Maldives Tour 2014 – Day 4: Park Hyatt Hadahaa

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Park Hyatt Hadahaa tour

As if to trumpet our arrival to one of the most eco-obsessed resorts in the Maldives, the very icon of environmental-friendliness – the dolphin – came out to greet us during our transfer to Park Hyatt Hadahaa. Not just a token welcome party, but a teeming hoard of spinner dolphins jumping, scudding and cruising up to the boat on all sides. I tried to count them, but gave up at 80.

Immediately, Hadahaa’s intimate connection with nature strikes you. The single central byway is completely shrouded from the tropical sun by a dense canopy of palm and other foliage. The resort lets the fallen fronds lay where they fall (most resorts will sweep this debris up) blanketing the surrounding undergrowth with a thick duvet of leaves. But it doesn’t seem unkempt in any way as the main path is clear and tidily edged. When you emerge on the beach, you sink ankle deep in powder white sand (the softest I’d walked since Maafushivaru).

The marquee nature attraction at Hahadaa is the house reef. Reputed to be one of the very best (certainly top 10), it didn’t take long before Lori and I donned our gear and leapt in to explore. Immediately, you could see the how it got its reputation. Hadahaa is one of the rare house reefs where the coral growth extends richly into the lagoon as well as in and amongst the water villas (lagoons and the water villas that are often built on them are often mostly expansive sandy beds). The drop off was readily accessible and teeming with both fish and coral. We came back across the lagoon on return to swim among the coral croppings there. Often such growth gives one the sense of a coral garden. Hadahaa was more like a coral jungle. In fact, a recent marine biology survey assessed that Hadahaa had over 100% coral on its reef. This mathematical anomaly results from the fact that a number of table corals had tumbled down the reef drop off and now there were literally corals growing on top of them. There were corals on top of corals.

General Manager Julian Moore explained why Hadahaa (and many of the other Gaafu Alifu islands) have such excellent reefs. The atoll is the biggest atoll not just in the Maldives, but in the world. It spans about 70 kilometers north to south and 50 kilometers east to west. It is also one of the deepest. This combination brings both a rich flow of nutrients while providing a buffer of protection from storms to islands and reefs inside the atoll.

Welcome to the jungle.

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Maldives Tour 2014 – Day 3: Huvafenfushi

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Huvafenfushi tour

Inspired. Huvafenfushi is one of the Maldives’ pioneers in inspired luxury. One of the founding fathers of the super deluxe experience where resorts try to concoct service, facilities, and experiences as jaw-droppingly heavenly as the destination itself.

Actually, Huvafenfushi’s island was our second visit to the Maldives as a family back in 1999. Back then it was called Nakatchafushi and we were drawn to it by its reputation for having one of the best house reefs in the Maldives. Since then Huvafenfushi burst onto the Maldive scene with a virtuosity of style and distinction that was acclaimed as one of the very best resorts not just in the Maldives, but in the world. As its esteem and reputation grew, its prominence on my bucket-list did as well.

When we arrived at our water villa, not only were we treated to the aquatic delights of tropical fish scampering about beneath us, but a quartet of terns were similarly diving and soaring feet away from our deck hoping to make a little sushi snack of those fish.

The marquee feature of the resort is the infamous Underwater Spa. I must confess that both Lori and I wondered what the point would be of creating one of the most spectacular views somewhere where you just end up lying face down with your eyes closed so you miss it all. Well, first of all, positioned under the table beneath the head rest is a mirror which is aimed right at the window so you do watch the fish swimming by. Secondly, the therapist asks you if you want to have your treatment interrupted if she spies something particularly interesting like a shark swimming by (yes, please!!). Finally, after your massage you are treated to tea and they have an expansive lounge bed set up by some of the windows so that you can linger in the glow of your massage watching the aquatic world drift by in front of you.

And frankly, the spa treatments are only the tip of the iceberg of some of the astonishing experiences Huvafenfushi have devised at that innovative sub-marine facility. Stay tuned for some of the 19 Best of the Maldives pieces I came away with from my visit. Combined with the 10 I have already posted, that puts Huvafenfushi up in the elite ranks of the ‘Best Of’ league table. Right where you would expect.

