Anniversary on an Island @ Romantic Maldives

“In the middle of an island

In the middle of the ocean

You and I beneath the moonlight

With just the monkeys and the palm trees.

In the middle of an island

When it’s time to do some kissin’

Plenty time for lotsa lovin’

And walkin’ barefoot in the sand.”

– by Tony Bennett

Beach holiday resort

The “R” Word for Romance in the Maldives

Those are lyrics from a Tony Bennet song, “In The Middle of an Island“. A more apt song than this there couldn’t be, at least not with a destination like this. Its tune played softly in my receptive ears as the plane touched down on the runway of Male International Airport. Maldives here we come!

My heart skipped a beat as my mind raced back to several years ago when we had landed on a similar island called Mauritius, the “M” word for a honeymooner’s paradise! A heartbeat that doubled its pace as memory after sweet Mauritian memory infused my thoughts as we reached the Maldives. So similar in topography were they, and yes among the best bet for romantic couples seeking a blissful respite in the most sought after honeymoon locations in Maldives.

Maldivian Welcome

As we walked out of Male airport, we expected to see a fleet of hotel cars and cabs waiting to greet us, the new arrivals. But lo and behold, we were greeted instead by a sprawling Indian Ocean and a fleet of catamarans vying to ferry us to Jumeirah Vittaveli, our resort cosily nestled in the south of Male. Our very own dream island in the middle of our very own ocean! Twenty minutes across sparkling, crystal clear waters we were greeted by a gracious hotel manager, offered refreshing citrus drinks, a traditional Maldivian welcome, garlands, a live band et al!

Coconut trees swaying by the beachside

Sprawling Ambience on an Isle

Having completed our check-in formalities, our baggage was loaded into a quaint buggy driven by a genial tanned boy who tipped his hat to greet us before he rode our bags to our room. The resort spanned the entire mini island and could only be approached by boats, motorized catamarans and seaplanes. It comprised 75 villas, 14 suites including 7 ‘Ocean Suites’ and a ‘Royal Residence’, each offering an exquisite view of the Indian Ocean.

The remarkable 5-bedroom ‘Royal Residence’ occupied its own stretch of beach, and comprised 3,500 square metres of the ultra-private oceanfront estate. The perfect playground for the extraordinarily lazy and romantic traveller, this opulent hideaway includes two pools, a spa, gym and has a capacity to cater to 14 guests. It boasts of full-scale restaurants as well as a private overwater bar.

We were driven through the property, across the villas until we reached our own. Standing on four wooden legs in the ocean, we crossed a wooden plank holding tightly onto our hats into the security of our cottage. On hindsight, I realized that we ought to have picked up caps with elastic bands if only to let our hands stay free from trying to rescue them from flying in the island breeze.

Lazy First Day at Jumeirah Vitavalli

A private deck outside our room

As we entered our room, we stopped in breathtaking awe of the marine life below the glass flooring. Inside our very own room! The deck looked longingly, as if beckoning us to tan ourselves a deep brown, just by lying on its quaint woodenness. No thanks, we didn’t wish to deepen our skin tone any more than it already was. However, we did sit in chaise lounges on the covered part of the deck, sipping heady wine which sent us into peaceful slumber even before nighttime came.

The midnight dips in our very own private swimming pool were a delight which we gleefully indulged in all of the five days we were there. Beyond our mini pool was a wooden staircase leading down into the ocean. Seeing, it’s said, is believing. And only if you saw it, would you believe that it was absolutely divine, as divine as a stairway to heaven. I almost suspected that if we stared harder into the skies, we’d behold God himself in a flowing white robe and white angels floating around Him. A paradise not lost, but one to remember.

Stairs into the Ocean

We had a choice, to take gingerly steps down – one at a time – or dive straight into the ocean. Not a grand idea, though, as the waters were a tad rough for comfort. Apart from a few strokes across a not so deep pool, we weren’t expert swimmers to combat the strength of oceanic waves. After all, we looked forward to many more years of happiness together, and not drown to serve as fish feed in a watery grave.

