South Hams Lifestyle Dec 2021 - Jan 2022

Blue
INTO THE
Emily Baker takes in ultimate luxury
in the inimitable Maldives
I
t’s difficult to write about the Maldives
without descending into clichés - it
is every bit as beautiful as you
imagined, the ocean suites with their
glass floor hatches are equal parts
luxurious and mesmerising, and of course
the combination of sand, sea and allinclusivity
really are a winner - so, I’ll try
and limit myself to only using the word
crystalline a handful of times, but what
can I tell you that you don’t already know?
I think I could start with the journey -
though travelling is my bread and butter,
long haul can test even the most excited
of voyagers. There are a few different
routes to the mainland of Male, but for
those looking to fly in the lap of luxury
(and if you’re heading to the Maldives,
who isn’t) then Qatar Airways is the
best choice - with a short layover in the
ultra-plush Doha airport, it’s enough to
make the journey an event, rather than
a task. Their internationally-celebrated
Qsuite experience is unlike any other
I’ve experienced in the air - your own
private suite with partitioned doors offers
ambient mood lighting, fully lie-flat beds
and generous storage space. You can
open up the space to enjoy meals and a
glass of fizz with your travel party, before
slipping back into ultimate comfort and
privacy. The food is exceptional too -
both on board and in the Doha Business
Class lounge. It’s easy to see why it’s
consistently rated the best in the world.
If you’ve been nervous to travel since the
pandemic, the in-flight team are so highly
professional, you can relax in complete
safety and start your holiday off in the
most wonderful way.
Once in Male, the final leg of the journey
begins - and for us, it was by seaplane.
There is something other-worldly about
seeing this string of atolls from the air for
the first time. The inky-blue sea stretches
out like a vast blanket, punctuated by
bursts of green, framed by the turquoise
necklace of each island’s reef. Even
whilst feeling weary from the long flight, I
pressed myself to the window like a child,
completely mesmerised by the views
below along the 40 minute hop. If you’re
looking for that international-traveller ‘I’ve
made it’ feeling, then arriving by seaplane
has to tick all the boxes.
The welcome on arrival at the spectacular
Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Resort was the
first taste of the the Sun Siyam group’s
trademark hospitality - a gleaming small
army in white uniforms and glowing
smiles awaited, festooning us with flower
garlands and introducing each guest to
their own dedicated villa butler - they
are your go-to whilst on the resort, for
everything from booking restaurant tables
to helping you hitch a ride on one of the
golf buggies that transport guests around
the 52 acre island.
There are a handful of different
accommodation options for guests -
either stays on those quintessential
oceanic villas, decked with their steps
straight into the water, or a series of
beach villas, either with direct access to
the beach or with oceanic views and their
own private infinity pools. Whilst some
of the fixtures and fittings are looking a
little tired in places, the sheer delight of
the location more than makes up for any
shortcomings inside, as does the wealth
of activities, both in the water and out,
available from your doorstep.
This brings me on to my other
assumption - one I think many travellers
make - that the Maldives is a destination
for loved-up couples to fly and flop in
luxury. And whilst there’s definitely scope
for that, I wasn’t overcome by a raft of
couples acting amorously by the pool,
but instead greeted by a huge breadth
of guest profiles - there were, of course,
couples, but also groups of friends on
a girls getaway and families - taking
advantage of the total safety of the
island to let little ones run around freely.
Though, unlike other family-friendly
resorts, the children are seen but not
heard - there’s space for everyone, so
adults can still find their escape. Kids
and adults alike can partake in aquatic
adventures, with guided reef swimming,
“If the term barefoot luxury is
banded about too much, it’s very
much found its true definition here”
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