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Maldives Tour 2014 – Day 2: Chaaya Island Dhonveli

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Chaaya Island Dhonveli tour

Classic Maldives. Classic in a nostalgic sense. Before the underwater laundry rooms, the Chateau Margaux oatmeal and the hydrofoil transfers, this was the standard fare for the Maldives that people came from around the world to savour. Simple villas with outdoor bathrooms and thatched roofs, sandy paths weaving through lush tropical growth, and the magic of the Maldives maritime just feet away. No Michelin star dining, but tasty food with classic local curries and grilled reef fish, fresh and served with delectable sauces, not tired or overdone. No butlers, but kind and friendly staff always willing the lend a hand or give a smile.

These days, legions of people don’t even consider the Maldives for fears of mortgage busting prices. But in a few special properties such as Chaaya Island Dhonveli you can still relish paradise for a reasonable price tag. In particular its Garden villas are a relatively attractive option. Most ‘Garden’ villas on Maldives resorts are lower priced rooms reduced because they are tucked away in the inside of the island shrouded by foliage from any ocean view. But the Dhonveli “Garden” villas are right on the water for the most part.

Another budget buster for families are…kids.  Yes, in general, but more specifically bringing them on vacation.  Somewhat manageable when they are toddlers and resorts offer considerable discounts with them staying in your room.  Dhonveli offers a number of Family villas where children up to 12 can stay.  The fact is that most Dhonveli rooms have day beds as part of their furnishings and the resort has a considerable supply of beds it can wheel into rooms.  So most of their rooms could accommodate a child or two without having to purchase and extra villa if the resort is willing and able to accommodate.

Dhonveli is like that delectable vin de table you get served at a rustic auberge in the French countryside. It might not be vintage Petrus, but it slakes your thirst with unadulterated authenticity.

I came away from our visit with 4 Best of the Maldives pieces.

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Maldives Tour 2014 – Day 1: Male Arrival

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Maldives Complete Tour 5 Male arrival

Tour #5 begins. I’ve set off on my 5th tour, our 13th trip to the Maldives overall. After this tour, we will have visited 55 resorts in total. The focus of this journey across paradise is the Gaafu Alifu (first time) as well as Baa atoll (we have toured here before but there are a number of new resorts as well as a couple we missed last time).

Gaafu Alifu, it turns out, is the world’s largest atoll. It has really come to life in recent years with a number of premium resort developments. It is known to have dive sites that rival the famous Ari atoll.  It is also primarily accesses via a domestic flight (instead of a seaplane or speedboat).  Some people are put off by seaplanes – they are very noisy and they are smaller which can make people ancy about flying more uneasy.  Unfortunately, seeing the Maldives from above, with this mottled tapestry of blues and greens is one of the great thrills of any visit.  If a more conventional flying machine makes this part of one’s journey a bit more enjoyable, then a domestic flight with a more ‘conventional’ aircraft might be just the thing.  It is a full 48 seater turbo-prop.  It flies a bit higher altitude than a seaplane, but you still a treated to a spectacular view of the Maldives seascape.

When I arrived, I spent my first day in Male catching up with a number of Maldivians who have been very helpful supporters of my work. I pitched up at the best “remote office” in the world at Traders Hotel with penthouse suite view, delicious food and drink, and a spa to freshen up before my meetings. I’ve yet to try the rooftop pool, though definitely on the Maldives bucket list.

I met with my longest standing industry supporter, Aminath Hudha who is working for a resort broker. She reports that business is strong across all areas (making her life very busy). I also met with people at the Ministry of Tourism who are enthusiastic about the site (so much so that they stayed quite late for our meeting on a Ramadan day when government offices shut at 2:00 pm).

Ramadan greetings, Maldives.

