new modern seaplane terminal. Maybe it was the maturing skyline of Hulhumale. But more likely it was the conversations with the Maldivians who shared not just a specifics of their enhanced lives, but did so in a very upbeat and optimistic tone.

The other funny historical shift has been in the disfunctional photographic behaviour of the guests. Years ago we found it curious and a bit sad that we were sitting at the sunset bar sipping our pina coladas surrounded by lots of lonely women abandoned by the SLR-toting husbands and boyfriends who were all clamouring to get the best sunset shot with their nifty point-and-click gadgetry. Now, we saw lots of lonely women wandering the resort with selfie stick in hand posing in all manner. Revenge of the SLR widows onto the new group of IG widowers? This observation is just one aspect of the tectonic shift in photography shaking up the digital content world. I didn’t really use my SLR for most of my shoots as the iPhone is just as good for most pictures where you are not trying to be artistic or need deep of field. Furthermore, I am taking and posting video material for “Best Ofs” than ever before (especially after this trip) which is much easier to shoot on an iPhone than an SLR.

Finally, a 1st world problem finally is being addressed as more resorts are using salt grinders in place of salt shakers which get perennially clogged.

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Tour 2023 – Ailafushi

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Ailufushi - Tour 2023

Ailafushi is big in every way. Big in room number (270). The biggest underwater restaurant. A massive pool. And a massive main restaurant (so big that it provides a map of all the stations). In fact, Ailafushi is joined by its sister property Lobigili which makes the entire estate all the more expansive as Lobigili sits like a mirror image opposite Ailafushi.

Since diminutive charm is one of the traditional lures of the Maldives, what does this counter-conventional scale offer in return? More choice in the expansive restaurant. But mostly, the scale economies. The two operations nots only share a gym and the underwater restaurant, but also all the logistics and overhead. Value pricing with water villas under $1000 and beach villas in the $300s.

In addition to intimacy, the other sacrifice is service. The restaurants are entirely self-service. The resort asks you to check yourself in with their app. For people who think the personal butler invasion of the luxury properties is OTT and who are just fine with checking themselves out at the grocery store, then this approach will not be any inconvenience.

And just how much of the classic Maldives experience do you miss with such a new mega-resort concept? You get the same sunsets, the same tropical sun, the same dappled blue ocean. But mostly you get the paradise of the Maldives with lots on offer for a budget price.

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Tour 2023 – Sun Siyam Iru Veli

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Iruveli - Tour 2023

Sun Siyam Resorts and Sun Siyam Iruveli resort are fans of the Maldives Complete website and gave us a particularly warm welcome. One of my motivations for all the work I do on the website is to be more of a “participant” than a “spectator”. This Maldivian owned, run and staff-dominated resort made us feel especially embraced by this wonderful destination that has become such a big part of our lives.

Iruveli is sitting right in the luxury property sweet spot. So many topflight resorts are entering the $1000/nt for a solid luxury product. Iruveli stands shoulder-to-shoulder with these competitors with a differentiation on value by pricing a bit lower and offering a bit more in their all-inclusive (eg. floating breakfast, free dives). If the solid luxury experience is what you seek, but the $1000 is a stretch to your budget, you should look at Iruveli. The food is superb with gourmet options of inventive concepts (stay tuned).

Increasing focus on experiences. For example, we had a number of firsts during our stay (which is not easy have 25 years of visiting the Maldives and staying at 115 resorts. One was using an underwater scooter. We never really fancied the experience, but found it more enjoyable and useful than anticipated. We’ve seen these advertised at other resorts and at first look they seemed like an overly engineered gimmick, but having done the experience they actually do have lots of merit. You can cover more ground more quickly looking for your favourite creatures, you can do more with less effort, and you can worry a bit less about current (but never stop worrying about current). One tip is we didn’t really know whether to use our fins or not. In principle, with the scooter providing the propulsion they are superfluous, but in reality they are handy to provide control treading water when the scooter is not running (and also they provide backup if your battery ran out).

Sun Siyam is one of the longest standing resort groups in the Maldives, so they definitely have the experience to create great experiences (stay tuned for many examples in upcoming Best of the Maldives posts).

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Tour 2023 – Baglioni

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Tour 2023 - Baglioni

The Italians have a long-standing tradition as Maldives pioneers with many Italian operated and targeted resorts especially in the earlier days. The one other website which is comparable to Maldives Complete in its information extensiveness is MondoMaldives which as well as being a comprehensive source of info, is also a travel agency catering to the Italian market. Most of the Italian resorts have been 4-star mid-market affairs, but now Baglioni introduces a bit of Italian flair and style to the luxury end of the market.

