The cold January weather has me dreaming of warm and long summer days, fresh drinks at sunset and white sandy beaches. And even though I've been at so many amazing beaches, I can't stop thinking of the Maldives. May be because it was the only vacation so far, we really did nothing but laying at the beach. Five perfect days just enjoying ourselves and all the amenities the resort had to offer us. So, not much to write about, really...
We flew to Malé with Emirates Airways via Dubai. And when this happens, I personally prefer to stay there over night, explore the city a bit (every time I go back there's something new that deserves attention), adapt to the time difference and relax between flights. We arrived to the Maldives' capital in the morning, but there was still time to kill until our seaplane transfer to the hotel, so we took full advantage of its lounge at the airport. We were able to grab some breakfast, enjoy the views over the seaplane terminal and get some massages. It was way better than I was expecting it to be for a hotel's lounge. But hey, when you're going to one of Maldives's best resorts, there's no room for insufficient hospitality.
Tip: If your hotel is closer to the capital and you have a boat transfer, highly recommend you to book a seaplane ride (I believe there will be such excursion available in your hotel) - views are breathtaking.
The resort we stayed at has two islands - a bigger one with bungalows on the beach, and another one, called the "quiet zone" (adults only) with overwater bungalows. They are both connected with a bridge over a coral reef, which gives you the opportunity to observe some very special fish, like the manta ray we saw a couple of times. Or you can just take the typical boat that goes from one island to the other every 15 minutes or so.
We opted for the smaller island and after checking into our overwater bungalow, I was blown away by the entire experience. Even though there were several other bungalows next to ours, we had full privacy. Well, we were all sharing the ocean, but still. And it felt so good to go for a swim before the morning coffee. You know, like washing your sleepy face in the ocean.
We actually chose this exact resort because of its underwater restaurant. To try it, you have to book one of the three options: a snack &champagne (around 11 am), lunch or dinner. As first-timers, we opted for the snack. After all, we just wanted to check it off our wish list (I don't like the idea of a "bucket" list) and if we loved it that much, we would go back for lunch another day. It wasn't necessary. Don't get me wrong, we loved it and is really an amazing experience I recommend if staying there, but the restaurant itself is very small and feels super packed, even with the limited seats it has. So, once was enough for us.
Plus, all other restaurants in the resort were also super high quality. My favourite part was that I didn't have to repeat every time that I'm garlic intolerant. I said it only the first night, and after that every waiter that was attending us, was already aware of my alimentary limitations. And all the food was so delicious...
Ugh, I want to go back so badly. If someone is shopping for my birthday present, here's a hint - take me back to Maldives 💙
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