There’s a certain look people give when they hear you’ve been to the Maldives: like you’ve just gotten married or bought your first home. There’s awe, a dash of envy, but mostly keen anticipation as they wait to bask in the reflected joy of the experience. Once you’ve been, you soon realise - going to the Maldives really does feel like a life event.
The island nation is scattered across the top half of the Indian Ocean, bathed in the kind of glorious, golden daylight rarely seen in the UK. They’re famous for their outrageous beauty; think euphorically blue water, soft sands and palm trees ruffling in the breeze, all complemented with some of the most luxurious resorts on the planet. No wonder it’s a honeymoon hotspot.
While it’s undeniably beautiful, lately the Maldives has felt far from pristine. It’s not unusual to find bits of plastic rubbish washing up on the talcum powder-fine sands, a sad consequence of wider global pollution.
One resort is leading the clean-up charge: the uber-luxurious Fairmont Maldives, which sits on Sirru Fen Fushi (known as the secret water island), a short seaplane ride from the Maldivian capital Male.
Where is it?
Found on a six mile-wide lagoon in Shaviyani Atoll, the Fairmont occupies the entire island, like most Maldives resorts. The lush 16-hectare island is surrounded by marine life-rich reefs and is one hour ahead of Male: prepare to adjust your watch to island time.
Waves break way out on the horizon where the reef begins; by the time they reach the shore, the bath-temperature water laps serenely at your feet.
The seaplane transfer, piloted by a barefoot captain, is a white-knuckle ride depending on your thrill level, but a boat takes up to eight hours, so air is by far the quickest route to your sun lounger. Besides, the flight offers glorious views across the turquoise waves.
Style
Is it even a Maldives resort without overwater villas? At the Fairmont they’re arranged in a leaf shape at one end of the island and come complete with plunge pools, hanging chairs and a glass pane in the loo’s floor so residents can watch fish when they’re spending a penny. They’re top pick for couples, celebrities and influencers chasing privacy and ‘gram gold.
Meanwhile the island boasts 120 beachside and jungle villas, preferred by families and groups with plenty of space to spread out. Each one capitalises on the sunshine with light, airy interiors, vaulted ceilings, intricately carved wooden doors and plenty of marble - including a gigantic outdoor bathtub made from a single piece of stone. Each beachside villa also comes with a pool and direct access to the ocean. Homely touches like Bose speakers, yoga mats and bikes at the door make it easy to do your own thing.
Food & Drink
Sunbathing is hungry work. Luckily there are three restaurants at the Fairmont. Raha Market sits on the beach and offers laidback buffets for all of the day’s meals, complemented by live cooking stations offering crowd-pleasers like grilled fish, Indian and Maldivian cuisine, every kind of breakfast eggs, and wood-fired pizza amongst others.
Both Kata, specialising in elevated Japanese dishes, and Azure, offering fresh catch of the day, are made for celebration meals with tables making the most of incredible views stretching out in every direction. We had the best sushi of our lives at Kata as manta rays and a reef shark swam beneath our feet, while dinner at Azure came with a side of stargazing. Stop for a golden hour sundowner at beach bar, Onu Onu.
Extracurricular
If you’re up for a bit of adventure, there’s plenty to fill your itinerary. Swim the length of the main pool, the longest in the Maldives, or book in for a massage at the excellent Willow Stream Spa. Sign up for painting classes in the art studio or don an apron and try your hand at Maldivian cooking.
Whatever you do, don’t skip snorkelling. Resident marine biologist Sam, on first name terms with the local Hawksbill turtles, manta rays, (small) sharks and dolphins, will not only take you on an underwater safari, but he’ll art direct with his GoPro too, giving you top-tier content to take home. As well as swims along the 9km reef, the team will lead you by the flipper around the Coralarium, a hybrid coral regeneration project and art installation in the waters facing Raha Market.
Sustainability
Sam is the island’s point man on all things eco, heading up the resort’s new Sustainability Lab, housed in former shipping containers. They’re working with the Maldivian government to sweep the waters of litter (think bottle tops and tangled fishing nets), turning trash into souvenir treasure. Guests can join in making their own eco-masterpieces or simply help the project by buying a turtle-shaped keyring or plant pot.
Best of all, the Lab also transforms plastic waste into classroom equipment to give back to local schools. It’s an idea they’re hoping will catch onto other islands as well as locals and kids as he promotes the necessity of recycling and ocean conservation.
It’s an especially pressing issue in the Maldives where more of the world’s rubbish is washing up on the golden shores.
Which villa?
While the overwater abodes are seriously impressive, the beachside villas are showstoppers too - plus, they’re closer to the restaurants, spa and other facilities. Ours came with sun loungers and not one, but two cabanas, offering multiple settings to idle with an ice-cold beer and watch hermit crabs pootling along the beach. Angle for one on the west side to soak up glorious sunset views and watch the seaplane making twice-daily drop offs.
Best for
Loved up couples and families splashing out on a trip of a lifetime.
How to get there
While there are direct flights to Male, we flew with Emirates courtesy of travel operator Luxtripper. They offer an option to offset the carbon cost of your trip for half price - they’ll cover the rest. You can get on with your holiday, safe in the knowledge that your carbon emissions will be offset within the next 10 years.
Details
Seven nights staying in a Beach Villa on a half board basis, starts from £6,799 per couple. The cost includes return flights from London Heathrow with Emirates Airlines and includes Sea Plane Transfers with TMA (Trans Maldivian Airways) luxtripper.co.uk
