Island-hopping in the Maldives is pure, barefoot bliss

It’s quite a journey flying to the Maldives. Well, if you don’t charter your own private jet of course. But, as they say, the journey is half the fun and travelling has never been this much fun. Even packing for an overseas trip was exciting — sarongs, shorts, swimming costumes, books and gallons of sunscreen. Basically all you need for the Maldives — and a few smart clothes for lunch and dinner.

I travelled via Doha on Qatar Airways. It’s a bustling crossroads but easy to navigate, and the airport staff are happy to direct you to your gate. I then flew to the capital of the Republic of Maldives, Malé, which I saw for only a few minutes from the tiny window on the plane. It’s a small city, packed with buildings that seem so close together they are nearly on top of each other, but there are only a few skyscrapers. I learnt later from a few people that it’s a thriving metropolis and expensive to live in. (One Maldivian rufiyaa equals R1, but things are pricey — think Hong Kong prices — and the US dollar is the preferred currency.)

I head to the dock to catch a seaplane to my first resort — Fushifaru in the Lhaviyani Atoll. The dock is filled with planes ferrying people to different islands. It smells of diesel, ocean and freedom. Yes, really! I climb unsteadily into the 15-seater Twin Otter. 

Advice: try to get a seat in the front, next to a window. Not only will you be able to see the different atolls and resorts but you will also be able to check out how deft these pilots are. They’re barefooted and in shorts, but there’s no reason to panic as they are clearly in charge and know exactly what they are doing. The pilot lands perfectly, which is amazing as the waters are not exactly calm — it is monsoon season. 

Fushifaru, a five-star boutique resort, has won plenty of awards since its opening in 2017 and one can see why. It is an idyllic paradise surrounded by white sandy beaches, turquoise water and beautiful villas popping out of the ocean. 

The resort is owned by a Maldivian corporation and you can feel the hospitality of this tourism-driven country immediately. There’s a warm welcome on the dock and a delicious cold coconut drink at the check-in. 

It’s a bit drizzly but still warm (25°C-30°C this time of year), humid but comfortable — just right for my dodgy sinuses and not too horrid for my curly hair. I’m shown to my luxury beach villa, one of 44 beach villas and 19 ocean villas. I can’t help but twirl around and touch and smell everything.

There’s a welcome platter of fruit (mango and dragon fruit are delicious), and each villa gets coconuts filled with theli banbukeyo (crispy fried breadfruit chips, a local delicacy) and roasted coconut. Each beach villa has a spacious patio, sunbeds, loungers, its own private pool and, best of all, easy access to the beach. 

I could choose to do nothing but sit on my deck, swim in the pool, go to the beach and back to the villa for an outdoor shower (it's completely private) then repeat, but there is loads to do. Book for a week minimum.

It has a private sandbank (the largest in the Maldives) for either a wedding (which I highly recommend if you are engaged and looking for somewhere exotic), picnic, or a night glamping under the stars. There’s a sunset dolphin cruise on a traditional dhoni, diving, snorkelling (our group saw turtles as big as cars, and schools of brightly coloured fish), the spa, and enough seafood at the choice of three restaurants to make all the Ocean Baskets jealous. I recommend booking one night at the Teppanyaki Grill, where the chef entertains with all sorts of culinary shenanigans while making one-of-a-kind delicacies.

TO EVERYTHING ITS PORPOISE

But soon it’s time to leave, this time by boat headed for the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort located in the Baa Atoll. It’s an impressive sight when coming in. The architecture is beautifully structured — Japanese wooden structures with Maldivian flair. Everything is purposeful or (snort) porpoiseful.

There’s a meaningful relationship between the environment and the buildings. Structures such as the welcome centre take the shape of a whale mouth, the kiddies' playground roof is shaped like a stingray. It’s owned by a Japanese consortium so be prepared for those fancy dancy toilets that do everything for you (even the dive centre has them!). 

They offer loads of different accommodation,  according to what you need. There are 69 villas, and from what I could see on my site inspection, they’re all uber-luxe. My beach villa had a similar set up to Fushifaru, except that it felt huge as the bathroom is inside the room and massive. My partner joked when I sent him pics that he knew he'd never see me again as this was my idea of heaven. I also had a private pool and easy access to the beach. What more could one ask for?

The weather was sunny, so off to the ocean for some snorkelling. There’s a library upstairs at the sunset bar area, so you can also just chill out, read and take time to watch the sunset with a cocktail or five. Food was amazing at the different restaurants the island has to offer but my recommendation is The Pearl, which offers an elegant Japanese dining experience.

There’s loads to do here as well — spa, diving (you can get your diving licence here), there’s a gym (why?!), snorkelling, watersports, night snorkelling, four unique dining options and pearly white beaches, where you want to just relax and think of nothing.

HIDING SPOT

The visit flew by and before I knew it I was heading to the majestic Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa. Now, there is a bit of extra travelling involved to get to this resort but it’s worth it. It’s on one of the furthest islands, situated in the north on the Haa Alifu Atoll, and called Dhonakulhi. After a boat ride from Baa, I had to take a domestic flight from Malé to Hanimaadhoo Airport (45 minutes away). From there I took another boat (about 25 minutes) and was welcomed by the staff. 

The ocean villas are what I would call six-star accommodation, as there is enough space and enough room for you to feel blissfully isolated. (You also have your own butler on call — so la-di-da). Really, I would spend days in my villa relaxing (as people tend to do — so the name Hideaway is quite apt). But they also have this amazing reef just on the beach, which makes it easy to snorkel even for a novice like me. There are eagle rays and millions of different fish to see. 

There are all the other activities, such as diving, watersports and so on that the other resorts have, but what sets Hideaway apart is that there’s a golf pro to take you through your swings via X-Golf, a simulator that you can book to take you on the world’s major courses; a real tennis court with a coach to help with your serve; and table tennis inside a gym for when the weather goes a bit hinky. 

The other resorts all have their pros as well and not many cons at all but Hideaway feels like it has that extra bit of comfort and luxury. It’s the one I would go back to if I could.

I’ve been to many places, but the Maldives has topped the list as the best place I’ve been to so far and I am not a person who even cares for the beach. Put it on your bucket list.

• Platt was a guest of the Maldives Tourism Board. 

PLAN YOUR TRIP:

• Economy-class return flights on Qatar Airways are priced from about R7,200. Prepare for 18 -24 hours' travel time.
• You need to take a PCR test no more than 96 hours before you arrive in the Maldives. Print out three copies to take with you.
• Fill in the mandatory health declaration form within 24 hours of your departure for the Maldives. Once it's done, you get a QR code that will be scanned at your airline's check-in counter.
• If you have prescription medication, takes a doctor’s letter with you.
• Take a UK international adapter.
• If you plan to go island-hopping, you need to take a PCR test on each island 24 hours before you depart for the next. 
• Pack reef-safe sunscreen. 
• Don’t pack alcohol, religious items, pornography, weapons of any kind, pork or pork products, or any medicines that you don’t have supporting documents for. Your bags will be thoroughly scanned.