The key word here is “spacious”. The linen white beaches are expansive. The house reef is naturally proportionately expansive leaving so much to explore over an extended stay. It even features a prominent dive site, Maaga Caves. And the rooms are spacious in both footprint and airy cathedral ceilings.

Every part of the resort exudes an opulence from the elegant design down to the talcum soft sand pervasive across the island including the paths (ideal for the “no shoes” part of the “no shoes, no news” saying).

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Tour 2023 – Sun Siyam Vilu Reef

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Vilu Reef is probably the resort that has most exceeded my expectations of the over 110 we have stayed at.  Vilu Reef has been around as long as we have been coming to the Maldives, ie. 1998.  It is the first of the prominent Sun Siyam Resorts.  I guess I was guilty of thinking of it as an old resort.  And I hadn’t heard much about it over the years.  Also, Sun Siyam is a bit more mid-market focused (thank goodness not everyone is chasing the billionaire segment and keeping the destination affordable for mere mortals).  Its new Siyam World is very much mass market, Olhuveli is a 4+ star (with many luxury aspects), and even Irufushi is a value priced 5-star.

We thought that maybe we were being bowled over by their very hearty welcome (they are big fans of the Maldives Complete site) but looking around we observed other guests being treated with equal attentiveness.  In fact, another guest got the most elaborate welcome that we have ever witnessed.  Not a celebrity, but a repeater (stay tuned for her fascinating story).  “Mama” (her nickname) and her husband, both from Germany, first came to the Maldives in the 90s when they were young.  They loved it so much that they came repeatedly.   But they stayed at different resorts every time starting at the top of the country and working their way south.  Dhaalu is one of the furthest south atolls; they sampled plenty of properties.  But when they came to Vilu Reef, they decided that that was it.  Vilu Reef was the perfect resort for them.  Her visit this year was their 41st (!).  And they are quite discerning world travelers as Mama explained to me that they regularly travel all around the world. According to their very experienced tastes, Vilu Reef is a real “diamond”.

I couldn’t disagree.  I simply can’t find anything to fault it.  We thought it ideal for many of our friends who have always wanted to come to the Maldives without busting their bank account, but still getting a quality experience.  Vilu Reef ticks every box for a great Maldives resort – copious soft sand, vibrant reef, delectable food, and effusive service.  Even the pathways had talcum soft sand (often these areas are harder).  The reef had the most live coral we have seen in years.  The outlets were replete with delicious offerings and even gourmet quality dishes (the dhaal was as good as the Michelin starred Atul Kochhar’s “Vassu” in my hometown) and the above-and-beyond consideration of each guest was remarkable even for the Maldives.

But I must say, the cherry on the top of the cake was an extra special occasion that we have never experienced – blue diamonds on the beach.  We’ve all seen the Instagram images of the glowing blue plankton at the water’s edge.  This intensity of colour is much rarer than social media would have you believe and even those images are enhanced quite dramatically in post (much like the starry heavens shots).  At Vilu Reef, the plankton didn’t glow in blue swathes (there needs to be more concentrated plankton in the water for that which happens at a difference season), but instead landed on the beach with each diminutive wave littering an array of dazzling bright blue dots like little gemstones (or stars) along the water’s edge.  Like seeing a swarm of aquatic fireflies beaching themselves.  Absolutely magical.

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Tour 2023 – Dhawa Ihuru

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Dhawa Ihuru is the “close” resort.  It is a close 25-minute transfer from Male (but far away from airport traffic and not having Male in your face).  Many people want a short transfer especially if they have an only a short stay or sometimes because they aren’t fond of small planes (like seaplanes).  The house reef is just metres away for most of the island.  Accessibility is a big plus for house reefs and Ihuru’s is one you want to access.  And if you prefer even easier access to underwater sights, Ihuru offers the rare double snorkeling option with a coral cropping rich lagoon in addition to its dramatic drop-off reef.  The villas, bar, and restaurant are all situated close to the ocean’s edge so you always hear the gentle lapping of the water.  And in the beach villa is a comfy day bed right by the window so you can get some relief from the heat sitting in your AC space, but still feel close to the gorgeous paradise right outside.

Dhawa Ihuru ticks all of the boxes for a Maldives resort:  stylish accommodation and décor, delicious cuisine, accessible house reef (with strong coral growth!), and reasonable pricing for a luxury property.  All the things to push it close to the top of any short list for consideration.

