J'AIME SEPTEMBER 2019

A ROOM WITH A VIEW AT OZEN
quality. My room felt private with the foliage, plus
I could hear the lapping waves of the sea as it was
only a few steps away. That’s what I like about the
Maldives; you are only ever a few feet away from the
calming waters.
The resort also has a beautiful infinity pool which
looks over the beach straight to the sea, this was the
central point of the resort and they also have an
adult only pool hidden away.
Some worry about ‘island-fever’ in the Maldives,
but the resorts combat this by ensuring there is
atmosphere in the resorts (without being too in your
face). On this island, a singer entertained us in the
evening during dinner and drinks and later a DJ gave
the island a real lift. Not all hotels in the Maldives
will have a DJ, especially as many couples are here
on honeymoon, although when I looked around,
everything one seemed happy enjoying the music.
It was great to enjoy my own private pool villa, and a
must for honeymooners!
Here, I enjoyed their restaurant, Just Veg. As the
name says, its serves vegetarian dishes and the variety
and quality of what was on offer was excellent.
As I was eating so much at this point, I made the
most of the gym, which was adjacent to the water
villas, so as you can imagine, when I was on the
treadmill, I felt like I was running into the waves.
It was the best gym view I have ever come across
to date! As with the vast majority of hotels in the
Maldives, you can choose from an array of water
sports and here they promoted sunset fishing too.
I have never been on a seaplane before, so the
journey to my next resort was an experience in itself.
They are much smaller than I thought, but it’s a
great way to see all the various atolls and really take
in the views from above. After 35 minutes, I landed
at Kanfusihi. Once again, I was greeted to drums,
horns and I think the whole island came out to
welcome me.
My first impressions of Kanifushi is that it felt a
much larger island and I certainly had that feeling
that you were the only person around. The width
of the island is 2.5km whereas Male is 1.9km wide
and so if you want a big island with lots of bar and
restaurant options, this is the place to be.
What I really liked about this hotel was if you were
to walk from one side to the next, it would take you
a while but every so often you could find an outdoor
fridge full of drinks, so you never go thirsty.
I had a beach villa at this resort and if you are keen
on a stretch of beach, and more privacy this is a
good option for you.
The quality of the food and the setting was perfect,
this was all I expected of the Maldives. I was sitting
outside eating traditional Maldivian cuisine, my
taste buds were having a feast and so were my other
senses; my eyes could see the blue waves crashing
against the rocks, and I could feel a warm breeze, I
really felt in my happy place.
A range of activities are on offer such as a sunset
cruise, twice daily snorkelling excursions, and a PADI
diving school for those who want to venture further
SAM WAS WELCOMED TO
THE ISLAND IN STYLE
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