If you prefer a final run around the island before departing or just want to work off some holiday(s) excess, Ritz Carlton Maldives features an inspired “Jogging Station” on one of its main paths. You can grab a towel to wipe off with or a glass of cold water a bit like the aid stations on the side of marathon routes.
Leaving a resort is painful enough just saying goodbye to paradise, but often it made worse by having to leave your luxurious room and being homeless for your final hours. Resorts often invest considerably into arrival lounges to make a great first impression and to provide extra care for guests usually coming off tiring long-haul journeys. But less attention is given to the departure infrastructure. Some resorts have a waiting area you can use, but in all too many your only option is to sit in the reception until it is time to go. But Cora Cora has added a departure lounge as luxurious as many arrival ones. It includes recliner chairs (see photo), a special beach area (for easily getting that final dip in the Indian Ocean), shower (to rinse off the salty and sand), as well as an array of refreshments. Putting some “cheer” into “cheerio”.
The on-island of default has been electric buggies since the very outset of the Maldives resort industry, but getting to the island was a different story. All manner of petrol driven buses and cars transferred people from the main international terminal to the domestic terminal, sea plane terminal or other further transfer. But Sirru Fen Fushi has introduced a fully electric fleet of transfer vehicles:
Our most recent car is a fully electric – the MG ZS EV. It was not too expensive (£20,000), cheap to charge (on overnight off-peak rates), very low maintenance (hardly any moving parts and the parts that are there are no subject to little, dirty gas explosions constantly), not to mention the eco-friendly lack of exhaust.
The Ritz Carlton Maldives kids club has come up with a way to turn all that energy from the holiday sugar-rush to productive use. The “Ritz Kids” features as a stationary bike where the pedals drive a blender to make healthy and refreshing fruit smoothies. The inspired concept made me think of a brilliant way to limit device use by children – rig one of these up to a generator and let your child use their phone as much as they like…as long as they charge it with pedal power. It could nurture a generation of Tour de France champions.
The holiday season is full of special treats like gingerbread houses and egg nog that you only get on this special occasion. The delicacies reminded me of one of my favourite resort treats in the Maldives, Soneva Jani “Souffle Station” (!). It featured one of its Soneva Stars visiting chefs Marianne Lumb from the UK who prepared custom souffles to guests at the main restaurant. A coup le souffle from a coup of a soufflé.
To add some New World spice, Hard Rock’s “Butterfly and the Elephant” restaurant serves up Mexican fare with the widest selection of guacamole I’ve seen:
There is also a tasting platter option for the culinarily adventurous.
Looking to spice up your holiday? Milaidhoo is turning the season of Pumpkin Spice Latte and Spiced Mulled Wine into a daily spice treat featuring all sorts of inspirations from the Maldives’ heritage as a hub in the ancient spice route. The spicey line-up includes spiced mince pies, cultural show with live spice market, spice themed shawarma station, and spiced body wraps:
Seasoning of the Holiday Season!
Stations are the best of both world of buffets and a la carte – the easy and prompt access of buffets with a chance to visually see your food options, combined with the personalisation and reduced food waste of a la carte. And if there is one Maldivian favourite that is very personal to us it is the breakfast delicacy of mashuni. Lori has it nearly every day when we visit. If it’s not on the buffet or menu, she asks the chef if he can make (which he usually can). And she likes it with just the right amount of chili and coconut. So Emerald’s mashuni station was ideal for her.
She said it was the “best Mashuni ever”. Possibly echoing my standard reply to the most frequently asked question I get of “What is the best resort?” I always say, “The is no ‘best resort’…just the best resort for you.” So maybe there is no “best mashuni”, but there is the “best mashuni for you” at Emerald.
One of the motivations for pouring myself into Maldives Complete is that when we do visit, we feel more like members of the community than just passing visitors. Another special touch by Amilla Maldives to make all guests feel that way the moment they step onto the island are their personalised “license plates” on the buggies to their rooms. This extra personal gesture has inspired me to add a new tag for “Customisation”.
So why am I going full speed ahead into year 15? People continue to be surprised that I don’t make a penny out of Maldives Complete…it is one big, expensive hobby for all intents and purposes. That might sound dismissive, but Seth Godin thankfully has a more eloquent perspective on it:
Other examples of such hobbies are Wikipedia and Github. in fact, I’ve often thought of Maldives Complete as an interactive Resortipedia for the Maldives. Even the blog posts are mostly constructed to be used as referenceable info as opposed to timely broadcasts.