When we were visiting the Maldives as a family, our routine would always be a family snorkel of the house reef (or occasionally a snorkel safari excursion) in the morning, and then lounging around the pool during the afternoon. One of the earliest inspirations to Maldives Complete was me compiling a list of resorts with pools. Back in the 1990s, only about half the resorts had them (now they are standard with most villas for the deluxe 5 stats). We knew from our family holidays that all we needed was a pool to keep the kids entertained for hours (and get them well tuckered out for an early bedtime and a sound sleep at night). If they spent all day at the ocean, then eventually the salt and sand would irritate them so a pool was a good complement to the seafaring activities of the morning. Lori and I would read our books and doze in the loungers by the pool. There were all sort of seating, but they tended to be the fairly conventional lounger+cushion combo. What I would have given for the One & Only Reethi Rah pool hammock back then! Just because you are retreating from the lagoon, doesn’t mean you have to give up an over water hammock.