 

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What I Haven’t Seen Yet – Honeymoon Package

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Maldives honeymoon specials

The most frequently claimed (and most stubbornly reluctant I am to accord) is the “Best of the Maldives” for “Most Romantic”. On this last trip, Bandos pointed to its “Most Romantic” credentials (including its TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards), and Jumeirah made an impressive case for its Dhevanafushi property. Such claims always get me the most sceptical. I try to mask my cynicism when I ask “Are your sunsets more golden, your starlight more twinkling, your palms more rhythmic in their swaying??”

“Best of the Maldives” is is more rhetorical than scientific, but I do try to put some rigour into it. I try to have something objective and specific to hang my hat on as to why one’s feature is a touch more distinctive than another’s. And the more esoteric and specific the better. I will more readily accept that someone has a unique toe nail scrubber in their spa. But the the bar is so obscenely high for “Most Romantic” in the Maldives, I wonder how resorts could possibly stand out from the crowded field.

What does surprise me, and another thing I haven’t yet seen in the Maldives, is really the “uber” Honeymoon package. Perhaps it is the American “OTT” (Over-The-Top) in me, but I wonder where is the resort that has just blown the door off of a honeymoon package.

I don’t know any islands that even do the following which are popular honeymoon treats…

  • Mirrored ceilings (and other Poconos inspiration)
  • Breakfast in bed service (room service tweaked to be in bed with bed trays and the porter letting themselves in, after knocking of course).
  • In room chocolate fountain one evening (chocolate fountain at Kuramathi spa is inspired, but having it in the bedroom even more so).

Lots of resorts offer lots of the usual suspects in honeymoon packages – bottle of champagne, beach dinner, bed/table decoration, couples massage. But I don’t know any that combines them into one big ‘Honeymoon Ultimate’ package. The biggest honeymoon packages probably offer about a third of the list below which lists the most common ingredients in resort honeymoon packages.

  • Different bed decoration every night (most do one night)
  • Deserted Island picnic lunch and then dinner on another day
  • Candlelight beach dinner every night (most do one night)
  • Special couple spa treatment (with Kuramathi’s approach as a role model or perhaps Four Season Landaa Giraavaru’s romantic treatment)
  • Vow repeat/renewal/blessing
  • Champagne sunset cruise
  • Villa with private (secluded) pool
  • Reef generation frame to mark the occasion
  • Wedding photography

Maybe resorts feel that they already offer such a perfect honeymoon destination, certainly renowned as one of the tops in the world, why pour lots of money in gilding the lily. The two primary reasons would be to stand out against the huge competition from the many other resorts which share this uniformly romantic place on earth. The other obvious reason is to make money by charging for the super package.

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Even More What I Haven’t Seen

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Binoculars

And now the third annual “What I Haven’t Seen’. Despite more resorts in the Maldives and more resorts I’ve seen and researched, the list of crazy things one could do in the Maldives (if some venturing soul decided to offer them) just keeps growing. Here is the latest line-up of bizarre possibilities…

FOOD

Lobster Ice Cream – As I recently noted, Lobster is the luxury seaside dish which is why you find it prominently in nearly every resort as the special treat meal. And since ice cream is the universal hot weather treat, you have to wonder when lobster ice cream is going to come out of one of the creative resort kitchens.

Lobster ice cream

Lobster mac & cheese – Quite the trendy dish in posh USA restaurants combing the quintessential luxury ingredient into the classically budget recipe.  Mehan’s Kitchen recipe (below) adds the bonus posh ingredient of truffles.

Lobster macaroni and cheese

SPORT

Water Bikes – I’m thinking that Jason at Kurumba will have his eye on this one.  Waiting for the “Tour de Kurumba” peloton.

Water bike

Grass tennis court – On the heels of Wimbledon, the obvious question is where is the ‘grass court’. The ultimate in tennis sophistication. It turns our that One & Only Reethi Rah had one but it was replaced which is not surprising since they are very high maintenance.

Grass tennis court

Ballroom Dancing – With the television rise of the “Strictly Come Dancing” franchise, Ballroom and Latin dancing has made a come back in mainstream popularity around the world, but especially in UK, Germany, Italy, Russia, Australia and China. And we happen to know that one of the top World Ten Dance couples in the world, Richard Still and Morgan Hemphill have been keen to see the Maldives in their world travels. They give dazzling shows, but are also superlative teachers who can get groups of people doing basic steps very quickly.  If I were a resort owner, I would invite them down for a week.

