One of our favourite activities in the Maldives is laying out a beach towel or dragging a lounger out of the palm canopy to the open beach to gaze up to the stars. But if you want even less sand on you and be that little bit close to the stars themselves, not to mention having a full 180 degree perspective, then LUX North Male Atoll’s villa rooftops are the apex of taking in the tropical astral lights of night time skies.
Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru holds a monthly event to raise awareness of energy conservation to reduce carbon footprint by completely shutting off all electrical lights on the resort for 12 hours:
The initiative is not just eco-friendly but imparts an extra romantic tone to the evening with candlelit areas and meals. Furthermore, turning off the lights in one of the few electrified places in that part of the ocean reduces light pollution making star gazing all the more dazzling.
You need some sort of lighting on the jetties to make sure people don’t wander into the ocean on the way to their villa, and resorts have tended to install a variety of basic fixtures along the path. Joali has extended its art immersion ethos to these simple finishes with a not just utilitarian lamps to light the way but specially carved globes. These balls provide a pleasing aesthetic detail to follow during the day, but in the night they bathe pathway with a constellation of light specs mirroring the celestial canopy overhead.
For a more energetic experience enjoying the lush island Dhigali offers a 1.2 kilometre running track (sand paths) weaving around the island and marked with handy signs.
For a more alfresco swinging selection, Reethi Fafu has created a swing park with a manicured garden surrounding an imposing banyan tree with a variety of swings hung from its branches.
If you like swaying to the ocean breezes with your sundowner, then Dhigali’s got the swingingest bar in the Maldives. You’ve seen bird’s nest swings…well, its Haali Bar is a bird’s nest with swings inside it.
Happy Egg Day. Obviously, not Easter, but the national holiday to celebrate all things EGGY. I love me my breakfasts. Lori often remarks that I don’t just eat breakfast, I eat Breakfast #1, Breakfast #2, and then I top it all off with Breakfast Dessert. I also thorough savour the delicately rich flavour of truffle. So LUX North Male Atoll’s Truffle Egg Croissant was a treat for me.
Eggcellent!
Infinity pools on the edge of the island seem like there is a seamless expanse from your cossetted basin extending to the boundless horizon in front of you. Aarah’s main jetty pool doesn’t look over the ocean….it IS over the ocean.
Every day is day of the dolphin at Paradise Island with their signature dolphin shaped pool. If you can’t swim *with* a dolphin, then swin *in* one…
Octopus Day today celebrating one of our favourite creatures (with whom we shared a particularly thrilling encounter during this summer’s tour). This year’s Maldives octopus feature is LUX North Male Atoll’s octopus sprinkler at their kids club.
If that’s not charming enough, then check out this video of an octopus sleeping and dreaming (!) that’s been going a bit viral lately…