One among our lavish breakfasts

There was a boat coming from the ocean villa across ours, bringing guests at over for lunch at one of its restaurants. There is an ‘MU Beach Bar and Grill’ which served finger-licking seafood and prime steaks, two overwater lounges, an underground wine library and an underground tasting room. Signature dining was available at ‘Fenesse’, serving up classic Continental cuisine in contemporary style. Not far behind was ‘Swarna’, which served an inspired Indian Cuisine in a Maharaja style garden. Romantic private dining on the beach was also available for new and lavish honeymooners, and even for us who can never grow too old for romance. Some retreaters headed to the family pool in the main club, which had a kiddy pool nearby. Whoa, how much better could this get!

Sporting Day Two at the Ocean

As one of the honeymoon locations in Maldives, the holidayers were mostly couples – married or partners. Children too. Come Day Two, and we headed towards the clean, sandy beach which offered an array of water sports and activities that had us leaping with as much joy as the children around. I must confess that my leaps were confined to just the sandy beach, as my other half mustered the courage to go out into the ocean.

Snorkelling

The first afternoon saw him try snorkelling though it took quite some time getting used to the webbed feet. The children around were far more adept at it, and so we joined them on a big boat to go deep-sea diving. Deep-sea diving isn’t my cuppa, but with the friendly support of a British instructor who loved the ocean more than grounded reality (pun intended), it didn’t appear as formidable. Many a sceptical diver came to later be inspired by him to even manage even a PADI certification. To obtain this, they had to go diving every day starting out with a half-hour and progressing to two hours. Life underwater is blissful and serene, so I came to learn from others’ first-hand experience. They got to see a wide array of sea life and were even taken to a shipwreck.

Aquatic Life

As for me, I preferred to enjoy my afternoon at the luxurious ‘Talise Spa’. Here they produced their own natural blend of coconut oil from handpicked harvest on the land. Nimble and gentle fingers took the nagging stress away.

Sun Loungers

The rest of our stay saw us gently laze on our private deck, transfixed by the waters of the ocean changing from a bluish-green, to aqua, and back to sea green and blue. We watched a fish or two popping its head out of the ocean curiously checking on the new arrivals. Not even years of practising yoga would offer the tranquillity and inner peace that resonated on this island.

For honeymooners and anniversary celebrants, there can be no timetable on holiday. No alarms to be set, except perhaps to catch up with late and leisurely breakfasts, lazy strolls across the sandy beach, dips in the pool, dining in near dark idyllic ambience with just candlelight to cast a glow. Some wine, too, to stir up a loving spirit. It’s hard to recall and put down a day-wise agenda on this starry-eyed holiday. A honeymoon location in Maldives.

Maldivian Food

We visited the Male local and fish markets one day and being the food lover that I am, signed up for a Maldivian private cooking experience. With the help of a guide, we shopped for the ingredients and even sampled what we cooked. A typical Maldivian meal consists of rice or ‘Roshi‘, a soup called ‘Garudia‘ and fish customarily cooked in curried coconut and served with grains and vegetables.

Cocktails by a private beach

It didn’t take us long to realize that the Maldives was a strictly dry country; spirits weren’t readily available or encouraged on the island except in private clubs and resorts. However, the hotel made up by offering us two bottles of complimentary wine and champagne which were good enough for a few days’ stay. Curious as always for local flavour, we tried sipping its local teas and ‘Raa’, the local toddy which isn’t high in alcoholic content but does make one tipsy on a lazy day.

There are walking tours too, but we decided to walk on the island on our own. Besides, walking on one’s own lends a better sense of direction and pride in having discovered the way to and fro without help.

Anniversary Romance at the Maldives

The best time to visit the Maldives is between November and March, and with our wedding anniversary in December, it was quite the best time of the year to be there. Many prefer to travel in the month-end, close to Christmas and New Year time when rainfall is also at its minimum.

Anniversary Luncheon

In the morning of our anniversary, the 27^th day of December, we were greeted with a lavish breakfast that came with a bottle of champagne. A large table was set with a floral message starting our day on a perfect and aromatic note. We popped the champagne in place of tea, but who says that rules cannot be changed to suit an occasion. Wine for breakfast, and toast at dinner. Wake up at midnight and slumber at dawn. Dream in the day, stay up the night. Juxtapositions, at its best.

On our last day at the Maldives, we headed on a submarine ride feeding the fish, which was rather uneventful. This was quite acceptable at this stage of our holiday, considering we had enjoyed many a high energy activity and were spent by now. Not wanting to miss the better magic at the hotel, we headed back to dinner at ‘Fennesse’ – a classic floating restaurant on a large boat with dinner and wine by candlelight, and specially crafted French fare.