Richard Still and Morgan Hemphill

Archery – Hulhule used to offer this activity, but no longer.

Beach archery

Water rope swing – Where in the northern hemisphere the best bodies of water we could hope for would be a swimming hole tucked away in the woods, they were invariably dressed up a bit with the ubiquitous rope swing.

Rope Swing

UNDERWATER

Breathing Observation Bubble – Aka “BOB”. Seriously, where are these?

Breathing Observation Bubble

Underwater sculpture garden. I read this story “Trying to Protect a Reef With an Otherworldly Diversion” and thought that this would be an excellent idea for those resorts not amply blessed with great house reefs, but situated in broad sandy lagoons. Four Seasons already sort of does this with Reefscaping topiary that creates a sort of visual interest. As it happens, when we were diving the Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo house reef last week, one of the sights was a sunken mermaid statue which was a fun discovery. After years of coral growing on it, it had developed an aquatic patina like you had stumbled upon some mysterious antiquated relic.

Underwater sculpture garden

Underwater snorkel signs – I read this article “Exploring Nature” writting about the Maldives by Clear Water Surf Travel that mentioned “submerged signage” on the house reef. After some investigation with Shangri-La Villingili, it turns out that they were no longer there. But I thought that it would be a delightful idea. Probably not for an entire house reef, but perhaps a section of house reef. Maybe a weak section of house reef that would otherwise be underwhelming, but adding a few signs identifying coral types could liven it up with a bit of education. Increasingly resorts are adding such helpful guides to the above-water nature.

Underwater snorkel signs

RELAXING

Gondolas – Prior to last week, this seemed like a natural. Gondolas are iconic of relaxing, exotic romance just made for calm water. Maldives is sort of a tropical Venice anyway with a profusion of Italian resorts. It turns out that Nika even has a Venezia theme including palazzos in the lagoon (used as channel markers) so I’m looking at Nika for this idea.

Gondola

EZ Hang Chairs – I see more type of lounge chairs and hammocks in the Maldives than I’ve ever seen elsewhere. Befitting of the indolent lounging ethos of the destination. A resort looking for even more variety of options would be well served to check out the EZ-Hang Chairs line.

EZ Hang Chairs

Ice Cave – Cooling down, especially after intense heat of a sauna or steam, is a great cardio workout. One & Only Reethi Rah has ice fountain, but our favourite local spa Pennyhill Park has taken this concept further with an ice wall that you lay your body against. Brrrr…refreshing!

Pennyhill Park ice wall

Facekinis – We learned more about the line “-kinis” in this world this trip. Reading the resort guidelines at Nika, we saw topless sunbathing referred to as sporting a “monokini”. Kurumba sells its own line of “Burkinis” aka “Burqini (post to follow). So, especially with the rise of Chinese guests, where are the “Facekinis”, ie. a “ski mask designed for swimmers and beachgoers which covers the head and reveals only the eyes, nose, and mouth. This mask is popular in the Chinese city of Qingdao, where it is used by people for protecting themselves from UV rays while tanning and from jellyfish while at the beach.”

Facekini

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Maldives Tour 2013 – Overview

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Tour writing on boat

What goes on tour does anything but stay on tour when it comes to my Maldives running around. I come back from Tour 4 with a wealth of new data for the database, pictures for the profiles (especially the Room Type profiles), Snorkel Spottings, candidates for “Best of the Maldives” posts, and new friends and supporters, as well as a few overall observations about tourism in the country.

