The biggest heart in the Maldives would be an island shaped like one. I have been on the hunt for such a mystical land mass ever since #15 of my 7th Haven’t Seen Yet series. I did another Valentines post on the “Most Heart Shaped” islands “in the Maldives”, but only one was real and that one wasn’t really that heart-shaped. But now OBLU Select Lobigili features not just such a romantic plot of sand, but it also has the archetypal palm tree.
If you want to put the “forever yours” into your Valentine, then OBLU by Atmosphere at Helengeli features a romantic heart wish tree. I ♥ Maldives.
Happy Valentines! Instead of showering your beloved with gifts and tokens of love, why not let her bathe in decadent luxury to soak in all your adoration. And instead of sipping champagne, Velaa is providing a special immersive Valentines experience were you can *be* the glass of champagne:
Rates for the package start at $200,000 for the first night and $12,000 per additional night.
Happy Vellantines!
One of the first pieces of information I gathered for the resort database was maps of all the resorts. Back then, few resorts had websites and I had to scan paper copies I had collected. I’ve always had a special fondness for maps and have highlighted some of the more creative renditions. When I added a Room Type database, similarly, Floor Plans were a key piece of information. OZEN Maadhoo has applied some striking technical wizardry to its versions of these plan with complete 3D virtual models of their villas. That real gives you feel for where you are going to be staying.
With its cultural culinary connections to the Indian subcontinent, it has never been difficult to find plenty of great vegetarian food, but veganism is growing in popularity and the removal of dairy ingredients (milk, eggs) considerably narrows one food options further. At least for a period, vegans (and “vegan curious”) at W Maldives can sample cow/chicken-friendly fare
Sort of “Finally Seen” from way back to my 3rd “Haven’t Seen Yet” post where I highlighted the American delicacy of “Lobster Mac and Cheese”. This popular dish combines one of the most classic luxury ingredients, lobster, with one of the most basic homespun dishes, mac and cheese. I still haven’t found it in the Maldives, but I did enjoy the next best thing at Amilla Maldives – Crab Mac & Cheese. Same concept, but with a different luxury crustacean. And just as delicious as many lobster mac & cheeses I have enjoyed.
Sri Lanka Day! One of our favourite treats from the Indian Ocean neighbour was Sri Lankan Mud Crab at Soneva Jani’s Crab Shack. The ‘Chili Crab’ is spicy mud crab wok-fried with garlic and onion in olive oil and black pepper. As it happens, Chef Priyantha himself grew up on a diet of lagoon crabs in Sri Lanka and recreates his fond memories with a range of recipes from the Soneva family. And if you want to se these creatures in their natural habitat, they are quite plentiful around the Soneva Jani lake (but the ones served are brought in from Sri Lanka).
In the Instagram era, photoshoots have become a choreographed art form in themselves. Some memes, like the “Flying Dress” not only require a keen aperture, but also sophisticated setup and probably more dress than one typically want to pack in a suitcase (never mind the chore of ironing it all out). But Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi has introduce the Flying Dress experience to make this elaborate portrait both easy and dramatic:
A number of resorts now feature artists-in-residence, but Cora Cora is the first husband-wife team plying their creativity in family partnership. I had the fortune to meet Shameen during our recent visit (see photo below) and he told me about his intriguing artistic journey. He and his wife Sheenez shared their story with Maldives Complete:
Shameen…
Sheeneez…
One person’s trash is another’s person’s treasure, but Soneva Fushi’s “Maker Place” works to turn all their trash into everyone’s treasure:
One of the advantages of their rustic chic aesthetic is that adapting bits and bobs of all types works in easily.