I smile awkwardly at the couple in the speedboat we’re in, en route to the resort from Velana International Airport, Maldives.
Even as I make light of visiting the adults-exclusive ‘Love Island’ OBLU SELECT Lobigili alone, I remind myself that I’m probably among the select few who will get to take in a bit of Instagram’s version of paradise as a solo traveller.
No amount of social media scrolling, however, prepares you for the brilliant blue sea, the clean beaches, and the warm, hospitable people at Lobigili. There’s definitely a lot to love about the ‘Island of Love’ — in the Maldivian dialect of Diveh, ‘Lobi’ means Love and ‘Gili’ means Island.
Adults-exclusive resorts are few in number in the Maldives, but are a welcome getaway for couples looking for uniquely curated experiences and some peace and quiet. Lobigili promises a ‘perfectly secluded and castaway feel.’
Maldives has 159 registered resorts, according to the Ministry of Tourism, and like Lobigili, they operate under the unique one-island one-resort concept.
The Island hostess who shows me around the property tells me to just revel in all what it has to offer, despite me having travelled alone there. “Wait till you see the sunset,” she adds. This is a huge part of my experience alone at Love Island – sunrises and sunsets. I even stop and volunteer to click a picture for a couple trying to capture themselves against the orange sky.
Couples can enjoy curated dining experiences, massages at the spa, and explore water sports. Lobigili will soon have private beach bonfires, movie nights on the beach, a love language therapist, a body artist who can customise tattoos, and a fragrance testing experience to create their own perfumes. In a heart-shaped structure made of sandbags near the main resort Island, couples can also have a special ceremony to renew their vows.
As for me? I’m thankful to have fellow journalists who’ve travelled solo as well; we stick out as a large group of people amidst the loved-up couples. This however doesn’t take away from us experiencing a sunset cruise or a barbecue dinner under the stars — the islands incandescent charm more than makes up for the lack of familiar company.
