THEGUIDE
maldives
FAHTHAI
117
1 _
WHAT WE
RECOMMEND
Don’t miss the chance
to play a round of table
tennis at W Retreat & Spa;
the table is planted in the
shallows of the swimming
pool! You haven’t played
table tennis until you’ve
played it in the water.
(whotels.com)
2 _
KNOW THE
NUMBER
5.1 – the height, in
metres above sea level,
of the Maldives’ tallest
“mountain”. The mound
at Shangri-La’s golf
course is the nation’s
highest point (that said,
the Maldives has some
of the world’s tallest
undersea mountains).
3 _
FOOTRUB
Got sore feet after a day
of exploring Malé? There’s
no better way to unwind
than with a professional
foot massage. Lucky for
you, FootRub is part of the
city’s Sala Boutique Hotel,
so you just need to walk
(or hobble) a few steps
from your room to enjoy
a relaxing and restorative
reflexology treatment.
(salafamilymaldives.com)
COUNTRY
CODE
+960
EXCHANGE
RATE
MVR15.3 = US$1
FREQUENCY
1 flight per day
SURROUNDED
BY OCEAN
You'll
find yourself more
often in the water
than not
W A T E R W O R L D
Top 3
insider
travel tips
Rest Your Head
FOUR SEASONS KUDA HURAA
Elegance, style and superb
service are hallmarks of Four
Seasons, but Kuda Huraa is
also extremely family-friendly.
Services include an excellent
kids’ club, children’s menus, an
interactive marine lab, special
diving courses and even a
dedicated Kuda (“little”) Spa.
(fourseasons.com)
Top Tables
ANANTARA KIHAVAH VILLAS
At the helm for just 12 months,
executive chef Gaspare “Sam“
Greco has revolutionised dining
at Anantara Kihavah Villas.
Sam’s signature tuna tartar and
Australian lamb with polenta
and oven-dried tomatoes is
unsurpassed.
(anantara.com)
Bottoms Up
TAVARU TOWER
Rare and vintage liqueurs are
among the exciting surprises
awaiting guests in the wine
cellar at Velaa Private Island’s
Tavaru Tower. Labels that
caught our eye recently include
a Blandy’s Madeira dating back
to 1870 and a Quarles Harris
1977 Vintage Port.
(velaaprivateisland.com)
Stop to Shop
DIVE GEAR
One of the main reasons
travellers visit the Maldives
is for the spectacular diving
opportunities. Dive Gear offers
one of the republic’s biggest
selections of international
brands, top-quality equipment,
wetsuits, diving books and even
underwater cameras.
(divegearmaldives.com)
COCOROOH
Maldives-based designer
Coco Ryoko Maruno’s label,
CocoRooh, offers stylish, fair-
trade, bohemian-inspired resort
wear exclusively at One & Only
Reethi Rah Resort Maldives. A
native of Japan, Coco doubles
as a Kundalini yoga instructor,
which she says inspires her
approach to design.
(oneandonlyresorts.com)
Maldives
TEXT: SARAH HARVEY