RESEARCH – The near final tally is…

  • New Resorts Visited – 9
  • Snorkel Spottings – 28
  • Profile Data – 17
  • Room Pictures – 58
  • Best of Maldives candidates – 128

Not only have I added to the database this year, but the trip has prompted me to expand it as well with two new fields…

  • Walkways – It was Gangehi’s distinctive walkways (post to come) that made me think about (a) how the walkways of the resort islands vary, and (b) the impact this detail has on the experience and (foot) feel of each. In particular, they do tend to fall into one of three distinct categories…
    • Soft Sand
    • Hard Sand
    • Paved
  • Marine Biologist – I now have a pretty full collection of the marine biologists on staff at the resorts which can be a useful filter for people looking for a ore educational or ecological visit.

TRENDS – Each year also provides a chronological benchmark in the tourism trends of the country. In the past, I’ve commented on the escalating flight to quality as resorts renovate with more and more elaborate luxuries. This year I noticed…

  • Privacy – In the past, most Maldives resorts featured stand-alone villas littered about a plot of sand. A few islands offered special privacy features or villas (often “Suites” or “Residences”) with special private areas. Now it seems as if lots of resorts are investing in more in enhancing the privacy of stay. Walls, enclosed areas, shrub lines. On this tour alone, the resorts of Vittaveli, Nika, Halaveli, Baros and Kurumba has all made substantial investments in privacy features.
  • Diversity – The era of the country-specific resort seems to be waning. Some resorts through heritage, marketing and infrastructure do continue to maintain certain ambiences which evoke certain national cultures. But the number of resorts devoted to a particular market is reducing steadily. Bathala, Gangehi and Nika are three resorts that have traditionally catered primarily to the Italian market, for example. But the rise of Internet direct booking and economic pressures on certain markets have led to these and other resorts becoming increasingly diverse in the provenance profile of their guests. Also, the somewhat feared Chinese invasion seems abated as growth from that market has levelled out. Increasingly you are finding a more diverse and mixed set of nationalities at every island.

SEASONS – When we first started coming to the Maldives, we invariably chose the month of peak sunshine – February – which also coincided with the depths of the English winter as well as the peak prices of the high season. In more recent years, we have been coming in the ‘low season’ of July which suits our schedule better and also offers better prices due to the ‘variable’ climate at that time of year. The weather is one of the biggest draws to the Maldives (“The Sunny Side of Life”) and probably the most frequent asked of the FAQs on the TripAdvisor Forum.

So what is the difference between February and July. Essential February is stunningly bright and still, while July is more muted and breezy. For most, the former is much preferred (though my wife, Lori, being ‘of a certain age’, in her words, confessed that she preferred the gentle and cooling breeze of the wet monsoon season). I remember waking up each morning on our February trips and pulling back the curtain thinking that surely some clouds must have rolled in over night only to find that the sunshine was as bright as the previous day and the day before that. When I pull back the curtain in July, I’m less certain of what I will get. There are more variations in the atmosphere. By and large, it too is ‘bright’, but there will be clouds peppering the sky and breezes stirring up the ocean. I’ve actually assembled a handy reference table below to try to characterise as simply as possible what general weather one can tend to expect from a February visit versus July…

 

Season comparison

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Maldives Tour 2013 – Day 10: Kurumba

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Kurumba tour 2

The newest old resort in the Maldives.

You’d think after 2 week long visits I would have finally all there is to see of a resort. Especially one you can walk from one side to the other in 7 minutes. But my final stop on the 2013 tour at Kurumba revealed as many new and exciting aspects as I had seen most of the week on my maiden visits.

I was hesistant to add Kurumba to the itinerary at first trying as I always want to gather as much new information as possible. I won’t say it’s a whole new resort, but it is a lot new – room refurbishments, restaurant overhaul, style upgrades. And simply the most ambitious and exciting recycling initiative in the country at the moment. Anyone bothered by the unpleasantness of Thilafushi would be well served to consider Kurumba’s pioneering work here (stay tuned for a big post on this work).