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QI – Whale Shark Smiles

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whale shark smiles

Q: Do Whale Sharks have teeth?
A: Oh, I know this one…even though they are sharks, they a filter feeder so contrary to the shark stereotype, they don’t have teeth.
Q: Buzzzzz…wrong. They do have teeth. So where are their teeth?
A: Mouth?
Q: Buzzzz…nope, their eyes (as well as small ones in their mouths)

The Maldives Complete Tour isn’t the only exciting event this week as Discovery Channel kicks off its annual Shark Week (we hope our Tour will be its own version of “Shark Week” as well and we are starting off well seeing a Black-Tip and a White-Tip snorkeling this morning). This QI comes courtesy of the article “Giant whale sharks have teeth on their eyeballs”.

  • “That sobering story is nowhere near the top of shark news this week, however. In yet another indication that the planet is tiring of us humans, it has been discovered that the world’s biggest shark has teeth all over its eyeballs…In the exceptionally named research article, “Armored eyes of the whale shark,” a team of researchers from Japan’s Okinawa Churashima Research Center discovered that these beastly predators evolved a unique defense mechanism for their vision: dermal denticles. These denticles are nothing new. Similar v-shaped scales cover shark skin. Structurally, they’re akin to tiny teeth. This feature helps sharks decrease turbulence and drag while gliding through the ocean, making them an even more fearsome fish—a tall order for a shark that grows up to 62 feet in length.”

And you thought whale sharks were the gentle giants of the ocean. They have teeth in their eyeballs!!

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Tour 2023 #20

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Tour 2023 arrival

Our 20th trip to the Maldives. Wow. And still the magical anticipation dominates our thoughts.

5 more to add to our list:

  • Dhawa Ihuru
  • Bagiloni
  • Vilu Reef
  • Iruveli
  • Ailafushi

A stark difference to the 12 visited in Tour 2015. Back then, Maldives Complete was just launched and I wanted to experience and research as many properties as possible. Before the days of influencer blaguer hordes, remote corporate bean-counter, tsumanis of guest content, Maldives Complete was a novelty. Information about resorts in one place online, no barrage of ads and offers to mask the shilling.

These days it is difficult for me to string together a long run of resorts because I’ve visited every atoll with more than one resort and hopping on sea planes in and out of Male is super expensive financially and logistically. Finally, many resorts offer me industry rates, but those often come with a provision of a two-night minimum. My companion, assistant and wife, Lori, is delighted to have more extended stays reduce the frenzy of running around to get all my work done and provide some down time to actually enjoy and experience the Maldives again.

This trip focuses on the Dhaalu atoll. We visited there in 2018, but this return allows us to mop up most of the rest of the properties.

I will be providing regular visit overviews as well as tracking my resort-at-a-glance on TripAdvisor Maldives Forum per tradition.

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Best of the Maldives: Local Museum – Amilla

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Amilla - museum

Many resorts offer a local island trip for a taste of Maldivian authentic culture and for an extra rich dose, Amilla Maldives features an excursion to neighbouring B. Kendhoo which not only boasts its own historical significance, but also a superb collection of historical artefacts and displays at its own museum:

  • · “B. Kendhoo, the first island to welcome Islam to the Maldives. At this island you will see the first mosque to appear in Maldives as well as many other historical and ancestral works of art. Here you will also have the opportunity to witness the islands industry of making coir rope by hand. Your next stop will be B. Kudarikilu. This island is home to a national heritage museum, with countless historic pieces that truly showcase the history of the Maldives. The villagers here will offer you a fresh drinking coconut and traditional handmade snacks.”
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Best of the Maldives: Pottery – Cora Cora

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Cora Cora - curation

I written about the museum as Cora Cora (formerly Loama at Maamagili) before, but frankly when I visited it a year ago, I realised just how many distinctions it had. One of the highlights of their collection is an array of pottery which is not just distinctive in the Maldives, but distinctive worldwide. So much so that when we did our tour, we were joined by a Chinese couple who it turns out were ceramic experts and had specifically visited Cora Cora just to see the pottery exhibited there. They spent a long time looking at even the most unassuming shards in their workshop (see photo above) and commented on their significance. It turns out that centuries ago pottery was not just a decorative objet d’art, but an essential means of packing and shipping valuable commodities around the world. The pieces are not just lovely, but also inform critical research into ancient trading in the Indian Ocean.

And the distinctions at Cora Cora should keep I coming. I already have more to post but also the resort is continuing with ongoing excavation and archaeological research so the island just keeps revealing more and more treasures.

Cora Cora - pottery 2

Cora Cora - pottery 1

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