Cora Cora’s star-gazing tower lends a Swiss Family Robinson natural vibe to getting closer to the stars.
Best of the Maldives: Villa Panorama – Ritz-Carlton Maldives
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.
Best of the Maldives: Arrival Jetty Glass Floor – OZEN Maadhoo
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.
Best of the Maldives: Transport Logo – Hurawalhi
Best of the Maldives: Speedboat Buggy – Soneva Jani
An electric buggy to take you from the arrival jetty to your villa as well as to and from your villa to various parts of the island is standard fare in all but the smallest of islands. But Soneva Jani uses a speedboat “buggy” to take you to your water villa, and it can be summoned to take you from the villa to the central part of the island (with the main restaurant, shops, dive centre, etc.). the transfer is 2 minutes in choppy water and 90 seconds on smooth (we timed it), versus the alternative of a 15 minute buggy transfer over land.
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Best of the Maldives: Flower Palm Garland – Cora Cora
Happy Easter! If you especially appreciate the traditional flowers of this holiday, then you will be particularly grateful for the floral greeting by Cora Cora’s own mini lei with a tropical flower on a palm leaf necklace to adorn your welcome.
Best of the Maldives: Coconut Soap – Amilla
We love all things coconutty and Amilla Maldives features another item for our basket of tropically inspired items:
- “Our soaps are hand-made in Amilla Fushi with home-made pure coconut oil, powdered herbs handpicked from our gardens and natural essential oils”
You can lather yourself with the essence of Amilla for weeks after your return.
Best of the Maldives: Bidet Toilet – Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Bidets always seem to be a superfluous use of space in villas and they are going a bit out of fashion. But I realise that they are valued as a part of bathroom cleansing in a number of cultures. Ritz Carlton Maldives features a toilet with a built-in bidet so you can have the option with out the extra item in the bathroom. It also includes subtle LED lights to help you find the toilet in the dark (so you don’t have to disturb your partner by turning lights on). That is a commode that is very a la mode.
Best of the Maldives: Underwater Toilet – Conrad Maldives
New meaning to the term “water closet” with the latest innovation in underwater facilities (and in this case we do mean ‘facilities’) by Conrad Rangali. It’s April 3rd, so I’m not fooling.
QI: One Fish, Two Fish, and Fishes
Q: If what is the plural of fish if you are talking about different types of fish?
A: Fish?
Q: <<buzz>> No, “fishes”
No not “April Fool’s Day”, but “April Fish Day”. Yes, it’s a thing (no fooling!). So to mark the day, we have another QI fun fact that might just have you fooled.