What wasn’t hard to convince me was to have another round of the lively house reef. I’ve been touting it as the most active house reef in terms of marine life that I have come across (but, hey, I’ve only snorkelled about 40 house reefs). Some skeptics were curious to see if this year I hit the same success. Well, actually not. Even more success! Not only is it the absolute shark bonanza of house reefs (we spotted 7), but we saw more of the ‘Big 5’ snorkelling. As logged on Snorkel Spotter, Lori and I also saw 2 lovely turtles and a huge sting ray. Not to mention the big schools of Sergent Major, Parrotfish, Bleu Striped Snappers, and a group of fluorescent squid passing by. There is no such thing as a sure thing (to see special marine life) in house reef snorkelling, but Kurumba is the closest thing there is to one. And finally, there were lots of signs of the corals coming back strongly with bits of blue, green and yellow tips scattered everywhere.

Kurumba is possibly the ‘Unsung Hero’ of resorts in the Maldives. Existing in the shadow the Maldives and of its own history produce mistaken preconceptions that it is too close to the built-up Male and it must be past it prime. But, Kurumba has been a trail blazer since it first pioneered the concept of a Maldiviain resort and remains in tune with the modern Maldives. The ancient Buddhist saying is that you can never step in the same river twice. That is certainly the case for the Maldives and even more so for the moving and shaking Kurumba. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking it when considering an exceptional Maldives resort.

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Maldives Tour 2013 – Day 9: Baros

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Baros tour

Pepperoni Pizza, Hot Fudge Sundae, Dry Martini. Just a few examples that of simple concoctions for classic cravings. Get choice ingredients and blend them just right and you have an irresistible temptation. Sort of like Baros – gorgeous house reef, classy décor, lush island. Stir gently with a tropical breeze. Savour.

One ingredient deliberately avoided by Baros is distraction of children. Under 8s are not allowed and there are no family rooms so few teenagers tend to come.

Baros has had more years than most to work on its special recipe. It was the 3rd resort in the Maldives (after Kurumba and Bandos) and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Quiet elegance. It doesn’t splash around a lot with flashy features. A great over water restaurant, a great house reef (probably the best hard coral we have seen since Mirihi) and attention to details of quality and privacy. A real lovers’ haven.

 

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Maldives Tour 2013 – Day 8: Nika

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Nika tour

Curiouser and curiouser. Just when you think you have seen it all after visiting 47 resorts in the Maldives (and researching all the others), you pull up to a place like Nika which defies comparison to anything else in the Maldives.

It’s easier to compare Nike to a hotel back in the old country of its heritage, Italy, than to another Maldivian property. In fact, their tag line is “Maldives Italian Look”. It was one of the first 10 resorts in the Maldives (and among an even more select group of that original 10 that are still around). The original owner developed a distinctive villa style, part ocean influence and part Italian old world style with curios strewn about.

The whole feel of the place reminded us of one of our favourite Italian hotels – Hotel Florence. On the shores of Lake Como, the infamous town of Bellagio makes most people think of the flashy, slick, 5-star-plus luxury Hotel Serbelloni. But we found that the Florence, just next door, exudes charm and character, with exceptional views of the lake and at a fraction of the price. That is exactly like Nika.

The ‘villas’ are unlike anything you have come across in the Maldives. With their distinctive size (the bathrooms are bigger than most bungalows in the Maldives…seriously, you could play a game of squash in there) and privacy, they are more like ‘beach homes’ or ‘seaside cottages’.

It is not just the villas. The whole island smacks of something like a little seaside village rather than a resort. Low set stone walls line two parallel sand boulevards giving the island the ambience of an exclusive community. Since everything is sequestered into its own private area, you see very little of the island interior. The individual residences are as private as the staff residences are in most resorts. And you can’t see much of the outer island by walking around the shore because guests are not allowed to walk on any beach except their own and the two public beach areas.

Of course, you can go one step further out and snorkel around the island on the house reef. While hit by El Nino a while back, it still sports a fine drop off teeming with lots of fish (we saw sharks and two moray eels nestled together in a crevice).

This tour feels a bit like raiding the Italian stash of prized resorts (sorry Roberta). Bathala, Gangehi and now Nika. No major UK operator is carrying Nika, but you can book directly online. I came away with 21 Best of the Maldives candidates (and some of the more unusual ones ever) so there are plenty of reasons to venture into this quirky little slice of tropical Venice.

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