The least transparent villa table in the Maldives doesn’t make it any less aesthetically alluring. Huvafenfushi’s dining table is another striking CUBE villa feature and reminiscent of the Park Hyatt table that I previously admired (but this one is your very one in your private villa). I’m very partial to such natural grain and shape that sits so perfectly in this natural paradise.
If you prefer a bit more secluded yoga practice in the convenience of your own back garden, then check into a Tree House Villa at Shangri-La Villingili which comes complete with its very own yoga pavilion overlooking the tranquil sea.
Some Maldives guests take the “get away from it all” vibe to the extreme as they sequester themselves in their little slice of paradise and hardly emerge from their villa their entire holiday. Especially, the many celebrities who escape to the islands, privacy is a big part of the allure. This seclusion is fine for the basics of R&R, but you do miss out on some of the luxury amenities of the resort.
Unless you check into Sun Siyam Irufushi’s Celebrity Retreat. It is more like a mini-resort enclave than a mere villa. Want a refreshing dip? The expansive compound includes *two* pools. Want a different type of pool chilling? The villa has its own games room complete with personal pool table. Want a walk among the tropical flora? The villa has its own cultivated garden? Want a rejuvenating massage? The villa has its own spa in its own building complete with treatment tables and other amenities.
A resort within a resort.
One of the most enduring mystiques of the Maldives is the deserted island experience. A plot of sand and palm tree (with maybe a message in a bottle floating by). A number of resorts offer excursions where you can go maroon yourself for a few hours. Maafushivaru lets you rent a villa overnight on their neighboring Lonubu island. Or you could rent out all of the Coco Priva Kuda Hithi resort. But if you want something more permanent than Lonubu, but less expansive as Prive, then Cheval Blanc Randheli has the luxury Robinson Crusoe abode for you – the Owner’s Villa…
“The Owner’s Villa sprawls across its close to 1 hectare dedicated island, and is accessible from a private berth and jetty. This four-bedroom villa is the epitome of exclusive privacy with unique facilities including its own spa, oversized 25-metre long outdoor pool, pristine beaches and exotic garden”
As much as people think about the underwater landscape of the Maldives, I enjoy just as much the view down on the mottled blue landscape. So it’s great when resorts offer a slightly elevated platform from which to enjoy the cerulean scene.
A number of high decks are available on resort islands, but Nika’s water villas provide a great platform from the comfort of your own vacation home and smack in the centre of the azure action. I’ve titled it “Standard Water Villa” because Six Senses Laamu also has a water villa roof deck, but it is a significantly higher cost band.
From Carolina Amora’s snap above, it looks like a nice view to me (the ocean looks good too).
World Sleep Day (good chance to sleep off all those green Guinness’s from yesterday).
Cushiest cushion we have slumbered on in the Maldives is Soneva Fushi. Their mattress is nearly 2 feet thick. But just the right firmness too. Combined with its classic four-poster frame, the bed comes to nearly my hip (and I am a tall person). You literally do have to climb into bed. There is a regal comfort to sleeping a bit elevated I find. This mattress would make it hard for even a princess to feel a pea.
#zzzzzz
One of the most striking aspects to our own house in England is its beams. We live in a 18th century hay barn and the conversion has kept as many of the original oak timber exposed as possible. This rough hewn timber style is one of Soneva Fushi’s own most defining design motifs. It exudes the all-natural, artisanal, Swiss Family Robinson aesthetic that pervades the property. Beams are up, Soni.
Beloved Wives Day today (husbands in China must shout out declarations of love to their wives). And I am taking my beloved wife, Lori, for a quick escape from English wind, rain and cold. Down to the French Riviera for some friends’ New Years celebration and a quick stay in Monaco. The sunny Med shores have made them a magnet for yachts from all over the world.
One yacht that won’t be straying quite that far from home is Soneva Fushi’s new concept “suite” – “Soneva In Aqua”. A sort of mobile “water villa”. Great to see this concept revised every since the demise of The Rania Experience and Dhoni Island. Of course, the resort will provide the crew you need. Not the only boat villa in the Maldives (eg. Conrad Rangali’s “Goma”, LUX Maldives “Kokomo”), but the distinctive in its modern styling and spacious accommodation..
“Soneva In Aqua will further elevate guest experience by offering the option of a boat villa which will combine all the benefits of this iconic resort’s services and amenities with the freedom and exclusivity associated with a private boat charter.”
LORI, MY LOVE FOR YOU IS AS WARM AS THE MALDIVIAN OCEAN BREEZES AND MY PASSION AS HOT AS ITS TROPICAL SUN!!
Conversely, you could bring a little water to your beach villa. Soneva Fushi’s Soneva Villa is beach villa in the front and “water villa” in the back. A number of resort have water features in their back area, but Soneva’s water feature *IS* the back area. With a cascading water down the walls to boot. The three palm trees are like little iconic deserted islands themselves set in the water (one of which features the outdoor shower – see foreground). The water villa for people who don’t want to be on the ocean.
A plot of sand and a palm tree. That is the Maldives. Except when you are staying at their other iconic feature – a water villa. Unless, you stay at Velaa where you get both signature attractions combined in one.